To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ruth Ethelinda Gibbs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety-razors, and has for its object to provide a razor of this character wherein the blade-carrying frame is provided with a guard-roll and with novel means for adjusting the blade with relation to said roll and holding it in its adjusted position, the blade-holding mechanism being capable of being readily swung into position to hold the blade firmly in place and swung out of such position in order that the blade may be easily removed for cleaning, sharpening, substitution of a different blade, or other purposes.

It has for a further object the provision of a blade-carrying frame having novel means for securing thereto a detachable handle, leaving the bottom or rear plate of said frame perfectly flat, so that it may retain its position when resting upon a table or dressing-case.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel construction and combination or arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety-razor constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a front or face view. Fig. 4 is a section taken transversely to the plane of the blade, and Fig. 5 is a view showing in detached detail the sectional handle and a receiver for the blade when it is to be honed or sharpened.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral 1 indicates the blade-carrying frame, the end plates of which are provided with perforations 2 in a common line, in order that the sectional handle or a portion thereof may be stored within the frame when the razor is not in use. With the exception of a strengthening-bar 3 at the upper part the front portion of the frame is preferably open to permit the passing away of lather, &c. Journaled at the lower front portion of the said frame is a guard-roll 4, which is shown in the drawings as spirally corrugated; but, if desired, it may be a smooth roll, and firmly secured to or formed with the front edges of the end plates of the frame are inwardly-extending lips 5, which afford a rest or abutment for the blade 6.

The numerals 7 illustrate adjustable clamps for the blade 6. Said clamps are slotted, as at 7^a at their rear ends and are adjustably secured to the end plates of the blade-carrying frame 1 by means of suitable thumb or other screws 8, which pass through the slotted portions of the clamps and engage screw-threaded perforations 9 in said end plates and at their front ends are bent to provide blade-engaging fingers 7^b. Near the outer or front ends of said clamps is pivotally secured a swinging bail 10, the cross-bar 11 of which carries a suitable thumb-screw 12, which is adapted to be screwed down to bear upon the back of the razor-blade 6 and firmly hold the same in shaving position and against the clamps 7. When the thumb-screw 12 is released from the blade, the bail 10 may be readily swung out of the way to permit the easy removal of the blade for the purpose of cleaning or honing the same or the substitution of a different blade, or for other required purpose, and as readily swung again to position to lock the blade in position.

In practice the roll 4 is slightly in front of the cutting edge of the razor to guard the face of the user against cutting, and it is important that the relative position of said roll and the blade be accurately adjusted to secure the best results. Therefore this adjustment becomes necessary when the razor is worn by frequent sharpening or honing or when it is desired to use in the blade-carrier blades of a different size or configuration. This adjustment is readily effected when, as is usual, a wedge-shaped blade is used by first loosening the clamp holding or adjusting screws 8, a suitable device 13 for manipulating the said screws being formed in one end of one of the parts of the sectional handle, as hereinafter described, and then moving said clamps to the required position with respect to the blade-rest or lips 5 to allow the blade to enter a sufficient distance to bring the cutting edge of the blade, when fitted to the carrier, in proper position with relation to the roll and then securing the clamps in such position by tightening the screws thereon. When a flat (as contradistinguished from a wedge) blade is used, the adjustment is effected readily by sliding the clamps 7 away from the blade-rest 5 sufficiently to permit the free introduction of the blade, when its proper position can be ascertained and the clamps adjusted and secured to retain the blade in the ascertained position. The blade is firmly held in position from any tendency to slip backward by the thumb-screw 12, carried by the cross-bar of the swinging bail 10, which is screwed against the back of the blade with the requisite force. When it is desired to remove the blade for the purpose of cleaning the same or for honing or the substitution of a different blade, it is only necessary to loosen the screw 12, swing the bail out of the way, and slip the blade from behind the clamps 7.

The numeral 14 designates an orifice in the bottom plate of the carrier 1, which is preferably sunk beneath the surface of said plate in order that when the carrier is placed upon its bottom, resting upon a table or dressing-case, it will remain in its position of rest and not be liable to roll upon the table, and there is therefore no danger of injury to the razor edge of the blade, as in former constructions, where the attachment of the handle was effected by means of a stud projecting from the bottom plate of the carrier.

The numeral 15 designates a sectional handle, the meeting ends of each part of which are capable of detachable engagement in any suitable manner, as by screwed ends, as shown in the drawings. The inner section is formed at one end with a screw-stud 16, which enters the screw-threaded perforation 14 of the bottom plate of the frame 1, thus neatly securing the handle to said frame. When the razor is not in use, the sectional handle may be stored in the frame, resting in the perforations 2.

I have illustrated a convenient device 17 for receiving a blade when it is desired to hone the same. This device consists of a part for receiving and retaining the blade and a part adapted for locking-engagement with one of the handle-sections.

The heads of the clamp-securing screws are rectangular, and the end of one part of the sectional handle 15 is formed with a rectangular recess to engage the angular head of the said screws for loosening the screws to permit readjustment or withdrawal of the blade or to be tightened upon the clamps to secure them in position of adjustment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is—

1. In a safety-razor, the combination of the carrying-frame, adjustable slotted clamps secured thereto for engaging the blade, rectangular-headed clamp-screws, a bail pivotally secured to said clamps, a screw carried by said bail and adapted to engage the back of the blade and a handle provided with a rectangular recess to engage the rectangular head of the clamp-screws.

2. In a safety-razor, the combination of the carrying-frame, adjustable slotted clamps secured thereto for engaging the blade, rectangular-headed clamp-screws, blade-holding means engaging the back of the blade and a handle provided with a rectangular recess to engage the rectangular head of the clamp-screws.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Ruth Ethelinda Gibbs.

Witnesses:

Jenkins M. Lawton,

Stephen Britton.