US2835030A - Spring loaded push button safety razor - Google Patents

Description

May 20, 1958 w. SEILER 2,835,030

SPRING LOADED PUSH BUTTON SAFETY RAZOR Filed Dec. 2, 1954 IN V EN TOR. W/u IAM JE/L 5/? United States Patent SPRING LOADED PUSH BUTTON SAFETY RAZOR William Seiler, Long Island City, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to L. Chester Glaser, Harold Herman, Albert A. Fisher, Herbert M. Felner, and Edward Neubauer Application December 2, 1954, Serial No. 472,657

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-605) This invention relates to safety razors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved safety razor wherein the razor head may be easily and readily opened and closed for the replacement of blades while employing only one hand, thus leaving the other hand free for removing the blade and in general simplifying and quickening the operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved safety razor wherein the cap sections enclosing the blade may be easily and readily opened and closed by pressing and releasing a push button provided at the lower end of the razor handle to permit the cap sections to be opened much more quickly than is the case with conventional razors of this type wherein it is necessary to rotate a threaded sleeve through a greater distance angularly to obtain the necessary longitudinal movement of the actuating rod.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved safety razor of the above type wherein novel means are provided for augmenting the thrust of the internal spring means during both opening and closing of the razor.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improve-d safety razor of the above type wherein the razor head is opened and closed by a springloaded push button operable from the lower end of the razor handle and wherein novel means are provided for augmenting the thrust of the spring during the closing operation of the razor head, permitting a spring of less strength to be employed to facilitate the opening of the razor head, while at the same time securing the cap sections in a firmly closed position against the blade during the shaving operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved safety razor of the above type wherein novel means are provided for supplementing the push button pressure necessary to retain the razor head in an open position, permitting the head to be held in the open position with less pressure on the push button portion and permitting a spring of reduced strength to be used for greater convenience and operability.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved safety razor bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, is easy to use and eflicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in a closed position; and showing in phantom one manner of holding the same preparatory to opening the razor head by the push button mechanism at the lower end of the handle;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view shown partly in section and partly in elevation showing the razor head in aclosed position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view thereof taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the razor head cap sections in an open position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, 10 represents a blade supporting member adapted to flex the blade when it is clamped in shaving position. The guard 10 is manufactured of heavy sheet metal or other suitable material and is provided at its ends with the downwardly turned walls 11 and along its longitudinal edges with the guide bars 12 having the serrated upper edges 13. The guide 10 is formed by depressing a single blank and is provided with a depressed chamber 14 of substantially diamond shape and the adjacent downwardly flared supporting faces 15 (Fig. 3). The guide 10 is provided at each end with a centrally disposed slot 16 extending through the wall of the chamber 14. The guard 10 is also provided near each corner in the outer down turned wall portions thereof with a rectangular recess 17 for a purpose which will hereinafter become clear. The guard 10 at the center thereof is fixedly connected to a tubular head 18, the lower end of the head 18 being integrally formed with an enlarged hollow handle 19, the interior diameter of the hollow handle 1% being greater than the interior diameter of the head 13 and providing thereby a shoulder 20 (Fig. 2).

A blade indicated generally at 21 is provided with a central, longitudinally extending blade locating slot 22 and with a recess at each corner which defines an elongated, unsharpened centrally disposed portion 23 at each end of the blade. The blade 21 is sharpened along its opposite longitudinal edges in the usual manner for shaving, and the slot 22 may be provided with spaced transverse enlargements for the reception of blade locating studs of various shapes in other razors, the blade 21 being of substantially V-shaped cross section.

Within the head 18 is disposed an elongated stem or spindle 24 which extends downwardly through the hol- 1ow handle 19. The stem 24 is slotted at its upper end for the reception of a cross bar 25 which constitutes the blade locating member which is received within the slot 22. The bar 25 is transversely perforated and is secured to the stem 24 by die pressing the material of the spindle into the perforations of the cross bar.

The ends of the folded bar 25 are offset downwardly in projections 26 and the ends of these otfset projections are turned outwardly in oppositely disposed, depending transverse arms 27. These arms are located beneath the elongated ends 23 of the blade 21 and act to lift the blade and elevate it above the blade engaging face of the guard 10 when the bar 25 and the carrier structure associated therewith is moved upwardly.

The cap sections 28 are concavely formed and cooperate with guard 18 in imparting a transverse curvature to the blade 21 if a conventional flat blade is employed when the latter is clamped in shaving position. Each cap section is provided at both of its outer corners with a downwardly extending arm 2? pivotally connected to the outwardly extending arms 27 of the carrier.

Each of the arms 29 passes downwardly through one of the recesses in the corner of the guard and each arm is formed at its lower end with an outwardly extending cam piece 30. These cam pieces are adapted to cooperate with the undersurface of the guard 10 (Fig. 3) as the carrier is raised and accordingly to swing the cap sections into open position as the carrier is moved upwardly. In this movement the arms 29 swing outwardly 2,83 mean;

into.horizontal. position (Fig. 4). and. rest upon the. up per edge 13 of the guides 12,, the cam pieces 29 extend ing almost vertically in this position. In the downward movement of the carrier-the pivot points of thfl alimsLml being moved below the edges 13, the inner: edges of". the

cut away portions; lli'act to swing the arms upwardly and the cap sections are-moved toward. their closedsposition the; cam pieces 30 turning, and passing edgewise: down into the spaces in the guard adjacent thereto.

