US3349483A - Manual mechanical razor with stationary circular blade - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1967 R. w. cARTHY 3,349,483

MANUAL MECHANICAL RAZOR WITH STATIONARY CIRCULAR BLADE Filed July 22, 1965 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. RICHARD W. Mac CARTHY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,349,483 MANUAL MECHANICAL RAZOR WITH STATIONARY CIRCULAR BLADE Richard W. MacCarthy, Mountain View, Calif. (1445 Calaveras Ave., San Jose, Calif. 95126) Filed July 22, 1965, Ser. No. 473,923 7 Claims. (Cl. 30-43.6)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A circular blade is secured co-axially on a shank which is inserted into a hole provided therefor co-axially of a blade back-up member which is journaled for rotation in a razor body. The circular blade rides co-axially on a ring of radially inclined teeth provided on a skirt portion of the back-up member. The blade is held against rotation, and is biased into conforming relation with the teeth by a spring clip fitted to the body. A pair of scissorslike handles are provided, one of which is secured to the body while the other is in geared, driving relation with the back-up ring. A spring is mounted to bias the blade slightly in a reverse direction at the end of each operative stroke of the handles to cause the back-up ring to spring back slightly so as to release any whiskers which might be trapped between the blade and the teeth of the backup member.

The present invention relates to razors, and pertains more particularly to a manually operated razor having a stationary disk blade and a rotary, toothed, back-up ring which urges whiskers radially inwardly toward the slicing periphery of the blade and assists in severing them.

In the past, numerous developments have been made aimed toward the provision of a satisfactory shaving device. Examples of such developments are disclosed in my patent application Ser. No. 245,027, filed Dec. 17, 1962, now Patent Number 3,220,108 granted Nov. 30, 1965, and application Ser. No. 355,659, filed Mar. 30, 1964 now Patent Number 3,298,101 granted Jan. 17, 1967. In the latter there is disclosed a razor having a rotary, disk blade with a slicing peripheral edge, and a back-up ring with diagonally disposed teeth for cooperating with the rotating blade. The present invention, while having a cutting head generally similar to this prior form of razor, is distinctly different in its structure and operation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved, manually operated, circular blade razor with a stationary blade and a rotatively driven, toothed backup ring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a manually actuated razor having a readily removable, stationary, circular blade with a slicing, preferably finely serrated, peripheral edge, and a rotary, toothed back-up ring mounted in resilient, honing contact with a marginal surface portion of the blade, the back-up ring having sharpened, shear-like cutting teeth disposed at a forward rake angle relative to the direction of rotation of the back-up ring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety razor having a stationary, circular blade, and a toothed back-up ring, a pair of scissors like handles being mounted to provide successive rotative actuations of the backup ring, means being provided to produce a slight counterrotative actuation of the back-up ring upon the completion of each actuation of the back-up ring by the handles.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a razor embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the razor shown in FIG. 1.

3,349,483 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the razor taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view showing portions of the circular blade and back-up ring.

FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view showing the component parts of the razor shown in FIGS. 1-4.

Brief description Briefly, the illustrative form of the present invention comprises a manually operated razor A having a body 10, a stationary, circular blade 11, and a rotary, toothed, back-up member 12. The latter is journaled in a hole provided therefor in the body 10, and is rotated intermittently by a pair of scissors- like handles 13 and 14, the former of which is fixed to the body while the latter is movable.

The blade 11 comprises a shank portion 15, universal pivotal mounting support which is provided by a resilient, button-like portion 17, and a shallow, frusto-conical blade cutting portion 18. The blade shank 15 is inserted in a hole provided therefor axially of the back-up member 12 and is anchored against rotative movement, and simultaneously biased resiliently toward the rotatable back-up member 12, by a folded leaf spring 19, which fits into a groove 20 provided therefor in an intermediate body plate 21.

An annular row of teeth 22 are provided on the lower edge of a skirt portion 23 of the back up member, and these teeth are biased by the spring 19 into light, resilient, honing contact with the peripheral upper surface of the blade cutting portion 18.

