To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, John Guinan, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards for Razors, of which the following is a specification.

To prevent painful and ofttimes serious injury from the use of razors in the hands of inexperienced persons or by adepts when on moving trains, vessels, or other conveyances, it is the usual practice to provide an attachment to shield the edge, while at the same time not interfering with its successful use in the accustomed manner.

This invention aims to devise a guard embodying novel attaching means for securement of the same to the razor and which will admit of readily shifting the guard-bar from one side of the blade to the other or removing the device from the blade when it is required to hone, strop, or clean the razor or for any other purpose.

The improvement consists, essentially, of the peculiar formation of the guard-bar-attaching means and the novel combinations of parts, which hereinafter will be more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings hereto attached and forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the guard, showing it applied to a razor, a portion of the handle being broken away. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 as seen from the reverse side. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the guard. Fig. 5 is an end view of the guard and razor as seen from the toe of the blade. Fig. 6 is a section on the line Y-Y of Fig. 2 on a larger scale. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing a modification. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the post to which the guard-bar is pivoted and which in turn is journaled, to the rear clip.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The guard comprises the guard-bar 1, front clip 2, rear clip 3, and post 4, the latter being journaled to the lower portion of the rear clip 3. The guard-bar 1 has its end portions curved in the same direction, so as to conform approximately to the toe and heel of the razor-blade 5. Projections 6 are provided at opposite sides of the guard-bar and, properly space it from the sides of the razor-blade to provide ample clearance for the soap and beard when the instrument is in use.

The front or outer clip 2 is of a shape to snugly embrace the back and sides of the razor-blade 5 at its outer end, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, and is formed of a sheet-metal blank doubled upon itself and pivoted at 7 to the outer upturned end of the guard-bar 1. The pivot-fastening 7, besides serving to connect the clip 2 to the guard-bar 1, also unites the legs of the clip at their free ends. The clip is provided with inwardly and rearwardly extended tongues 8, three in number, which embrace the back and opposite sides of the blade 5. The tongues 8 flare slightly toward their extremities, so as to direct the clip upon the blade 5 when securing the outer or front end of the guard-bar in the final adjustment of the attachment to the razor. The legs of the clip are notched adjacent to the pivot-fastening 7, as shown at 9, and these notches receive lugs or lateral projections 10 at opposite sides of the bent or upturned end of the guard-bar. These lugs 10 form stops to offer resistance to the outward movement of the clip 2, thereby rendering it necessary to apply appreciable force to disengage said clip from the blade 5, whereby as a result casual displacement of the clip 2 is obviated. To disengage the clip 2 from the outer end of the blade 5, the upper end of the clip is pressed outward with force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the lugs or stops 10, which cause the legs or side members of the clip to yield outward and ride upon the lugs, said lugs being rounded or beveled and the edges of the notches 9 slightly beveled, so as to enable the riding of the legs or members of the clip upon the lugs. The clip 2 abuts against the outer end of the blade 5, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3, thereby prevent-ng rearward displacement of the guard, t tongues 8 constituting the sole gripping securing means.

The inner or rear clip 3 is preferably constructed of a blank of sheet metal doubled upon itself and bent to provide a sleeve 11 at the fold, which constitutes a bearing for the post 4, the side portions of the clip being formed to embrace the shank of the razor-blade adjacent to the heel of the latter, said clip having inner points or extensions 12 at the four corners, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 4, to extend over the shank of the bladed and retain the clip 3 in place. A projection 13, extended from aside of the clip, is curved inward at its free end and is of a length to engage with the heel of the blade 5, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to prevent outward movement or displacement of the guard. Under ordinary conditions the grip of the clip 3 is sufficient to hold the clip in place; but a clamp or other form of fastener may be employed to supplement the gripping action. In the preferred form the clamp or fastening approximates the shape of a staple, as shown at 14, the legs being round and adapted to enter keepers 15 at the sides of the clip 3. One of the legs of the staple-fastener is longer than the other to admit of the short legs clearing the upper portion of the shank of the blade 5 and the upper part of the clip 3, whereby the fastening 14 may be turned to admit of the guard being detached from the razor. The closed end of the staple is flattened to admit of the thumb or finger obtaining a purchase thereon when securing the fastener home upon the clip 3. In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the fastener 14^a embraces opposite sides of the clip 3 without engaging keepers thereof and may be of flat form.

