PATENT SPECIFICATION

Application Date : May 7, 1928. No, 13373/28. Complete Left: Aug. 11, 1928. Complete Accepted : Oct. 18, 1928.

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. Improvements in or relating to Safety Razors.

298,877

I, Thomas Ralph Sneyd Kynnersley, M.I.C.E., British subject, of Fairmeadow, Mayfield, Sussex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—

This invention relates to safety razors of the general type in which the edge of the guard is at an angle to the edge of the blade with the intention of obtaining an oblique cutting action.

The object of the invention is the construction of a simple and efficient razor in which this action is obtained naturally when the razor is used.

In razors of the type referred to it is generally necessary that some case should be exercised in holding the razor in order to get the oblique cut, but in the improved construction this difficulty is avoided and the desired angular position of the cutting edge obtained when the pull is applied in the obviously normal way, i.e., in the direction of the length of the handle.

A safety razor according to this invention has the edge of its guard at right angles to the axis of the handle but its cutting edge inclined relatively to the guard edge.

The invention is more particularly concerned with safety razors of the well known type in which a thin blade with two cutting edges is clamped between a guard plate or table and a clamping plate, and the following description of an improved razor of that kind is given by way of example.

The guard plate or table is made with two slots parallel to each other and disposed so that when the blade is clamped down upon the plate its cutting edges are parallel with the slots and positioned relatively thereto so that soap and hair may pass through the slots. The blade-supporting portion of the guard plate, instead of being at right angles to the axis of the handle as is usually the case, is inclined thereto, but the guard edges are not parallel with the slots but are at right angles to the axis of the handle.

Thus, in use when the guard edge rests on the face the natural movement of pulling the handle in the direction of its length must result in the desired oblique cutting action.

The parts may be assembled in the well-known way by the clamping plate having pins, which pass through holes in the blade and in the guard plate and also having a central screwed stud which, after passing through holes in the blade and the guard plate engages with a tapped hole in the end of the handle. This screwed stud is angled relatively to the clamping plate so that when assembled the edges of the clamping plate, the cutting edges of the blade and the slots in the guard plate are oblique in relation to the axis of the handle, whilst the edges of the guard plate are normal to that axis.

Seen in plan the lines of the guard edges converge and it follows from the construction above described that it is necessary when assembling the parts that the clamping plate and guard plate shall be placed in their proper relative positions, that is to say the clamping plate is not reversible with regard to the guard plate. To ensure that these two members can be readily placed in the proper relationship some mark may be placed on the underside of the guard plate adjacent to one of the pin holes and a corresponding mark made on the pin which should enter that hole.

The guard plate may be provided with small projections or raised portions adjacent to the corners of the blade to prevent any risk of such corners scratching or cutting the face, or the shape of the guard plate itself may prevent or minimise such risk. There may be a slight step or depression in the surface of the guard plate adjacent to the cutting edge, the surface then falling away to the guard edge which, as previously mentioned, lies in a plane at right angles to the axis of the handle.

It is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily restricted to the particular construction of parts given in the above example.

I, Thomas Ralph Sneyd Kynnersley, M.I.C.E., British subject of Fairmeadow, Mayfield, Sussex, 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 of the general type in which the edge of the guard is at an angle to the edge of the blade with the intention of obtaining an oblique cutting action, and particularly to safety razors of this general type in which the edge of the guard is at right angles to the axis of the handle so that the oblique cutting action is obtained when the razor is drawn over the face in the normal way.

A safety razor according to this invention has a guard plate or table to which the blade is clamped and this guard plate or table is so shaped and so inclined to the axis of the handle that the edge of the guard is at right angles to that axis and the cutting edge of the blade inclined relatively to the guard edge.

The invention is more particularly concerned with safety razors of the well known type in which a thin blade with two cutting edges is clamped between a guard plate or table and a clamping plate, and the following description of an improved razor of that kind is given by way of example.

