To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Elmer A. Longdon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Handles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

A familiar difficulty growing out of the characteristic form of razor-handles and the material of which they are usually made is that the rivet which connects the two halves of the handle and forms a pivot for the end of the interposed blade weakens the handle parts at the point where they are bored to receive the rivet. The result is that in honing and stropping razors the handles frequently break at this weakened point.

My invention relates to and its object is to provide means for overcoming the difficulty here indicated, and more particularly to provide the inner faces of the two halves of the razor-handle at the point where the blade is pivoted with inset metal plates to receive the strain upon the handle and to form bearing-surfaces to take the wear and friction of the shank of the blade. I attain these objects by means of the devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a razor having a handle, in which my improvement is indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2, an edge view of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional elevation of one end of a razor-handle part provided with my invention, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the plate above referred to detached.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 1 are the separated halves of a razor-handle of the usual contour and thickness and formed of the usual material, such as vulcanized india-rubber, celluloid, bone, wood, or other substance. At one end the two halves are connected by a rivet or screw 2, which passes through the shank 3 of the blade 4 of the razor, forming a pivot, upon which the blade may be swung into open or closed position and holding the three parts in operative relation to each other.

5 is a narrow elongated plate of thin sheet metal. The adjacent inner faces of the two handle parts 1 at their ends which are pierced by the pivot 2 are each countersunk or recessed to receive a plate 5, the arrangement being such that the adjacent faces of the handle parts and the faces of the inset plates form smooth even surfaces. Various ways of securing the plates in position will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. By way of illustration I have shown the plates as bent in hook-like form, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the hooks being in engagement with the body of the handle parts. This arrangement is in practice found particularly cheap, simple, and effective when the handle parts are composed of vulcanized rubber, celluloid, and the like, for in such case the plates are put in place and embedded while the substance is in plastic condition.

The parts being assembled as above described, and as shown in the drawings, the plates 5 strengthen the handle at its weakest point to such an extent that the extremities of the handles may be broken away on the lines of the holes for the rivet 2 and still leave the blade pivotally secured in place by means of the plates. As the plates receive practically all the wear from opening and closing the blade, the durability of the razor is greatly increased.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—

1. In a razor-handle, two side pieces disposed in parallel relation, a metal plate on each of the opposing faces of said two pieces, a rivet passing through said side pieces and through said plates, which rivet forms a pivotal support for a blade interposed between said side pieces and said plates.

2. A razor-handle, a pair of side pieces, a pair of metal plates upon the opposing faces of said side pieces, hook-like portions on said plates which are embedded in said side pieces, a rivet passing through said side pieces and through said plates, which rivet holds the side pieces in separated parallel relation, and forms a pivotal support for a blade interposed between said side pieces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Elmer A. Longdon.

Witnesses:

R. F. Swigart,

S. A. DORLAND.