To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William Dwyer, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety razors, and more particularly to a razor specially adapted for use by travelers.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a razor of simple construction which may be quickly and easily assembled or disassembled. Another object is to provide a razor which will occupy a minimum of space when assembled and can be readily carried in a pocket of the user's vest. A further object is to provide a blade having a plurality of cutting edges and means for covering and protecting all but one of these edges, this means having a handle whereby the razor may be readily gripped for use. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings :—

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the razor.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the razor.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clamping plate.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the blade.

Fig. 6 is an underneath view of the top clamping member.

Fig. 7 is a section taken substantially on line 7—7 of Fig. 6.

Lower clamping member or plate 1 is of rectangular outline and is pressed inwardly at its central portion to provide a hollow boss 2 of rectangular outline. The upper portion of boss 2 fits into a corresponding recess formed in the inner face of an upper clamping member 3 by pressing the central portion of this member outwardly to produce a central hollow boss 4. The bosses 2 and 4 coöperate to hold plate 1 and member 3 in proper centered relation.

A square blade 5 is mounted on the upper face of plate 1 and is provided with a central opening 6 which snugly receives boss 2. This blade fits snugly within member 3 which is provided with a depending peripheral flange 7 extending about three of its sides, this flange also fitting snugly about plate 1 so that the plate and the blade are inclosed on three sides within a protective casing. This casing or member 3, is open at its fourth side to which is connected a resilient guard element 8 of known type, and the blade 5 projects beyond this edge of plate 1 closely adjacent to the fingers of the guard as in Fig. 2. To permit the cutting edge of the blade to be brought close to the user's face with the razor held at an inclination, the forward edge of plate 1 is beveled forwardly and upwardly at 1^a.

Member 3 is provided with a central depressed portion 3^a which presses against the upper face of, and co-acts with plate 1 for clamping the blade. This depressed portion produces a raised marginal portion 3^b at the top of the member or casing 3 so that the marginal portion of the blade is relieved of pressure so as to be permitted a certain amount of desirable flexibility. A screw stud 9 is secured through bosses 2 and projects through an aperture 10 in boss 4. A thumb nut 11 is threaded upon the upper end of this stud and presses upon the top of boss 4 so as to force plate 1 and member 3 into clamping engagement with the blade. By removing nut 11 the razor may be quickly and easily disassembled for cleaning or other purposes, and can be readily reassembled.

The top of casing 3 is cut adjacent the guard element 8 and bent upwardly at right angles to provide two spaced tabs 12. These tabs have pivotally secured to them the inner ends of arms 13 of a handle 14 which includes a relatively broad and flat gripping element 15 connecting the outer ends of the arms. A keeper 16 is slidable on one of the arms 13 and is adapted to engage about the adjacent tab 12 for locking the handle in raised position. By moving this keeper upwardly on arm 13 the arm can be released and turned down onto the top of casing 3, the handle being positioned within the outline of the casing when lowered. This produces a very compact and relatively thin razor, which, when assembled, occupies very little space and may be readily carried in the user's vest pocket. The flange 7 serves to effectively eliminate all danger of cutting of the user's fingers, and as the blade is normally within the outline of the casing 3 there is no danger of cutting of the pocket in which it is carried. As the blade has a plurality of cutting edges, one blade is sufficient for a trip of average length, so that it is necessary for the traveler to carry only the razor in assembled condition, including one blade, with him.

As will be understood, changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In a safety razor, a polygonal clamping plate, a polygonal casing having a depending flange and open at one side, said plate being positioned within the flange of the casing, a polygonal blade positioned between the plate and the casing and fitting within the latter, said blade being sharpened on all of its edges and projecting beyond the casing at the open side thereof, and means for forcing the plate and the casing toward each other, said flange providing an element for gripping the casing between the fingers when using the razor, the flange also serving to protect the user's fingers from being cut by the blade and to protect the unexposed edges of the blade from injury.

2. In a safety razor, a polygonal clamping plate, a polygonal casing having a depending flange, said casing being open at one side, a polygonal blade positioned between the plate and the casing, said blade being sharpened on all of its edges, the plate and the blade fitting snugly within the casing and being held in centered relation to each other and to said casing by said depending flange, and means for forcing the casing and the plate toward each other.

3. In a safety razor, a flat clamping plate of rectangular shape, a substantially flat casing fitting over the plate and about three sides thereof, the casing being provided at one side with a guard element, a blade within the casing and projecting beyond the plate at the edge thereof adjacent to the guard element, a screw stud carried by the plate and projecting through the blade and the casing, a nut threaded on the stud above said casing, a handle having spaced arms pivoted to the top of the casing, said arms being disposed to straddle the nut when the handle is lowered, said handle being adapted to fit against and substantially within the outline of the top of the casing when lowered, and means for locking the handle raised.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

William Dwyer.