To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Royal L. Boulter, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety razors.

My object is the provision of a safety razor of few parts, simple, neat, light, strong and durable construction, wherein provision will be made for securing a blade in a novel manner without requiring the provision of a screw-operated device and which will permit the rapid and easy placing of the blade in position and clamping thereof by a slight pressure and turn of the stem and quick detachment on giving the stem a twist.

A further object is to provide a safety razor having a concavo-convex or dished, circular blade adapted to be clamped or held so that its cutting edge may be presented to the face at different angles, thereby enabling the user to obtain a close or an easy shave and permitting the razor to be passed into the hollow places of the cheek, chin and neck and insuring a perfect shave without distortion of the face or drawing the skin tight with the fingers, besides affording a slanting cutting contact with the beard and obviating the zigzag stroke necessary with the old style razor.

The details of the preferred embodiment of the invention are set forth fully hereinafter and the novel features are recited in the appended claims, but it is to be understood that the disclosures in the drawings and specification are illustrative, rather than restrictive, of the scope of the invention which is susceptible of various modifications.

In the accompanying drawings:—Figure 1 is a perspective of the complete razor; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3, an end view looking toward the clamping plate or head; Fig. 4, a perspective showing the parts of the razor detached to better illustrate the construction; Fig. 5, a partially sectional view through the stem and fastening rod; and Fig. 6, a side elevation of the razor showing the manner in which it may be manipulated to secure or release the blade.

The head 1 is tubular and provided with a convexed end 2 and external screw-threads 3 preferably on two separate diameters, although not necessarily so. Rising from the head is a tubular sub-stem 4. Detachably screwed onto the head is a dished or convexed guard 5 having a comb 6, and on its tubular portion 5^a which is internally screw-threaded and screws on the lower part of the thread 3, a knurled ring 7. The bottom of the guard is recessed at 8 to snugly yet easily receive the upper flat surface 2^a of the head 2. A clamping or check nut or ring 9 is detachably screwed on the reduced screw-threaded part 3, thus holding the guard 5 clamped against the head 2 under ordinary conditions of shaving, but serving also to clamp the guard 5 in whatever position to which it may be adjusted, thus permitting loosening of the clamping action of the guard on the razor blade, as will presently appear, to enable the razor to shave closer than would ordinarily be the case, due to the presentation of the cutting edge to the face at a different angle.

The blade 10 is of substantially dished or concavo-convex form, being of thin steel provided with a number of openings 11 to prevent buckling when being made and permitting a natural contraction of the metal at that time. The cutting edge is circular, as indicated at 12. The blade is provided with a central opening 13 for the accommodation of the hollow hub 14 of the clamping plate 15, the latter being of concavo-convex form and substantially the same convexity as that of the blade 10 and the lower faces of the part 2 and guard 5. The hub 14 is of a size adapting it to fit snugly yet easily within the concavity 1^a of the tubular part of the head 1 and has a slot or opening 16.

The stem 17 which is tubular and preferably knurled on its exterior, as at 18, as well as provided with a head 19 to facilitate grasping the stem, has an internal bore of such size that it is adapted to easily yet snugly telescope over the sub-stem 4 and to slide thereon. Extending centrally of the stem and connected thereto by the pin 20 and by setting in the end of the stem at 21, is a connecting or fastening rod 22 which is provided with a head 23 on its lower end, said head being preferably elongated and of a size permitting it to be passed through the slot 16 so that upon turning, it will lie crosswise of said slot, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, and lock the clamping plate 15 to the head 1—2 and guard 5, thus firmly clamping the razor blade 10 against the part 2, however the guard 5 may be positioned. When in normal position for an ordinary shave, the guard 5 will be in the position shown in Fig. 2, so that the blade 10 will be clamped thereagainst, but on unscrewing the guard slightly, the cutting edge of the blade is so exposed that it will reach the face at a different angle than previously and a closer shave may thus be obtained.

Surrounding the connecting rod 22 and located within the stem 17 is a coil spring 24 which is interposed between the end of the sub-stem 4 and any suitable part of the stem 17, preferably the head or the cross-pin 20 thereof, said spring being under constant tension when the parts are in connected condition, as shown in Fig. 2, thus, without the addition of any screw or other lock of any kind, holding the clamping plate 15 against the blade 10.

Assuming that the parts are separated, as shown in Fig. 6, the clamping plate 15 is held in one hand and the blade 10 slipped over the hub 14. The stem 17 being grasped in, the other hand, the head 2 is fitted into the blade and around the hub 14, continued pressure compressing the spring 24 and the twisting action imparted to the stem causing the head 23 to register with the slot 16 and pass therethrough and be disposed crosswise thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereupon the parts are locked together. A reverse operation quickly detaches the stem and guard from the clamping plate and blade, enabling the razor to be quickly cleaned or a new blade substituted.

In making my razor ready for use, it is only necessary to slip the blade on the hub 14 and press the parts together to accomplish locking, all screw connections for this purpose being done away with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:—

1. In a safety razor, the combination with a stem and a convexed head attached thereto, of a completely circular permanently dished razor blade, a circular dished clamping plate, said head and plate conforming to and adapted for holding the blade between them with its entire circular edge exposed for use, and means for interlocking the stem and the clamping plate.

2. In a safety razor, the combination with a stem and a convexed head attached thereto, of a completely circular permanently dished razor blade, a circular dished clamping plate, said head and plate conforming to and adapted for holding the blade between them with its entire circular edge exposed for use, the stem and clamping plate having parts adapted to telescope with each other, and a locking device for locking the stem to the clamping plate.

3. In a safety razor, the combination with a stem and a convexed head attached thereto, of a completely circular permanently dished razor blade, a circular dished clamping plate, said head and plate conforming to and adapted for holding the blade between them with its entire circular edge exposed for use, means for locking the head and clamping plate together, and a circular guard adjustably carried by the head so that it may be moved toward and away from the blade.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Royal L. Boulter.

Witnesses:

F. G. Hentig,

A. L. Jeffery.