Pinion teeth 24 are formed on a shaft portion 25 of the blade back up member 12, and mesh with a gear segment 27 on the inner end of the movable handle 14. The teeth of the gear segment 27 are interrupted at 27a to release the shaft portion 25 at the terminal portion of each operative stroke of the movable handle 14, at which point a coil spring 28, which is placed under slight torsion during each operative stroke of the handle, causes the back-up member 12 to move slightly in a counterrotative direction to free any whiskers which might be trapped between the blade and the teeth of the back-up member. The use of the coil spring and the interruption of the gear segment are optional however, since the razor shaves very satisfactorily without this feature.

Detailed description Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the body 10 of the illustrative razor A comprises the main body portion 29, the intermediate plate 21 and a cap plate 30. The body portions may be of any .suitable, but a hard, impact resisting molded plastic material such as, for example, Delrin. The main body portion 29 is formed with a recess 31 therein to receive a rectangular portion 32 on the inner end of the fixed handle 13, and the gear segment 27 on the inner end of the movable handle 14. The handles 13 and 14 are generally similar to those of a pair of ordinary scissors, and serve a general similar purpose.

A groove 33 is provided in the bottom of the recess 31 to receive a shaft retaining pin 34 having an upturned end portion 35 which fits into an anchor hole provided therefor in the rectangular handle portion 32. The inner end portion of the pin 34 chordally intersects a shaft opening 37 provided in the main body portion 29, and the shaft portion 25 of the rotary blade back up member 12 is journ'aled in this opening. An annular groove 38 is provided substantially medially of the length of the backup member shaft portion 25, and receives therein the portion of the shaft retaining pin 34 which chordally intermember 12 against axial displacement.

The upper portion of the back up member shaft portion 25 above the annular groove 38 therein is toothed to form a pinion, and the pinion teeth 22 thereof mesh with those of the gear segment 27 on the inner end of the movable handle 14. The teeth of the gear segment are interrupted at 27a and the interrupted portion registers with the teeth 24 of the shaft portion at the end of each operative stroke of the movable handle 14. Thus, the back up member 12 is released at this point from driven engagement with the movable handle 14 and is allowed to spring back slightly under the biasing effect of the fiat, spiral spring 28.

The spring 28 is seated in a circular recess 39 provided in the lower end of the main body portion 29 co-axially with the shaft opening 37 therein. A metal rim 40 lines the periphery of this recess 39, and the outer convolution of the spring 28 which is normally of larger diameter than this recess, is compressed radially for insertion into the recess and thus bears resiliently against the rim 40. A downturned end portion 28a on the inner end of the spiral spring 28 fits into an anchor hole provided therefor in a head portion 41 of the blade back-up member 12 to anchor the latter to the spring. The spring 28 is thus placed under torsion during each operation of the gear segment 27 by the movable handle 14, but this torsion remains slight due to slippage of the outer convolution of the spring 28 within the rim 40. Then, toward the end of each operative movement of the handle 14, when the interruption 27a of the gear segment 27 registers with the toothed shaft portion 25 of the back-up member the spring 28 causes a slight counter-rotation of the blade back-up member 12. to release any whiskers which may be trapped between the cutting edge of the blade and the teeth of the blade back-up member.

The cylindrical skirt portion 23 of the blade back-up member 12 may be of metal, and is secured, as by epoxy adhesive in an annular rabbet provided therefor in the head portion 41 of the back-up member. The teeth 22 of the illustrative back-up member 12 consists of the small diameter convolutions of a coil 42, preferably of good quality tool steel, which is formed into an annulus, and is secured, as by epoxy adhesive, co-axially onto the lower end of the cylindrical skirt portion 23. The coil 42 preferably has approximately 20 convolutions to the inch, but neither this measurement nor the size of the serrations in the blade cutting edge are critical.

