To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Russ J. Christy, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Fremont, Sandusky County, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skin Smoothing and Stretching Devices for Safety Razors, of which the following is a specification.

As is well known, it is the customary practice for barbers and other persons using an ordinary razor to stretch and smooth the skin with their fingers, immediately in advance of the cutting edge of the razor, in order to secure a smooth, even and effective shave. My present invention has for its object the provision in a safety razor, of mechanical means, forming a part of the razor, for so stretching and smoothing the skin in advance of the cutting edge of the blade, and which will automatically perform the function performed by the barber's fingers in the shaving operation above described. To this end I provide, in front of the cutting edge of the blade, and in front of the customary guard for the blade, a transverse member parallel with the cutting edge of the blade, which will contact with the surface of the skin in advance of the blade and guard, and so, stretch and smooth the same as to secure the result described without any application of the fingers to the skin of the face.

The stretching and smoothing device, so located and operating, may be rigidly secured to or formed integral with the holder of the razor, or it may be flexibly mounted thereon so as to be capable of yielding under pressure; and it may constitute either a permanent non-removable part of the holder, or may be made attachable and detachable, all as exemplified in the various constructions and arrangements illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety razor equipped with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective rear view of the stretching and smoothing device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail showing a modification of the construction of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 1, but showing a flexibly mounted stretching and smoothing device;

Figure 5 is a detail end view of the completely assembled parts of a razor, showing another form of flexibly mounted stretching and smoothing device; and

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the stretching and smoothing device of Figure 5.

The same reference letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

My invention is shown in perhaps its simplest form in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, in winch the safety razor illustrated is, with the exception of the addition of my improvement, identical with that of my prior Patent No. 853,960, of May 21, 1907. As in the razor of that patent, the construction shown in Figure 1 embodies a blade supporting plate B secured to the upper end of the handle A and provided at its opposite ends with upturned flanges b′ and having formed integral with it the toothed guard B′ connected with the body of the plate by the curved arms b. The blade C is provided at its upper rear corners with ears c², which, when the blade is placed in position on the holder, contact with the rear ends of the flanges b′ and serve to properly position the blade, which is then yieldingly secured in place upon the holder by the spring-clip D, having an upper forward portion d bearing upon the top of the blade C and forwardly curved spring arms engaging the underside of the holder.

To this construction of my prior patent I have, in Figure 1, applied the stretching and smoothing device shown in Figure 2, consisting in the form there shown, of a body portion E extending parallel with and in front of the guard B′, formed of thin sheet metal and U-shaped in cross-section, and provided at its opposite ends with inwardly bent extensions e adapted to engage and be secured to the opposite ends of the guard B′. If it be desired to have the stretching and smoothing device attachable and detachable it may, in the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, be simply slipped down on the guard with its body portion E extending parallel with and in front of the same, and its inturned extensions e engaging the opposite ends of the guard, the parts being so proportioned that the device will occupy a proper position relative to the guard when so applied. In this form and applied in this manner my novel device may be used with old razors of the construction shown in my prior patent before referred to, since it can be readily applied to such old razors. If, on the other hand, the stretching and smoothing device is to be made a permanent part of the razor, as will generally be done where it is embodied in the construction of new razors, it may be formed and applied in the manner described and its inturned extensions e be permanently secured to the guard B′ by soldering or spot-welding or otherwise; and in that case, if desired, the opposite ends of the guard may be provided with suitable notches to receive and accurately position the extensions e by which the device is secured to the guard.

Instead of forming the stretching and smoothing device separately from the holder and guard of the razor, and applying it in the manner above described, it may be formed integral with the holder and the guard, if desired, as shown in Figure 3, in which construction the stretching and smoothing device E forms an integral prolongation or extension of the guard B′, the teeth of the latter being extended and reversely bent as shown, and carrying at the lower ends of their reversely bent portions the device E of substantially the same form as that of Figures 1 and 2.

In Figure 4 the smoothing and stretching device is shown as flexibly mounted upon the holder of the razor, being in the form of a bail E′, whose middle forward portion extends parallel with and in front of the guard B', as in the construction previously described, and whose rearwardly bent ends are secured at their rear ends to the underside of the holder or blade supporting plate in any suitable manner, as by soldering or spot-welding. In this form the device will be made of resilient wire, so that the portion extending in front of and parallel with the guard will be capable of yielding to pressure when applied to the face, which I have found preferable, in some respects, to a rigid and unyielding construction, such as that previously described.

In Figures 5 and 6 is shown another form of flexible mounted stretching and smoothing device, which I consider preferable to that of Figure 4. In this construction the body of the device E is of the same form as that of Figures 1, 2 and 3 and is carried by a pair of spring-arms e′ formed integral with its opposite ends and curved downward beneath guard B′ and extending thence upward and rearward to the underside of the blade-supporting plate B to which they are secured in any suitable manner, as by soldering or spot-welding.

As will be understood from the foregoing description, my novel stretching and smoothing device may be made either a permanent or an attachable and detachable part of a safety razor, and may be either rigidly or yieldingly mounted in relation to the holder and guard; and in each instance it forms a stretching and smoothing device operating in advance of the cutting edge of the blade, to stretch and smooth the skin and enable the user of the razor to readily secure a smooth, even and effective shave.

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

1. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade holder and a guard rigid therewith, of a skin stretching and smoothing device secured to said holder and movable independently of said guard, said device consisting of a strip of sheet metal bent into U-shape in cross section and located in front of and immediately adjacent to and parallel with the guard, spring arms secured to said strip and extending rearwardly thereof and secured to said holder, and said strip operating to stretch and smooth the skin in advance of the cutting edge of the blade.

2. In a safety razor, in combination, a blade holder and a handle rigidly secured thereto, a guard rigid with said holder, a device adapted to stretch and smooth the skin in advance of said guard, said device comprising a strip of sheet metal bent into U-shape in cross section and located in front of and immediately adjacent to and parallel with said guard, said device being formed separate of said guard and having rearwardly extending spring arms secured to the lower side of said holder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

Russ J. Christy.