To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Julius Bueno de Mesquita, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in safety razors of the type, employing imperforate wafer blades, and among the objects in view is the provision of means for firmly and efficiently retaining the blade, in position during operation.

With this and further objects in view, as will in part be hereinafter stated and in part become obvious, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as herein set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,—Figure 1 is a perspective view of a razor embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the cap illustrated in its open position. Fig. 3 is a transverse, central, vertical section through the parts in the position seen in Fig. 1, a fragment of the handle being seen in elevation, and the parts being shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, the section being taken on the plane indicated by line 4, 4, of Fig. 3, and parts being seen in top plan. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view with the handle removed. Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail, fragmentary section taken approximately on the plane indicated by line 6, 6, of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, enlarged detail vertical section taken approximately on the plane indicated by line 7, 7, of Fig4.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1 indicates the main or guard plate having at its front edge the usual guard teeth 2 which may be of any preferred construction, said plate having at each end an upstanding flange 3. Each flange 3 at its upper edge is provided with an overhanging ear 4. The plate 1, at each front corner, that is, at each end of the guard 2, is provided with a hook 5, and the blade 6 is adapted to be introduced between the flanges 3 and lying on plate 1 and extending beneath the ears 4, the front corners of the blade engaging the hooks 5. It may be noted that the hooks 5 may, instead of being formed as hooks, be constructed as upstanding shoulders, their function being to prevent the blade 6 from moving forwardly. A plate 7 is fixed to plate 1, and is arranged beneath the same, and formed at each end with a forwardly extending arm 8 terminating in laterally projecting journals 9, 9, said journals being disposed substantially in line with and spaced beneath the cutting edge of blade 6 when said blade is in operative position.

A cap 10 is arranged and adapted in operation to cover the blade, said cap comprising a top plate terminating in a back wall 11 and side walls 12, 12, said back and side walls being dimensioned to snugly inclose the edges of plate 7 when the cap is closed, and the side walls terminating at the front of the cap in a pair of forwardly extending arms 13, each apertured and pivotally mounted on the respective journal 9, said journals 9 extending through said apertures, and the arms 8 bearing against the inner surfaces of arms 13, and thus preventing lateral play of the cap. The top plate of cap 10 is provided with a forwardly depressed spring portion 14 positioned, when the cap is closed, to rest firmly against blade 6 and press the same firmly against plate 1. The back or rear depending wall 11 is spaced from the rear edge of plate 7 and is provided with a spring 15 which extends longitudinally of said rear wall and may be fixed thereto at an intermediate point by any suitable means as by welding, the ends of the spring being bent inwardly or forwardly so as to rest against and exert spring pressure upon the rear edge of blade 6 when the cap is closed. The free end portions 16 of spring 15 are rounded inwardly, that is formed transversely arcuate producing longitudinal troughs so as to present inclined or rounded walls to strike the rear edge of blade 6 as the cap is being closed. In operation, the spring flattens out slightly longitudinally as the cap is brought to the closed position, and the ends of said spring are thus caused to exert forward pressure on blade 6.

At the intermediate point or point of engagement of spring 15 with rear wall 11 the spring is formed with a depending upwardly opening hook 17 adapted to interlock with a corresponding hook 18 carried by a spring 19. Said spring 19 may be of various forms, but preferably consists of a strip of spring material bent into a suitable fold and extending upwardly at the opposite end from the hook 18 and forming a plate 20, which with the handle receiving plate 21 is secured by rivets 22 or otherwise to the plate 1. An operating button 23 may be fixed to the exposed portion of spring 19 for facilitating manual depression thereof for releasing engagement of hook 18 with hook 17. The spring pressure of portion 14 against blade 6 is usually sufficient for causing the cap 10 to snap open instantly upon being released by pressure on button 23.

An internally threaded sleeve 24 is preferably formed integral with plate 21 and depends therefrom for receiving the upper threaded end of handle 25. Said handle may therefore be readily attached and detached.

The operation, after the parts are assembled, is precisely the same as with any of the various types of safety razors and the assemblage of the blade with the holder is materially simplified while the firm, rigid retention is insured. When the cap is in the open position, as seen in Fig. 2, blade 6 may be readily slid into place or out of place, and to secure the same it is only necessary to close the cap, which latter remains locked firmly in its closed position until released by the simple operation of pressing the button 23.

What I claim is:—

1. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade support, of a cap pivoted thereto on an axis extending substantially along the front of the blade support and having a top plate with its front edge in rear of the pivot of the cap turned downwardly to a line below the under face of the cap sufficiently for contacting with the upper face of a blade sustained by the support prior to a complete closing of the cap, whereby the complete closing of the cap causes the downwardly turned edge to clamp the blade against the support under spring pressure, the said downwardly turned edge engaging the blade adjacent the cutting edge thereof.

2. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade support, of a cap therefor, a spring carried by the cap and having free ends disposed in position for engaging and pressing forwardly a blade sustained by said support, means for preventing forward movement of said blade, and a pivotal connection between the cap and support, the blade engaging portion of the spring having a transversely arcuate form.

3. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade support, a cap therefor adapted to be moved relative to a blade sustained by the support, a spring carried by the cap in position for engaging and pressing forwardly a blade sustained by said support, means for preventing forward movement of the blade, and a pivotal connection between the cap and support forward of the spring.

4. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade support, of a cap therefor, and a spring carried by the cap and having free ends positioned, when the cap is being moved to a closed position, to approach and engage, with an edgewise movement, the rear edge of a blade sustained by said support, and to be compressed thereby for exerting a forward pressure to the blade, and means for retaining said blade against forward movement, the spring being of transversely arcuate form at the place of engagement with the blade.

5. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade support, of a cap therefor, and a spring carried by the cap, said spring having rounded portions extending longitudinally of and adapted to engage edgewise the rear edge of a blade sustained on the support, the rounded portions of the spring being tensioned to be sprung rearwardly in rear of such blade when caused to engage the same as the cap approaches its closed position for exerting spring pressure forwardly on the blade.

6. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade support, of a cap therefor pivoted at the front of and adapted to swing forwardly from the support when opening, the cap having a top plate formed with its front edge portion bent to comprise a blade engaging spring when closed, and means for detachably retaining the cap closed.

7. In a safety razor, the combination, with a blade suport, of a cap pivoted to the support and adapted to be swung forwardly therefrom when opening, and a blade retaining spring carried by the rear portion of the cap and formed concavo-convex and comprising a longitudinal trough presenting a transversely rounded portion to a blade on the support.

8. In a safety razor, the combination, with a blade support, of a cap pivoted to the forward portion of the support and adapted to swing forwardly therefrom, the forward edge portion of the cap being extended beyond and free to move relative to the main body of the cap and being curved toward the frame support for engaging a blade on the support and retaining the same under downwardly exerted spring pressure when the cap is closed.

9. In a safety razor, the combination, with a blade support, having a blade detent at its forward portion, of a cap pivoted to the support at the forward portion thereof and adapted to swing on its pivot forwardly relative to the support, and a spring carried by the rear portion of the cap and disposed to engage the rear portion of and press forwardly on a blade sustained by the support when the cap is closed.

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

JULIUS BUENO de MESQUITA.

Witnesses:

A. Worsnop,

Edgar M. Kitchen.