To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Leonidas H. Cress, a citizen of the United States, residing in West Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of safety razors in which the blade is detachably connected with its holder in order that it may be readily resharpened or replaced by a new one. In this class of razors the blades are now commonly made thin to economize metal and to facilitate manufacture and thus render the cost of production so low that a blade after having been used a few times may be thrown away.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a blade holder which is simple in construction, easily manipulated and so inexpensive to manufacture that the razor may be sold at a small retail price and thus come within the reach of those who have not heretofore been able to procure a safety razor of good quality at a reasonable cost. According to my invention I employ a thin steel blade of an improved form and I provide a holder comprising two plates rigidly connected together at their rear edge and having a space between them for the blade. One of the plates carries a guard of the usual kind and the lower plate is provided with a threaded socket to receive the threaded end of the handle which threaded end extends entirely through the lower member of the holder and bears upon the under side of the blade when the latter is positioned. The space between the two members of the holder is shallow, being sufficient only to permit the blade to be slid into place from the front rearward, and the blade is formed with laterally projecting and rearwardly extending ears which serve to position it in the holder and prevent sidewise movement therein. When the blade is secured in the holder by the handle its front portion is raised very slightly from contact with the under member of the holder and when the blade is withdrawn after use any soap or lather which may have found its way between the members of the holder will be drawn out in the act of removing the blade.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety razor embodying my improvements with a portion of the under member of the blade-holder broken away in order to show how the blade is held against sidewise movement in the holder. Fig. 2 is a perspective view looking at the front and top portions of the razor. Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section thereof; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the blade.

The blade A is made of thin steel of proper thickness to hold an edge, but not so thin as to be flexible or necessarily so as no flexible quality in the blade is required. It is formed on opposite sides near its rear edge with laterally projecting lugs a which serve as handles or finger rests when positioning the blade in the holder; These lugs are also extended rearwardly at a′ to serve in positioning the blade in the manner hereinafter described.

The blade-holder comprises two plates B, B′, connected at their rear longitudinal edges by a flange b which holds the two plates a short distance apart to afford a space for the blade. The under plate B carries a guard C of usual form and this plate is formed in its middle portion near its rear edge with a boss or enlargement E through which extends a hole e and this hole extends entirety through the plate B as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The upper or outer plate B′ is of substantially the same size as the under plate B.

To place the blade A in its holder the user of the razor holds the blade between the thumb and first finger of one hand, inserts the rear edge of the blade between the front portions of the upper and lower plates B, B′ and then moves the blade rearwardly until the extensions a′ of the lugs a pass to opposite sides of the flange as shown in Fig. 1. When the blade is in this position it is held against any lateral movement. The shank D′ of the handle D is threaded at d and engages the threaded opening e in the boss E and the lower member B of the holder. After the blade is inserted, the handle may be turned until the front end of the shank D′ bears firmly against the under side of the blade and when it is thus made to bear against the blade the latter will be firmly held in place for use. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the shank extends through its socket at an acute angle to the plane of the blade and that the front portion only of the shank engages the blade and thus holds it firmly in place when once positioned. At this time, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the front portion of the under side of the blade is held away from the plate B and is made to bear firmly against the upper or outer plate B′. By turning the handle in the proper direction the shank may be withdrawn from the blade and the latter can be conveniently removed by sliding it forward. In so doing any soap or lather which may have found its way in between the members of the holder will be carried out in the act of withdrawing the blade.

As so few parts are involved in the construction of my razor and as each part is plain and simple it may be manufactured at small cost, and the manner of manipulating it is so obvious that no one will have the slightest trouble in using it properly.

I claim as my invention:

1. A safety razor, comprising a thin blade and a blade-holder, consisting of upper and lower plates of substantially the same area rigidly and permanently connected at their rear edges by a flange which extends from side to side of the holder and having a shal­ow blade space between them large enough only to admit the blade, the lower plate being provided with a threaded socket extending through it at an acute angle to the plane of the blade and a handle having a threaded shank extending through the socket at an acute angle to the plane of the blade and the front portion only of which engages the blade and holds it firmly against the rear flange of the holder.

2. A safety razor consisting of a holder, comprising two members rigidly connected at the rear by a flange extending the full width of the holder and having a blade space between them, a blade having front and rear edges of substantially the same length formed on its opposite side edges below its rear edge with laterally projecting lugs having portions extending rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the blade adapted to engage the opposite ends of the rear flange of said holder to prevent lateral movement of the blade, and means for clamping the blade in the holder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

Leonidas H. Cress.

Witnesses:

Walter H. Gleason,

Bertha M. Whitman.