To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pierre Lucien Fontaine, a citizen of the Republic of France, and residing in Chartres, (Eure and Loir,) France, have invented Improvements in Shaving Apparatus and Razor-Guards, (for which I have obtained a French patent, 30th June, 1879, No. 131,377,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of razor-holders which are composed of a piece of sheet metal cut and bent so as to hold the razor with its cutting-edge close to a notched edge of the holder, so that the latter bearing on the skin in shaving will permit the blade to cut like a plane.

The object of my invention is to improve and strengthen the construction of a holder of this class and facilitate the adjustment of the blade in the holder. This object I attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a view of the sheet-metal blank from which the holder is formed; Fig. 2, a plan view of the holder containing the razor; Fig. 3, a section ; Fig. 4, an end view ; Figs. 5 and 6, views of a holder in which the blade may be placed when it is to be sharpened.

In forming the holder A for the reception of the blade B of the razor a blank of the form shown in Fig. 1 is first cut out of sheet metal, with the opening e, teeth d d, wings a a, and tongues t t, and a screw-nut, f, for the reception of the adjusting-screw v, is soldered to a projecting strip on one edge. The blank is then bent to the shape shown in Fig. 4, so that one part will form a handle, while the other holds the blade. The wings a a are bent round so as to form fingers to grasp and hold the edges of the blade, while the tongues t t are bent upward and their ends secured in openings in the part carrying the blade, so as to form diagonal ties or stays to strengthen the holder, as shown in Fig. 3.

When the blade is put in place and held by the fingers a and its position properly regulated by the adjusting-screw v, the cutting-edge of the blade is close to the point where the sheet-metal holder is bent to form the handle, and at this bend the holder is formed with a series of teeth or notches, d, which are slightly curved and extend to within a short distance of the blade—say a twelfth of an inch. In shaving, these curved teeth bear on the skin so that the blade is enabled to cut off the hair closely, but is prevented from cutting or grazing the epidermis, while the cut hair and lather are allowed to pass between the teeth and through an opening, e, formed in this part of the holder at the side of the blade.

When the blade is to be sharpened it is removed from the sheet-metal holder and inserted in the ferrule V, having a handle, M, being retained in the ferrule by the pressure of the edges of the ferrule.

The opening e in the holder above referred to for the passage of the lather and cut hairs may be partially filled by a grating, the bars of which are formed by a continuation of the teeth d, in which case the said bars must be bent in such a way as to allow sufficient room for the passage of the lather between them and the blade. When this construction is adopted the angular part of the bars project a sufficient distance beyond the cutting-edge of the blade to prevent the latter from entering the skin.

I claim as my invention—

1. The within-described blank for razor-holders, consisting of a plate of sheet metal having an opening, e, teeth d, wings a a, and tongues t, substantially as set forth.

2. The within-described razor-holder A, consisting of a plate of sheet metal bent to form the handle and blade-holder, and having retaining-wings a, teeth d, and stays t, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Pierre Lucien Fontaine.

Witnesses:

Alfred Coiny,

Robt. M. Hooper.