To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Cap Bertrand Collins, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux Falls, in the county of Minnehaha and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rotary safety razors of the self-contained type, and, among others, has for its objects to provide an improved driving connection between the blade and the motor whereby the blade may readily be disconnected for cleaning and renewal; an improved guard for the rotary blade which may be adjusted to vary the cut of the blade to obtain either a coarse, or a close shave; an improved motor and a sectional housing therefor whereby relative movement between the housing sections will effect winding of the motor; and means operable exteriorly of the housing for controlling the speed of and stopping the motor.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved rotary safety razor, the motor and guard support being depicted in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section therethrough showing the driving mechanism in top plan;

Fig. 3 is an irregular vertical section on line 3—3 of Fig. 2 showing more in detail the internal construction;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the motor and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of one of the governor controls.

In the embodiment of the invention depicted, the motor 1 is inclosed within a casing or housing comprising an upper section 2 and a lower section 3 which sections are relatively rotatable.

The motor is of the coiled spring type, the spring being contained within a closed box which is journaled on the central winding stem composed of two telescopic hollow sections 4 and 5, the sections being locked together by a screw 6. This winding stem is journaled at each end in a fixed frame 7, the lower end thereof having an extension carrying a ratchet 8 and a depending stub 9 on which a socket 10 is threaded. The socket is fixedly carried by the lower housing section 3 so that, rotating the latter on section 1 will turn the winding stem to wind the spring, a spring pressed pawl 11 being pivoted on the motor supporting frame to hold the ratchet against unwinding.

An internal gear 12 is carried on top of the motor box and meshes with a gear 13 fixed on the lower end of a vertical shaft 14. The shaft is journaled in frame 7 and also in a superposed frame 15, and carries a fixed gear 16 on its upper end.

A tubular guard support 17 has its lower flanged end secured to the motor frame 7 and is provided above said flanged base with a slot 18 through which the teeth of drive gear 16 extend and operate. The upper end of the guard support is externally screw threaded to adjustably engage a circular guard 19, a lock nut 20 being also engaged with the threaded end of the guard support for impinging against the guard and holding it in any predetermined adjustment.

Within the guard is arranged a tubular shaft 21 formed on its lower end with a peripheral gear 22 the teeth of which latter mesh with those of drive gear 16, The upper end of the blade shaft 21 is enlarged to form a peripheral shoulder 23 designed to have bearing on an internal shoulder 24 formed in support 17. A peripheral flange 25, on this enlarged upper end or head, has mounted and secured thereon, as by screw 26, a blade support or rest 27 of disk form. The blade 28 is also disk-like and has a central opening fitting over the projecting holder shaft where it is secured in position on the blade rest by the clamp 29. The blade clamp 29 is of circular form and has a central tubular shank 30 in screw threaded engagement with a counter bore in the head of the blade holder shaft.

A stationary center post 31 is disposed within the blade holder shaft 21 and is formed in its upper end with a concentric recess in which a stem 32 is threaded, said stem being centrally carried by a somewhat spherical shield 33. The blade clamp 29 is of smaller diameter than, and is entirely received beneath, the shield 33, the latter securing the blade holder in position within the guard support 17. Support 17, is braced from the upper end of the casing or housing 2 by an outwardly extending flange 34, while the lock nut 20 has a depending skirt encircling said upper end to give a finished appearance.

For the purpose of controlling the speed at which the disk blade is rotated, a governor 35 of the centrifugal type is provided, embodying a shaft 36 on which is slidable a brake disk 37 that is slid along the shaft as the weights recede through centrifugal force. The governor shaft is journaled in a pair of brackets 38, on the motor frame, and carries a worm gear 39 which is driven from the drive gear 16 through a train of speed gears 40. A pair of friction shoes 41 and 42 are adapted to bear against the governor brake disk, the former serving as a brake for stopping the motor and being carried by an actuating member 43 slidable in a slot formed in the casing 2. Member 42 engages one end of a lever 44 which is pivoted between its ends on the motor frame and has its opposite end turned upwardly to lie between the arms of a forked actuating member 45 also slidable in a slot in the casing.

