To all whom it may concern:.

Be it known that I, Edward W. Wheeler, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Springs, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Razor-Blades, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved device for stropping the thin blades ordinarily used in connection with safety razors. These blades are formed of such thin material that it is very difficult to handle them without some kind of a holder and for this reason, it is customary to throw them away after they have become dull.

The object of this invention has accordingly been to provide a holder within which the blades can be very easily inserted and which is so constructed as to enable them to be stropped in the usual manner.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the razor blade holder; Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view through the same; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the various parts detached.

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 numeral 1 designates the blade of a safety razor and when in position in the holder the blade is held between two oppositely disposed guard plates 2. These guard plates 2 preferably have a spring connection at one end and may be very readily formed of a single strip of spring material as shown in the drawings. One edge of the guard plates 2 is detachably connected to the stem 3 which is provided at one end with a handle 4 by means of which the holder can be readily manipulated. The stem 3 preferably has a tubular formation and is provided with a longitudinal slit 5 through which one edge of each of the guard plates 2 is inserted. One of the guard plates is provided with a projection or rib 6 which normally fits within the hollow portion of the stem 3. With this construction, it will be apparent that the guard plates 2 can be readily slipped into position from the end of the stem 3, but are held against lateral displacement by means of the projection or rib 6.

A back piece 7 is employed in connection with the stem and guard plates, and in the resent instance serves both as a guide member to hold the blade at the required inclination to the strap and also as a clamping member to hold the two guard plates 2 in a close engagement with the blade 1. In its specific formation, the back piece 7 comprises essentially a tubular member somewhat larger than the stem 3 and provided, along one side with a longitudinal slit 8. When in operative position, the guard plates 2 are passed through the slit 8 so that the stem 3 is located within the back piece 7. In order to prevent the back piece 7 from slipping upon the guard plates 2, one of the latter members is provided with a rib or projection 9 which is so located as to hold the back piece closely against the stem. By using spring metal in the construction of the back piece, the same may be caused to have a clamping action and to hold the guard plates 2 in a close engagement with the razor blade. With this construction it will be apparent that the two longitudinal ribs 6 and 9 upon the guard plates 2 will operate to effectively prevent any lateral displacement of the latter with respect to the tubular stem 3.

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

1. A holder for razor blades comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guard plates which fit upon opposite sides of the razor blade, a pair of spaced longitudinal ribs projecting from the outer face of one of the guard plates, and a tubular stem provided with a longitudinal slit, the guard plates fitting within the slit and being held against any lateral movement by means of the before mentioned spaced longitudinal ribs.

2. A holder for razor blades comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guard plates which fit upon opposite sides of the razor blade, the said guard plates having a spring connection at one end thereof, a pair of spaced longitudinal ribs projecting from the outer face of one of the guard plates, and a tubular stem provided with a longitudinal slit, the said guard plates fitting within the slit and being held against any lateral movement by means of the before mentioned spaced longitudinal ribs.

3. A holder for razor blades, comprising oppositely disposed guard plates, which fit upon opposite sides of the razor blade, a stem which is detachably and slidably connected to the guard members, and a tubular back piece surrounding the stem and detachably connected to the guard members, the said back piece serving both as a guide and as a clamping medium.

4. A holder for razor blades comprising oppositely disposed guard plates which fit upon opposite sides of the razor blade, a tubular stem provided with a longitudinal slot by means of which the guard plates are detachably and slidably connected to the stem, and a tubular back piece surrounding the stem and provided with a longitudinal slit through which the guard plates are passed, the said back piece serving both as a guide and as a clamping medium.

5. A holder for razor blades comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guard plates which fit on opposite sides of the razor blade, a tubular stem provided with a longitudinal slit, the said guard plates passing through the slit and being provided with a projection which extends within the hollow portion of the stem so as to hold the guard plates against lateral displacement, a handle secured to the stem, and a tubular back piece provided with a longitudinal slit through which the guard plates are passed, the said guard plates being provided with a projection which holds the back piece against the stem.

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

Edward W. Wheeler. [l. s.]

Witnesses:

Samuel Young,

Miles Mulford.