US3383763A - Razor with replaceable blade - Google Patents

Description

May 21, 1968 H. J. STRANDFORS RAZOR WITH REPLACEABLE BLADE Filed June 29, 1966 I NVENTOR. A226: J arm/wives JZ'w ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 3,383,763 RAZGR WITH REPLACEABLE BLADE Helge J. Strandf'ors, 4356 N. Bell Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60618 Filed June 29, 1966, Ser. No. 561,603 2 Claims. (Cl. 3032) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A razor is provided having a removable blade which is attached to a blade holder by means of a frictional fit between a lug of the blade holder and the edges of an opening provided in the blade. The blade holder and blade fit within a channel having curved side walls which permit a sliding-rolling of the channel relative to the surface of the skin being shaved.

The present invention relates to razors and, more particularly, to razors having replaceable cutting blades.

Barbers, beauticians, hair stylists and the like conventionally use razors of one form or another in their Work. In the United States, such use has until recently been restricted for the most part to shaving, i.e., to cutting hair close to the skin. However, in recent years, the socalled razor cut used widely in Europe and other foreign countries has grown popular and razors are now being used extensively for shaping and trimming in addition to shaving.

The most common instrument employed for this of work is the conventional straight razor which has been available and used by barbers for many years. However, the use of this instrument has numerous disadvantages. In the first place, the entire cutting blade of a conventional straight razor is exposed. In the shaping of the hair with such an instrument, the blade can cut its way deeply into a mass of hair and will do so unless great care is observed. Also, a straight razor dulls easily and must be repeatedly stropped. When the use of the razor is extensive, the time spent in stropping the razor becomes significant and appreciably reduces the number of customers that can be serviced during a working day.

Razors having a removable disposable cutting blade have been made available but are not entirely satisfactory. In the first place, such razors do not provide for the easy and rapid sterilization of the razor, which is necessary after each use if proper health precautions are to be observed. For example, in many such razors, proper sterilization of the blade requires removal of the blade from the r:

blade support. However, there is frequently no convenient means provided for insertion and removal of the blade and, hence, much time is wasted. Also, the blade holders frequently include so many surface irregularities generally inaccessible to the flow of a sterilizing liquid that adequate sterilization is not, as a practical matter, possible.

Also, the blades of such razors are frequently loosely attached to the holder and chatter or shift while the razor is being used.

Finally, a skilled barber uses a razor both on a downstroke, in which one side of the blade is adjacent the skin or hair mass, and an upstroke in which the other side of the blade is adjacent the skin or hair mass. In most disposable blade razors of the type available for use by barbers, however, the blade is backed by a sizable guard which interferes with the use of the blade on the upstroke and makes such use impractical or impossible. Accordingly, such razors cannot be elficiently used by a barber or hair stylist.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved razor having a replaceable blade; to provide such a razor in which a blade can be quickly and 3,383,763 Patented May 21, 1968 "ice easily attached to a blade holder; to provide a holder for a disposable razor blade which will support the blade in such a manner that only a minimum portion of the blade inwardly of the cutting edge is exposed; to provide an improved holder for a disposable razor blade which enables the holder and blade to be easily sterilized; and to provide an improved holder for a disposable razor blade which supports the blade in such a manner as to permit the use of both sides of the blade without interference.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a razor showing various features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end of a portion of the razor of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the razor of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a method of removing the blade from the razor of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the blade and blade supporting member of the razor of FIGURE 1, illustrating a method of securing the blade to the member;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the blade and blade support of FIGURE 5 illustrating a successive step in the securing of the blade to the support member;

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the blade support member taken along the line 77 of FIG- URE 5:

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 88 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 9 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 99 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now to the drawings, the razor 10 of the present invention includes a blade 12 which is preferably readily available on the market for a reasonable price and, thus, can be economically disposed of and replaced in lieu of resharpening. In the illustrated embodiment, the blade 12 (FIG. 5) is of the so-called injector type currently being manufactured and sold for safety razors by the Schick Safety Razor Co. under the trademark Schick, and by the American Safety Razor Co. under the trademark Personna.

While it is not intended that the invention herein described and claimed be limited to this blade design, it has been found that such a blade lends itself particularly well to the practice of the invention and is thus mentioned specifically for purposes of illustration.