The post 4 is journaled in the sleeve 11 of the clip 3 and is provided at its outer end with an outer bead or head 16 to limit the movement of the post in one direction, the opposite end of the post being longitudinally slotted, as shown at 17, to receive the upturned end of the guard-bar 1, which is pivoted thereto by the pin 18, the end portions of which project so as to engage with the front end of the sleeve 11 and in conjunction with the bead or head 16 prevent longitudinal movement or play of the post. The slot 17 is of a width to admit of a limited lateral play of the guard-bar, so it may adapt itself to the blade 5 when arranged to lie against either side thereof, the turning of the post in the sleeve 11 providing for swinging of the guard-bar from one side of the blade to the other after the clip 2 has been disengaged from the outer or front end of the blade 5.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is—

1. In combination, a razor, a guard adapted to lie along either side of the blade and spaced therefrom a determinate distance, a clip fitted to the shank, a post journaled to the clip, means pivotally connecting the rear end of the guard to the post to admit of swinging the guard at its front end toward and from the blade to clear the cutting edge thereof preliminary to swinging the guard from one side of the blade to the other by turning of the post in the clip, and means for securing the cuter end of the guard to the front end of the razor when the said guard is moved to occupy a position at one side or the other of the blade.

2. In a guard for razors, the combination of a clip provided with a bearing-sleeve, a post journaled in said sleeve and having an outer extension at one end, a guard-bar, a pin pivotally connecting the guard-bar to the opposite end of said post, an end of said pin projecting to engage with the bearing-sleeve and in conjunction with the said outer extension of the post to prevent longitudinal play thereof, and means for securing the outer end of the guard-bar to the razor, substantially as specified.

3. In a guard for razors, the combination of a clip to be secured to the shank of the razor and having a forward projection to engage with the heel of the razor-blade, a post journaled to said clip, a guard-bar pivotally connected to said post, and means for securing the outer end of the guard-bar to the toe portion of the razor-blade, substantially as set forth.

4. In a guard for razors, the combination of the clip to be fitted to the shank of the razor and having inner points or extensions to extend over the back of said shank, a post journaled to the clip, a guard-bar pivoted to said post, and means for securing the guard-bar to the outer end of the razor-blade, substantially as described.

5. In a guard for razors, the combination of a clip to be fitted to the shank thereof, a guard-bar pivotally connected with said clip, and a fastener of staple form to supplement the action of the clip in securing the latter to the razor, substantially as set forth.

6. In a guard for razors, the combination of a clip to be fitted to the shank thereof, a guard-bar pivotally connected with said clip a fastener of staple form having its legs of unequal length and adapted to embrace opposite sides of the clip, the longer leg being round, and keepers at the sides of the clip to receive the legs of the staple-fastener, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination, a razor, a guard, means for connecting the inner end of the guard to the rear portion of the razor, a clip pivoted to the outer end of the guard and adapted to secure said end to the front end of the blade, and lugs projected from opposite sides of the guard across the path of the legs of the clip to prevent outward displacement thereof.

8. In a razor-guard, the combination of the guard-bar having lugs at opposite sides, and a clip embracing opposite sides of the guard-bar and pivoted thereto and having notched portions to receive the said lugs, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination, a razor, a guard, means pivotally connected with the inner end of the guard for securance thereof to the rear portion of the blade, a clip pivoted to the outer end of the guard, and tongues extended rearward from the clip to embrace the back and opposite sides of the blade adjacent to the back, substantially as specified.

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

John Guinan.

Witnesses:

Genevieve Matthews,

Emily H. England.