To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles A. Strand, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blade-Sharpening Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of blade sharpening mechanisms having a hone member and blade-supporting mechanism operatively connected with the hone member and adapted to movably support a blade in frictional engagement with and in the desired predetermined angular or inclined position with respect to the surface of the hone member during the operation of sharpening the blade.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and efficient blade-sharpening mechanism adapted to enable razor blades, or similar blades, to be sharpened with facility and in an efficient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blade-sharpening mechanism having a hone member and blade-supporting and guiding mechanism operatively connected with the hone member all so constructed and arranged as to enable blades to be inserted in and removed from the blade-supporting clamping mechanism with facility, movably supported in frictional engagement with and in the desired predetermined angular or inclined position with respect to the surface of the hone member, and readily inverted and held with first one side and then the other of the edge of the blade in frictional engagement with the hone member while the body of the blade is removably but securely held between invertible inclined clamping jaws which are hinged to or pivotally connected with a reciprocating supporting member and have an inclined axis supporting stem or pivot which is normally disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the blade-engaging surface of the hone.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear from the following description and claims, and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, arrangement of parts, and details of construction herein described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a blade-sharpening mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3, is a view in vertical transverse section taken on line 3—3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and showing the hinged or pivoted blade-supporting mechanism in raised position in broken lines, as the same would appear during the operation of inverting the inclined pivoted blade-supporting clamping jaws and the blade supported thereby;

Fig. 4, is an enlarged view in longitudinal vertical section, taken on line 4—4 of Fig. 1. looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and showing the construction of the clamping jaws provided with an inclined axle or stem the axial center of which is normally inclined and disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the blade-engaging surface of the hone member, and at an oblique angle with respect to the path of movement of the blade and jaws during the operation of sharpening a blade. Said figure also shows the threaded sleeve or nut with its tapered or conical end portion in engagement with a lever arm on one of the clamping jaws, for tightening or loosening the clamping jaws; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the adjustable and slidable supporting member upon which the blade-supporting jaws are invertibly or pivotally mounted, and shows the means for securing said slidable member in different predetermined inclined positions.

Fig. 6, is a detail view of a modification, and shows the clamping jaws provided with a cam or eccentric engaging the lever for operating the clamping jaw, and Fig. 7 is a detail taken on line 7—7 of Fig. 6, showing the eccentric sleeve on the stem.

In constructing a blade-sharpening mechanism or device in accordance with my invention, I provide a hone member 1 having a preferably flat top surface adapted to frictionally engage the edge of a razor blade or other blade or tool to be sharpened;

This hone member is formed of suitable abrasive material, such as a flat plate or block of steel, iron or other suitable metal, or fine compact stone, slate or suitable composition adapted to provide a suitable abrasive surface for sharpening the fine edge of a tool such as a razor blade or similar tool. I have found in practice that a plate of cold rolled steel or tool steel, tempered or untempered, and having a suitable liquid or fluid spread thereon and containing finely ground or powdered abrasive material, such, for instance, as talcum powder intermixed with a suitable liquid, such as oil, lather or water, or other suitable abrasive material in finely divided or powdered form and intermixed with suitable liquid, may be used to advantage and with success to form the hone; and that such a hone formed of metal, preferably steel or iron, and having suitable liquid or liquid and powdered abrasive material such as fine talcum powder spread thereon is economical and efficient in construction and operation, and very durable, and not liable to wear away unevenly or in such a manner as to form an undesirably uneven blade-engaging or sharpening surface. The cutting edge of the blade to be sharpened is thus kept in exactly the desired shape and not sharpened unevenly by reason of any irregularities in the surface of the hone, or any lack of uniformity in the material of which the hone is formed.

A base 2, which may be made of sheet metal, is provided, and, by preference, so formed as to provide a marginal channel or groove 3 around the outer edge of the hone member 1, said hone member being secured to the base by means of screws or rivets 4, or other suitable securing means. The channel 3 is adapted to receive and contain any fluid or other material which may drip aver the edges or escape from the surface of the hone member 1.

