To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Alfred W. Proctor, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Blades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to razor blades of a type now widely used and made of thin sheet steel, as distinguished from forged blades. The facility with which such blades can be manufactured because they do not require forging in order to bring them to shape and because many of the grinding processes incident to the production of a forged razor are unnecessary, has brought them into wide use. Blades made from such thin sheet steel, however, have an inherent flexibility which requires, or at least, makes it desirable to employ with them a holder which embodies a backing, this holder operating to support the blade and impart a certain degree of rigidity to the cutting edge. Such holders are however expensive to make and are undesirable for various reasons.

It is the object of this invention to produce a thin sheet metal blade having sufficient inherent rigidity so that it may be self-supporting, thereby obviating the necessity of using with it a holder which is constructed to afford rigidity to the cutting edge of the blade.

To this end the invention consists in an improved razor blade as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings,—Figure 1, is a front or face view of a razor blade embodying the principles of this invention; Fig. 2, is an end elevation, and Fig. 3, is a perspective view of a form of holder which may be employed with a blade in position therein.

In carrying the invention into effect the blade is stamped or otherwise formed from comparatively thin sheet steel, that is to say, a steel which is so thin that the blades formed therefrom lack the necessary or desirable rigidity to efficiently stand up under the duty imposed upon them during the shaving operation. In the best constructions. furthermore, embodying the invention the blade will be of uniform thinness. In order to impart the necessary or desirable rigidity referred to the blades will be given a configuration which affords such rigidity so that the blades because of their configuration are stiffened.

In what is regarded as the best form for carrying the invention into effect, the blade has corrugations impressed thereinto, the corrugations being arranged in such a way as to stiffen the blade transversely and longitudinally. These corrugations act as stiffening agents in the direction of their length and by having the corrugations extend in different directions, the blade is well stiffened.

In the drawings the corrugations are illustrated arranged in a sort of double pointed arrow form which gives diagonal, transverse and longitudinal bracing.

The blade made of sheet metal is marked A, and B designates corrugations. The form and arrangement of these corrugations may of course be varied, but as illustrated they include four V shaped ribs, two of which point in one direction and the other two of which point in the other direction, the two middle V's being connected by a longitudinal rib or corrugation which may further have lateral branches. These ribs are preferably formed while the sheet steel blade is being hardened and while it is at a temperature corresponding to a cherry red heat. The steel is soft and workable at this temperature and readily takes the contour of any dies, which will at the same time harden the material in the known or usual manner. The steel is subsequently drawn or tempered as usual.

The blade may be used in a wire frame such as C which operates merely as a holder and does not impart any appreciable degree of support to the blade.

What is claimed is:—

A razor blade of very thin steel, so thin and flexible as to have no inherent rigidity by reason of the thickness of the metal, said blade having a plurality of embossed ribs extending out at an angle on one side of a longitudinal center line midway between the edges of the blade, part of said ribs being at an angle to the other part as well as to the center line, and a similar series of ribs branched out along the other side of such center line, and a rib along such center line merging into all the other ribs substantially as described, whereby the blade is adapted to be supported at its ends and stiffened against bending along any axis lying in the plane thereof.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of March, A. D. 1912.

Alfred W. Proctor.

Witnesses:

Grace T. Dixon,

E. S. Singer.