Before being formed into its annulus, the coil 42 forming the teeth 22 preferably is flattened slightly trans versely of the axis of its individual convolutions so that these convolutions are raked forward slightly during an operative rotation of the blade back-up member 12. Faces 43 are ground on all of the convolutions of the annular coil 42, these faces being ground to define a common, conical surface of the same slope as the upper face of the conical blade cutting portion 18.

The annular coil 42 is of a diameter to seat the peripheral, serrated, slicing edge 44 of the blade cutting portion 18 on the conical surface defined by the ground coil faces 42, and to extend radially slightly therebeyond.

The transverse groove 20 in the upper side of the intermediate body plate 21 is centered on the axis of the blade shank when the latter is inserted in the axial hole provided therefor in the back-up member 12 as shown in FIG. 3. The groove is of a size to receive endwise therein the reversely bent, leaf spring, blade-locking clip 19. The cap plate covers the groove 20 and has a rectangular notch 45 therein to receive a boss 55 on the upper leg of the blade locking clip 19 when the latter is fully inserted to blade locking and biasing condition.

The intermediate body plate 21 and cap plate 30 each have three holes therein, and when the parts of the razor A are assembled as shown in FIG. 3 the holes in both plates are aligned in similar, co-axial pairs. One aligned pair of these holes is co-axial with the shaft opening 37 in the main body portion 29 to receive therein the upper end of the blade shank 15. A second pair thereof receives a body assembly and handle mounting screw 47, while the third pair of these holes receives a second body assembly screw 48. The screw 47 comprises a head 49, an unthreaded upper shank portion 50 which fits into a bushing 51 in a hole provided therefor axially of the gear segment 27 of the movable handle 14, and a lower, threaded shank portion 52 of reduced diameter, which fits through an unthreaded hole provided therefor in the rectangular portion 32 of the fixed handle 13 and is screwed into a threaded hole provided therefor in the main body portion 29. The shouldered offset between the upper and lower shank portions 50 and 52 of the screw 47 bears on the rectangular portion 32 of the fixed handle 13 to hold it firmly in the recess 31.

The blade shank 15 is of metal rod, such as steel, of a diameter to fit freely into the axial hole provided therefor in the back up member 12. It is also of a length to extend slightly above the cap plate 30 when the blade is inserted for use as shown in FIGS. l-3. Two diametrically opposite flat faces 53 and 54 are formed on the blade shank 15 near its upper end as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, and these flats are inclined inwardly at equal angles to the shank axis toward the lower end of the blade shank.

The blade button portion 17 is preferably molded of suitable material, such as a resilient, heat resistant plastic, and has a hub portion 17a which is mounted on the lower end of the blade shank 15. A thin annular web portion 17b connects the hub portion 17a to an integral annular portion 17c, which provides co-axial mounting support for the conical cutting blade portion 18, and which may be of a thickness to extend substantially to the plane defined by the peripheral slicing edge 44 of the cutting blade portion 18.

The truncated, shallow, conical cutting blade portion 18 is secured co-axially onto the thicker annular portion of the blade button 17, and the resiliency of the annular web portion 1711 allows sufficient freedom for wobble movement of the cutting blade portion 18 to permit the latter to conform to the conical surface defined by the faces 43 on the teeth 22 of the back up member 12 when the blade is biased upwardly by the spring clip 19.

The periphery of the cutting blade portion 18 has a keen slicing edge 44, and preferably is serrated on its under or concave side as shown in FIG. 4 with small serrations of the order of sixty to the inch. These serrations exert a shearing action in co-operation with the forwardly raked leading edges of the ring of teeth 22 of the rotating back up member 12, so that the razor A will still shave effectively even though the slicing per1pheral edge 44 of the blade cutting portion 18 has lost some of its initial keenness.

The blade retaining and biasing clip 19 comprises a i h of leaf spring material folded reversely substantla ly medially of its length and with a rectangular, transversely corrugated, presser boss 55 mounted on the free end of its upper leg. A pair of similar key hole slots 57 and 58 are provided In superposed relation, one in each of the legs of the spring clip 19, the round end portions of the key hole slots being of a size to receive the blade shank 15 freely therein, while the narrow portions are of a width slightly less than the diameter of the blade shank to receive the portion thereof between lower portions of the two inclined flats 53 and 54 thereon and thereby retain the blade against rotative movement.

