PATENT SPECIFICATION

Application Date: Feb. 21, 1928. No, 5416/28. Complete Left: Oct. 16, 1928. Complete Accepted : Feb. 28, 1929.

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. Improvements in or relating to Safety Razors.

306,703

I, John Robert Watts, of Lambert Works, Lambert Street, in the City of Sheffield, of British nationality, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—

This invention relates to safety razors of the type in which a handle is pivoted to the blade holder and clamped at the desired angle by a sleeve on the pivoted portion of the handle pressed against a surface co-axial with the pivot by a nut (which may form the handle proper) on the pivoted portion, the object of the invention being to provide an improved and simplified construction enabling a blade to be secured in the holder by a separate screw device, and other advantages to be gained.

According to the present invention the blade is carried on one side of its holder and on the other side thereof an arm, bracket or the like is provided adjacent to each end, the handle pivot spindle being carried at the desired distance from the holder between the arms or brackets. The blade may be double edged and may be of the wafer variety, in which case a clamping backing is used. Or, as is preferred, the blade may be of sufficient stiffness to dispense with a backing. It is clamped to its holder by a screw device, comprising a bolt with a suitably shaped head on the blade side and a nut on the bolt situated between the holder and the handle pivot spindle. The arms or brackets are of sufficient length and distance apart to enable the nut to be easily accessible. A T-headed bolt is preferably used for clamping the blade, the head passing through a slot in the blade or its backing and engaging it by a partial rotary movement. The slot is preferably formed in the base of a circular recess to contain the bolt head and to limit or to prevent its projection beyond the blade or backing surface.

The correct position of the blade in relation to the guards or combs carried by the holder is ensured by positioning pins engaging holes in the blade in the usual manner. These positioning pins may be provided by the ends of the arms or brackets carrying the handle pivot, and in a convenient construction pins, arms and pivot axis are all provided by different portions of one length of wire or rod suitably bent or formed. Or the wire or rod may be in two lengths, one end of each providing a positioning pin, and the other ends being sprung into the pivoted portion of the handle.

The pivoted portion of the handle may be formed with a lateral opening leading to a substantially semi-circular, or other suitable shape of bearing surface formed at one end of a longitudinal slot in this portion adjacent to one end thereof. The pivot spindle may thus pass through the lateral opening and be brought to the bearing surface by suitably moving the parts. The bearing surface may be retained in contact with the pivot spindle by the clamping sleeve which preferably covers and thug closes the lateral opening. The edges of the sleeve may be slotted to fit the pivot spindle and thus to complete its bearing surfaces on the handle.

The bearing surface or surfaces on the pivoted portion of the handle may be formed on or extend across a flange or head of that pivoted portion and in a modification the pivot spindle is divided or provided in two parts, one carried by each of the arms or brackets, and is sprung into a lateral hole or recesses in the pivoted portion. The necessary spring may be provided by the arms or brackets, or any desired form of spring-controlled journals may be fitted to the arms. The divided pivot or spring journals may be arranged to set up sufficient friction on the pivoted portion to maintain the handle in position at the desired angle with the holder.

The bearing surfaces on one or both sides of the pivot spindle or journals may be V-shaped to increase the clamping grip and in all cases a spring may be provided (conveniently disposed in a sleeve-like portion of the nut) to set up this grip, the amount of which may be regulated by the nut.

The parts referred to as bearing surfaces as well as the parts of the pivot spindle, which contact therewith may be roughened, notched, grooved or serrated to interlock so that the handle may be rigidly clamped in various positions.

When the blade is of substantial thickness the holder is preferably recessed longitudinally to correspond with the shape of the blade and to bring its edges into the desired proximity to the guards or combs of the blade.

By the employment of the invention with a stiff blade, the blade may be removed from the holder for cleaning stropping or renewal, without detaching any other part, by merely loosening the blade clamping nut and turning the bolt head to register with the slot in the blade. For ordinary use and maintenance, therefore, it will be unnecessary to separate the tool into more than two parts—the blade and the holder assembly.

I, John Robert Watts, of Lambert Works, Lambert Street, in the City of Sheffield, of British nationality, 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 type in which a handle is pivoted to the blade holder and clamped at the desired angle by a sleeve on the pivoted portion of the handle pressed against a surface co-axial with the pivot by a nut (which may form the handle proper) on the pivoted portion, the object of the invention being to provide an improved and simplified construction enabling a blade to be secured in the holder by a separate screw device, and other advantages to be gained.

According to the present invention the blade holder is provided with an arm or bracket adjacent to each end on one side supporting the handle pivot spindle and a blade clamping device extends through the holder and is operated by a nut or screw which is situated between the holder and the handle pivot spindle. In this manner the arms or brackets, blade holder and handle pivot spindle provide a frame enclosing the operating nut or screw of the blade clamping device which when the blade is of sufficient stiffness as is preferred, to dispense with a backing, may comprise a T-headed bolt passing through a slot in the blade and tightened by a nut. The slot may be formed in the base of a circular recess in the blade to contain the bolt head and to limit or to prevent its projection beyond the blade surface. In order to facilitate the clamping of the blade and to adjust the amount of the clamping grip the T-head of the bolt may be of spring material curved for its ends to bear on the blade before its central portions.

