To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Katherine E. Allport, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Razors, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its principal object the provision, in connection with a razor, of means whereby that part of the face being shaved is illuminated locally and the operation of shaving thereby greatly facilitated and entirely relieved of its sanguinary possibilities.

Much of the inconvenience and discomfort of shaving is due to the fact that the light when properly positioned as to certain portions of the face does not sufficiently illuminate other portions and it is to overcome this difficulty in a manner most efficient and convenient that the present invention is designed.

In order that the invention in its general aspect may be readily understood and its application made clear I set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the following detailed description based thereon preferred and modified embodiments of the same. As, however, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other and varied constructional forms the drawings and description are to be constructed in an illustrative and not in an unnecessarily limiting sense.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation showing one form of the invention complete as applied to a double edge razor; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the device taken at right angles to Fig. 1, and illustrating in dotted lines optional positions of the razor; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4—4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing the razor support having a rigid relation to the handle; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section through a modified form of construction in which the lamp is above the razor blade.

Having reference to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the razor illustrated and indicated generally at 31 is of the Gillette type having two cutting edges 32, 32. The usual tubular socket 33 engaged by the clamping screw 34 is, in the present case, carried by a yoke which comprises spring arms 35, 35 having their lower ends inturned at 36, 36 into engagement with oppositely disposed openings in the battery case 37, the said spring arms yieldingly engaging within notches 38 provided in the opposite edges of the upper ends of the case whereby the razor may be shifted from a position in vertical alinement with the case, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, to an oblique position at either side thereof as indicated in dotted lines in said figure. The upper end of the case 37 is hollowed to form a reflector 39 with a central aperture bounded by the inwardly extending walls 40 adapted for threaded engagement with the socket 41 of the lamp 42, suitable provision being made for electrical communication between such wall and one of the terminals of the lamp filament 43. The tubular case 37 is open at its lower end and is adapted to receive and serve as a housing for an ordinary cylindrical battery as found in the market, the carbon element 44 of which is arranged to contact with the other terminal of the lamp filament 43 while the zinc element 45 is at its lower end exposed through an opening 46 in the shell 47. The battery is retained in position within the case by a closure 48 secured in the lower open end of the case by means of a bayonet joint 49 while a set screw 50 threaded in the said closure is adapted to make and break electrical communication between the case 37 and the zinc element of the battery whereby to energize and deënergize the lamp at will.

In Fig. 5 the yoke comprises rigid arms 51 which are fixedly secured to the upper end of the case 37 by means of a band 52 or similar means, the construction otherwise being the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

The manner of employing the device illustrated will be readily understood. Upon adjusting the screw 50 inwardly into contact with the outer element of the battery the electrical connection will be completed through the lamp filament and the rays of light from the lamp will be projected directly and also indirectly from the reflector 39 upon the face brilliantly illuminating an area in advance of the cutting edge of the blade whereby the shaving operation is rendered independent of other illumination than that furnished by the device itself. The battery case constitutes the handle for the razor, the relation of the handle and razor being most convenient for the manipulation of the razor and also for projecting the light in the most advantageous manner. If it be desired to concentrate the light at a distance nearer to or farther from the cutting edge of the razor the result may be accomplished by the angular adjustment of the razor and the battery case as indicated in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a form of construction which differs from that previously described in that the razor designated generally at 53 is mounted directly upon the upper end of the battery case 54 and the lamp 55 projects through a central opening in the razor and occupies a position above the same. Herein the lamp is designed to illuminate that portion of the face which has been subjected to the shaving operation and immediately to the rear of the razor whereby one is able to determine the degree of thoroughness with which the razor has done its work and to take another stroke with the razor if found to be necessary; otherwise the construction of the case and the relation existing between the case, battery and lamp are identical with that previously described.

I claim:

1. The combination with a safety razor, of an electric lamp associated therewith, the handle of the razor serving as a mounting for the lamp, the lamp and razor relatively adjustable to provide for directing the light rays more strongly to either side of the razor at will.

2. The combination with a razor having a double cutting edge, of an electric lamp associated therewith, means for energizing said lamp comprising a battery, the handle of the razor serving also as a mounting for the lamp, the razor adjustable relative to its handle and the lamp to provide for directing the rays of light more strongly to either of the cutting edges at will, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a razor having a double cutting edge, of an electric lamp associated therewith in symmetrical relation to the two edges of the razor, means for energizing said lamp comprising a battery, a housing for the battery, said housing serving also as a mounting for the razor, the lamp and razor relatively adjustable to provide for directing the rays of light more strongly to either side of the blade, and means to maintain such relative adjustment, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a safety razor having a double cutting edge, a tubular handle forming a mounting for said razor, a battery within said handle, a lamp disposed in line with the axis of the handle between parallel planes including the cutting edges of the razor and arranged to be energized by the battery at will, a razor pivoted to the handle to swing from one side to the other of the lamp, and releasable means for maintaining the razor in adjusted position relative to the lamp.

5. A razor including a blade, blade holder and handle, an electric lamp mounted thereon in position to illuminate the blade, the lamp and razor relatively adjustable, a source of electrical energy, and a switch controlling the supply to the lamp.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

Katherine E. Allport.

Witnesses:

Lewis T. Greist,

Mary C. Brower.