In use, the spring motor is wound by rotating the lower housing section, whereupon the brake is released by slide 43 and the speed of rotation of the cutter determined through the adjustment of slide 45. The guard is adjusted toward or from the blade, depending upon the cut desired, by releasing lock nut 20 and then moving the guard on its threaded mounting following which the lock nut is again impinged against the guard. In order to permit the edge of the blade to rest, practically in contact with the guard the latter is dished to receive the blade rest 27.

To clean the razor or for renewing the blade, the blade securing member 33 is removed from its stationary center post whereupon the blade and its holder may be lifted off as a unit, the gear 22 sliding upwardly out of mesh with the drive gear. The guard may now be cleaned, and by removing the blade clamp 29 the blade may be lifted from its rest. To reassemble, it is merely requisite to replace the blade on its rest, secure it there by its clamp, drop the blade holder back into the tubular guard support, and position the shield or guard 33 on its center post. The gears 21 and 16 will automatically mesh with one another without any special operation and are readily separable on lifting out the blade holder unit.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotary razor, a casing, a post therein, blade driving means arranged adjacent said post, a blade carrier rotatably and slidably receivable over the post and engageable with and disengageable from said driving means by mere sliding of the carrier, and means engageable with the post and said blade carrier to hold the carrier against sliding movement.

2. In a rotary razor, a post therein, a casing, a blade carrier rotatably and slidably mounted on the post, means to rotate the carrier on the post, and a shield overlying the carrier and blade and having movable engagement with the post to the carrier against sliding on the post and to allow removal of the carrier from the post.

3. A rotary safety razor including a spring motor, a housing therefor, a frame fixed to the housing and rotatably supporting the motor, a speed governor mounted on the frame in operative connection with the motor and embodying a centrifugally weight-operated disk, a lever pivoted between its ends on the frame and carrying a brake shoe on one end for variable pressure on the disk, and a controlling member slidably mounted on the housing and having an inwardly extending bifurcated part straddling the other end of the lever for swinging the latter to apply the shoe and vary the speed of the motor.

4. A rotary safety razor including a spring motor, a sectional housing therefor, a frame fixed in the upper housing section and rotatably supporting the motor, means connecting the companion housing section to the winding stem of the motor, a speed governor mounted on the frame in operative connection with the motor and embodying a centrifugally weight-operated disk, a lever pivoted between its ends on the frame and carrying a brake shoe on one end for variable pressure on the disk, a controlling member slidably mounted on the upper housing section and having an inwardly extending bifurcated part straddling the other end of the lever for swinging the latter to apply the shoe and vary the speed of the motor, and a second control member slidably carried by the upper housing section and having an inwardly extending brake shoe engaging the disk and stopping the motor.

5. In a rotary razor, a casing, blade driving means therein, a blade carrier detachably connected to said driving means, a guard underlying the blade, means to adjust the guard to increase or decrease the space between same and the blade, a shield overlying the blade and acting to prevent disengagement of the blade carrier from said driving means, and means whereby to secure said shield relative to the casing and to allow of removal thereof so as to permit disengagement of the carrier from said driving means.

6. A rotary safety razor including a housing, a drive gear journaled therein, a blade guard, a sleeve support carrying the guard at one end and having its opposite end portion formed with a slot through which the gear projects, and a rotary blade carrying shaft removably disposed within the sleeve support and provided with a gear on its inner end for meshing with the drive gear.

7. In a rotary razor, a circular guard, a circular blade overlying the guard, a circular shield overlying the blade, said shield having a rounded smooth outer face which is continuous and uninterrupted, means to rigidly mount the shield, and means to rotate the blade relative to the shield.

8. In a rotary razor, a blade carrier, driving means for the carrier, means to allow the carrier to be engaged with and disengaged from the driving means by sliding thereof, and means to hold the carrier against sliding while permitting free rotation thereof.