The nut operating the blade clamping device is preferably attached to the holder by means which allow rotary, but prevent axial, movement of the nut in relation to the holder. For this purpose the nut may be provided with a hollow cylindrical axial extension passing through an aperture in the holder and upset in a recess surrounding the aperture. In this manner the nut is permanently attached to the holder and when rotated to loosen the blade, positively moves the bolt away from the holder, thus facilitating removal of the blade.

The ends of the arms carrying the handle pivot spindle may extend through the holder and form positioning pins for the blade.

The pivoted portion of the handle is preferably provided with a head or flange formed with bearing surfaces for the pivot spindle, the edges of the sleeve being formed with like bearing surfaces, both sets of which may be V-shaped to increase the clamping grip, or they may be roughened, notched, grooved or serrated for a like purpose. If desired the contacting parts of the pivot spindle may be likewise roughened, notched, grooved or serrated.

The handle pivot spindle may be provided by parts of the arms or brackets sprung into the pivoted portion of the handle, or the arms and handle pivot spindle may be provided by one length of wire in which case the pivoted portion of the handle is conveniently formed with a lateral opening leading to bearing surfaces at one end of a longitudinal slot therein, the clamping sleeve covering the opening and slot in its operative position.

If desired the handle clamping nut may comprise a sleeve-like portion containing a spring tending to more the clamping sleeve towards the handle pivot spindle so that a more gradual adjustment of the handle clamping may be effected.

When the blade is of substantial thickness the holder is preferably recessed longitudinally to correspond with the shape of the blade and to bring its edges into the desired proximity to the guards or combs of the blade holder.

In the accompanying drawings:—

Figure 1 is an elevation of a safety razor according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section of Figure 1, on the line 2—2.

Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detached view of the pivoted portion of the handle and its pivot spindle.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrating a modification.

Figure 8 is a detached view of the clamping sleeve.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 the blade 11 is carried on one side of a holder 12 and on the other side of this holder an arm, bracket or the like 13 is provided adjacent to each end. The handle is pivoted between the arms 13 and comprises a pivoted portion 14, a clamping sleeve 15 and a nut 16 (which may provide the handle proper) engaging a screwed length of the pivoted portion 14. The handle pivot spindle 17 is provided by the ends of the arms or brackets 13 sprung into suitable recesses in or a hole through the pivoted portion 14. The blade 11 may be double-edged and may be of the wafer variety (in which case a clamping backing is used as hereinafter described). Preferably, however, the blade 11 is of sufficient stiffness to dispense with a backing. It is clamped to its holder 12 by a screw device comprising a bolt 18 with a suitably shaped head 19 on the blade side and a nut 20 on the bolt situated between the holder 12 and the handle pivot spindle 17. The arms or brackets 13 are of sufficient length and distance apart to enable the nut 20 to be easily accessible.

The blade clamping bolt 18 is preferably a T-headed one, its head 19 passing through a slot 21 in the blade 11 and engaging it by a partial rotary movement as shown in Figure 3. Preferably the head 19 is of spring material curved for its ends to bear on the blade 11 as shown in Figure 2 before its central portions. In this manner the amount of clamping grip exerted by the nut 20 may be more easily and better adjusted than when a rigid head is provided for the bolt 18, whilst any tendency for the bolt to rotate as the nut 20 is tightened will be prevented after the ends of the T-head come into contact with the blade.

The nut 20 is preferably rotatably attached to the holder 12 for which purpose it is provided with a hollow cylindrical axial extension 22 passing through an aperture in the holder 11 and upset as indicated at 23 in a recess surrounding the aperture. In this manner when the nut 20 is unscrewed the bolt head 19 will be positively moved away from the blade 11 thus considerably facilitating removal of the blade. The nut will also thus always be in the position illustrated and will not be liable to move towards the pivoted handle nor to limit the full range of movement of the latter. Further, the blade may be removed for cleaning, stropping or renewal purposes without detaching any other part thereby not only facilitating the operation, but avoiding risk of damaging the blade edges by contact with other detachable parts.

The correct position of the blade 11 in relation to the guards or combs 24 carried by the holder 12 is ensured by positioning pins 25 engaging holes in the blade in the usual manner. These positioning pins 25 may be provided by the ends of the arms or brackets 13 passing through and upset on the holder 12 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 6.

The pivoted portion 14 is provided with a head 26 or flange formed with bearing surfaces 27 (as shown in Figure 2) for the pivot spindle 17 and the edges of the clamping sleeve 15 are also formed with like bearing surfaces 28. Although these bearing surfaces 27 and 28 are illustrated in Figure 2 as conforming to the circular shape of the pivot spindle 17 they may be V-shaped if desired in order to increase the clamping grip of the handle on its spindle. They may also be roughened, notched, grooved or serrated for a like purpose. The contacting parts of the pivot spindle 17 may be similarly formed with notches, grooves or serrations to interlock with those of the bearing surfaces so that the handle 14, 16 may be rigidly clamped in various positions.

