To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Harrison D. Sterrick, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention especially relates to the class of razors such as are called safety razors, and its primary object is to avoid the necessity of attaching and detaching the cutting blade, as well as the necessity of the user's stropping or honing the blade. My invention is essentially an instantaneously renewable razor blade. Incidentally, I provide for a double edged blade, and certain improved forms of mounting for razor blades in general. I have shown the invention in several forms in the accompanying drawing, wherein—

Figure 1 is a central section through a safety razor involving my invention, and Fig. 2 is a central section at right angles to that of Fig. 1 being on the line (2) in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line (3) in Fig. 2. Fig. 2^a is a section of a modified form of the blade support in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to that of Fig. 1 showing a modification of the blade mounting and Fig. 5 is a section of the same on the line (5) of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows an edge view of another form of mounting for the razor blade, and Fig. 7 shows a section of the same. Fig. 7^A shows a modified form of attachment.

Continuous strip razors have been heretofore made on the same principle as the Gillette blade, in which rigidity was obtained by clamping a guard on the blade in order to bend and stiffen it and such blades have been used in coil form but without protection from water. I have provided a razor blade of ribbon form made so that its engagement with its supports holds it steadily in place and at the same time forms a stiffening means and have mounted it so that it is easily kept clean. For example, in Fig. 1 I employ any convenient form of casing 8, having a handle 9 and containing a supply roll 10 upon which there is a quantity of very thin flexible tape 11, which is drawn across a convenient support 12 in position for shaving and after shaving is stowed away again within the watertight casing 8 by being rolled up on another supporting reel 13. The user therefore, after shaving, has nothing to do but lay the razor down until the next shave, upon which occasion he reels off one or two inches of the shaving tape, automatically placing it in a position where it is mounted with sufficient rigidity for shaving. This is the essential idea of my invention, and while I do not regard as essential the particular mechanism for manipulating the tape blade, I have shown a mechanism well adapted for this purpose.

In the enlarged views, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the casing 8 is preferably made by stamping out of a non-corrosive metal in the form of a box completed by the cover 8^a, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which of course is arranged with watertight packing. This box 8 has two narrow slits at 14 and 15, out of which, and into which respectively the tape blade 11 is drawn. As it passes from slit 14 to slit 15, it is drawn over a slightly curved brace bar 12, which at the same time is provided with guard teeth 12^a, as shown in Fig. 2 and is preferably of the form shown in Fig. 2 or Fig. 2^a at 16, so as to exactly fit the cross-wise contour of the blade 11, which I make preferably with a very slight ridge or bead along its center. It will be noted that when the blade 11 is under tension it is therefore held doubly stiff. The supply reel 10 is preferably made in the form of the skeleton mounted on a fixed pivot 17 and the supply of cutting tape 11 is rolled on a spindle having a base 11^a adapted to fit in the skeleton wheel 10 so that it may be easily removed. I provide a drag spring 18, and preferably also a resilient lock arm 19, so that as the tape is reeled off the reel it will be always under tension. At the point where the tape goes out of the watertight casing 8 through the slit 14 there is preferably a watertight packing 20. The entry slot 15 is made to closely fit the blade 11 in order to scrape off any soap and water, and also there is a soft impervious packing such as rubber 20 provided at this point, in order to insure the compartment being watertight and to wipe off the blade as it enters. The receiving reel 13 is also in the form of a skeleton on a fixed spindle, having an inset supplementary reel 13^a upon which the blade 11 is wound. This reel 13 is provided with gear teeth meshing with the worm 21 which is securely held on a central shaft 22 provided with a knurled handle 23, and inside of a tubular handle 9, which is tightly attached to the box 8 by threads and the nut 24.

The manufacturer supplies the tape blade 11, which is preferably a very narrow and thin ribbon of refined steel, which is of course completely sharpened and honed by machinery and thereupon wound upon the spool 11^a, which it will be observed is in such form, with a ridge fitting the recess in the tape, that the edges of the blade do not touch anything. This blade can be made so cheaply that the user can afford to throw it away entirely after using it. This dispenses with the necessity of either cleaning or sharpening the razor blade. In other words, each time the user wishes to shave, he uses an entirely new part of the blade, fresh from the manufacturer and he never uses this again. By removing the top cover 8, the user will draw two or three inches of the blade and then insert the reel in the spool 10, and drop the blade into the slits 14, 15, forcing it through the split rubber 20 and attach the end in the slot in the axle of the reel 13^a and thereupon by turning the worm 21, draw down the blade to taut condition and replace the cover 8^a, after this no more attention is necessary until a new reel has been inserted.

