AMENDED SPECIFICATION.

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Reprinted as amended in accordance with an Order of Mr. Justice Parker of the 21st day of June, 1910. (The Amendments are shown in erased and italic type.)

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N° 28,763 A.D. 1902

Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1902 Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1903—Accepted, 15th Oct., 1903 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. Improvements in or relating to Safety and other Razors

I, King Camp Gillette, of 94 Marion Street, Brookline, Massachusetts, United States of America, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—

This invention relates to safety and other razors and has for its object to produce a razor which may be kept in satisfactory condition for use without requiring any stropping or other sharpening by the user.

According to this invention the blade of the razor is formed of very thin sheet steel, which need be only thick enough to take a suitable cutting edge, and is detachably secured to a holder so constructed that it will hold the blade in proper position and give it sufficient rigidity to make it operative for shaving. For the thick, rigid blade heretofore used, is thus substituted a thin, flexible blade made of so small an amount of material and capable of being sharpened so quickly and easily that it may be produced and sold in quantities at a very low price, so that when a blade becomes dull, it may be detached and thrown away, and replaced by a new, sharp blade at slight expense, the user being thus saved the time and trouble hitherto involved in keeping his razor blade sharp.

The invention is applicable chiefly, though not exclusively, to what are generally termed “safety” razors.

It is also proposed to construct the holder that a holder having two opposite cutting edges may be secured to the holder in such manner as to expose both of the cutting edges of the blade at the same time, so that either edge may be used without changing the relation of the blade and holder.

Further it is proposed to utilize the flexibility and elasticity of the thin blade, when embodied in a “safety” razor, for obtaining an adjustment of the cutting edge or edges towards and from the guard, by bending the blade transversely.

The blade will ordinarily be made of thin sheet steel having a uniform thickness of about five or six thousands of an inch. This blade is suitably tempered and may be sharpened on one or both of its opposite longitudinal edges. In the latter case two cutting edges are provided, and the life of the blade is thereby doubled. The blade is also provided with perforations adapted to receive positioning and clamping pins.

The holder for a double-edged blade may consist of a backing of about the same length as, but somewhat narrower than, the blade, a guard of the same length as the backing having opposite notched edges corresponding to the cutting edges of the blade and perforated to correspond therewith and a hollow handle secured to the guard midway between the notched edges and located symmetrically with respect to thereto, at right angles to the guard. The backing is provided with pins which pass through the corresponding perforations in the blade and guard, and one of these pins passes into the hollow handle and is screw-threaded to receive a nut carried by the handle.

To assemble the parts, the blade is placed between the backing and the guard, with the pins passing through the blade and guard, and the parts are then clamped together by screwing up the nut. When thus clamped between the backing and the guard the blade is supported near its cutting edges by the longitudinal edges of the backing, and the cutting edges are thereby held rigid and exposed for use in proper relation to the notched edges of the guard. For protecting the user from injury the corners of the blade may be rounded slightly, so as to intersect the longitudinal edges of the backing at a short distance from the ends thereof, or the backing may be provided at its corners with transversely-extending projections formed to cover the corners of the blade.

According to a preferred form the inner or opposed faces of the guard and backing are correspondingly curved transversely, so that when the flexible blade is placed between them and the clamping nut is screwed up, the blade will be first engaged near its cutting edges by the edges of the backing, and along its longitudinal centre by the centre of the guard, and as the clamping action continues the blade will be bent transversely until it is finally made to conform to the corresponding curved surfaces between which it is clamped, in which position its cutting edges will be brought close to the notched edges of the guard. Conversely, when the clamping nut is unscrewed, the cutting edges of the blade will spring away from the notched edges of the guard, by reason of the elasticity of the blade, as fast as such movement is permitted. An adjustment of the cutting edges is thus provided towards and from the guard, to accommodate light or heavy growths of beard, or to suit the skill or custom of the user.

Instead of using the form of holder above described, the thin, flexible and elastic blade may be combined with any other suitable form of holder, with or without a guard, provided only that the holder is adapted to supply the necessary rigidity to the blade, it being understood, however, that the above described form of holder forms an important feature of the invention.

Dated this 30th day of December 1902.

I, King Camp Gillette, of 94, Marion Street, Brookline, Massachusetts, United States of America, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—

This invention relates to the class of razors and refers more particularly to that sort generally known as “safety” razors.