My improved blade-supporting and guiding mechanism is constructed and operatively connected with the hone member as follows:

A guide 5, which is, by preference, in the form of a horizontal guide rod or track operatively connected with the hone member 1 by means of a suitable metallic support or bracket 6 secured to or formed in one integral piece with the sheet metal base 2 already described, and having upwardly projecting end portions 7 and 8 provided with openings or sockets into which the corresponding ends of the guide rod 5 are inserted, is mounted in position to extend in parallel relation to and, by preference, adjacent to and above the level of one of the longitudinal margins or side edges of the hone member 1, and endwise beyond one end of the hone member so as to form a support and guide for the movable or reciprocating blade supporting mechanism hereinafter more particularly described.

Slidably and pivotally mounted upon or supported by the guide rod 5 is an angular bracket 9 which is, by preference, formed of sheet metal bent to form a sleeve or tubular portion 10 having a horizontal opening or bore adapted to admit and slidably engage the guide rod 5, so as to permit the bracket member to be raised from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 3, to the position in which it is shown in broken lines in said figure, and lowered from such raised position into position to support and guide the blade-clamping mechanism in a straight uniform path which is exactly parallel with the blade-engaging abrasive or top surface of the hone member 1. The bracket 9 has a depending upright portion 11, to which is adjustably attached a sleeve or adjustable clamp-supporting socket member 12 having at its lower extremity an inclined socket, sleeve or tubular portion 13 provided with an opening or bore 14 therethrough which is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the axial center or axis of the sleeve 10 at the upper extremity of the bracket 9. This adjustable sleeve member 12 has a flat upright upper main body portion which is provided with an opening 14 (see Fig. 5) preferably in the form of a slightly curved segmental slot through which extends a headed adjusting screw 15 which is mounted upon the upright portion 11 of the bracket 9, to which said screw may be secured by means of a threaded nut 16, or by any ordinary and well known securing means, such as a threaded opening in the part 11 in threaded engagement with the screw 15. It is obvious that the screw 15 may be anchored in either of the relatively adjustable parts 11, and 12, as desired. And the part 12 may be connected with the part 11 by means of a pivot pin 16′ directly below the segmental slot, adapted to permit the sleeve member 12 to be adjusted to any desired angular or inclined position with respect to the bracket 9, the guiding rod 5 and the surface of the hone member 1. A handle 17 on the upper extremity of the adjustable clamp-supporting bracket member 12 and fixed to the bracket 9, serves as a convenient means upon which to apply the desired pressure for holding the blade against the surface of the hone in the operation of sharpening such blade. It also serves as a convenient means for raising and lowering the bracket 9, and the blade-supporting and guide mechanism, when the clamping mechanism and blade are to be inverted, as hereinafter more particularly described.

My improved blade-clamping mechanism is constructed as follows:

A flat lower clamping jaw 18 is provided, having a flat blade-engaging lip 19 forming the front bottom edge or margin of said jaw, and provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined axle, stem or pivot 20 fixed to and projecting upwardly and rearwardly from the center of the rear margin of said jaw, and, by preference, integral with the jaw. This stem is rotatively mounted in the inclined sleeve 13 of the adjustable bracket member 12 already described, and is provided with an annular shoulder 21 at the front extremity of said sleeve and adapted to limit the backward movement of the stem and clamping jaw with respect to the sleeve. The rear portion of the stem 20 is provided with a screw thread 21. Upon this rear threaded portion of the stem which projects rearward beyond the rear edge of the sleeve 13, is mounted a threaded clamping nut or sleeve 22 having a tapered or conical front end portion 23; and an upper clamping jaw 24 is mounted directly over and in substantially parallel relation to the lower jaw 18. Pivotally connected with the latter by means of side lugs 25 fixed to the opposite side margins of the upper jaw and provided with horizontal perforations through which extend corresponding pivot pins or hinge members 26 fixed to the corresponding side margins of the lower jaw, is an upper jaw 24 having a blade-engaging lip 26′ at its front edge in parallel relation to the lip 19 of the lower jaw and in position to admit and removably hold between said jaws a razor blade 27, or other blade or tool to be sharpened. The upper blade-clamping jaw 24 has an upwardly and rearwardly projecting stem or lever arm 28 fixed to the rear extremity of said jaw and projecting upward and rearward from the center of the rear margin of the jaw over the sleeve 13 and back of the pivots 26 into position to be engaged by the tapered or conical forward end portion of the nut 22 already described. It is obvious that by turning the nut 22 on the threaded stem 20 in one direction the rear end of the lever or stem 28 of the upper clamping jaw 24 will be raised, thus causing the clamping-jaws to close tightly in engagement with the blade located therebetween; and that the rotation of said nut or sleeve 22 in an opposite direction will loosen or permit the jaws to be opened, and the blade to be removed, and another placed between the jaws, to be operated upon. A shield 29 of spring metal of sufficient length to extend from end to end of any blade to be sharpened, and having connected top and bottom flanges adapted to engage the top and bottom faces of the blades to be sharpened, and having a rear hollow sleeve portion 30 adapted to cover and protect the rear edge of any blade to be sharpened, is fixed to the rear edge of the blade before the latter is placed between the clamping jaws. This shield 29 may be lined with suitable material, so as to protect the edge of the blade, and prevent it from coming into contact with the clamping jaws, or any metallic parts which might injure the edge of the blade.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be seen that the clamping jaws are at all times held at the proper predetermined angle or incline in oblique relation to the path of movement of the blade-supporting mechanism and blade during the movement of the latter as it is moved backward and forward lengthwise of the hone and of the guide bar or track 5, during the operation of sharpening the blade; that the track or guide rod 5, being fixed in parallel relation to the abrasive or blade-engaging surface of the hone, is adapted to guide the movable blade-supporting and clamping mechanism, and blade in a straight path lengthwise of the hone and in parallel relation to the flat top surface of the hone; and that the stem or axle 20 fixed to the lower clamping jaw is so constructed that its axial center is at an incline with respect to the track 5 and in the same plane with the center of the blade to be sharpened, and thus adapted to enable the blade to be readily inverted, and supported and guided with first one side and then the other of the edge of the blade in frictional engagement with and at the proper predetermined oblique angle with respect to the blade-engaging surface of the hone, in the operation of sharpening the blade. The clamping jaws are adapted to be opened and closed with facility by the turning of the clamping nut or sleeve 22 upon the stem 20, thus enabling the blades to be removed when sharpened, and other blades to be placed in position and held between the jaws and moved back and forth or reciprocated lengthwise of the track and hone, while being pressed against the latter with the desired tension or pressure during the operation of sharpening the blades.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of my improved blade sharpening mechanism having an eccentric or cam sleeve 31 rotative]y mounted on the stem 20 of one of the clamping jaws, and provided with an eccentric or cam portion 32 in engagement with the adjacent end portion of the lever 28, for operating the lever to close the jaws when the eccentric is in one position, and adapted to permit the lever to swing on its pivots toward the stem, so as to permit the clamping jaws to open and release the blade, when the eccentric is turned half a revolution from jaw-closing position. The eccentric or cam sleeve has an axial opening adapted to admit the head or annular end collar 33 on the stem 20, which is formed on the end of the stem to prevent the eccentric or cam sleeve from escaping from its operative position upon and rotative with respect to the stem.

I claim:

1. In a blade-sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a hone, a pivoted supporting member operatively connected with and movable longitudinally with respect to the hone and adapted to be swung in a plane transverse to the direction of relative movement of said supporting member longitudinally of the hone, an inclined bearing on the free end of said pivoted longitudinally movable supporting member and normally inclined with respect to the blade-engaging surface of the hone, a pair of operatively connected inclined invertible blade-clamping jaws having opposed lower blade-engaging margins extending transversely with respect to the hone and the path of relative movement of said pivoted supporting member longitudinally of the hone, and adapted to support an inclined blade between said jaws in transverse relation to and in frictional engagement with the surface of the hone, an inclined axial supporting stem fixed to one of said jaws and extending at an angle with respect to the lower blade-engaging margins of the jaws and mounted in and in freely rotative engagement with said inclined bearing, and operating means on said axial stem and operatively connected with the other one of said jaws, for securing said invertible jaws in clamping engagement with a blade located therebetween.

