To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eugene G. Mergenthaler, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, county of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in safety razors of the magazine type, that is to say, razors comprising a casing for containing a supply of razor blade sections which are manually brought into position successively for use as desired.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a safety razor of this type which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easily kept clean, easily handled in shaving, and easily and quickly manipulated to withdraw a used razor blade section and bring into shaving position a new, unused razor blade section.

In the accompanying drawing—

Figure 1 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of a razor embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a section, on a still larger scale, on the line 7, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, 1 represents the holder of the razor and 2 the handle therefor. The holder is provided with a razor blade support and clamp 3 and an abutment 4 which, co-acting with the support 3, serves to hold and steady the razor blade lengths in proper position for shaving. The holder comprises front and rear plates 5, 6, extending upwardly from and preferably integral with handle 2, and a top plate or bridge 7 at the upper end of and integral with plates 5, 6.

The top plate or bridge 7 is immediately beneath the razor blade support and clamp 3 and the front or shaving edge of the razor blade so as to catch such lather as may drop from the razor blade while being used and prevent the same entering the holder 1. Soiling and wetting of the parts within casing 1 from such lather are thereby prevented. The top plate 7 and the top of holder 1 are concave or curved downwardly away from blade support 3, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5, so as to be at a suitable distance therefrom for convenient use of the razor and for convenient cleansing of the top of the casing if lather should drop upon it. The front and back plates 5, 6 are of spring sheet metal and are held properly spaced apart by pins 8 for the introduction and reception of the razor blade magazine, and for the movement between them of the strip of razor blade lengths, as hereinafter described.

Front and back plates 5, 6 are provided with outwardly stamped portions 9, 10, which provide a pocket or recess for a magazine containing a strip or ribbon 12 of steel which furnishes the razor blade sections. The magazine consists of a circular metal box 13 adapted to fit more or less snugly in the recess provided for it in the outwardly stamped portions 9, 10. It has a depth approximately equal to the width of the razor strip or ribbon 12, and is provided: with a hub 14 around which the strip 12 is wound and with an elongated projection 15 which enters a corresponding recess 16 in plate 6 for the purpose of locking the box 13 in the holder against, turning.

The strip 12 projects through a slit 17 in the side of box 13. Except for this slit the box 13 is sealed to protect the strip from moisture and dirt. Strip 12 is provided, at its leading end, with a metal tab 18 having a keyhole slot 19 for engagement with a headed pin 20 on the outside of box 13 near slit 17, so that the strip 12 may be readily seized and drawn from the box 13 by hand or by the mechanism hereinafter described provided for that purpose in holder 1.

Box 13, with its contained strip 12, is introduced into the position in holder 1 in which it is shown, simply by pushing it in between plates 5, 6 at the side of the casing 1 where there is no pin 8; plates 5, 6 at this point having a sufficient amount of resiliency to permit of such movement of box 13 between them. Box 13 being then adjusted so that its elongated hub 15 will enter recess 16, plates 5, 6 will spring toward each other and box 13 be locked by hub 15 and recess 16, from turning and with its slit 17 in proper position for the movement of strip 12 through holder 1.

Strip 12 may be introduced into the box 13 in a variety of ways, as by feeding it into the box, rear end first, through slit 17, or by leaving one end of the box open, then inserting the strip therein in coiled form loosely around hub 14 with its leading end projecting through slit 17, and then closing and sealing the opened end of the box.

Holder 1 is provided with a pair of guiding rollers 21, 22 mounted on pins 23, 24 in the upper corners of holder 1, at opposite ends of the razor blade support 3, and, beyond the roller 22, with a take-up roller 25 to which the leading end of the strip 12 is attached, as shown in Fig. 5. Rollers 21, 22 are of less length than the width of strip 12 so as to support only the body portion of the latter and leave its cutting or outer edge free of such support and to be supported, as hereinafter described, by blade support 3.

Roller 25 is mounted, so as to turn and slide downwardly therein, in a downwardly and inwardly inclined slot 28 in the walls 5, 6 of holder 1. It is also provided with a thumb piece 29 extending outside the holder 1 whereby it may be conveniently turned to draw strip 12 through the holder and bring blade sections thereof successively into shaving position on blade support 3. As the strip 12 accumulates on take-up roller 25, and the diameter of the latter with its convolutions of strip therefore increases, roller 25 will move downwardly in slot 28 and also inwardly away from the edge of holder 1 so as to avoid contact of the strip 12 with and possible injury by it to the hands of the user. The opposite edge of holder 1 also projects beyond the path of movemnet of strip 12 for the same reason.

Holder 1 is provided with a scale or index 30 for indicating when successive blade sections are brought into shaving position and also how many have been used. The indicating capacity of the scale as shown is limited to ten blade sections, but this may obviously be increased according to the number of blade sections desired or provided in strip 12.

After a strip 12 has been used for shaving and wound upon take-up roller 25, the rear end of the strip will be withdrawn from between support 3 and abutment 4 into convenient position to be grasped by the user and the whole strip then withdrawn by him from take-up roller 25 and thrown away or stored for re-sharpening and re-use. Box 13 is then removed from holder 1 and another box introduced therein and its strip 12 threaded through the holder.

Too free movement and running ahead of strip 12 when drawn through the holder 1, as well as backward movement thereof, are prevented by a pair of brakes or tension devices 31, 32 at opposite ends of the holder 1. Each of these consists of a spring rod suitably connected at one end with the plates 5, 6 of the holder and curved at its free end in line with roller 21 or 22, as the case may be, so as to yieldingly press the strip 12 against said roller. These tension devices also serve the function of maintaining the strip 12 in a taut condition over the blade support 3. Spring 32 also engages the convolutions of strip wound upon roller 25 and thus frictionally restrains rotation thereof.