The chief object of this invention is to produce a safety razor which may be kept in satisfactory condition for use without requiring any stropping or other sharpening by the user. According to this invention the blade of the razor is made of very thin sheet steel, which need be only thick enough to take a suitable cutting edge. This blade is detachably secured to a holder so constructed that it will retain the blade in proper position with respect to the guard and give it sufficient rigidity to make it operative for shaving. There is thus substituted for the thick rigid blade heretofore used, a thin, flexible blade made of so small an amount of material and capable of being sharpened so quickly and easily that it may be produced and sold in quantities at a very low price, so that when one of the blades becomes dull, it may be detached from the holder and thrown away, and replaced by a new, sharps blade at slight expense, the user being thus saved the time and trouble hitherto involved in keeping the razor blade sharp.

One of the chief features of the invention relates to the adjustability of the blade in the holder. For this purpose the flexibility and elasticity of the thin blade is employed and the adjustment of the cutting edge or edges of the blade towards and from the guard secured by causing the blade to be bent transversely, when it is secured to the holder, in such manner that its cutting edge or edges may be made to approach or recede from the guard by varying the transverse curvature of the blade.

Another portion of the invention relates is a special construction of holder which enables a blade to be sharpened on its opposite longitudinal edges and have both of these edges exposed at the same time, so that either edge may be used without changing the relation of the blade and holder. To this end the guard of the razor is made double, corresponding to the two cutting edges of the blade, and the handle is secured to the guard midway between its edges and is symmetrically arranged with respect to these edges, forming substantially a right angle with the guard.

Referring to the drawing in which is shown a preferred form of “safety” razor made in accordance with this, invention,

Figure 1 shows the head of the razor, looking toward its outer face.

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the blades, detached,

Figure 3 is a central, longitudinal section through the combined blade and holder.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the blade and holder, taken just outside of one of the positioning pins hereinafter described.

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the razor with a portion of the handle omitted showing the parts of the razor partly separated.

Figure 6 shows in plan view the outer face of a backing such as is preferably used with the blade shown in Figure 2, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of a detached blade of slightly modified construction.

a denotes the blade of the razor, which is preferably made of sheet steel about five or six one thousandths of an inch in thickness. This blade is suitably tempered and sharpened on one or both of its longitudinal edges b. Preferably both of these edges are sharpened thus providing two cutting edges and doubling the life of the blade.

The holder for a blade with two cutting edges is composed of a backing c, preferably made slightly longer than the cutting edges of the blade in order to extend beyond the corners thereof, and a guard d of the same length as the backing, together with a handle e. The guard d has its opposite longitudinal edges provided with transverse notches forming guard teeth f, which when the parts are assembled for use, extend far enough across the cutting edges of the blade to enable them to engage the skin of the user slightly in advance of these edges, in the usual manner. The sides of the teeth f are preferably undercut where they cross the cutting edges of the blade, as shown at g, in order that the greatest possible portion of the cutting edges may be exposed to contact with the hairs which are to be removed. When the blade and guard are double-edged, as shown, the handle is secured to or formed integral with the guard substantially at the centre of the latter, and extends at right angles therefrom, so that it is symmetrically arranged with respect to the edges of the razor. This arrangement permits the use of either edge of the razor without shifting the blade or otherwise changing the relation of the parts. The backing c is made slightly narrower than the blade to expose properly the cutting edges of the latter, but is wide enough to support the blade near the edges and give the latter the necessary rigidity. Pins h secured to the inner face of the backing are provided for positioning the blade with respect to this backing, or this adjustment can be secured in any other appropriate manner. For securing the parts of the razor together it is preferred to attach to the centre of the inner face of the backing a pin i which is screw-threaded at its outer end and is adapted to pass through the guard and into the handle e which is made hollow to receive it, the blade and guard being provided respectively with registering perforations k and l adapted to receive the pins h and i when the parts are assembled. The handle e is provided with an elongated nut m which is internally screw-threaded to receive the pin i and has a roughened outer end n adapted to bear against the outer end of the handle, by means of which the nut may be turned.

To assemble the parts, as thus constructed, the blade is first placed upon the backing, with the pins h and i passing through the perforations k. The combined guard and handle is then placed upon the blade, with the pins h passing through the perforations l and the pin i passing into the hollow handle e, and the nut m is then inserted into the outer end of the handle and screwed on to the pin i until the backing and guard are drawn close enough together to hold the blade firmly between them and give its cutting edges the necessary rigidity.