If desired the handle nut 16 may carry a spring in an annular space around the pivoted portion 14, the spring bearing upon, an inwardly projecting part of the sleeve 15 and tending to move this sleeve towards the handle pivot spindle 17 so that a more gradual clamping pressure may be applied to the spindle 17.

Although the spring of the arms or brackets 18 may be relied upon to hold the pivot spindle 17 in engagement with, the part 14 any desired form of spring-controlled journals may be fitted to the arms 13. This spring grip may be arranged to set up sufficient friction oh the pivoted portion 14 to maintain the handle in position at the desired angle with the holder 12.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 7 the positioning pins 25, arms 13 and pivot spindle 17 are all provided by different portions of one length of wire or rod suitably bent or formed. In this case the pivoted portion 14 of the handle is formed with a lateral opening 29 leading to the bearing surface 27 which is formed at one end of a longitudinal slot 30 in the part 14 adjacent to its head 26. The pivot spindle 17 may thus pass through the lateral opening 29 and be brought to the bearing surface 27 by suitably moving the parts, after slackening the handle nut 16 and, moving the sleeve 15 to expose the opening 29. The pivot spindle 17 may be retained in contact with the bearing surface 27 by the bearing surfaces 28 (Figure 8) on the edge of the clamping sleeve 15 when brought into the position shown in Figures 5 and 6 in which position the sleeve covers and closes the opening 29.

When the blade 11 is of substantial thickness the holder 12 is preferably recessed longitudinally as shown in Figure 6 to correspond with the shape of the blade and to bring its edges into the desired proximity to the guards or combs 24 of the holder 12.

If desired the blade 11, when of sufficient thickness may be formed with a circular recess 31 (Figures 6 and 7) to receive the head 19 of the blade clamping bolt, the slot 21 being formed in the base of the recess 31. In this manner the projection of the head 19 above the surface of the blade 11 is reduced or such projection may be altogether avoided.

When a blade of the wafer variety is used it is preferred to employ a backing plate to clamp it to the holder 11 the backing plate being provided with a screwed pin to be engaged by the nut 20.

By the employment of the invention with a stiff blade, the blade may be removed from the holder for cleaning stropping or renewal, without detaching any other part, by merely loosening the blade clamping nut 20 and turning the bolt head 19 to register with the slot 21 in the blade. For ordinary use and maintenance, therefore, it will be unnecessary to separate the tool into more than two parts—the blade and the holder assembly.

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. In a safety razor of the type referred to the combination with a blade holder having an arm or bracket adjacent to each end on one side supporting the handle pivot spindle, of a blade clamping device extending through the holder operated by a nut or screw situated between the holder and the handle pivot spindle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A safety razor according to Claim 1 in which the blade clamping device comprises a T-headed bolt passing through a slot in the blade and tightened by a nut situated between the holder and the handle pivot spindle, substantially as and for the purpose described, with or without the slot being formed in the base of a circular recess in the blade, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A safety razor according to Claim 2 in which the T-head of the blade clamping bolt is of spring material curved for its ends to bear on the blade before its central portions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A safety razor according to Claim 1, Claim 2, or Claim 3 in which the blade clamping device is operated by a nut attached to the holder by means allowing rotary but preventing axial movement of the nut in relation to the holder, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. A safety razor according to Claim 4 in which the nut is provided with a hollow cylindrical axial extension passing through an aperture in the holder and upset in a recess surrounding the aperture, substantially as described.

6. A safety razor according to any of the preceding claims in which the ends of the arms carrying the handle pivot spindle extend through the holder and form positioning pins for the blade, substantially as described.

7. A safety razor according to any of the preceding claims in which the pivoted portion of the handle is provided with a head or flange formed with bearing surfaces for the pivot spindle and the edges of the sleeve are formed with like bearing surfaces.

8. A safety razor according to Claim 7 in which the bearing surfaces are V-shaped, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A safety razor according to Claim 7 or Claim 8 in which the bearing surfaces are roughened, notched, grooved or serrated, substantially as and for the purpose described, with or without the contacting parts of the pivot spindle being likewise roughened, notched, grooved or serrated, substantially as described.

10. A safety razor according to any of the preceding claims in which the arms and handle pivot spindle are provided by one length of wire, the pivoted portion of the handle is formed with a lateral opening leading to bearing surfaces at one end of a longitudinal slot therein and the clamping sleeve covers the opening and slot in its operative position, substantially as described.

ll. A safety razor according to any of the preceding claims in which the handle clamping nut comprises a sleeve-like portion containing a spring tending to move the clamping sleeve towards the handle pivot spindle, substantially as described.

12. A safety razor blade according to any of the preceding claims in which the blade is of substantial thickness and the holder is recessed longitudinally to correspond with the shape of the blade, substantially as and for the purpose described.

13. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting a safety razor substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 or in Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.