US2769569A - Blade dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1956 R. L. SINCLAIR BLADE DISPENSING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 16, 1950 (@ENTOQ. BY wa Nov. 6, 1956 R. L. SINCLAIR BLADE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Sept. 16, 1950 1, III/III]! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IzzzJercZof nited States Patent "nice 2,769,569 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 BLADE DISPENSING DEVICE Robert L. Sinclair, Dedham, Mass., 'assignor to The Gillette Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1950, Serial No. 185,188

Claims. (Cl. 221-37) This invention comprises a new and improved dispensing device for safety razor blades and the like. The object of the invention is to provide a dispensing magazine of compact structure, convenient in operation'for the user and capable of fully protecting and safeguarding a stack of thin, flexible blades packed therein without other covering envelope. A further object of the invention is to provide a commercially satisfactory solution to the problem of separating and feeding from a stack sharp edged blades of a thickness in the order of .004 to .007 inch.

To these ends, in accordance with the various aspects of the invention, my improved dispensing device comprises a casing having atop opening or aperture. Within this casing will be found a stack of flexible and resilient blades disposed in alternately staggered and overlapped relation forming two overlapping series of blades extending oppositely in the casing. Means are provided for bowing the central portion of this stack of blades toward the opening in the top of the casing and may take the form of transverse bars which are longitudinally ofiset within the casing. A slide mounted for reciprocal movement relative to the casing closes the top opening to normally restrain the uppermost blade from passing therethrough. The slide is provided with a Window which may be brought into register with successive restrained blade ends permitting them to pass through the top opening and the slide window so that they will extend beyond the dispensing device. in this extended position, each successive blade may be readily and easily removed therefrom in a safe and easy manner.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the magazine;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end view;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the top or cover portion of the magazine;

Fig. 4- is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in longitudinal section on line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the bottom or tray portion;

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of the cover slide;

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation corresponding to Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a view of the magazine in side elevation, corresponding to Fig. 1;

Figs. 11l3 are views in longitudinal section on a larger scale, showing consecutive positions of the blades as the slide is moved; and

Fig. 14 is a corresponding sectional view of a magazine of modified construction.

The dispensing magazine herein illustrated comprises a bottom section or tray 10 preferably molded of a resinous plastic composition but it may be constructed of any suitable material. It is curved upwardly at both ends, as shown in Fig. 9, and provided at its opposite edges with grooves or slots for receiving corresponding tongues formed in the walls of the cover portion. It is provided centrally and longitudinally with a narrow upstanding stud ll and with a pair of transverse ribs 12 spaced approximately half-way between the center and ends of the tray 10 and projecting to about half the height of the central stud 11. The ribs 12 serve as bladefiexing members and may not necessarily take the form illustrated so long as they are shaped to carry out the flexing function, as will presently appear. The tray is also provided at each end with a pair of end stop lugs 13 providing shoulders which serve to locate the contained blades, as indicated in Figs. 1113 with their overlapping ends beneath the opening 16.

The cover or top section 15 of the magazine corresponds in contour to the tray 10 and has parallel side walls provided with tongues which interlock with the grooves in the edges of the tray. The top is provided with a centrally disposed opening or aperture 36 which extends for the full width of the magazine. This section is also provided with a pair of downwardly projecting transverse ribs 17 which also serve as blade-flexing members and cooperate with the ribs 12 of the tray. Mounted on the top 15 is a cover slide 18 having inturned side edges designed to slide in grooves provided for that purpose in the side walls of the cover section, as well shown in Fig. 6. The cover slide is not solid, but provided centrally with a window 19 which is appro"' ately one-third of the width of the opening 16. This window, as shown in Figs. 1 and 11, is initially located symmetrically above the upstanding blade locating stud ll.

Contained within the enclosure of the ma azine is a stack of thin flexible sharp double-edged blades 20 arranged in two overlapping series, as best shown in Figs. 11-13. These blades are longitudinally slotted to receive with clearance the central stud 11 which is also longitudinally disposed and thus centers the blade stack and positively holds the sharpened edges of the blades out of contact with the walls of the enclosure and at the same time permits the blades to move freely upwardly when permitted to do so. The blades are arranged in longitudinally staggered relation; that is to say, the individual blades of the left-hand series, as shown in Fig. 11, alternate in overlapping relation with the individual blades of the right-hand series. The transverse ribs 12 and 17 cooperate to hex the outer ends of the blades of each series downwardly so that they abut the stop lugs 13. The uppermost blade marked 20 in Fig. 11 is flexed to engage at its upper end against the cover slide 18 when the latter occupies its initial centrally disposed position. The blade 20 is thus biased against the cover and tends always to spring into a straightened position when permitted to do so by movement of the cover slide toward the right to some such position as that indicated in Fig. 12. In this position the blade 20' is still somewhat confined by its engagement with one 'mwardly deflected edge of the window 19. However, as the cover slide is now moved toward the left, the blade 20. is freed more and more and finally is permitted to assume an unflexed position in which it extends a substantial distance above the top of the magazine Where it may be conveniently grasped by the user, as shown in Fig. 13.