For the purpose of securing an adjustment of the cutting edge or edges of the blade toward and from the guard, and thus varying the distance between said edges and guard to provide for light or heavy growths of beard or to suit the skill or custom of the user, the blade is bent transversely, thereby causing its cutting edges to approach or receded from the edges of the guard in proportion to the transverse curvature thus imparted to the blade. This is preferably accomplished by giving the opposed inner faces of the guard and backing a corresponding transverse curvature, so that when the flat, flexible, elastic blade is placed between the backing and the guard and the clamping nut is screwed up, the blade is first engaged along its longitudinal centre by the centre of the guard and near its cutting edges by the edges of the backing, and as the clamping action is continued the blade is bent transversely, thus bringing its cutting edges closer and closer to the guard until the blade is finally made to conform to the transverse curvature of the backing and guard. Conversely, when the clamping nut is unscrewed the elasticity of the blade causes its cutting edges to spring away from the edges of the guard, whenever such movement is permitted. This curvature of the blade itself imparts a considerable degree of rigidity to it, so that its cutting edges may be kept rigid even though the blade be not in contact with the guard and backing throughout its whole extent.

In order to prevent injury to the user by the corners of the blade, these corners may be rounded as shewn at o, (Figure 7), in which case the rectangular corners of the backing will project beyond the rounded corners of the blade and thus prevent them from coming in contact with the skin of the user. Another convenient way of accomplishing the same result is to leave the corners of the blade angular and to provide short transverse extensions p at the corners of the backing, which extensions project slightly beyond the edges of the blade and thus cover its corners, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. Even if the angular corners of the blade are left exposed, however, there is practically no danger or injury thereby. With any of these arrangements a free and uninterrupted space is left beneath the cutting edges of the blade along the entire length thereof. When it is desired to remove a blade, the clamping nut is completely unscrewed and the guard is lifted away from the backing and blade. This leaves the blade supported and held in position by the pins on the backing, from which it is easily lifted by grasping its ends, which are usually rounded and project somewhat beyond the ends of the backing as shown at q in Figures 2 and 7.

Although this invention is particularly adapted and intended for “safety” razors, yet the thin, double-edged, flexible blade may be secured substantially as above described, to any suitable construction of backing provided with a handle, provided that the holder is adapted to supply the necessary rigidity to the blade at its cutting edges. So too the form of holder above described is capable of considerable modification without departing from this feature of the invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is;—

1. A “safety” razor comprising a thin flexible blade detachably combined with a holder by which the blade is positioned and supported and its cutting edge is given the rigidity necessary to make it operative for shaving substantially as described.

2. In a razor, the combination with a thin, flexible blade having two opposite cutting edges, of a holder comprising a rigid backing, a handle, and devices by which the blade is held against the backing and given the rigidity necessary, to make it operative for shaving.

3. A thin flexible blade for a “safety” razor adapted to be detachably and rigidly secured to a holder and positioned with respect to the guard substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. 4. In a “safety” razor the employment of a thin flexible blade adapted to be deflected to adjust its cutting edge substantially as described.

5. In a “safety” razor the combination with a thin flexible blade of a holder substantially as described by means of which the blade is bent transversely and its cutting edge adjusted.

6. In a “safety” razor the combination with a backing and a guard of a thin flexible blade such as a held between the backing and the guard which are so constructed that by their relative movement the blade is bent transversely and its cutting edge adjusted.

3. 7. In a “safety” razor the combination with a thin flexible blade such as a of a backing and a guard adapted to receive and hold the blade the cutting edge of which is adjusted by their relative movement.

4. 8. In a safety razor a backing and a guard having their adjacent faces curved to receive and bend a thin flexible blade substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A thin flexible and detachable razor blade having two opposite cutting edges and provided with perforations substantially as described.

5. 10. In a safety razor the combination of a rigid backing a guard and a thin flexible blade detachably held between the backing and the guard substantially as described.

11. In a “safety” razor the combination of a rigid backing a double-edged guard and a thin flexible blade having two cutting-edges and detachably held between the backing and the guard.

12. In a “safety” razor the combination with a perforated blade having two opposite cutting edges of a holder comprising a handle a backing a double guard and positioning and clamping devices passing through the perforations in the blade.

6. 13. A holder forming part of a “safety” razor and having a double-edged guard and a handle located between the edges of the guard substantially as described.

7. 14. In a “safety” razor the combination with a holder of a thin double-edged blade which can be bent so as to adjust both cutting edges simultaneously.

15. In a “safety” razor the combination with a holder comprising a backing and a guard of a blade having double edges which can be simultaneously adjusted by the relative movement of the backing and guard.

8. 16. In a “safety” razor the combination with a thin flexible blade of a backing and a guard and a screw adjustment such as i m n for moving the backing and guard relatively to each other to adjust the cutting edge or edges of the blade.

9. 17. The complete razor having single or double cutting edges substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Dated this 4th day of September 1903.