In Fig. 4 I show an alternative form in which the receiving reel 25 is turned directly by handle 26 on its own axis, and the guard 12 has its ends 27 movable up and down in slots in the boxing 28 and normally held in place as by spring dogs 29. By removing these supports the guard 12—27, may be lowered and readily cleaned, and the blade also may be cleaned. Both in this form and in the form of Fig. 1, I prefer to make the blade 11 with a double edge, and of course there is a double row of the guard teeth 12^a, so that both sides of the razor may be used for shaving. To secure greater stiffness however, I may, in the form of mounting of Fig. 1 make the supporting bar as shown at 16 in Fig. 2^a and the blade having a single cutting edge, the rear edge fits in a slot 16^a. When tension is placed upon the blade therefore it is entirely locked in position and there is no possibility of sidewise movement.

It will be understood of course that I may apply this principle to any form of razor or any form of razor mounting. For example, in Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a razor mounted in the usual split handle 28 and consisting essentially of two hinged guard bars 29^a and 30, hinged at 31 and carrying respectively the supply reel 32 and the receiving reel 33 with its knurled handle 34, the blade 35 passing over the outside of the guards 29 and 30 when they are folded down together and attached as by the sliding catch 36. It will be observed that this gives the user four cutting edges and he may renew the blade at any time by turning the reel handle 34, and meanwhile may clean both the blade and the guards by extending the two parts 29 and 30 into alinement, whereupon the blade will stand out apart in condition to be cleaned. Of course, it will be understood that the boxes 32 and 33 containing the reels will be watertight and that the reel 33 will be operated in any convenient manner. The reels are not necessary; a blade of sufficient length may be merely attached by the ends. (Fig. 7^A.) In this form I make the blade of the required length and provide notches or holes in the end thereof in order to attach it to a hinged frame which is adapted to stretch the blade taut on its outside by the folding of the frame members together. The blade is attached while the frame is opened.

The advantages of my invention flow partly from the great economy in steel for making the blades, the ease with which the blades may be manufactured and sharpened, and the absence of any corner on the cutting blade, etc. But primarily it avoids the necessity of the user knowing anything about sharpening razors. At each shave he may have an entirely new razor blade, and the superior cleanliness of this, and complete absence of danger from infection, as well as the complete safety (since the user never needs to touch the blade), will readily occur to those familiar with the use of such devices.

For the benefit of the many users who are accustomed to the folding razor, I have provided a form of my device as in Figs. 6, 7 and 7^a, which has the advantage that the blade may be cleaned if desired and in the form of Fig. 7^a, the four-edged blade after use may be thrown away economically. In all of these forms as in the form of Fig. 1, the blade itself is made with the longitudinal rib which serves the double purpose of stiffening the blade and holding it in place on its support even independently of the tension thereon.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim is the following:

1. A razor comprising a flexible strip blade having a guiding bead throughout its length in combination with a frame adapted to retain the ends of the blade and to engage the guiding bead.

2. The combination of a razor mounting and a blade in the form of a thin flexible strip having a guiding bead along its middle portion, the mounting holding the blade under tension and engaging the guiding bead.

3. A safety razor comprising a thin flexible blade, means on the blade to guide it in position without holding its edges, and a housing inclosing the ends of the blade and holding a portion thereof in cutting position.

4. The combination with a razor blade comprising a thin flexible tape with a longitudinal guiding bead, of means to hold the tape under tension and to support it in rigid position, and means to coil the tape including a water-tight housing therefor and a supporting handle, substantially as described.

5. A razor comprising a mounting, a flexible tape blade passing around the mounting and having a guiding rib, combined with means to hold the blade on the mounting under tension.

6. A safety razor comprising a hinged mounting and a flexible detachable blade passing around the mounting and held in position thereon under tension.

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

Harrison D. Sterrick.

Witnesses:

Fredk. Staub,

Jo. Baily Brown.