To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Frederick Kampfe, Richard Kampfe, and Otto Kampfe, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braces for Razors, of which the following is a specification.

Razor-blades are usually hinged quite loosely to the handle, and it is very difficult to hold the razor-blade while stropping the razor in such a position that at all times the axis of the blade will be at right angles to the axis of the strop, which position of the blade is necessary to produce a perfect, true, and keen edge.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved brace or spring which can be applied on all kinds or styles of ordinary razors, and serves for holding the blade rigidly when swung out to project from the end of the handle.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts and details, as will be fully described hereinafter, and finally be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside view of an ordinary razor open and provided with our improved razor-brace. Fig. 2 is a detail side view of our improved razor-brace, and Fig. 3 is an end view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Our improved razor-brace consists of a piece of spring-wire which is bent at A′, as shown, to give it greater spring-tension, and a short distance from its lower end is bent outward about at right angles and curved to form the handle-lug B, and at the inner end of said handle-lug it is bent down to form the lug C, at the upper end of which the shoulder D is formed. The wire is then carried upward to form the prong E, on the top end of which the laterally-projecting hook or lug F is formed. The inner edge of the wire A is flattened near the upper end, as shown at a, so as to adapt it to rest snugly against the tang G of the razor-blade H, which is pivoted between the two handle-sections J in the usual manner. That part of the brace a short distance below the hook F is flattened, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the spring-tension of the entire device is increased and passing the lower end of the device through between the handle-sections is facilitated, these handle-sections being quite close to each other at their lower ends.

The device is used in the following manner: The blade is swung out to be in line with the handle, as shown in Fig. 1, and then the upper end of the brace is passed through between the handle-sections in such a manner that the hook F rests on the inner edge of one handle-section, and the inner edge of the upper part of the wire A rests against the back of the tang G. The lower part of the prong E projects from the inner edge of the handle, and by pressing on the shoulder part D the handle-lug E is projected sufficiently from the outer edge of the handle to permit of seizing said handle-lug. By pulling on said handle-lug E the lower part of the device is drawn toward the outer edge of the handle until the inner edge of the lug C projects clearly beyond said outer edge of the handle, and then the entire device is moved downward until the inner edge of the lug C is adjacent to the outer edge of the filling-piece inserted between the lower ends of the razor-blade-handle sections, as shown in Fig.1. By the spring-tension in the device the upper end of the wire A is pressed against the back of the tang and also against the curved prong M at the lower end of the tang, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.1. The hook F rests against the inner edge of the razor-handle and the lug C rests against the bottom filling-piece of the razor-handle. Thereby the blade H is held rigidly in line with the razor-handle, and when stropping can at all times be held at right angles to the axis of the strop. As the spring-wire A bears against two points of the blade, it prevents the same swinging either toward the right or left.

The device can easily be removed by pressing upward on the lower end of the lug C or handle-lug E until the lower end of said lug C clears the upper edge of the filling-piece at the bottom of the razor-handle, when the device snaps outward and can be removed at once.

Our improved brace can be used for wide or narrow razors, with thick or thin blades, and with handles of any shape and construction. It is entirely out of the way and does not interfere while stropping or honing the blade.

Our device also serves for holding the blade and handle in line when stropping the blade by means of our improved stropping device for which United States Letters Patent were issued to us on the 25th day of June, 1889, numbered 405,961.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent—

1. The combination, with a razor-handle and a blade pivoted to the same, of a detachable spring held in the handle and bearing on the blade, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a razor-handle and a blade pivoted to the same, of a detachable spring bearing on the front and rear edges of the handle and against the rear edges of the blade, substantially as set forth.

3. A detachable brace for razor-handles, consisting of a spring-metal piece having a lug at the bottom to bear against the bottom filling-piece of the razor-handle, and a projection to bear against the front or inner edge of the handle, and an extension to bear against the back of the razor-blade, substantially as set forth.

4. A detachable brace for razors, consisting of a piece of spring metal bent to form at its lower end a handle-lug, a lug below said handle-lug, an upwardly-projecting shank having a projection at its upper end, and an upward extension to bear against the back of the razor-blade, substantially as set forth.

5. A brace for razors, composed of a piece of spring metal bent to form the top part, a handle-lug B, lug C, prong E, and hook F, that part of the brace a short distance below the hook F being flattened, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Frederick Kampfe.
Richard Kampfe.
Otto Kampfe.

Witnesses:

Wilbur Rankin,

John Alonzo Straley.