To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Walter Althoff, of Geneva, in the county of Ontario, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adapters for Safety Razors, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an adapter for safety razors.

The object of the invention is to produce a device capable of being assembled with the ordinary safety razor of the double edge blade type to adapt said razor for use with a single edge blade.

Further, safety razors of the double edge blade type support the blade in a position practically at right angles to the longitudinal axis or extension of the handle so that the handle must be held at substantially right angles to the surface to be shaved. Such a position is unnatural, and somewhat difficult for the hand of the operator to assume, and another object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, capable of assemblage with a razor of the double-edge blade type that will support a blade in a normally inclined position disposed at a substantial angle to the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle. Thus, a razor substantially of the character known as “hoe type” is produced.

Other objects and advantages relate to the details of construction, form and arrangement of the adapter, all as will more fully appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a razor having my adapter applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the adapter.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a blade.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the assembled structure of Figure 1.

The ordinary razor of the double edge blade type consists of a base plate —1— having a series of openings therethrough, in this instance three and a top plate —2— having a series of lugs —3—, —4— and —5— projecting therefrom and adapted to extend through the openings in the base plate —1—. The central projection —4— is preferably externally threaded for engagement with the internally threaded hollow end of the handle —20— so that by screwing the handle upon the stud —4— the base plate and top plate are drawn together to grip between them the ordinary double edge razor blade, such blade being usually provided with a series of openings equal in number to the studs upon the top plate for the reception and passage of said studs.

My adapter is designed for assemblage with a razor of this type, and for that purpose is provided with a concave base —7— having three recesses, —8—, —9— and —10— in the front edge of said base for the reception of the studs —3—, —4— and —5— respectively. As shown, the base plate —1— and the top plate —2— are both of a somewhat concavo-convex nature, and the convexity of the base —7— is somewhat greater than that of the cap plate —2— and the base plate —1— respectively, so that when the cap plate is drawn toward the base plate, the radius of the concavity of the base —7— will be lengthened to a limit where its concavity is of a radius similar to the convexity of the base plate —1— or the concavity of the adjacent surface of the cap plate —2—. This operation not only affords a tight engagement between the adapter and the razor part, but effects a gripping of the razor, as hereinafter described.

The base —7— is provided with a rear wall —11— extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom, and having at its upper end a laterally bent and return bent portion —12— constituting a receiving groove or space —13— for the end of the razor blade —14—. The front wall —15— extends forwardly and downwardly from the wall of the receiving groove —13—, and preferably terminates at a point short of the cap plate —2—, and is provided at its lower end with a forwardly and downwardly inclined flange —16— for engagement with the outer surface of the razor blade to hold the same tightly against the wall of the receiving space —13— and against the front edge of the cap plate —2— and the upper surface of the base plate —1— which is provided in the usual manner at its edges with teeth.

The adapter may first be applied to the razor structure and the blade may be slid laterally into the groove or receiving space —13— and at the rear of the flange —16— and in front of the edge of the cap plate —1—. By screwing handle —6— to draw the cap plate —2— toward the base plate —1—, the scraping of the convex base —7— of the adapter will throw the rear wall —11— downwardly, causing the flange —16— to force the blade —14— against the wall of the receiving space —13— and against the front edge of the cap plate —2—, the rigidity and firmness of such engagement of the parts being determined by the extent to which the concavity of the base —7— is increased in radius to the point where it conforms with the convexity of the adjacent surface of the base plate —1—, or the concavity of the adjacent surface of the cap plate —2—.

Preferably, this adapter is formed of a single piece of sheet metal which has sufficient rigidity to effect the purposes at hand, and still has a certain amount of flexibility and resiliency which permits tight frictional engagement of the parts without absolute immovability. Thin sheet steel is found suitable for the purpose at hand. However, it may be that other suitable materials having the desired flexibility and resiliency may be substituted, or in certain cases perhaps with less preferable results rigid material may be substituted, and I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself except as set forth in the claims hereto appended to any particular material or to any particular flexibility or to the exact form and shape of the adapter, as here shown, as various changes and modifications may be made in the materials from which the same is made, and in the form and shape of the adapter, without departing from the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:—

1. The combination with a base plate and a cap plate adapted to receive a razor blade between them, of means having a portion positioned between said base plate and said cap plate for holding a razor blade in an exterior position.

2. The combination with a razor part, including a base plate and a cap plate adapted to receive a razor blade between them, of a blade-holding member having a concave flexible base positioned between the cap plate and the base plate.

3. The combination with a razor part, including a base plate and a cap plate adapted to receive a razor blade between them, of a blade-holding member having a concave flexible base positioned between the cap plate and the base plate, said concave flexible resilient base being of greater concavity than the adjacent surfaces of the cap plate.

4. The combination with a razor part, including a base plate and a cap plate adapted to receive a razor blade between them of a blade-holding member having a concave flexible base positioned between the cap plate and the base plate, the concavity of the base being shorter than the radius of the convexity of the adjacent surface of the base plate.

5. The combination with a razor part including a base plate and a cap plate, of a blade-holding member having its base positioned between the base plate and the cap plate and provided with an upwardly inclined rear wall extending from the base, and a downwardly inclined front wall extending from the upper end of the rear wall.

6. The combination with a razor part including a base plate and a cap plate, of a blade-holding member having its base positioned between the base plate and the cap plate and provided with an upwardly inclined rear wall extending from the base, a downwardly inclined front wall extending from the upper end of the rear wall, and a razor receiving groove separating the upwardly inclined rear wall and downwardly inclined front wall.

7. The combination with a razor part including a base plate and a cap plate, of a blade-holding member having its base positioned between the base plate and the cap plate and provided with an upwardly inclined rear wall extending from the base, and a downwardly inclined front wail extending from, the upper end of the rear wall, said front wall provided at its lower end with a rearwardly directed flange for contact with the razor blade.

8. The combination with a razor part including a base plate and a cap plate, of a blade-holding member having its base positioned between the base plate and the cap plate and provided with an upwardly inclined rear wall extending from the base, and a downwardly inclined front wall extending from the upper end of the rear wall, and a razor receiving groove separating the upwardly inclined rear wall and downwardly inclined front wall, said front wall provided at its lower end with a rearwardly directed flange for contact with the razor blade.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8rd day of October 1921.

Walter Althoff.

Witnesses:

A. D. Arms,

H. L. Place.