To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Richard Kampfe, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razor Frames, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to safety-razor frames, more particularly to the blade clamping plates thereof, the object being to provide a clamp that will firmly hold a cutting blade in position in a frame therefor.

One of the main objects of my improvement is to provide a double locking mechanism for the blade.

To carry out the function of firmly doubly locking the blade in position, I provide a specially formed clamping, plate and a cooperating catch on the razor frame.

Other features of improvement will hereinafter appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will finally claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a safety razor embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view thereof, the section being taken on a line a—a in Fig. 1, a portion of the frame and handle being shown in elevation; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof on a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawing, a safety-razor frame is indicated by 1, the said frame being provided with the usual guard fingers 2 and stops 3 for limiting the downward position of the cutting blade 4. The blade herein illustrated is of the type having a rounded heel piece 5.

My improvement consists essentially of the clamping-plate 6 and catch 7 on the frame 1, which is designed to engage the upwardly extending latch or finger 8 on the plate 6. The clamping-plate 6 is also provided with a handle 9 for manipulating the said plate. The clamping-plate 6 is pivotally connected to the frame 1 as at 10.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the latch 8 on the plate 1 is provided with a concavity 11 which is adapted to receive a portion of the heel piece 5 of the blade, as shown, the catch 7 being likewise provided with a concavity 12 which is adapted to receive the upper end of the latch or finger 8 on the plate 6.

When the frame 1 and clamping plate 6 are made from the proper material, the said material being comparatively thin metal such as is usually used for safety-razor frames, the latch 8 and catch 7 will be slightly yieldable or resilient.

For the purpose of pressing the blade 4, at the lower end thereof, against the frame 1, I provide the clamping-plate with a longitudinally disposed projecting ridge 13, which is adapted to contact with the blade 4 and press it against the frame 1, when the clamping-plate 6 is locked, as shown in Fig. 2. The ridge 13 is located intermediate the pivotal point 10 and latch 8 as shown.

By means of the herein described clamping plate 6, provided with the latch 8, and the catch 7 on the frame 1, I am able to doubly secure the cutting blade 4 in the frame 1 for the reasons, firstly, that as the clamping-plate is provided with the said ridge or projection 13, which contacts with the cutting blade, and that the said clamping-plate is provided with a member which extends over and contacts with the heel-piece 5 on the cutting blade, the said cutting blade is prevented from moving upwardly when in use, also outwardly at the bottom thereof. Secondly, by virtue of the catch 7, which engages the latch 8 at the upper end thereof, the clamping-plate 6 is prevented from prematurely opening and allowing the blade 4 to become loose.

It frequently happens that, owing to an imperfect pivotal connection between the clamping-plates now in use, and the frame of the razor, the cutting blades will chatter, and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a means that will obviate this objection. Owing to the resiliency of the catch 7 and latch 8, the lost motion, if any, at the pivotal point 10 will be taken up. Furthermore, the resiliency of the said catch and latch will compensate for slight differences in the width of the cutting blades. The concavity 11 in the latch 8 permits the said latch to grip the blade 4, when the latch 8 is forced over the heel piece 5. The interlocking of the blade and clamping plate is a novel feature, inasmuch as the frame and blade 4 have to be separated, one from the other, by a slight pressure. For this reason the danger of dropping the blade out of the frame, when the catch 7 is pulled upwardly to free the latch 8 is obviated. In other words, the clamping-plate 6 will not drop, by gravity, when the latch 8 is cast free of the catch 7, thereby allowing the cutting blade to drop out.

It will be seen by referring to Figs. 1 and 2 that the finger, or latch, 8 is integral with the plate 6 and that the said finger extends rearwardly from the plate 6 and over the heel of the cutting blade, the said finger being provided with the concavity 11 above referred to. Rearwardly of the point at which the finger 8 contacts with the heel of the blade the said finger is carried upwardly as indicated by 14, thence downwardly as indicated by 15, and thence forwardly as indicated by 16, the handle 9 being an extension of the forwardly extended portion 16. The members 14 and 15 of the finger form that part of the said finger, or latch, which engages with the catch 7 on the plate 1.

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

1. A safety razor comprising a frame, a cutting blade carried by said frame, a clamping plate pivotally mounted on said frame, and contacting with said blade intermediate the top and bottom thereof, a resilient finger carried by said clamping plate overlapping the heel of said blade, said finger being provided with a concavity, said concavity receiving a portion of the outer surface of the heel of the blade, and locking means carried by said frame in engagement with said overlapping finger.

2. A safety razor comprising a frame, a cutting blade carried by said frame, a clamping plate pivotally mounted on said frame and contacting with said blade intermediate the top and bottom thereof, a resilient finger carried by said clamping plate overlapping the heel of said blade, said finger being provided with a concavity, said concavity receiving a portion of the outer surface of the heel of the said blade, and a resilient catch carried by said frame, in engagement with said finger.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 23d day of November, 1910.

Richard Kampfe.

Witnesses:

Estelle O. Hamburger,

Edward A. Jarvis.