N° 26,355 A.D. 1908

Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1908—Accepted, 6th Dec., 1909 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION. “Improvements in or relating to Safety Razors”

We, William Rawson, Manufacturer, of 37 Burcot Road, Sheffield, and William Burnell, Manufacturer, of 2 Randall Street, Sheffield, 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 safety razors and has for its objects, first, in that type in which the guard comprises a rotatable roller or rollers, to provide improved means for securing the rollers detachably in position and secondly to arrange the rollers so as to facilitate the making of those sliding or sweeping saw-like strokes which experience shows to be the most efficient. A further feature of the invention relates to the position of the handle which is so arranged as to add to the ease with which these saw-like strokes may be made.

In the accompanying drawings:—

Figure 1 is a plan of a safety razor holder with its guards secured according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1 showing the parts ready to be secured in place.

Figure 3 is an end view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view of Figure 5, the end lugs being removed for the sake of clearness and

Figure 5 is an underside plan of a modification.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In carrying out this invention a holder is provided having a base A to which the razor blade B is secured by any desired means. According to one well known method, which is illustrated in the drawings attached hereto, the blade B is clamped to the base A by a support C having a screwed stud passing through registering holes in the blade and base A. A nut E is provided to engage with the screwed stud D and it will be understood that by tightening the nut E the razor blade B will be firmly clamped in position between the base A and the support C. Means are provided for insuring the blade being situated in correct relationship with the base A and such means may comprise pins C¹ on the support engaging corresponding holes in the blade and base or a projection may be formed at one or both ends of the base A as indicated in dotted lines at A¹ in Figure 1 adapted to enter into corresponding slots or holes in the blade B and in the support C.

The base A is of less width than the blade B and a roller F F¹ is rotatably mounted on each side thereof so as to be adjacent to the razor edge. A lug G is situated on each side of one end of the base A and extends away from the surface to which the blade is clamped. The lug G forms one bearing for the roller F F¹ which is provided with trunnions or the like. The trunnion at one end is journaled in a hole or recess in the lug G, the mounting of the roller being completed by means of a detachable plate J provided with a suitably disposed aperture for the trunnion at the other end of the roller. The plate J is secured in position in any desired manner such as by screws entering the edge of the base A or a lug K (which is provided for the attachment of the handle) as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The rollers may be of any desired construction. In the drawings a known form is shown in which they are grooved, forming alternate radial ridges F and hollows F¹. These hollows or grooves F¹ may have parallel sides as shown or they may be angular or curved as desired. The edges of the base A adjacent to which the rollers are mounted are bevelled as shown in Figures 3 and 4 to enable the ridges F on the rollers to be arranged as near as desired to the razor edge. It will be appreciated that the rollers F F¹ form the guards of the razor and will prevent it from cutting into the skin. The object of the grooves in the rollers is to prevent them from removing too much of the lather, and to expose as large an amount of the edge of the razor as is consistent with the desired prevention of accidental cuts of the skin. This consideration of safety governs the width of the grooves or hollows F¹ and of the radial edges of the ridges F.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 a number of beads or discs F are mounted with their axes inclined to the edge of the blade. Suitably disposed lugs G¹ are formed on the underside of the holder A and the beads or discs F are journaled between them as shown. The shape of the beads or discs may be varied as desired, the spaces between them corresponding to the hollows in the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. It will be seen that by the employment of the inclined beads or discs F the minimum amount of resistance will be opposed to the making of those sweeping saw-like strokes which experience shows to be the most efficient and that they may be made with almost as great a freedom and ease as with an ordinary unprotected razor.

The handle L of the razor extends longitudinally in relation to the razor blade and is set back or cranked as shown in Figure 2, a lug K being provided on the underside of the holder A and the handle L being screwed or otherwise attached thereto. By thus arranging the cranked handle longitudinally in relation to the razor edge the manner in which a safety razor according to this invention is used approximates very nearly to that to which the user of an ordinary razor is accustomed, whilst by cranking the handle or setting it back from the holder A the user's fingers are prevented from coming into contact with the lathered surface.

If desired the parts may be made of such size as to enable the handle L alternatively to be attached in a position approximately normal to the surface of the razor blade by unscrewing it from the lug K and screwing it into the nut E.

Although the drawings illustrate a holder for a double edged razor blade, two separate blades may be used therein without material modification. If desired the holder may be made for a single edged blade only. Any desired method of attaching the blade or blades to the holder may be employed. Instead of the clamping support C the blade may be held by a well known form of spring clip or otherwise as desired.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:—

1. In a safety razor the combination with a holder and means for securing a razor blade thereto of a roller or its equivalent journaled between a lug such as G and a detachable plate J substantially as described.

2. In a safety razor the combination with a holder and means for securing a razor blade thereto of a number of beads, discs or the like rotatably mounted on a holder adjacent to the razor edge with their axes inclined to the razor edge for the purpose described.

3. In a safety razor the combination with a holder and means for securing a razor blade thereto of a cranked handle extending longitudinally in relation to the razor edge with or without means for alternatively attaching the handle in a position approximately normal to the surface of the razor blade.

4. In a safety razor the combination with a holder and means for securing a razor blade thereto of a roller or its equivalent adjacent to the razor edge and a cranked handle extending longitudinally in relation to the razor edge substantially as described.

Dated this 5th day of December, 1908.