9. In a rotary safety, razor, a housing, drive means therein including a gear, a tubular guard support threaded at its outer end, a blade guard engaged with the threads thereof for adjustment, means for locking the guard in its adjusted position, a rotary blade superposed on the guard, and a blade supporting shaft journaled in the tubular support and carrying a gear on its inner end for meshing with the drive gear.

10. In a rotary safety razor, a rotary blade holder, drive means, and a detachable connection between the two including separable gears.

11. A rotary safety razor including a spring motor, an upper housing, a lower housing connected thereto, means to support the motor from one of the housings whereby on rotating the other of said housings the motor will be wound, and a cutter operable by the motor.

12. A rotary safety razor including a tubular guard support, a guard carried thereby and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a rotary blade arranged above the guard, and means passing through the tubular support for rotating the blade.

13. A rotary safety razor including a guard, a hollow support therefor, drive means having a gear wheel extending into the support, a blade holder embodying a shaft insertible in the hollow support and carrying a gear on its lower end for meshing with the gear wheel, means for securing the holder in position, and a blade carried by its holder.

14. A rotary safety razor including a guard, a hollow support therefor, drive means having a gear wheel extending into the support, a blade holder embodying a shaft insertible in the hollow support, a blade rest surrounding and secured to the upper end of the shaft, a blade on the rest, and a blade clamp detachably engaged with the shaft and engaging over the blade.

15. In a rotary safety razor, a center post, a blade holder comprising a hollow shaft receiving the post and carrying a flat blade rest on its upper end, a blade on the rest and a clamp superposed on the blade and formed with a tubular shank passing centrally through the blade for engaging the shaft, a support, drive means carried thereby including a wheel engaging the lower end of the shaft, a guard carried by the support beneath the blade, and a shield secured to the center post and extending over the blade clamp for locking the blade holder in position.

16. In a rotary safety razor, driving means, a circular cutter, means to support the cutter, means to drive the cutter supporting means from said driving means, and means whereby to allow the cutter supporting means to be engaged with and disengaged from the driving means by a mere lifting movement of the cutter supporting means.

17. In a rotary razor, a blade carrier, means to slidably support the carrier, driving means for the carrier, means to allow the carrier to be engaged with and disengaged from the driving means by sliding thereof, and means detachably connected to the carrier supporting means for holding the carrier against sliding.

18. In a rotary safety razor, a rotary blade holder, a drive slidably connected therewith, and detachable means to prevent sliding of the blade holder so that upon detachment the holder may: be removed from the drive by sliding thereof.

19. In a rotary safety razor, a casing composed of a lower and a superposed upper section formed to overlap, one another, a winding motor carried by one of the sections, said sections being capable of relative rotation, a circular disk blade carried by the upper section, means to drive said blade from the motor, and means to-effect winding of the motor upon relative rotation of the sections.

20. In a rotary safety razor, a casing composed of a lower and a superposed upper section a winding motor carried by one of the sections, a ratchet carried by the other section, a pawl engaged with the ratchet and carried by said first section, a circular disk blade carried by the upper section, means to drive said blade from the motor, and means to allow of relative rotation of the sections whereby upon rotation the motor will be wound.

21. In a rotary razor, the combination of a hollow handle, a stationary circular peripherally-toothed guard fixed to said handle, an externally-convex stationary face-plate fixed to said handle and having a smooth outer face-engaging surface, a mechanical motor in said handle, and a rotary circular disk blade between said stationary guard and stationary face-plate and revolved by said motor.

22. In a rotary razor of the character described, the combination of a hollow handle of general pear shape composed of an upper and a lower section, a spring motor in said handle, means to wind said motor by turning one of the handle sections relatively to the other, a circular rotary disk blade, and means for revolving such blade by the motor.

In testimony, whereof I affix my signature.

Cap Bertrand Collins.