2. In a blade-sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a hone, a guiding track in fixed relation to and extending longitudinally along a side margin of the hone, a supporting member extending transversely of the hone and provided with a bearing thereon encircling and in longitudinally movable engagement with said track and forming a pivotal connection between said supporting member and track adapted to permit said supporting member to be swung upon its axis transversely with respect to the track and with respect to the direction of movement of said supporting member longitudinally of the track and hone, an inclined bearing on said pivoted supporting member, the axial center of said inclined bearing being in oblique relation to and in a plane substantially parallel with the axial center of said track-encircling bearing and normally inclined with respect to the blade-engaging surface of the hone, a pair of operatively connected blade-clamping jaws having opposed lower blade-engaging margins normally transverse to the hone and the direction of movement of said pivoted supporting member longitudinally of the track and hone, an axial stem in supporting engagement with said jaws and in freely rotative engagement with and extending through said inclined bearing and in concentric relation to the same, and jaw-operating means supported upon said inclined axial stem and operatively connected with the clamping jaw mechanism, for holding the jaws in clamping engagement with a blade located therebetween, and adapted to permit the jaws and blade to be inverted as desired.

3. In a blade-clamping device of the class described, the combination of a hone, a reciprocating supporting member operatively connected with and slidable longitudinally of the hone, a pair of operatively connected inclined blade-clamping jaws having opposed lower blade-engaging margins extending transversely with respect to the hone and with respect to the path of reciprocating movement of said reciprocating member, and having, an inclined transverse blade-containing space between said jaws and adapted to admit a blade located in an inclined plane transverse to and in frictional engagement with the surface of the hone, an inclined axial stem fixed to one of said jaws and having its axial center in the same inclined plane with said inclined blade-containing space and in rotative engagement with said reciprocating supporting member, a lever fixed to the other one of said clamping jaws and adapted to rotate with said inclined axial stem part way around the inclined axial center of the same to permit the jaws to be inverted, and lever-operating means on said stem and in operative engagement with said lever, for holding the invertible jaws in clamping engagement with a blade.

4. In a blade-sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a hone member, a reciprocating supporting member pivotally mounted in movable relation to and operatively connected with said hone member, said pivoted supporting member having an inclined bearing the axial center of which is oblique with respect to the surface of the hone member, a pair of pivotally connected blade-clamping jaws having opposed lower blade-engaging margins, transverse to the hone and in transverse relation to the direction of reciprocating movement of the pivoted reciprocating supporting member, an inclined axial stem fixed to one of said jaws and mounted in freely rotative engagement with said inclined bearing in said reciprocating member, a lever fixed to the other one of said clamping jaws and extending longitudinally of said stem and bearing, said lever being rotatable with the inclined stem part way around the axial center of the same, to permit the jaws to be inverted, and lever-operating means mounted on the stem and in operative engagement with said lever, for holding the clamping jaws in clamping engagement with a blade to be operated upon.

5. In a blade-sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a hone member, a guiding track attached to the hone member, a reciprocating supporting member pivotally connected with and movable longitudinally of said track, and provided with a sleeve-shaped socket having its axial center in oblique relation to said track and in inclined position with respect to the blade-engaging surface of said hone member, a pair of relatively movable connected clamping jaws having their lower blade-engaging edges transverse to the hone member and in transverse relation to the path of movement of said reciprocating pivoted supporting member and socket, an inclined axle fixed to one of said jaws and journaled in said inclined sleeve, a lever fixed to the other of said clamping jaws and extending on the outside of and longitudinally with respect to said sleeve-shaped socket, and adapted to rotate part way around the sleeve-shaped socket, to permit the jaws to be inverted, and lever-operating means mounted on said axle and in engagement with said lever, for holding the clamping jaws in clamping engagement with a blade to be operated upon.

6. In a blade-sharpening device of the class described, the combination of a hone member, a guiding track connected with the hone member, a reciprocating supporting member pivotally mounted and operatively connected with said track, and provided with a hollow supporting sleeve having its axial center in oblique relation to said track and in inclined position with respect to the blade-engaging surface of said hone member, a pair of relatively movable connected blade-clamping jaws having their lower blade engaging edges parallel to the hone-engaging edge of a blade to be clamped therebetween and in transverse relation to the path of movement of said reciprocating pivoted supporting mechanism, an inclined axle fixed to one of said jaws and journaled in said inclined sleeve, a lever fixed to the other one of said jaws and extending longitudinally of said sleeve and adapted to rotate with the axle part way around the axial center of the same, to permit the clamping jaws to be inverted, and an eccentric lever-operating member mounted on said axle and in operative engagement with said lever, for holding the invertible blade-clamping jaws in clamping engagement with a blade to be operated upon.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, September 11, 1920.

Charles A. Strand.

Witnesses:

Eric J. Strand,

Gust Olson.