To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles Barra, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means to heat a razor and continue the heating during shaving, whereby the razor may be sterilized and maintained in sterile condition before and during use, and whereby to counteract lowering of the temperature of the razor during contact with the skin below the temperature of the latter. By maintaining the razor at or above a sterilization temperature during the shaving operation I am enabled to prevent infections caused by cutting of skin, pimples and other blemishes. By my improved means I am enabled to _keep the razor sharp during the shaving operation. A razor blade heated to such a temperature will make shaving of a person's face more comfortable and the resulting shave will be more satisfactory than where the face is shaved with a cold razor.

In carrying out my invention I provide a razor blade, either of the ordinary variety or of the class of safety razors, using an electric heater disposed at a suitable distance from the cutting edge of the blade, and in thermal relation thereto, which heater may be supplied with current from an ordinary electric service outlet, whereby the blade may be heated to and maintained at a sterilization temperature both while not in use and while in the act of shaving.

My invention also comprises novel details of improvement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein—

Fig. 1 is a side view of a razor embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3, 3, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail of an electric resistance member; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of an insulator for said resistance adapted to contain the same within a razor blade.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates the blade of an ordinary razor, which blade at its back 2 opposite the cutting edge 3 is provided with means to retain an electric resistance member 4. The heating member 4 may be any suitable resistance wire shown coiled from its terminal end 4^a to the end 4^b where the wire is bent back and passes through or along the coil to the terminal end 4^c. The terminals 4^a, 4^c may be insulated and connected with the lead conductors from any suitable electric outlet source, such as a socket in a building. The back 2 of the blade is provided with a longitudinal bore 5 extending substantially parallel to the cutting edge, which bore is open at the rear of the blade and closed at the outer end at 1^a. The bore 5 is located in the material of the blade at its back that extends laterally beyond the plane of the integral stem of the blade that is pivoted to the usual handle in this type of razor, the bore 5 lying in a plane beyond the plane of said stem, the open end of the bore being beyond the stem. The electric resistance member is enclosed within an insulator 6, which may be in the form of a tube of lava or other suitable insulating material inserted within bore 5 of the razor blade, whereby the heater 4 is insulated from the razor. The terminals or leads 4^a, 4^c, extend from the rear open end of bore 5 free from the razor stem.

When the parts are assembled, as shown, and the electric current is passed through the heater 4 the razor blade will be heated to a desired temperature as by suitably proportioning the gage of wire 4 and any required resistance in the line circuit, so that the blade may be raised to a sterilization temperature, to which temperature it may be constantly kept, say from 212° F., up to, say, 240° F. Such temperature may be maintained during the shaving operation as well as when the razor is not in use, such as in barber shops where the razor may be maintained heated ready for use. By having the heating resistance wire 4 and its insulator 6 located within a bore in the blade the latter may be used in the customary way for shaving and said wire and insulator are protected.

The heated sterilized razor blade will have the beneficial effect of making it more comfortable for the person being shaved, as well as to prevent infections which might be caused by cutting of the skin, pimples, etc., by a non-sterile blade. Furthermore, by maintaining the razor blade at a sterilization temperature the cutting edge will be less liable to become dull, thereby saving frequent stropping or honing of the same and increasing the durability of the blade.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. A razor blade provided with a stem and having material at its back extending laterally beyond the stem, said material having a bore extending substantially parallel to the cutting edge of the blade in a plane beyond the plane of the stem, a resistance conductor, and an insulator therefor within said bore, whereby the cutting edge may be maintained at a sterilization temperature.

2. A razor blade having a stem, a cutting edge on one side of said stem and material on the other side of said stem extending laterally beyond the plane of the latter, said material having a bore extending substantially parallel with said cutting edge, said bore being closed at its outer end and open at its inner end, beyond the stem, an insulating tube within said bore, and a coil of resistance wire within said tube, the terminals of said resistance wire extending through the open end of said bore free from the stem.

Charles Barra.