To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Ernest N. Humphrey, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Britain, Hartford county, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved safety razor construction.

The object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple and compact construction, the various parts being so arranged that a majority of the razor parts may be easily assembled or separated at will.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device assembled ready for use. Fig. 2 is a relatively enlarged plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3—3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a detail of the frame plate. Fig. 5 is a plan view of another detail of the guard plate. Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6—6, Fig. 2.

1 represents the main body portion of the frame plate having a centrally threaded orifice 2. The ends of the frame plate are turned upward to form side guide arms 3—3, the upper extremities of said guide arms being turned inwardly to form blade keeper members 4—4.

5 is a combined guard plate and blade support. The guard plate 5 is provided with guard fingers 6—6 at the front edge and with plain faced stop shoulders 7—7 at the rear edge. The end edges of said plate 5 are notched as at 8—8 to slide on the guide arms 3—3.

9—9 are forward stops on the plate 5 arranged at each end of the guard fingers 6—6.

10 is a blade which may be single or double edged as desired, said blade being of appropriate width to stand between the stop shoulders 7—9 and of such length as to extend substantially over the full length of the supporting plate 5 between the notches 8—8.

11 is a handle which has a screw threaded extension 12 arranged to screw into the threaded passage 2, the inner end of said extension 12 engaging the underside of the supporting plate 5 to force it upwardly so as to clamp the blade 10 between the plate 5 and the keepers 4—4, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6. The keepers 4—4 are preferably bent downwardly or toward the base or main body 1 so that a slight spring effect is provided, thus preventing all danger of buckling the blade and yet holding the latter securely with a firm yet elastic embrace when the parts are assembled. As will be seen the handle 11 may be entirely removed from the main body portion and the balance of the parts, thus making it easy to pack the various parts of the razor in small space. By providing the screw threaded extension 12, the plate 5 may be pressed against the underside of the blade with any desired degree of tension. When the handle 11 is unscrewed from the main body 1 of the frame, it is obvious that the plate 5 is entirely free for movement within said frame, although not entirely separable therefrom. This releases the blade 10 so that it may be readily assembled or reversed. In practice the blade keeper members 4—4 are preferably arranged in a plane oblique to the plane of the base 1, as shown in Fig. 6.

14 is a supporting shoulder at the forward edge of each of said guide arms 3, the function of the same being to afford a support for the forward part of the plate 5, thereby causing the rear edge of the plate to swing down as the clamping screw 12 is withdrawn, thus enabling the blade to be removed from the rear.

15 is a finger notch cut in the rear of the plate 5 to enable the operator to insert his finger under the blade 10 at the rear edge to facilitate removal.

The stop shoulders 7—7 being plain, as distinguished from undercut, permit the insertion and removal of the blade whenever the plate 5 is lowered sufficiently and yet positively define the rear position of the blade.

What I claim is:

1. In a safety razor, a frame comprising a main body portion, a guide arm at each end thereof, the upper end of each guide arm being turned inwardly to form a blade keeper, said guide arms being provided with supporting shoulders at their forward vertical edges, a blade supporting plate carried by said frame, the ends of said plate being notched to slide om said guide arms, blade stops to hold a blade in proper position upon the supporting plate, and a screw threaded clamping device coacting with the main body of the frame for controlling the supporting plate, said supporting plate having parts of its front portion engaged by and supported by said supporting shoulders, and its rear portion free to fall when said clamping device is released.

2. In a safety razor, a frame comprising a main body portion, a guide arm at each end thereof, the upper end of each guide arm being turned inwardly to form a blade keeper in a plane oblique to the plane of said main body portion, said guide arms being provided with supporting shoulders at their forward vertical edges, a blade supporting plate carried by said frame, the ends of said plate being notched to slide on said guide arms, blade stops to hold a blade in proper position upon the supporting plate, a screw threaded clamping device coacting with the main body of the frame for controlling the supporting plate, and a handle extension on said screw threaded clamping device, said supporting plate having parts of its front portion engaged by and supported by said supporting shoulders, and its rear-portion free to fall when said clamping device is released.

3. In a safety razor, a frame comprising a main body portion, a guide arm at each end thereof, the upper end of each guide arm being turned inwardly to form a blade keeper, said guide arms being provided with supporting shoulders at their forward vertical edges, a blade supporting plate carried by said frame, the ends of said plate being notched to slide on said guide arms, front blade stops and plain faced rear stops to hold a blade in proper position upon the supporting plate, and a screw-threaded clamping device co-acting with the main body of the frame for controlling the supporting plate, said supporting plate having parts of its front portion engaged by and supported by said supporting shoulders, and its rear portion free to fall when said clamping device is released.

Ernest N. Humphrey.

Witnesses:

W. J. Woram, Jr.,

Stanley Parker.