It will be seen that while the uppermost blade 20' is initially confined by engaging the cover slide at a point offset or out of line with the window 19, as shown in Fig. 11, it in turn serves to lie); the next underlying blade which is, in fact, the uppermost blade of the other or right-hand series. Each blade below this blade serves to flex the next underlying blade so that all the blades of both series, except the single blade in actual contact with the cover slide 18, are maintained in similar flexed position with their-ends overlapping, as already explained. As one blade is released and'removed, the next underlying blade springs into contact with the cover slide and remains in readiness'for release when the slide is moved in the opposite direction.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 14 the blades 20 are shown as being flexed over a convex leaf spring 32 by cross bars 31, these being located somewhat nearer the ends of the magazine than the ribs 17 which perform their function in the construction of Figs; l113. In the construction of Fig. 14 the resiliency of the spring 32 supplements the resiliency of the blades themselves in imparting a straightening tendency thereto. In both of the illustrated embodiments of the invention it will be seen that the stop lugs 13'are so located in the bottom of themagazine enclosure as to engage the outer end of each series of blades and gauge the 1 inner ends of the blades properly to pass through the aperture or window in the cover of the magazine when the blades are permitted to straighten from their initial biased condition.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail illustrative embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A blade-dispensing device comprising a casing having a top opening, a stack of flexible and resilient blades disposed in said casing in alternately staggered and overlapped relation, means for bowing the central portion of said stack of blades towards said top opening to urge an end of the uppermost blade into said top opening, and a slide mounted for reciprocable movement relative to said casing and closing said top opening, said slide having a window wider than the width of the blades, said slide normally restraining the uppermost blade end and being reciprocable between alternate positions in which its window is in register with successive restrained blade ends to permit said successive blade 7 ends to extend through said top opening and said window and beyond the dispensing device for manual removal ofthe blades therefrom.

2. A blade-dispensing device comprising a casing having a top. opening, a stack of flexible and resilient blades disposed in said casing in alternately staggered and overlapped relation, means for bowing the central portion of said stack of blades towards said top opening to urge an end of the uppermost blade into said top opening, and a slide mounted for reciprocable movement on said casing and above said top opening, said slide normally restraining the uppermost blade end, said slide having a window wider than the Width of said blades with two blade-releasing edges for alternately permitting successive blade ends to extend through said top opening and said window and beyond the dispensing device for manual removal of blades therefrom as the slide is reciprocated between positions in which its window is 'in register withthe restrained ends of the alternately staggered blades.

3. A blade-dispensing device comprising a casing having a top opening, a stack of flexible and resilient blades disposed in said casing in alternately staggered 4 most blade into said top opening, and a slide mounted for reciprocable movement on said casing and above said top opening, said slide normally restraining the uppermost blade end, said slide having a window wider than the width of said blades with two blade-releasing edges for alternately permitting successive blade ends to extend through said top opening andsaid window and beyond the dispensing device for manual removal of blades therefrom as the slide is reciprocated betweenpositions in which its window is in register with the restrained ends of the alternately staggered blades.

4. A blade-dispensing device comprising a casing having a top opening, a stack of flexibleand resilient blades disposed in said casing in alternately staggered and overlapped relation, means for bowing the central portion of said stack of blades towards said top opening to urge an end of the uppermost blade into said top opening, a slide mounted for reciprocable movement relative to said casing and closing said top opening,

said slide having a window wider than the width of said blades, said slide normally restraining the uppermost blade end and being reciprocable between alternate positions in which its window is in register with successive restrained blade ends to permit said successive blade ends to extend through said top opening and said window and beyond the dispensing device for manual removal of the blades therefrom, and stops limiting the recipro- 7 cable movement of said slide to end positions wherein said window is in register with the restrained blade ends;

5. A blade-dispensing device comprising a casing having a top opening,.a' stack of flexible and resilient blades disposed in said casing in alternately staggered and overlapped relation, means for bowing the central portion of said stack of blades towards said top opening to urge an end of the uppermost blade into said top opening, and a slide mounted for reciprocable movement on said casing and above said top opening, said slide normally restraining the uppermost blade end, said slide having 'a Window wider than the width of said blades with two blade-releasing edges spaced apart a distance approximately /3 the distance of said top opening in a direction longitudinally of the casing, said bladerele'asing edges alternately permitting successive blade ends to extend through said top opening and said Window, and beyond the dispensing device for manual removal of blades therefrom as the slide is reciprocated between positions in which its window is in register with the restrained ends of the alternately staggered blades. 7

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 297,217 Abbott Apr. 22, 1884 540,706 Watson June 11, 1895 909,110 ONeil Jan; 5, 1909 934,220 Sayles Sept. 14, 1909 1,092,067 Marx Mar. 31, 1914 1,377,379 Williams May 10, 1921 1,377,576 Hammerle ,May 10, 1921 1,759,980 Ecker May 27, 1930 1,796,262 Gaisman Mar. 10, 1931. 2,086,210 Brown July 6, 1937 2,298,594 Rueger Oct. 13, 1942 2,359,807 Testi Oct. 10, 1944 2,431,523 Tuerff et al. Nov. 25,1947 2,542,510 Gray Feb. 20, 1951 2,674,368 Bailey Apr. 6, 1954 2,675,909 Auerbach Apr. 20, 1954

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