A cylindrical stretcher ring 59 is fitted with a press fit into an annular rabbet 60 provided therefor around the lower end of the main body portion 29. The stretcher ring 59 is of a length to extend to substantially the same plane as that defined by the lower end of the back up member 12.

Operation Operation of the razor A is as follows: Assuming that the blade 11 is removed from the razor, to assemble the two the spring clip 19 is inserted in the groove 20 in the intermediate body plate 21, and beneath the cap plate 30, to a position where the round end portions of the key hole slots 57 and 58 are aligned with the holes for the blade shank 15 provided in the intermediate body plate 21 and the cap plate 30.

The blade shank 15 is then inserted upwardly through the axial hole provided therefor-in the back up member 12 and is pushed upwardly, as by a finger of the user pushing on the blade button 17, until the conical blade cutting portion 18 seats on the ground faces 43 on the teeth 22 of the back up member. The upper leg of the spring clip 19 is then depressed by pressing on the rectangular boss 55 thereon, and, with the blade 11 turned to position the flats 53 and 54 on the blade shank parallel to the sides of the narrow slotted portions of the key hole slots 57 and 58, the spring clip 19 is pushed inwardly to seat the boss 55 in a rectangular notch 61 provided therefor in the cap plate 30.

This action brings the tapered portion of the blade shank 15 between the flats 53 and 54 thereon into the narrow slotted portions of the key hole slots 57 and 58, thereby retaining the 'blade 11 against rotation; Upon release of pressure on the rectangular boss '55, the upper leg of the spring clip 19 is biased upwardly by the resilience of the spring, whereupon the edges of the narrow portion of the uppermost key hole slot 57 engage the upper tapered portion of the shank between the flats 53 and 54 thereon and urge the blade 11 resiliently upward, thereby biasing the upper face of the conical blade cutting portion 18 into bearing relation with the conically ground faces 43 of the teeth 22 of the back up member.

With the parts thus assembled, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, and the thumb of a users hand inserted in the ring portion of one of the handles, and a finger of the same hand inserted, in the other, the handles 13 and 14 are then separated, and the lower or blade end of the razor A is placed on the face of the user in slightly forwardly tilted position relative to the direction in which it is to be moved to perform a shaving stroke. With the razor bearing lightly against the users face, the handles 13 and -14 are then brought slowly together to rotate the back up member 12, while the razor is moved simultaneously forwardly across a desired stroke area of the users face. The

speed of rotation of the back up member 12 preferably is of the order of 60 r.p.m., but the user soon learns to operate the handles in a manner which is best for his own preference.

At the completion of each full operative movement of the handles 13 and 14, the interrupted portion 27a of the gear segment 27 will register with the teeth 24 of the rotary shaft portion 25, thereby releasing the latter from driven engagement by the handle member 14 and allowing the spiral spring 28, which was placed under slight torsional stress during the shaving stroke, to urge the back up member 12 in acounter-rotative direction and thereby free any whiskers which otherwise might be trapped between serrations of the blade edge 44 and the teeth 22 of the back up member. The razor A is then raised clear of the users face, the handles 13 and 14 are separated, and the process is repeated as necessary to complete the shaving operation.

When it is desired to remove the blade 11, the rectangular boss on the upper leg of the spring clip 19 is depressed, and the spring clip is pulled outwardly to its limit of movement, which brings the rounded end portions of the key hole slots 57 and 58 in the spring clip 19 into register with the blade shank 15. The upwardly extending upper end portion of the blade shank 15 is then pushed downwardly to move the blade cutting portion 18 free of the teeth 22 of the back up member, and

the edge of the blade cutting portion 18 is then lightly grasped between the thumb and forefinger of the users hand and the blade axially withdrawn. The blade requires only very infrequent sharpening, because the friction of the conical peripheral portion of the blade cutting portion 18 hearing lightly on the teeth of the back up member 12 exerts a honing action which tends to keep the peripheral slicing edge of the blade sharp.

