To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Henrie Clauss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors; 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.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety-razors; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The objects of the invention are to produce a razor of the class described wherein the parts are all connected, obviating the liability of losing any of said parts.

A further object is to provide for quickly opening and closing the razor for the removal and insertion of the blade.

A further object is to provide for locking the razor open, permitting all of the parts to be easily cleaned.

A further object is to provide for locking the razor closed and for bringing any desired pressure upon the blade to hold it firmly in place.

A further object is to provide for employing a thin or a heavy blade in the razor, as desired.

The above objects are attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a razor involving my invention, showing the razor open. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the razor closed, the handle being broken away. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the razor open. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the razor in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a front eievation of the razor in the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section through the razor closed. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the top plate, parts being broken away.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the back plate of the razor-frame, from the upper edge of which at the ends project the supporting-arms 2. Formed integral with and crossing between the outer ends of said arms is the guard-bar 3, carrying the downwardly-extending comb or guard-teeth 4. As an additional support to the guard-bar the curved arms 5 are employed, which extend from the top of the back plate 1 and curve downwardly and outwardly to the guard-bar, joining said bar at the junction of the ends thereof with the arms 2. The blade 6 is adapted to lie upon the arms 2 at its ends, and the edge 7 thereof is supported upon the guard. To arrest the edge of the blade in the proper position with respect to the guard, stop-lugs 8 are employed upon the outer ends of the arms 2. To confine the blade against longitudinal movement upon the supporting-arms 2, said arms are provided with the upwardly-turned lugs 9, which engage the ends of said blade.

The handle 10 is attached to the back plate 1 of the razor-frame by means of a suitable coupling 11, said handle being formed, preferably, of tubing and said coupling having a vertical aperture 12 therethrough, which registers with the opening through the hollow handle.

The top plate 13 of the razor is provided at or near its rear edge with the downwardly-projecting ears 14, which are pivoted at 15 to the ends of the back plate 1, whereby said top plate becomes hinged to said back plate, as will be well understood, and is of such a shape and so positioned as to close onto the blade 6 and bear thereon at its front edge along the cutting margin of the blade, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Formed integral with the rear edge of the top plate is an inwardly and downwardly curved member 16, having a divided eye 17 formed at the end thereof, between the divided parts of which is adapted to lie an eye 18 in the upper end of the vertically-reciprocatory rod 19, passing through the hollow handle, said parts being secured together to form a hinge-joint by means of a transverse pin or pintle 20, whereby the top plate may be swung upon its pivotal point 15 to open and close the razor by a vertical reciprocation of the rod 19.

The lower end of the rod 19 is threaded, as at 32, and screwed thereon within the lower end of the handle is a rotative plug 21, having a knurled lower end 22 for manipulation. Surrounding the rod 19 within the handle and confined between said plug and the lower end of the fitting 11 is a coiled spring 23, whose tension is normally exerted downwardly against the plug 21, thereby placing a stress upon the rod 19 sufficient to hold the top plate 13 normally closed upon the blade to maintain the blade in place.

Projecting from the plug 21 is a pin or lug 24, which is adapted to travel in a vertical slot 25, formed in the lower end of the handle, said slot having at its upper end a recess portion 26 leading therefrom. By pushing the plug upwardly in the handle the rod 19 will be forced upwardly, thereby swinging the plate 13 backwardly and opening the razor, so as to free the blade and permit the parts to be readily cleaned. To lock the razor in the open position, the plug 21 is slightly rotated, so as to carry the pin 24 into the recess portion 26 of the slot 25, thereby holding the rod 19 against the action of the spring 23 and forming, in effect, a bayonet-lock. By rotating the plug sufficiently to carry the pin out of the recess 26 the tension of the spring 23 will force the rod 19 downwardly and close the razor.

To lock the razor closed and to place additional stress upon the plate 13, so as to more firmly clamp the razor-blade in position, a shoulder 27 is formed at the base of the slot 25, under which the pin 24 may be carried by rotating the plug 21 to the right. This slight rotation of the plug causes it to screw onto the rod 19, thereby pulling downwardly upon the rod with additional force and exerting a stronger tension upon the pivoted top plate than is normally exerted by the spring 23, whereby said plate is drawn into forcible engagement with the blade to lock said blade rigidly in place, in which position the parts are maintained until the plug 21 is rotated to carry the pin 24 from engagement under the shoulder 27.

To press the blade properly into place against the stop-lugs 8 prior to the clamping thereof by the top plate 13, there is employed a bow-spring 28, the central portion of which is fastened, as at 29, to the under side of the top plate and the extremities of which are provided with the cross-bars 30, the upper ends of which project through and are guided in the slots 31 in said plate and the lower ends of which are adapted as the plate closes to engage the back of the blade, and crowd it slightly forward, so as to carry its cutting edge against the lugs 8. This result is accomplished through the fact that the ends of said spring travel in the arc of a circle concentric with the pivotal point 15 of the top plate and that the rear edge of the blade lies in a plane within said circle, thereby bringing the depending ends of the cross-bars 30 against the rear edge of the blade in advance of the closing of the top plate, whereby it is crowded slightly forward into place, as before stated.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—

1. In a safety-razor, the combination with the support and guard, a handle attached to said support, a hinged top plate adapted to clamp the blade to the support, a vertically-reciprocatory rod for manipulating said hinged plate, and means for locking said rod against movement.

2. In a safety-razor, the combination of the blade support and guard, a hollow handle attached thereto, a hinged top plate adapted to clamp the blade to the support, means located in the hollow handle and attached to said hinged top plate for actuating it, and means for locking said plate-actuating means.

3. In a safety-razor, the combination with the blade-support and handle, of a hinged top plate adapted to clamp the blade upon said support, a vertically-reciprocatory rod pivoted to said hinged plate and lying within the handle, a spring engaging said rod to normally hold said plate closed, means for moving the rod longitudinally to open and close said plate, and means for locking the plate open.

4. In a safety-razor, the combination with the blade-support and handle, of a top plate hinged to the blade-support, a reciprocatory rod passing through the handle and pivoted to said hinged plate, a spring engaging said rod to exert a downward pressure thereon, and means for locking said rod to hold said plate closed.

5. In a safety-razor, the combination with a blade-support, of a handle, a hinged clamping-plate adapted to hold the blade upon said support, a rod passing through the handle and pivoted to said clamping-plate to actuate it, means for moving said rod vertically, and means for locking said rod to hold said plate in the open and in the closed position.

6. In a safety-razor, the combination of the blade-support, the handle attached thereto, the top plate hinged to said support, a vertically-reciprocatory rod lying within the handle and hinged at its upper end to said plate, a plug rotatively seated within the lower end of the handle and threaded to the lower end of said rod, a spring engaging said rod, a pin projecting from said plug, the lower end of the handle having a slot in which said pin is adapted to travel.

7. In a safety-razor, the combination of a blade-support, a handle attached thereto, a top plate hinged to the support and adapted to clamp the plate thereon, a rod hinged to said top plate and extending downwardly through the handle, means for actuating said rod, a spring mounted upon said hinged plate and adapted to bear against the back of the blade when said plate is closed into contact therewith.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

Henrie Clauss.

Witnesses:

Carrah M. Knause,

Arthur Stull.