US2983041A - Manually operable dry shaver - Google Patents

Description

May 9, 1961 G. w. KESSON 2,933,041

7 MANUALLY OPERABLE DRY SHAVER Filed March 13, 1959 I s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

GORDON W KESSON May 9, 1961 G. w. KESSON MANUALLY OPERABLE DRY SHAVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13, 1959 FIG INVENTOR.

GORDON W. KESSON y 9, 1961 G. w. KESSON 2,983,041 MANUALLY OPERABLE DRY SHAVER Filed March 13, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

GORDON W. KESSON United States Patent O MANUALLY OPERABLE DRY SHAVER Gordon -W. Kesson, Greenwich, New South Wales, Australia, assignor of one-tenth to Gadget-Of-The-Month Club, Inc.', North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 799,332

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-43) The present invention consists of an improved manually operable shaver which, in one preferred form, is normally intended to be operated as a dry shaver, although not specifically so limited. In otherwords, the apparatus of the present invention is adapted for use in shaving any selected skin area normally bearing whiskers or hair without requiring any driving motor as is the case in one prior art type of dry shaver which is usually powered by an electrical motor. Furthermore,

the improved manually operable dry shaver of the present invention does not require that the whiskers to be shaved be first moistened with water and/or shaving cream, soap suds, or the like, as is the case with prior art conventional razors of either the straight razor or the safety razor type.

Thus, it can readily be seen that the improved manu ally operable dry shaver of the present invention provides a shaver particularly well adapted for sportsmen, outdoorsmen, or the like, or any other person who does not have conveniently at hand electric power to run a conventional prior art electric dry shaver or who does not have conveniently at hand a quantity of hot water and having cream, soap, or the like, for use with conventional razors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved manually operable dry shaver adaptedfor use in very eflectively shaving whiskers from a desired skin area without the necessity of using water, shaving cream, soap, or the like.

It is further object to provide an improved manually operable dry shaver adapted to be operated entirely by the hand of a user carrying the shaver whereby to efiectively remove whiskers from a desired skin area.

It is a further object toprovide a device of the character set forth in the preceding object, wherein the manually operable dry shaver is so constructed and operates in a manner such that it does not require that the whiskersto be shaved by the device be moistened or have shaving cream, soap suds, or the like, applied thereto prior to and/or during the shaving operation.

It is a further object to provide a device of the characterset forth in any of the preceding objects, wherein the actual whisker-cutting operation is accomplished by meansof easily replaceable conventional razor blade means carried by the apparatus 'for arcuate movement with respect to an arcuate whisker-receiving comb or screen.

i most portion of Fig. 2.

Patented May 9, 1961 hereinafter.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary form of the invention as seen from a position adjacent the head or shaving end of the device. The handle portions are shown in their most extreme open position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view of the dry shaver shown in Fig. ltaken centrally horizontally through the shaving end of the device and centrally horizontally through each of the handle portions of the device." I r Fig. 3 is a' fragmentary enlarged view of the lower- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but shows the handle portions in half-closed or intermediate position.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the entire shaver (not in section) when it is in the intermediate position. shown in Fig. 4' and as'seen from the right side of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryenlarged view of the right razor blade mounting means shown in Fig. 4, and clearly showing the shaving cooperation thereof with respect to the concave inner surface of the comb .means curved in a manner comprising a portion of a cylinder, whereby to efiectively cut off the whiskers extending through the slotted apertures in the comb means. r

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary outside elevational view of a portion of the comb means showing the plurality of whisker-receiving slotted apertures therein.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 4 but shows the handle portion in its extreme closed position ready for return to the extreme open position shown in Fig. 2 after passing through the intermediate position shown in Fig. 4 under the action of the handle biasing spring means.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the right hand razor blade mounting means shown in Fig. 8, and clearly showing that one of the razor blades carried thereby has an oppositely projecting edge which is adapted for use in trimming side burns or conducting similar edging and shaving operations.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view similar to Figs. 4, 6, and 9 showing a slight modification of the razor blade means wherein only a single razor blade is carried by each mounting means.

w The improved manually operable dry shaver of the present'invention may be said to include two longitudinal members, each having a handle end, an opposed head end, an intermediate portion, and pivot pin means inter- 1 said pivot pin; the head end of a first one of said longitu- It is a further object to provide a device of the characi ter set forth in any of the preceding objects, which is of extremely simple, cheap, foolproof construction such'as .to be conducive to widespread use of the device.

dinal members being bifurcated substantially parallel to said pivot pin and being provided at its outer end most remote from said pivot pin with a transverse outwardly convex multi-apertured comb means comprising a non corrodible screen having a plurality of apertures therethrough, and with said comb means being convexly shaped in a direction facing away from said pivot pin and being correspondingly concavely shaped in a direction facing toward said pivot pin in a manner simulating a portion of a cylinder having an axis coincident with said pivot pin; the head end of a second one of said longitudinal members being bifurcated substantially paral lel to said pivot pin and being provided at its outer end' m0st remote from said pivot pin with transverse mounting means removably carrying razor blade means having straight cutting edge means positioned inside of. and in contact with the concave inner surface of said comb means in a position parallel to said pivot pin means,

a and with said cutting edge means bein 50 difectefl with respect to said comb means as to form at the hue of contact therewith with .respect to a plane tangent thereto an acute angle.