The invention provides a simple, inexpensive and easily operated, stationary blade, mechanical razor, and one which can be operated in any locality without dependence upon electrical current. For this reason it makes an excellent razor for use not only at home, but also for campers, for use in an automobile, and for use by military personnel in the field.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims:

1. A manually actuated circular blade razor comprising:

a body,

a stationary blade having a finely serrated, circular periphery sharpened to a keen cutting edge,

a blade shank fixedly mounted co-axially of the blade and extending from one side thereof,

an annular blade back-up member journaled rotatably in the body and having a hole axially therethrough, the shank of the blade being inserted in said hole, an annular row of teeth on the back-up member coaxially of its axis of rotation, each tooth having a surface formed on the axially outward side thereof conforming to a marginal portion of said one side of the blade and extending radially beyond the blade edge, the other side of the blade and the portions of the teeth extending radially beyond the blade being exposed for contact with the skin of a person during shaving,

means retaining the blade against rotation and simultaneously lightly biasing the blade and back-up member axially toward each other to bring the conforming surfaces on the teeth of the back-up member into light, contacting, honing relation with the marginal portion of the blade, and

manually actuated means mounted on the body and operatively engaging the blade back-up member for rotating the back-up member relative to the blade.

2. A manually actuated, circular blade razor comprising:

a body,

a stationary blade having a finely serrated, circular periphery sharpened to a keen cutting edge,

a blade shank fixedly mounted co-axially of the blade and extending from one side thereof, an annular blade back-up member journaled rotatably in the body and having a hole axially therethrough, the shank of the blade being inserted in said hole,

an annular row of shearing teeth on the back-up member c-o-axially of its axis of rotation, each tooth having a surface formed on the axially outward side thereof conforming to a marginal portion of said one side of the blade and extending radially beyond the blade edge,

means retaining the blade against rotation and simultaneously lightly biasing the blade and back-up member axially toward each other to bring the conforming surfaces on the teeth of the back-up member into light, contacting, honing relation with the marginal portion of the blade,

a first handle member fixedly mounted on the body and extending laterally therefrom,

a second handle member pivotally mounted on the body and extending laterally therefrom, and

gearing operatively interconnecting the second handle member and the blade back-up member for rotatively driving the back-up member upon pivotally moving the second handle member alternately toward and away from the fixed handle member.

3. A manually actuated, circular blade razor as claimed in claim 2 wherein the gearing interconnecting the pivotally mounted second handle member comprises a gear segment on the second handle member in mesh with a pinion portion formed co-axially on the blade back-up member.

4. A manually actuated, circular blade razor comprising:

a body,

a stationary blade having a finely serrated, circular periphery sharpened to a keen cutting edge, a blade shank fixedl mounted co-axially of the blade and extending from one side thereof, v

a flat face on a side of the blade shank,

an annular blade back-up member journaled rotatably in the body and having a hole axially therethrough, the shank of the blade being inserted in said hole,

an annular row of endwise directed shearing teeth on the back-up member co-axially of its axis of rotation, each tooth having a surface formed thereon conforming to a marginal portion of the blade and extending radially beyond the blade edge,

each tooth having a shearing edge formed on the portion thereof conforming to the blade,

spring means removably mounted on the body and engaging the fiat face on the blade shank thereby retaining the blade against rotation and simultaneously lightly biasing the blade and back-up member axially toward each other to bring the conforming surfaces on the teeth of the back-up member into light contacting, honing relation with the marginal portion of the blade,

a manually movable member mounted on the body and extending laterally therefrom, and

means operatively interconnecting the manually movable member and the blade back-up member for rotatively driving the back-up member upon moving the manually movable member.