More specifically, the blade 12 is formed of a fiat rectangular strip of stainless steel honed or sharpened along one of its longitudinal edges 14. The central portion of the blade, i.e., the portion intermediate the side and end edges, is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced elongated slots 16 and 18 longitudinally arranged with their longitudinal or longest axes disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade. The slots are preferably of a predetermined width as measured transversely of the blade, i.e., a width that can be relied upon to fall consistently within certain relatively narrow tolerances, for reasons which will become apparent shortly.

The blade 12 is detachably secured to an elongated support member which, in the illustrated embodiment (FIGS. 5-7) comprises a flat rectangular strip or support 20, preferably stainless steel, which is somewhat longer than the blade so as to extend past the end thereof when the blade is secured to the support, thus making it possible to handle the support without touching the blade. In a preferred embodiment, the blade 12 is 1 /2 inches in length and the support member is 2% inches in length. One longitudinal edge 21 of the member is chamfered or tapered for reasons which will be come apparent shortly.

The central portion of the support member is provided with a pair of lugs or cars 22 and 24 which project outwardly from one face of the strip or support 20. The cars are formed by punching out or offsetting a segment of the support and are preferably of a height somewhat in excess of the gauge or thickness of the blade (FIGS. 8 and 9). The cars are spaced from each other a distance somewhat less than the distance between the remote, as opposed to the adjacent, ends of the slots.

The ear 22 has a width, measured transversely of the strip or support member 20, which is less than the length of the slot 16 but slightly greater than the width of the slot. Accordingly, the car may be inserted into the slot when the longitudinal axis of the blade is transverse to the longutudinal axis of the member. However, as the member and blade are rotated toward each other until their axes are parallel, a friction fit is created which causes the car 22 to become firmly fixed in the slot and to thereby secure the blade to the member. In a preferred embodiment, the car 22 is 0.002 inch wider than the slot 16.

The car 24, on the other hand, is slightly narrower than the slot 18 so that, when the axes of the blade and support member are generally parallel, the ear may be easily inserted into or removed from the slot by merely flexing the blade and/or member so as to move them apart slightly and then rotating them so as to bring the lug and slot either into or out of alignment, as the case may be, and then allowing them to move together. When the ear 24 is positioned in the slot 18, rotation of the blade about the car 24 is effectively prevented.

It should be appreciated that, by reason of the abovedescribed method of attachment, the blade 12 can be easily and quickly secured to the strip or support member 20. However, once secured, the tendency for the blade to become accidentally detached is minimal. Thus, the support member with blade attached can be conveniently placed in a sterilizer if desired without removing the blade from it. Changing of the blades can be done quickly and easily when desired.

The blade support and blade are releasably mounted in a carrier 26 which includes (FIGURES l-3) a shank 28 pivotally attached to a handle 30. The shank 28 is hollow and of a generally channel shape in cross section. It is open at its outer end to receive the blade and blade support member inserted lengthwise therethrough, and includes a base portion 32 and side walls 34. The side walls 34 are bowed outwardly slightly and define a surface of the shank which will glide or slide along the surface of the hair or skin when the blade is cutting. Preferably, the walls are so contoured as to provide the optimum cutting angle to the blade (FIG. 2).

Adjacent one end, hereinafter referred to as the forward end of the shank, the edges of the side walls of the channel are closely spaced to define a narrow gap 36 having a width which closely approximates the gauge or thickness of the blade 12. The depth of the channel from the gap to the base 32 is less than the transverse width of the blade thereby insuring that the sharpened edge 14 of the blade will project past the edges of the shank while the opposite or back edge of the blade is bottomed on the base of the channel. The internal dimensions of the shank are such that the chamfered longitudinal edge of the support member engages one side wall 34 of the shank, and the outer edges of the cars, which are also sloped or inclined, engage the opposite side wall. Thus, the blade is securely held in place within the channel and will not chatter or shift.

In mounting the blade and support member on the shank, the end of the support member which projects past the end of the blade is first inserted into the interior of the shank through the open end thereof, followed Cir 4 by the blade and member. As the blade is inserted, it enters and occupies the gap 36, preferably with a slight frictional engagement between the sides of the blade and the edges of the side walls 34 of the shank. The blade and member are moved along the shank until their outer ends are flush with the outer end of the shank.