.In the specific embodiment illustrated in 'Figs.-1--9, the above-mentioned two longitudinal members each take' .a specific form, as indicated generally at 20 and 21, each having a handle end as indicated at 22 and 23, respectively, made of curved channel-shaped metal; each having an intermediate portion as indicated at 24 and 25, respectively, interconnected by the doubly headed pivot pin 26 whereby to pivotally interconnect the longitudinal members 20 and 21; and also each having a bifurcated head end, asindicated at 27 and 28, respectively. It will be noted that the outermost or larger bifurcated headend 27 carried by the longitudinal member 20 is provided at its outer end most remote from the pivot pin 26 with a transverse outwardly convex multiapertured comb means, indicated generally at 29, comprising a non-corrodible screen 30 carried in arcuately spaced transversely directed end mounting members 30A and provided with a plurality of appertures 31, which, in the specific example illustrated, are slotted so as to be longer in an arcuate direction transverse to the pivot pin 26 than in a direction parallel to said pivot pin 26. This can be seen in Figs. 1 and and is clearly shown in Fig. 7. It should be noted that the outer surface of the comb means 29 is convexly shaped in a direction facing away from the pivot pin 26 and that the inner surfaceof said comb means 29 is concavely shaped in a direction facing toward the pivot pin 26, and further that the curvature-of said comb means 29 is suchas to simulate a portion of a cylinder having an axis coincident with the pivot pin 26.

Also, in the specific embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-9, the above-mentioned bifurcated head end 28 of the second longitudinal member 21 is positioned within the bifurcated head end 27 of the first longitudinal member 20 and is provided at its outer end most remote from the pivot pin 26 and immediately inside of the concave inner surface of the comb means 29, with one specific form of the above-mentioned transverse mounting means, which actually comprises two transverse mounting means generally indicated at 32 and 33 and each arcuately spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the pivot pin 26 and each removably carrying razor blade means, which in the specific example illustrated in Figs. l-9, comprises in each case a group or set of three slightly angularly displaced razor blades indicated'by the single reference numeral 34 and 35, respectively, with each group or set of blades having correspondingly angularly slightly displaced straight cutting edges in corresponding groups of three indicated at 36 and 37, respectively, whereby the three slightly angularly dis placed cutting edges 36 and the opposed set of three slightly displaced cutting edges 37 all make individual slightly arcuately spaced straight-line contact with the concave inner surface of the screen 30, as is best seen in Fig. 3, with said straight-line contact comprising six individual blade edge and screen contact lines allparallel to each other and to said pivot pin 26, whereby movement of said cutting edges 36 and 37 arcuately along the concave inner face of the comb means 29 will cause effective cutting or shearing of whiskers, such as those indicated at 38 in Fig. 6, extending through the slotted apertures 31 along six shearing lines, thus providing very effective and rapid shearing of the whiskers 38. It should be clearly noted that each of the blades 34 and 35;, and the corresponding cutting edges 36 and 37, is inclined with respect to the tangent ,of the line of contact thereof with the concave comb means 29 so as to form -there-: with an acute angle, thus providing a very effective whisker-cutting mounting of the blades.

The razor blade mounting means indicated generally 4 at 32 and 33 comprises two transverse members 51 carried by the bifurcated members 28 and two corresponding inner plates 39 and 40, respectively, adapted to abut opposite surfaces of the mounted blades 34 and 35 and to be rigidly forced thereagainst by the action of corresponding interiorly threaded thumb nuts 41 and 42 engageable with the exteriorly threaded upwardly directed projections 43 and 44 respectively carried by each of the members 51 and adapted to extend through the conventional centrally apertured portion of the razor blades 34 and 35; the rigid clamping action thus produced being such as to effectively hold each set of three razor blades 34 and 35, respectively, in the slightly displaced positions described hereinbefore and best shown in Fig. 3.

Incidentally, it should be noted that one of the razor blades of the set 35 has a rear edge 45 extending beyond the mounting means 33 whereby it may be used for trimming sideburns or for other edging purposes when the inner bifurcated head 28 is in the extreme closed position shown in Fig. 8.

In the specific example illustrated in 'Figs. l-9, the longitudinal members 20 and 21 are provided with spring means for effectively biasing the handle ends 22 and 23 apart. In the form illustrated, said spring means includes a central coiled portion 46 mounted on the pivot pin 26 and having two extended ends 47 and 48 abutting the insides of the handle ends 22 and 23, respectively, and biasing them apart into the extreme open position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where stop means 49 carried by the bifurcated head end 27 is abutted by .the bifurcated head end 28 under the action of the biasing spring just described so as to normally maintain the shaver in the extreme open position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be noted that the extreme closed position is determined by an additional stop member 50' carried by the handle end 22 and adapted to abut the other handle end 23 when they are in the extreme closed position shown in Fig. 8.

