To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Henry B. Stillman, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Upper Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety-razors, and has for its object to construct a razor so that the blade may be easily and quickly adjusted therein and also removed for cleaning or to be replaced by another blade.

Another object is to produce a razor that can be economically manufactured.

Another object is to so construct the razor that in use it will have a drawing action instead of a pulling action.

Other objects will appear from the hereinafter description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, and in the different views of which the same reference character indicates the same part.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the razor. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a back view. Fig. 4 is a modified construction in which the handle is at an angle to the head, so that in use the blade will have a drawing action. Fig. 5 is another modification, in which the blade-holder, and therefore the blade itself, is inclined at an angle to the handle, whereby a drawing action is also obtained. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 of Figs. 1 and 3.

The part marked A on the drawings represents the handle of the razor.

B is the head, preferably formed in one piece with the handle. The edges b b of the head flare or widen out at the end. The said end is turned down at an angle to form clamping-jaw b′, against which the cutting-blade C is held by the jaw of the guard-plate. This guard-plate D is pivotally connected to the handle at E, and the edges d thereof are also flared or widened out to a greater extent than the flaring edges b b of the head, so as to extend beyond the edges b b. The end of this guard-plate is also turned down at an angle to form a movable clamping-jaw d′, which clamps the cutting-blade against the clamping-jaw of the head, as before stated. The edge of the clamping-jaw on the head is provided with the usual teeth d². The clamping-plate is so pivoted with relation to the head and the jaw is so formed that when it is moved to clamp the blade that part of the jaw which is marked d³, Fig. 2, strikes the blade at about the point c, and when the guard-plate is moved to its holding position, as shown in said figure, it will snap down with wedging action and securely hold the blade in place. In other words, the guard-plate is so pivoted that the jaw thereof is eccentric to the jaw of the head.

F is a spring one end of which is secured to the handle and the other end rests upon a squared end or lug d⁴ of the guard-plate, so as to hold the said plate against the head and to clamp the plates in coöperative position. This spring is not necessary in my construction, however; but it may be used as a positive means for moving and holding the guard-plate against the head and the movable jaw against the blade to hold the blade between the two jaws, as I have pivoted the guard-plate in such a manner as to cause the movable jaw to move eccentrically to the other jaw, which will hold the blade securely in position between the two jaws without a spring. To fasten a blade in position, it is only necessary to rest it against the inner surface of the jaw b′ and force the jaw d against it, when the blade will be held securely in place.

In order to remove the blade, the edges d d of the clamping-jaw which project beyond the edges b b of the head may be pressed, and the movable clamping-jaw d′ will be moved away from the stationary jaw b′ to release the blade, which may then be removed.

I have discovered that a drawing action may be obtained if the blade be arranged at an angle to the handle. This may be done in various ways. In Fig. 4 I have shown the handle bent at an angle to the head and clamping-jaw. This throws the blade at such an angle when the razor is being used as to cause the drawing action referred to. In the construction shown in Fig. 5 I place the handle on a line with the head and guard-plate and arrange the jaws between which the blade is placed at an angle to the handle, so that when the razor is in use the blade will also have a drawing action instead of a straight or pulling action.

In the construction of razor here shown and described the parts may be cheaply made and easily put together, so that I produce an economical construction. In this construction the blade may be easily removed and also quickly and securely clamped in position.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

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

1. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle having flaring edges and a downturned end forming a clamping-jaw, a plate having flaring edges which extend beyond the edges of the head and a downturned end, said plate being pivoted to the handle to form a swinging movable clamping-jaw and guard and a cutting-blade between said jaws.

2. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle having flaring or widened edges, a downturned end forming a clamping-jaw, a guard-plate pivoted to the handle having flaring edges which extend beyond the edges of the head and a downturned end forming a movable clamping-jaw having teeth to form a guard, and a cutting-blade between the two clamping-jaws, the movable clamping-jaw being so arranged with respect to the other that the upper edge will first come in contact with the blade near the cutting edge thereof, and when moved to its normal position will jam the blade and hold it securely in place.

3. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle, having flaring edges and a downturned end forming a clamping-jaw, a plate having flaring edges which extend beyond the edges of the head and downturned end, said plate being pivoted to the handle to form a swinging movable clamping-jaw and guard, and a blade between the jaws, the handle being arranged at an angle to the jaws whereby a drawing action is obtained.

4. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle and provided with a clamping-jaw, a guard-plate also provided with a clamping-jaw and so pivoted to the handle that the clamping-jaw thereof will move eccentrically to the clamping-jaw of the head whereby a cutting-blade placed between the jaws may be wedged and securely held in position.

5. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle having a downturned end forming a clamping-jaw, a guard-plate also having a downturned end to form a movable clamping-jaw, the guard-plate being pivoted to the handle, a blade between the jaws, and a spring adapted to hold the guard-plate against the head and the movable jaw against the blade to secure the blade in position between the jaws.

6. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle and provided with a clamping-jaw, a guard-plate also provided with a clamping-jaw, said plate being pivoted to the head in such a manner that the clamping-jaw thereof will be eccentric to the clamping-jaw of the head, a cutting-blade between the two jaws, and a spring coöperating with the guard-plate to hold the said plate against the head and the clamping-jaws in engaging position.

7. In a safety-razor, a handle, a head connected to the handle having flaring or widened edges and a downturned end forming a clamping-jaw, a guard-plate pivoted to the handle also having flaring edges which extend beyond the edges of the head and a downturned end forming a movable clamping-jaw, and having teeth on the edge of the jaw to form a guard, a cutting-blade between the two clamping-jaws, the guard-plate being so connected to the handle that the movable clamping-jaw is eccentric to the clamping-jaw on the head, and a spring carried by the handle and coöperating with the guard-plate to hold the guard-plate against the head and the movable jaw into coöperative position with the other jaw.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the city, county, and State of New York, this 20th day of July, 1905.

Henry B. Stillman.

In presence of—

John S. Seymour,

John J. Ranagan.