The object of the invention is an improved razor of the type in connection with which there is employed a magazine provided with means for ejecting a blade therefrom and for injecting the blade into shaving position in the razor, the construction being such that the parts that engage the blade and retain it in shaving position are resiliency brought into blade-clamping position.

More particularly, the object is an improved razor of the character above described, in which provision is made whereby when the aligning finger of a magazine injector is inserted in the aligning slot in the razor, the parts are partially separated to increase the height and width of the blade channel to permit easy entrance into and exit therefrom, and whereby upon withdrawal of the aligning finger they are resiliently brought together into blade-clamping relation.

A further object is a razor of the above described character in which a separate spring is made use of to resiliently draw the blade-clamping parts into blade-clamping position; and a further object is to install the spring in such a manner that the line of force through which it acts is composed of two components, one component drawing the clamping plate against a face of the blade and the other drawing the supporting plate for the blade-clamping plate against the back of a blade positioned in the blade channel and forcing it into proper shaving position with relation to the guard with which such razors are provided.

A further object is a razor of the character just described in which the tensional force of the spring is exerted in a plane that passes as near as possible through the line of application of the clamping pressure on the blade.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a razor embodying the invention, a blade being shown therein in shaving position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the blade-clamping members separated by reason of the presence in the head of the aligning finger of an injector magazine;

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 3—3 of Fig. 1 and showing in addition, in dotted lines, the finger of an injector magazine;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the razor head with parts broken away to more clearly show the construction.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the razor comprises a conventional handle 10 into which is socketed the shank 11. The plate 12 for reinforcing the shank may be also socketed in the handle along with the shank, and in effect constitutes a part thereof, being united to the shank by means of a rivet, the head of which is indicated by 13. The shank extends upwardly (with reference to the position shown in the drawing), as indicated at 14, and is turned over at 15 at approximately a right-angle bend to form the blade-supporting platform 16, which in turn terminates in a guard 17. At each end of the guard is positioned a stop, the two stops being indicated by the numerals 18, 18, which function along with the other parts, presently to be described, to definitely position the edge of a blade with reference to the guard.

A rear supporting plate 19 which is bent over to form the blade-clamping plate 20 is connected to the shank by means of a hook 21 struck out and formed from the material of the rear plate 19. The hook engages in the aperture 22 in the shank and the connection forms a very loose hinge, the function and mode of operation of which will be later described.

The degree of looseness of the hinge is preferably such as to permit the clamping plate and the supporting plate 19 to virtually float to a limited extent independently of each other and to take their own positions with relation to the blade-supporting platform and the shank 14. The purpose of this will become apparent when the mode of operation is described.

The clamping plate 20 and the blade-supporting platform 16 converge slightly in the direction of the guard, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the line of application of clamping pressure on the blade is offset from the median line of the blade slightly in the direction of the stops. The purpose of this is to firmly clamp the blade at the proper place for avoiding, so far as possible, all tendency to chatter when the implement is in use.

The clamping plate 20 and the blade-supporting platform 16 are resiliently urged toward each other, and also the rear plate 19 is resiliently urged toward the stops by means of the spring 23. This spring 23 is preferably in the form of a yoke and is enabled to perform its function by the fact that at its middle portion it is bowed over the part 24 which separates the two slots 25, 25, each half-length of the spring extending through one of these slots and thence through one of the slots 25a, 25a. It is preferable that the ends 26, 26 of the spring be tipped upwardly to form bearings to contact approximately in the vertex formed by the blade platform and the shank portion 14. The sense of the general plane of the force exerted by the spring (which is under tension at all times) is such, as will be observed, that, in effect, it has two components—one drawing the rear plate 19 toward the shank 14 and the other drawing the clamping plate 20 toward the blade platform. The floating connection between the rear plate 19 and the shank portion 14 permits such an action to take place unrestrictedly. Therefore, for example, the blade A (see Fig. 1) is clamped firmly between the clamping plate 20 and the blade platform 16 and is also thrust in the direction of the stops 18 until its edge abuts against them. It is to be assumed, as will be obvious, that in a razor head of given dimensions and amplitude of movement of parts, the blade is wide enough to prevent actual contact of the shoulder 27 with the shank portion 14 or the blade-supporting platform 16. Of course, as will be obvious, if it is desired to use blades of a given width, the dimensions of the component parts of the razor and the amplitudes of movement given them would be adjusted to a blade of the selected width.