The operation of the improved manually operable dry shaver of the present invention may be briefly described as follows. A user of the device grasps it in one hand with the handle end 22 abutting the palm of his hand and with the handle end 23 engaged by the opposed fingers of his hand. Then the comb means 29 is placed against the skin area which is to have whiskers shaved therefrom and is moved along the surface thereof so as to draw the skin taut and to cause the whiskers 38 to extend through the apertures 31 in the comb means 29 in the manner best shown in the fragmentary view comprising Fig. 6, and the handle end 23 is then pulled toward the handle end 22 by the fingers of the user of the device so as to arcuately move the two sets of razor blade cutting edge means 36 and 37 along the concave inner surface of the comb means 29 so as to effectively shear ofi the whiskers 38. This oscillatory movement of the handle end 23 under the control of the fingers .of the user of the dry shaver may be repeated as the comb means 29 is moved over the skin area to be shaved. For example, I have found that oscillating the handle end 23 and the blade edge means 36 and 37 at about four cycles per second provides very effective and quite rapid shaving and is convenient and easy to maintain for the time necessary to complete a normal face-shaving operation.

Fig. 10 is a view very similar to Fig. 6 and illustrates a slight modification of the invention wherein the razor blade mounting means 33' carries a single conventional type razor blade 35 adapted to have a single straight cutting edge 37' in contact with the concave inner surface of the comb means, such as that shown at 29 in Fig. 6. It will be understood that this single razor blade per mounting means form of the invention shown in Fig. 10 may be included in a razor of the type shown in Figs. 1-9 having two arcuately spaced razor blade mounting means each carrying such a single razor blade as that shown at 35, or it may be included in a razor of the general type shown in Figs. l-9, but wherein one of the razor blade mounting means and the razor blade means carried thereby is eliminated entirely.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A manually operable shaver, comprising: twolongitudinal members each having a handle end, an opposed head end, an intermediate portion, and a pivot pin pivotally interconnecting said intermediate portions with the head ends on one side of said pivot pin and the handle ends on the opposite side of said pivot pin, the head end of a first one of said longitudinal members being bifurcated substantially parallel to said pivot pin and being provided at its outer end most remote from said pivot pin with a transverse outwardly convex multiapertured comb means comprising a non-corrodible screen having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said comb means being convexly shaped in a manner simulating a portion of a cylinder having an axis coincident with said pivot pin, the head end of a second one of said 1ongitudinal members being bifurcated substantially parallel to said pivot pin and being provided at its outer end most remote from said pivot pin with two transverse mounting means arcuately spaced from each other in a direction transverse to said pivot pin and each removably carrying individual razor blade means having straight cutting edge means positioned inside of and in contact with the concave inner surface of said comb means in a position parallel to said pivot pin means and with each of said cutting edge means being substantially oppositely so directed with respect to said comb means as to form at the line of contact therewith with respect to a plane tangent thereto an acute angle and opposed to and converging toward a similar acute angle formed by the other cutting edge means and a plane tangent to the line of contact therewith with saidcomb means.

2. A manually operable dry shaver, comprising: two longitudinal members each having a handle end, an opposed head end, an intermediate portion, and a.pivot pin pivotally interconnecting said intermediate portions with the head ends on one side of said pivot pin and the handle ends on the opposite side of said pivot pin; biasing spring means having a coiled central portion mounted on said pivot pin and having two extended ends abutting the insides of said handle ends of said longitudinal members and biasing them apart; stop means carried by one of said head ends in a position for abutment with the other of said head ends for limiting relai tive arcuate movement thereof under the action of'said biasing spring means; the head end of a first one of said longitudinal members being bifurcated substantially parallel to said pivot pin and being provided at its outer end most remotefrom said pivot pin with a transverse outwardly convex multi-apertured comb means comprising a non-c0rr0dible screen having a plurality of slotted apertures therethrough, each of said slotted apertures in said comb means being longer in a direction transverse to said pivot pin than in a direct-ion parallel'to said pivot pin, said comb means being convexly shaped in a manner simulating a portion of a cylinder having an axis coincident with said pivot pin, the head end of a second one of said longitudinal members being bifurcated substantially parallel to said pivot pin and being provided at its outer end most remote from said pivot pin with. two transverse mounting means arcuately spaced from each other in a direction transverse to said pivot pin and each removably carrying individual razor blade means having straight cutting edge means positioned inside of and in contact with the concave inner surface of said comb means in a position parallel to said pivot pin means and with each of said cutting edge means being substantially oppositely so directed with respect to said comb means as to form at the line of contact therewith with respect to a plane tangent thereto an acute angle andopposed to and converging toward a similar acute angle formed by the other cutting edge means and a plane tangent to the line of contact therewith with said comb means; each of said transverse mounting means being provided with controllably'en gageable and disengageable means to allow removal and replacement of the corresponding razor blade means; each of said razor blade means carried by each of said transverse mounting means including a plurality of individual razor blades each having closely adjacent and slightly oifset similarly angularly inclinedblade edges contacting the inner concave surface of said comb means at closely arcuately spaced lines parallel to said pivot pin and parallel to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Austria Dec. 14, 1953

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