To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Everett G. Kaufman, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Razor-Stropping Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to razor stropping machines in which the strop is manually actuated to rock a shaft connected with the clamp employed for holding the razor in contact with the runs of the strop.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved razor stropping machine, more especially designed for stropping ordinary handled razors, and arranged to permit the operator to readily rock the razor blade on alternately pulling the ends of the strop and without danger of binding of the working parts, and to insure a proper contact of the cutting edge of the razor with the runs of the traveling strop.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of the improvement; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same, on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the improvement; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the roller-sleeve and its rock-shaft.

The frame A of the razor stropping machine is preferably made rectangular in cross section, and in the sides A′ and A² of the said frame A are journaled rock-shafts B and C, connected with each other by arms B′ and C′, linked together so that when the rock-shaft C is caused to rock, the other rock-shaft B rocks in unison with the rock-shaft C. The rock-shaft B is made hollow and formed with lengthwise-extending slots B² and B³ to form a spring clamp for receiving and holding the razor-blade D, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, it being understood that the slot B² extends from the outer end of the shaft at the side A′ to within a distance of the other side A² of the frame A, while the slot B³ terminates distances from both ends of the shaft B, as shown in Fig. 1. Now, by the arrangement described, the back of the razor-blade D can be readily passed into the hollow shaft B from the side A′ of the frame A, and by having the shaft slotted as described, the opposite sides thereof form spring members, to securely clamp the razor-blade in position on the shaft B.

When the razor-blade D is inserted in the rock-shaft B and the rock-shaft C is turned, then a rocking motion is transmitted to the rock-shaft B, to swing the razor-blade D alternately in opposite directions and in contact with the inner surfaces of the runs of the razor strop E. The latter serves to rock the rock-shaft C, and for this purpose the latter is surrounded by a roller-sleeve F, over which passes the razor strop E; and when the operator alternately pulls the ends of the strop E, then the roller-sleeve F is rotated, and with it the shaft C, as the latter is carried along by friction between the roller-sleeve F and the shaft C. In order to increase this frictional contact between the shaft C and the roller-sleeve F, a spring G is provided, arranged in the hollow shaft C and preferably made U-shaped with the middle portion of the spring extending through a slot C² formed in the wall of the shaft C, and pressing against the inner surface of the roller-sleeve F, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3. The contact of the middle portion of the spring G with the roller-sleeve F is approximately diametrically opposite the principal point of contact of the strop E with the roller-sleeve F, and consequently the roller-sleeve F rocks the shaft C, as previously described, to swing the razor-blade D alternately in opposite directions in engagement with the inner surface of the runs of the strop E. Now, after the razor-blade D has swung from one side to the other and in contact with the corresponding run of the strop E and a traveling movement is given by the operator to the razor strop E, then the roller-sleeve F rotates on the shaft C so as to reduce the friction between the strop E and the sleeve F to a minimum; at the same time the roller-sleeve F, by its frictional contact with the shaft C, holds the latter in the proper position—that is, to hold the cutting edge of the blade D with sufficient force in contact with the inner surface of the strop E to insure proper stropping of the razor-blade D.

In order to prevent the razor strop E from coming in contact with the connected arms B′ and C′, a guide-rod H is provided, secured to the top and bottom faces A³ and A⁴ of the frame A. The latter is provided with a suitable bail I, adapted to be connected with a hook or other suitable support. The open end of the frame A, through which extends the strop E, is provided, at the inner surfaces of the top and bottom, A³ and A⁴, with transverse guide-bars J, over which pass the outer faces of the runs of the strop E, the said guide-bars J being located in advance of the shaft B and somewhat in the rear of the cutting edge of the blade D (see Fig. 2), to insure proper contact of the cutting edge with the inner surfaces of the runs of the strop E, thus allowing proper stropping of hollow ground razor blades, as well as of straight ground razor blades.

The inner end wall of the slot B² of the shaft B forms a stop for the razor-blade D so that the entire length of the cutting edge of the razor-blade is practically in contact with the surfaces of the runs of the strop.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the side A′ of the frame A is provided with a cut-out portion A⁵ adjacent to the shaft B and the slot B² thereof, so that the razor-blade D can be conveniently inserted into the shaft B from this side of the frame, the cut-out portion A⁵ permitting free swinging of the razor-blade D from one side to the other, as above explained.

The razor stropping machine shown and described is very simple and durable in construction and composed of comparatively few parts, not liable to get easily out of order. It will also be noticed that by having the roller-sleeve F, the operator can readily manipulate the strop E without undue physical exertion, at the same time, however, insuring proper stropping of the cutting edge of the razor-blade D.

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

1. A razor stropping machine comprising a frame, rock-shafts journaled in the said frame and connected with each other to rock in unison, one of the rock-shafts being adapted to carry the razor, a spring pressed roller-sleeve on the other rock-shaft, and a razor strop which passes over the sleeve to turn the latter and with it its shaft.

2. A razor stropping machine comprising a frame, rock-shafts journaled in the said frame and connected with each other to rock in unison, one of the rock-shafts being adapted to carry the razor, a roller-sleeve on the other rock-shaft, a razor strop which passes over the sleeve to turn the latter and with it its shaft, and a spring for pressing the said roller-sleeve in contact with its shaft.

3. A razor stropping machine comprising a frame, a rock-shaft journaled in the frame, a spring pressed sleeve on the said rock-shaft, a razor strop passing over the said sleeve for rotating the sleeve and with it the rock-shaft, a second rock-shaft forming a clamp for holding the razor, and a connection between the said rock-shafts.

4. A razor stropping machine provided with a hollow rock-shaft having a slot, a roller-sleeve loose around the said rock-shaft, a spring within the said rock-shaft and extending through the said slot to bear and press against the inside of the said roller-sleeve, and a razor strop passing over the said roller-sleeve.

5. A razor stropping machine provided with a hollow rock-shaft having a slot, a roller-sleeve loose around the said rock-shaft, a spring within the said rock-shaft and extending through the said slot to bear and press against the inside of the said roller-sleeve, a razor strop passing over the said roller-sleeve, a second rock-shaft having means for carrying the razor-blade, and a connection between the said rock-shafts.

6. A razor stropping machine provided with a hollow rock-shaft having a slot, a roller-sleeve loose around the said rock-shaft, a spring within the said rock-shaft and extending through the said slot to bear and press against the inside of the said roller-sleeve, a razor strop passing over the said roller-sleeve, a second rock-shaft having means for carrying the razor-blade, a connection between the said rock-shafts, and a casing in which the said rock-shafts are journaled, the casing having transverse guide-bars for the passage of the razor strop and arranged in front of the said second rock-shaft carrying the razor-blade.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Everett G. Kaufman.

Witnesses:

F. W. Hanaford,

Everard B. Marshall.