In order to facilitate withdrawal of the blade and holder from the shank 28, a slide or ring 38 encircles the shank and is slidably carried thereby. As the slide is moved along the shank toward the forward end thereof, it engages the end of the exposed edge portion of the blade. Continued sliding movement, as by the fingers of the user (FIG. 4), causes the blade and member to be extended sufficiently from the shank to be easily grasped with the fingers and fully withdrawn.

The opposite end of the shank carries a metallic insert 40, preferably formed of stainless steel, which stiffens the shank and provides support for the pivotal attachment of the handle 30 thereto, as hereinafter described. The insert extends from approximately midway of the length of the shank toward and past the opposite end thereof so as to provide an extension 41. This extension is curved slightly and provides a convenient area of engagement for a finger of the barber, as is well known in the art. A section of the insert is knurled, as at 42, to facilitate engagement by the thumb of the user. The insert is preferably secured in place with silver solder to prevent corrosion.

The insert is of such a size and the shank is so shaped around it that the insert completely fills the rearward end of the shank, i.e., it occupies essentially all of the internal space therein. However, as can be seen in FIG- URE 2, the blade and bolder do not fill the forward end of the shank. Accordingly, a sterilizing fluid can pass through the forward portion of the shank on opposite sides of the blade. To facilitate this fiow of liquid, the shank is so shaped as to provide an opening 44 adjaent the forward end of the insert (FIGURE 3). Liquid entering through this opening can flow through the shank and cleanse the blade. If the liquid is heated to a suflicient degree, it will also heat the exposed surfaces of the blade and shank and provide sterilization therefor.

Pivotally attached to the shank 28 at the rearward end thereof is the handle 30. The handle is of the type conventionally provided with straight razors and includes a pair of flat curved plates 46 and 48, secured together in spaced relation to each other by rivets 50 and spacers. 52. When the handle and shank are pivoted together, the exposed edge 14 of the blade enters the space between the plates, thereby permitting the instrument to be safely carried and stored.

An improved razor having a disposable blade has thus been provided. It enables rapid and efficient sterilization of the blade and holder. It provides an improved arrangement between the blade holder and cutting edge which permits use of the blade with either side adjacent the head or face, thus permitting cutting and trimming in either of two directions.

While one specific structural embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it should be apparent that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

1. A holder for a razor blade formed of an elongated flat metallic strip sharpened along one longitudinal edge and provided with an elongated opening in its central portion having a predetermined longitudinal and transverse dimension, which holder comprises an elongated member having a surface against which a face of the blade can be positioned, means on said member for insertion into the opening of said blade so as to secure the blade to said member, said means including a lug of greater width than thickness projecting outwardly beyond said surface of said member, the thickness of said lug being less than the transverse dimension of said blade opening, the maximum width of said lug being less than the longitudinal dimension of said blade opening, the width of said lug at the juncture of said lug and said surface of said member being slightly greater than the transverse dimension of said blade opening so that said lug can be freely inserted into said opening and said member rotated relative to the blade to create a friction fit between said lug and the edges of the blade defining the opening thereof, said lug being positioned on said surface so as to create said friction fit when said lug is received in said opening and the blade and said member are rotated relative to each other until the longitudinal axis of said blade is generally parallel to the longitudina axis of said holder, and means on said member poistioned in spaced relation to said lug for engaging said blade and limiting rotational movement thereof about said lug when the longitudinal axes of the blade and said member are parallel.

2. A holder in accordance with claim 1, wherein a handle having a shank is provided, wherein said member is releasably secured to the said shank of said handle, and wherein a ring is slidably carried on said shank to engage the exposed edge of said blade to facilitate withdrawal thereof from said shank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 377,926 2/1888 Brokhahne 3032 765,885 7/1904 Gage 30-53 X 830,746 9/1906 Snow 30-54 1,059,016 4/1913 Williams 30'-32 2,192,362 3/1940 Merlo 30-32 2,708,313 5/1955 Steele 30339 3,084,430 4/1963 Pacitti 3055 3,165,831 1/1965 Carroll 30-53 X FOREIGN PATENTS 3,648 2/1909 Great Britain. 362,794 12/1931 Great Britain. 493,689 5/1954 Italy.

2 MYRON C. KRUSE, Primary Exmniner.

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