As the stem- 24 islifted, carrying the: closed' eap. sectionst28. vertically upward, away from. blade 21., without, changing: their position, until the cam pieces=.30.-a-but the undersurface' of. the guard, the arms 29 are: swung outwardly; until, arrested by the upper; edges 13; of the: guides12 in wide open position. Conversely, the razor may, be closed. by lowering stem 24 together with the spindle, or carrier for, the cap sections. In; this movement:

the cap sections are first swungqtogether by the action of the inner edges of. the cut outs 17 with the. outer edges of the-arms 29.

The outer surface of the hollow handle-19; is knurledto facilitate gripping and includes an outwardly flared lowwhereby. to-limit theupward displacement of thestem124:

through the handle in an obvious manner. The knob34 is. provided with a knurled undersurface 35- to prevent slippage and increase the area of contact with the, finger ofthe user.

Thecap sections 28 are norm-ally retained in the closed. position of Fig. 1 with the cylindrical portion 33- and knob-34-extending downwardly below the bottom of handle 19, 32 by means of a spring 36 which sleeves the. stem 24' within the hollow handle, the upper end of, the spring 36 abutting the shoulder 20 while the lower, end thereof abuts the shoulder 37 provided by the cylindrical enlargement 33. The spring 36 is of suflicient-strength to retain the cap sections 28 in closed position to'flex the blade 21 and toprevent the upward movement of the cap sections when the shaving-edge of the blade isbrought intocontact with the skin of the user.

In operation, the cap sections may be raised,- to an operative, open position to permit theinsertion, or. re-

moval of the blade 21, as shown in Fig. 1, by holding the handle 19 between the first and second fingers and. press-v ing upwardly on the knob 34 with the thumb, therebypermitting the cap section to be swung to an open position while employing only one hand. Furthermore by this push button construction, the longitudinal movement of the stem 24 is effected more directly without the neces sity of rotating a threaded sleeve angularly alarge number of turns to effect corresponding longitudinal. movement of the stem. Thus, the cap sections will not only be opened by employing, only one hand, but. in less. time. The- V shaped cross section of the blade 21 is particularly adapted for support intermediate the guide 10 and the cap sections 28-under the action of the spring 36. The

handle may also be held between the index. finger and.

the thumb of one hand and the knob; 34'. pressed. upwardly by the middle finger of the same hand.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided v an. improved safety razor which may be opened: and

closed at the head portionthereof by. simply pressing; a. push button located the lower. end of the handle, which.

the stern 24-is-effecteddirectly without thenecessity 0E rotating an internally threaded sleeve a relatively large number of turns, and eliminating the necessity of translating this angular movement into longitudinal displacement.

Referring now particularly to- Fig. 5, there is shown a modified form of the present invention wherein means are providedfor augmenting the thrust of' the spring 36 as the cap sections28 move to a closed position to permit the use of a spring. 36 ofless strength and. thereby decreasing the pressure required-on thev knob 34. In Fig. 5, there are also shown means for reducing the pressure on knob 34 required for holding the cap sections in an open position as will become clear hereinafter. Inthis form of the invention, the enlarged cylindrical portion 33a is provided with a transverse bore 38 within which at opposite ends are positioned the balls 39, the balls 39 being urged outwardly of the bore 38' by means of a spring 40; The outwardly: flaredxporti'on 32a.is provided with an annular groove-4 1 near its lower end adapted to receive there'- within the; balls 39'When the stem 24 is in the position of Fig; 2, the ballsserving to retain the razor in the closedposition. The balls 39' have the further, more important feature of snapping into-the groove 41' as the stem 24-is returnedto-its closed position by spring 36, the snapping action being elfected as the balls 39 pass downwardly past the outer-or upper edge of the groove 41 and serving to augment the thrust of the spring 36 in snapping and retaining the cap sections 28 in closed position. Thus, a spring 36' of less strength may be employed for greater convenience of, the user when opening the head ofthe razor. Theinterior. of the-outwardly flared. portion 32a is also provided with a second annular groove 42above the; groove 41: and into which the balls 39will snap when the stem- 2.4-is in the position of. Fig. 4, assisting in. retaining the capsections inthe open position. against. the action; of the spring 36 and. permitting the. razor to be held in an open position with lesspressure on the knob 34.by. the amountof pressure necessary to move the balls 39- downwardly against-the action of spring 40.

In other respects the form'of the invention shown in Fig; 5 is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 through 4, and like reference numerals identify like parts throughout the several views.

While various changes may be made. in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall. bewithin the spirit and. scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus setforth and disclosed the nature of: my invention, what is claimed is: 4

1 A.safety razor of the type having the hollow handle and an operating rod slidable therewithin-,,that improve-- mentwhich comprises said. operating rod' extending;

through: the end of the handle remote from the head, spring means for retaining said rod in extending position through the: handle whereby to retain the head in a closed position, and spring detent means carried by said rod and adapted to engage'the-interior-of the handle when the-head is drawn to aclosed' position whereby to augment the thrust ofsaid spring means, said spring detent meanscomprising a transverse bore in said rod nearthe' end of the handle: remote from the head; a pair of balls at oppoosite endsof said bore, a spring intermediate said: balls within said bore, the handle having an annular groove at the interior thereof adapted to receive said balls therewithinwhen the. head is in a closed position.

2; A- safetyrazor according to claim 1, the handle at: the interior thereof having asecond annular bore or groove adapted to receive said balls therewithin when the head is in an openposition.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thompson et -a1. May 17, 1932 Smith et al. June 2, 1936 Anastasia Jan. 11, 1955 Isroif et a1 July 10, 1956

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