To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Luke Francis Warren, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a safety razor which is simple in construction and convenient and effective in use and which is particularly advantageous in its compactness, being foldable and being packed with a supply of extra blades into a box or package which is quite small and light.

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of the front and back respectively of the assembled razor in folded position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, showing the operating position in dotted lines;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan of the back on which the blade is carried;

Fig. 7 is a plan of the blade;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a clamping member differing slightly from the previous figures;

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a perspective and a sectional view of the razor folded and carried, with a supply of extra blades in a box or package;

Fig. 11 is a detail of Fig. 10 on a larger scale.

Referring to the embodiments of the invention illustrated, a razor blade A is carried on a back B at the forward edge of which is a guard C comprising a number of curved prongs of the usual style. The handle D is pivotally mounted on the back B at a point in the rear of the forward edge so that when folded, as in full lines in Fig. 3, to a position parallel to the back a portion of its length will lie directly along the back, and at the same time the parallel position of the back and the handle will be determined by folding them until they come together. For convenience in operation, however, the handle has to stand at an angle with its folded position or with the blade, as shown for example in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The parts should be held in operating position with considerable force and I provide an impositive locking means for this purpose consisting of lugs E on the back into which extend pivot pins on the ends of prongs F of the handle, these prongs pressing outward as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2 with a spring pressure against the inner faces of the respective lugs, and the faces of the lugs being notched; so that when the handle is swung to the operating position the ends of the prongs F snap into the notches and the parts are thus held. By a sufficient force, however, the handle can be folded against the back, the prongs F of the handle yielding under a force somewhat greater than that which occurs in shaving with the razor. The friction of the prongs F against the inner faces of the lugs is in fact sufficient to lock the handle impositively in the folded position, whereas the notches in the lugs hold the handle in operating position with even greater force.

The back B is provided with lugs G at its side edges corresponding upward therefrom. These lugs being undercut as shown in Fig. 5 for a portion of their height and having straight vertical sides for a short distance above the top of the back B so as to accommodate notches H in the ends of the blade. The blade is laid on the back with the notches H fitting over the lower portions of the lugs G, so that the blade is thus held in position on the back. A clamping member J with beveled side and front edges is then forced under the undercut edges of the lugs G until ears K on the ends of the clamping member strike the lugs. This clamps the blade firmly on the back. For facility in removing the blade (after first withdrawing the clamping member J) the back is provided with a recess L (Figs. 4 and 6) so that the user can introduce his thumb nail under the plate and lift the latter easily. The clamping member is provided with a shoulder whereby it can be taken hold of to withdraw it against the firm hold of the lugs. This shoulder may be formed by a longitudinally extending slide M (Fig. 1) in the clamping member or by a rib M′ (Fig. 8) on the rear edge.

The handle is thin and flat so that the thickness of the razor when folded as shown in Fig. 3 in full lines is very slight. The shape of the handle provides an opening N into which the operator can conveniently insert his forefinger while holding the thumb and second finger in recesses O formed at the sides by the flaring lower end portions P of the handle. This gives a firm grip, which is a matter of especial importance in the case of a comparatively light razor such as this is on account of its compactness. The box for the razor is designed with the same idea of compactness and is arranged to conveniently carry the razor and a package of extra blades in the smallest possible space. At the same time making he insertion and withdrawal of the razor from the box perfectly easy. As illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 the box is made in two parts Q and R hinged to each other and of a width slightly greater than that of the assembled razor, each portion of the box being provided with a reduced end only slightly larger than the end portion of the handle. The length of the box also is just sufficient to accommodate the length of the razor. Each of the box portions Q and R extends for the full width sufficiently to accommodate the head B of the folded razor and a pocket S in which may be carried a plurality of blades. The pocket S is mounted in the outermost end of the full width section of the portion R of the box, while the head of the razor lies in the innermost end of the corresponding section of the box portion Q; so that when the portion R is folded over, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 10 it will bring the blade pocket S into position approximately in line with the head of the razor and over the portion of the handle which extends beyond the head, thus permitting the carrying of the razor and the extra blade pocket in a box of extreme thinness.

The holder S is mounted in the box by means of pivot pins T, Fig. 11, so that it may be swung up to the dotted line position shown for convenient removal of the packet U of extra blades or may be swung down flat for conveniently closing the box. The box is made of thin metal and there is sufficient resilience in this box and in the pivot pins of the pocket S to permit the latter to be swung to either of the positions shown, the parts yielding sufficiently to permit the corner of the pocket to swing around in spite of its bearing against the base of the box, and causing the pocket to be held impositively in either its folded or its upright position. The box has a spring latch or hook V on the outer end of one part adapted to clamp over a projection W on the end of the other part so as to hold it closed, and which can be easily pried up with the thumb nail to permit opening the box.

The box as illustrated may be used for razors differing from that specifically disclosed. No claim is made herein to the box alone, but I do not thereby waive my right to claim the same in a separate application.

What I claim is—

1. A safety razor having a back, notched lugs thereon, a thin flat handle comprising a pair of spring pressure prongs bearing outwardly from each other against the inner faces of the respective lugs, said handle mounted on said back at a point in the rear of the forward edge and pivoted on an axis parallel to said edge, pivot pins on the ends of said prongs for engagement with the notches of the lugs for locking said handle when the same is in an operating position at an oblique angle to the blade and permitting it to be forced to a folded position against the back.

2. A safety razor having a back, notched lugs thereon, at a point in the rear of the forward edge, undercut lugs at the edges of the said back, a blade having notches in its opposite edges, adapted to be passed over the lugs at the edges of the back so that the latter hold the blade in position on the back, a clamping member adapted to be forced under the edges of said lugs and to thereby clamp the blade on the back, a forked handle having prongs, pivot pins on the ends of said prongs bearing outwardly from each other with a spring pressure against the notched faces of the respective lugs for locking said handle when same is in an operating position at an oblique angle to the blade and permitting it to be forced against the back.

3. A safety razor, having a back B, notched lugs E thereon, at a point in the rear of the forward edge, undercut lugs G at the edges of the said back, a blade A having notches H in its opposite edges, adapted to be passed over the lugs at the edges of the back so that the latter hold the blade in position on the back, a clamping member K adapted to be forced under the edges of said lugs and to thereby clamp the blade on the back, said back having a recess L at its rear edge to facilitate lifting the blade off the back, a forked handle D having prongs F, pivot pins on the ends of said prongs bearing outwardly from each other with a spring pressure against the notched faces of the respective lugs for locking said handle when same is in an operating position at an oblique angle to the blade and permitting it to be forced to a folded position against the back.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

Luke Francis Warren.