Blade support 3 is provided with the usual toothed guard 33 and is fixed to the pins 23, 24 on which the rollers 21, 22 are mounted. These pins have a limited movement inwardly and outwardly in the holder 1, transversely to the strip 12, so as to adjust the support 3 in a widthwise direction relatively to the abutment 4, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, which show the support in its inner and outer positions, respectively. In rear of its guard 33, support 3 is provided, on its upper surface, with an inclined portion or cam surface 34 which, as the support is moved inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 2, engages the front edge of strip 12 and forces it upwardly against the abutment 4 to a greater or less extent, depending upon the extent to which the support 3 is adjusted or moved inwardly.. The razor blade section then in shaving position is therefore securely clamped in proper shaving position between support 3 and abutment 4, with the razor blade moved, by the cam surface or inclined portion 34, into the proper position for the shave desired by the user as to closeness. When it is desired to draw the next razor blade section into shaving position, support 3 is moved outwardly thus releasing strip 12 from its clamping action against abutment 4, so that the strip may be readily drawn through the holder by turning take-up roller 25.

What I claim is:

1. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a holder adapted to receive a strip of razor blade lengths and provided with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position, and means for indicating the positioning of successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

2. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a holder adapted to receive a strip of razor blade lengths and provided with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, tension devices coacting therewith to restrain movement of the strip, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position, and means for indicating the positioning of successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

3. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a holder adapted to receive a strip of razor blade lengths and provided with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position, and means coacting there-with for indicating the positioning of successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

4. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a holder adapted to receive a strip of razor blade lengths and provided with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position comprising a take-up roller, manually-operated means for rotating it, and a downwardly and inwardly inclined slot in the holder in which said roller is loosely mounted.

5. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a holder adapted to receive a strip of razor blade lengths and provided with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position comprising a take-up roller, manually-operated means for rotating it, a downwardly and inwardly inclined slot in the holder in which said roller is loosely mounted, and a spring tension device coacting with the roller to restrain rotation thereof.

6. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a holder adapted to receive a strip of razor blade lengths and provided with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position comprising a take-up roller, manually-operated means for rotating it, a downwardly and inwardly inclined slot in the holder in which said roller is loosely mounted, a spring tension device coacting with the roller to restrain rotation thereof, and means in line with said slot for indicating the positioning of the successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

7. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a strip carrier containing a strip of razor blade lengths loosely coiled therein, a holder provided with means for receiving and holding it against turning and with means for clamping the razor blade lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position, and means for indicating the positioning of successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

8. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a strip carrier containing a strip of razor blade lengths loosely coiled therein, a holder provided with means for receiving and holding it against turning and with means for clamping the razor blade lengths successively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, tension devices coacting therewith to frictionally restrain movement of the strip, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position, and means for indicating the positioning of successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

9. In a magazine safety razor, the combination of a strip carrier containing a strip of razor blade lengths loosely coiled therein, a holder provided with means for receiving and holding it against turning and with means for clamping the razor blade lengths succesively in shaving position, strip-guiding means at opposite ends of the clamping means, a take-up device for drawing the blade lengths successively into and beyond shaving position, and means coacting therewith for indicating the positioning of successive blade lengths along the clamping means.

10. In a magazine razor the combination of a holder adapted to receive and provided with means for moving a strip of razor blade lengths lengthwise, of means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position comprising two coacting members on opposite sides of thestrip, one movable relatively to the other transversely to the strip and one provided with a cam surface engaging the strip during such movement to clamp it against the other member.

11. In a magazine razor the combination of a holder adapted to receive and provided with means for moving a strip of razor blade lengths lengthwise, of means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position comprising two coacting members on opposite sides of the strip, one movable relatively to the other transversely to the strip and provided with a cam surface engaging the strip during such movement to clamp it against the other member.

12. In a magazine razor the combination of a holder adapted to receive and provided with means for moving a strip of razor blade lengths lengthwise, of means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position comprising a fixed abutment on the upper side of the strip and a guard member below it, the latter being movable transversely to the strip and provided with a cam coacting with the abutment to clamp the strip.

13. A magazine razor comprising a holder provided with means for moving a strip of razor blade lengths and with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, said holder comprising a protecting top plate at a suitable distance for cleansing purposes for the clamping means and with front and rear plates suitably distanced apart for the reception and movement of the strip between them.

14. A magazine razor comprising a holder provided with means for moving a strip of razor blade lengths and with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, said holder comprising a concave protecting top plate at a suitable distance for cleansing purposes for the clamping means and with front and rear plates suitably distanced apart for the reception and movement of the strip between them.

15. A magazine razor comprising a holder provided with means for moving a strip of razor blade lengths and with means for clamping such lengths successively in shaving position, said holder comprising a protecting top plate at a suitable distance for cleansing purposes for the clamping means and with downwardly converging front and rear plates suitably distanced apart for the reception and movement of the strip between them.

16. In a safety razor the combination of a pair of blade clamping members adjustable relatively in a widthwise direction, one of said members being provided with a blade-engaging cam surface.

17. In a safety razor the combination of an abutment and a member coacting therewith to clamp a blade, the latter member being adjustable in a widthwise direction and provided with a blade-engaging cam surface.

18. In a safety razor the combination of an abutment and a guard coacting therewith to clamp a blade, said guard being adjustable in a widthwise direction and provided with a blade-engaging cam surface.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

Eugene G. Mergenthaler.