The guard plate or table is made with two slots parallel to each other and disposed so that when the blade is clamped down upon the plate its cutting edges are parallel with the slots and positioned relatively thereto so that soap and hair may pass through the slots. The blade-supporting portion of the guard plate, instead of being at right angles to the axis of the handle as is usually the case, is inclined thereto, but the guard edges are not parallel with the slots but are at right angles to the axis of the handle.

Thus, in use when the guard edge rests on the face the natural movement of pulling the handle in the direction of its length must result in the desired oblique cutting action.

The invention may be carried out in various ways but it is shown as applied to the known flexible double-edged blade type of razor in the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the parts assembled.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation showing the handle, guard and clamping member separated ready for assembly.

Figure 3 is a plan of the guard plate, and

Figure 4 a section on the line 4—4 of Figure 3.

The safety razor illustrated is of the well known type comprising a detachable handle A, a curved guard plate or table B, and a clamping plate C furnished with a screwthreaded stud C¹ to engage the internally screwthreaded socket A¹ in the handle. The guard plate is provided with openings B¹ to receive not only the screwthreaded stud C¹ but projections C² which engage corresponding openings in the blade D and position this upon the guard plate.

According to the present invention the guard plate is provided with two slots E which are parallel to each other and so arranged that when the blade D is clamped down upon the plate B, its cutting edges are parallel with the slots E and so positioned relatively thereto that soap and hair can pass through the slots.

The main portion of the guard plate B instead of being at right angles to the axis of the handle as is usually the case, is inclined as clearly shown in Figure 2, but the guard edges E¹ are not parallel with the slots but are at right angles to the axis of the handle, i.e. the guard plate, though furnished with parallel slots has inclined or taper edges E¹ most clearly seen in Figure 3. The exposed portions of the guard are preferably provided with grooves or serrations E² to ensure proper shaving conditions.

Adjacent to the corners on the slots E, i.e. adjacent to the corners of the blade, small projections or raised shoulders E³ are provided to prevent any risk of the corners of the blade scratching or cutting the face and there may also be a slight step or depression in the surface of the guard plate adjacent to the cutting edge.

In assembling the parts the screwthreaded shank C¹ and the studs C² on the clamping plate C are passed through apertures in the blade D and in the guard plate B, whereupon the end of the screwthreaded shank is engaged by the tapped hole A¹ in the upper end of the handle. As clearly shown in Figure 2 the screwthreaded shank is at an angle relatively to the clamping plate and this is sufficient to prevent the parts being wrongly assembled. The under surface of the guard plate is preferably recessed, as clearly shown in Figure 2, to form a seating for the upper end of the handle, or an inclined boss may be formed on the under surface of the plate B to obtain the same result. If desired one of the pins C² may be grooved to receive a corresponding projection on the guard plate so as to ensure the parts being assembled in their proper relative positions, but as a rule the inclination on the screwthreaded shank is sufficient to prevent the guard plate being wrongly assembled.

The invention is equally applicable to razors of the kind in which a hollow cylindrical member, forming the main part of the handle, is integral with the guard plate and furnished with a removable internally screwthreaded portion adapted to engage a screwthreaded pin on the clamping plate.

It is however to be understood that the invention is not necessarily restricted to a razor of the particular type illustrated or even to a double-edged razor, although this arrangement is preferable, as with such a construction either cutting edge will give an oblique cut whichever way the razor is held as clearly illustrated in Figure 3 which shows the converging guard edges in plan.

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 having a guard plate or table to which a blade is clamped, in which the guard plate or table is so shaped and so inclined to the axis of the handle that the edge of the guard is at right angles to that axis and the cutting edge of the blade inclined relatively to the guard edge.

2. In a safety razor a guard plate inclined to the axis of the handle having parallel slots cooperating with the edges of a flexible blade, clamped to the guard plate, the guard edges or surfaces being inclined relatively to the slots and at right angles to the axis of the handle.

3. In a safety razor the combination with a handle, of a guard plate with slots parallel to each other and to the edges of the blade, such plate having its blade-supporting portion inclined relatively to the axis of the handle but its guard edges at right angles thereto.

4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete safety razor as described or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.