5'. A manually actuated, circular blade razor comprising:

a body,

a stationary blade having a finely serrated, circular periphery sharpened to a keen cutting edge,

a blade shank mounted co-axially of the blade,

an annular blade back-up member journaled rotatably in the body and having a hole axially therethrough, the shank of the blade being inserted in the hole,

an annular row of endwise directed shearing teeth on the back-up member co-axially of its axis of rotation, each tooth having a surface formed thereon conforming to a marginal portion of the blade and extending radially beyond the blade edge,

each tooth having a shearing edge formed on the portion thereof conforming to the blade,

means lightly biasing the blade and back-up member axially toward each other to bring the conforming surfaces on the teeth of the back-up member into light, contacting, honing relation with the marginal portion of the blade,

a manually movable member mounted on the body and extending laterally therefrom,

means operatively interconnecting the manually movable member and the blade back-up member for rotatively driving the back-up member upon moving the manually movable member, and

spring means operatively mounted between the body and the blade back-up member for exerting a slight counter-rotative biasing force between the body and the back-up member at the completion of each operative movement of the manually movable member for freeing any partially severed Whiskers trapped between serrations of the blade edge and the teeth of the back-up member.

6. A manually actuated, circular blade razor as claimed in claim 5, wherein the means for rotatively driving the back-up member comprise a pinion mounted co-axially on the back-up member, and a gear segment mounted on the manually movable handle member, the gear being interrupted to release the back-up member at a terminal portion of an actuating movement of the handle member.

7. A manually actuated, circular blade razor as claimed in claim 7 wherein the spring means for exerting a counter-rotative force between the body and the back-up member comprises a coil spring mounted with a convolution at one end thereof fitted in slightly radially compressed relation into a ciruclar retainer provided therefor co-axially of the back-up member for light, frictional engagement with the retainer, the other end of the spring being anchored to the back-up member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,014,067 9/1935 Heimers 3043.6 X 2,119,683 6/1938 Nevraumont 3043.6 2,247,798 7/ 1941 Bean 30--43.6 2,611,954 9/1952 Schmitt 30-436 FOREIGN PATENTS 827,830 2/1938 France.

295,729 8/ 1928 Great Britain.

669,152 3/ 1952 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A MANUALLY ACTUATED CIRCULAR BALDE RAZOR COMPRISING: A BODY, A STATIONARY BLADE HAVING A FINELY SERRATED, CIRCULAR PERIPHERY SHARPENED TO A KEEN CUTTING EDGE, A BLADE SHANK FIXEDLY MOUNTED CO-AXIALLY OF THE BLADE AND EXTENDING FROM ONE SIDE THEREOF, AN ANNULAR BLADE BACK-UP MEMBER JOURNALED ROTATABLY IN THE BODY AND HAVING A HOLE AXIALLY THERETHROUGH, THE SHANK OF THE BLADE BEING INSERTED IN SAID HOLE, AN ANNULAR ROW OF TEETH ON THE BACK-UP MEMBER COAXIALLY OF ITS AXIS OF ROTATION, EACH TOOTH HAVING A SURFACE FORMED ON THE AXIALLY OUTWARD SIDE THEREOF CONFORMING TO A MARGINAL PORTION OF SAID ONE SIDE OF THE BLADE AND EXTENDING RADIALLY BEYOND THE BALDE EDGE, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLADE AND THE PORTIONS OF THE TEETH EXTENDING RADIALLY BEYOND THE BLADE BEING EXPOSED FOR CONTACT WITH THE SKIN OF A PERSON DURING SHAVING, MEANS RETAINING THE BLADE AGAINST ROTATION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY LIGHTLY BIASING THE BLADE AND BACK-UP MEMBER AXIALLY TOWARD EACH OTHER TO BRING THE CONFORMING SURFACES ON THE TEETH OF THE BACK-UP MEMBER INTO LIGHT, CONTACTING, HONING RELATION WITH THE MARGINAL PORTION OF THE BLADE, AND MANUALLY ACTUATED MEANS MOUNTED ON THE BODY AND OPERATIVELY ENGAGING THE BLADE BACK-UP MEMBER FOR ROTATING THE BACK-UP MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE BLADE.

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