It will be observed that between the rear plate 19 and the shank 14 is a slot 29, the width of which, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, is equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the aligning finger 30 (see Figs. 2 and 3) of a magazine injector, and its height, which is determined by the spacing of the bent portions 31 and 32, is such that the aligning finger while in the slot is rigidly although not tightly retained against up and down play.

The magazine injector itself forms no part of the invention, although the invention is adapted to be used with it. It may be of an already well-known type now in extensive commercial use, an example of which is illustrated and described in the Rodrigues United States Patent No. 2,109,017 issued February 22, 1938.

It should be stated, however, with reference to the mode of operation that the aligning finger is provided with a cam 33 which projects sufficiently so that, when the finger is inserted in the slot 29, the clamping plate 20 and the rear supporting plate 19 are displaced as a unit away from the blade-supporting plate 16 and the shank portion 14—i. e., to the position shown in Fig. 2. The parts are so dimensioned and proportioned that the amount of displacement of the clamping plate 20 from the blade-supporting plate 16 is only such as to permit the blade A to be ejected with a slight frictional resistance; in fact, it may be more correctly stated that there preferably is no actual displacement of the clamping plate 20, but, on the contrary, merely release of tension.

In explaining how the motion just described takes place and what causes it, attention is directed to the hook 21 which projects through the slot 22 in the shank. Assuming the parts to be in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1 (i. e., with a blade clamped firmly in shaving position with its edges abutting the stops 18, 18 and pressed into contact by the tension of the spring 23 acting against the back of the blade through the shoulder 27), the insertion of the magazine finger first causes the rear plate 19 with its connected blade-clamping plate 20 to move bodily—i. e., with a translatory motion to the rear of the razor, or, referring to the drawing, to the right, as shown in Fig. 1. During a portion of this motion there is no substantial release of pressure of the blade-clamping plate 20 against the blade. However, as this motion progresses but before it is completed, the tip of the hook 21 contacts with the edge 34 of the aperture 22, and from then on until the completion of the motion, the rear plate 19 pivots on the edge 34, thus changing the translatory motion to rotary motion and causing the blade-clamping plate 20 to rise slightly. Pressure on the blade A is consequently relieved. As stated above, it is not necessary, and in fact it is not desirable that the blade-clamping plate 20 entirely part contact with the blade. It is sufficient that the spring tension be relieved enough to permit the blade A to be easily but not freely ejected. By thus retaining a slight pressure on the blade A after completion of the motion, enough friction is present to arrest an incoming blade in the position that it occupies on completion of the injection stroke of the magazine injector.

In order that the motion above described shall take place, it is desirable that the action of the aligning finger in separating the rear plate 19 from the shank 14 be gradual, and therefore a converging entrance for the aligning finger is provided by forming the struck-out portion 36 which tapers inwardly as it approaches its inner end. The cam 33 therefore first causes the rear plate 19 and blade-clamping plate 20 to move rearwardly with respect to the razor and then, when the tip of the hook 21 has contacted with the edge 34, a motion of rotation takes place, thus relieving pressure of the blade-clamping plate 20 on the blade.

A new blade may then be injected into the blade channel in the usual manner, the blade that is to be replaced being ejected from the blade channel in advance of it. The position just described is shown in Fig. 2. On withdrawal of the magazine injector aligning finger, the parts take the position shown in Fig. 1 by virtue of the stress exerted by the spring 23.

While I have described a certain particular construction in which my invention is incorporated, I do not desire to be limited to this particular embodiment since many changes and modifications may easily be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a razor, a shaving head comprising two members, one member comprising a blade platform provided with a support therefore and a guard, the blade platform and support being at an angle to each other, the second member comprising a back plate adjacent the support and a blade clamping plate overlying the blade platform, a spring under tension resiliently retaining the two members in nesting relation, the direction of tensional force exerted by the spring being the resultant of two components one acting to draw the clamping plate and the blade platform together and the other acting to draw the back plate and the blade platform support together.

2. In a razor, a shaving head comprising two members, one member comprising a blade platform provided with a guard and blade edge aligning stops and also a support for the platform, the blade platform and support being at an angle to each other, the said second member comprising a back plate adjacent the support and also a blade clamping plate overlying the blade platform, a spring under tension resiliently retaining the two members in nesting relation, the direction of tensional force exerted by the spring being the resultant of two components, one acting to draw the clamping plate and the blade platform together and the other acting to draw the back plate and the blade platform support together.

Leopold Kuhnl.