To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William M. Kellum, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Norwalk, county of Huron, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double-Edged and Double Safety-Razors, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The objects of the invention are to provide a razor with a double-edged blade, the edges being alike or varied in shape to accomplish the different purposes for the owner's convenience in shaving.

Further objects are to provide a guard-protecting plate for each exposed edge, the two guards being so arranged that, if desired, both can be applied to one edge or the other at option, the other edge being exposed for use or inclosed within a case, if so desired, when not in use.

An important feature of the invention is to so construct the edge of each guard that it can be arranged to expose the cutting edge adjacent thereto in the manner of a safety device, so that that edge can be used for shaving in the manner of a safety-razor and that one or both edges can be employed in this manner, and, if desired, a double safety-razor will be provided, each edge capable of use as a safety device. Again, with an inclosing casing similar to that used with an ordinary razor the entire razor can be folded within the casing, the guards being employed conjointly to protect the outer edge. However, being reversible both sides of the casing should be straight and alike in shape, so that the razor can be folded into it from either side, or, again, each edge can be protected by its respective guard and no inclosing casing used, the handle being extremely rigid. To accomplish these objects, the double-edged blade is provided with a common shank and two guards are rotatably attached thereto in line with the blades, one on each side thereof. The guards are mounted upon pivoted wrists upon the center line of the shank on each side thereof in such a manner that they can be separately rotated, and thus be made to protect the respective cutting edges, or both can be so rotated as to protect only one edge at will, this being desirable while the exposed edge is in use, or both can be rotated to provide two cutting edges at option.

The invention consists in the mechanism for rotating the guards in connection with roughened finger-slides and in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a razor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side view showing a portion of the shank and of the cutting edges and illustrating the mechanism for rotating the guards. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on the pivotal line of the actuating-gears. This section is taken looking toward the razor-blades. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the double-edged blade, showing the guards in their place when protecting both edges. Fig. 6 is a similar section showing both guards rotated to uncover one edge of the blade, thus leaving it exposed for use while the other edge of the blade is inclosed by both the guards. Fig. 7 is a reduced side view of a razor with a rigid handle. Fig. 8 is a transverse section showing both guards reversed and both edges ready for use as a double safety-razor.

In the views, 1 is the shank.

2 and 3 are the cutting edges.

4 is the casing, formed in approximately the usual form of side pieces, to which the common shank 1 is pivoted at 6. This shank is provided with two curved extremities 7 for convenience in opening the double-edged blade.

The guards for the blade may be described as follows: 8 8 are these guards, which are provided with transversely-bent teeth 9 upon their outer edges, and so bent at approximately right angles to the guard as to project over and protect the razor edges when the guards are rotated in one direction. The teeth 9 upon one guard alternate in position with the teeth 9 on the other guard, so that they interlock, as in Fig. 6, when the guards are brought together over one edge, and therefore the guards will fit the double-edged blade more closely. These guards are each provided with a wrist 13, which enters a socket or bearing 14 on the center line of the shank, one socket being upon each side of the shank. At the inner extremity of each shank is a small bevel-gear 15. These gears engage the bevel-geared faces 16 and 17 of the spur-gears 18 and 19, which are pivoted at 30 within the shank upon a common pin or shaft. The marginal teeth of the spur-gears engage, respectively, with the sliding racks 20 and 21, which move in longitudinal slots 22 and 23 upon the edges of the shank and are moved by the finger which engages the roughened edges 24 and 25 of the racks. In this manner the gears are rotated separately to fold the guards upon the double-edged blade. A slight movement of the racks in either direction serves to obtain this movement. The bearings for the wrists of the guards are shown to be partially within the blade and stem and partially in an enveloping sheath 31. It is only essential, however, that the bearings should be firm and the wrists, with their attendant gears, secure in their positions. The guards are pivoted at 26 at their outer ends in a small projecting plate 27, attached to the outer extremity of the double blade. Each finger-slide is provided at the outer end with a forked projecting finger 28, which straddles the adjacent guard and serves to hold it firmly against the edged blade. One side of this fork is somewhat shorter than the other, so as to enable the other guard to move past to its position.

In Fig. 8 the guards are shown folded with their backs to the double-edged blade, and in this position the teeth 9 are turned outward, leaving the cutting edges slightly exposed. In this manner a complete double safety-razor is provided, each edge serving for use for this purpose.

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

1. The combination with a double-edged razor-blade and a common shank therefor, of guards pivotally secured, one on each side of said shank, the said pivotal means comprising “elongated” wrists on the guards and longitudinal sockets in the razor-shank and mechanical means substantially as described for independently rotating said guards to protect one or both edges of said double-edged blade, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a double-edged razor-blade, and a common shank therefor, guards provided with marginal laterally-bent teeth, and pivotally supported, one on each side of said shank and lengthwise of said blade, longitudinal sockets therefor in said shank and gearing in said shank adapted to rotate the said guards, each marginal toothed edge of a guard being adapted to inclose the adjacent cutting edge of the double-edged blade.

3. In combination, a double-edged razor-blade, provided with a shank, guards longitudinally placed on said blade, one on each side, an extended wrist for each guard pivoted in said shank, one on each side thereof, a gear on each wrist, operating-gears pivoted in said shank and engaging said gears on said wrists, and finger-slides in said shank, each slide being provided with a rack engaging with said operating-gears in said shank.

4. The combination with a double-edged razor-blade, of a common shank therefor, and a guard for each edge, having a longitudinally-arranged pivotal support in said shank, substantially as described.

5. A safety-razor, comprising a double-edged razor-blade, a common shank therefor, guard-plates provided with wrists pivoted in said shank one on each side thereof, and teeth upon the outer edges of said guard-plates, bent at approximately right angles thereto, said guards being adapted to fold with their inner faces to said double-edged blade, and with the teeth projecting outwardly, and to fold with their outer faces to the blades and their teeth projecting over the edges of the blades, and also adapted to fold with their teeth interlocking over one razor-edge.

6. In combination, a double-edged razor-blade, provided with a shank, guards longitudinally placed on said blade, one on each side thereof, an extended wrist for each guard pivoted in said shank, one on each side thereof, a gear on each wrist, operating-gears pivoted in said shank, and engaging said gears on said wrists, and finger-slides in said shank, each slide being provided with a rack engaging with said operating-gears in said shank, and fingers projecting from each slide, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 5th day of January, 1905.

William M. Kellum.

Witnesses:

Frederick B. Willard,

Bessie Johnson.