To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles Barra, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Razors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide means to electrically heat safety razors in such a manner that they may be conveniently used while being heated and that the heat may be maintained during the shaving operation at any desired temperature, whereby I am enabled to obtain the advantageous results of smoothness and comfort during shaving and to avoid infections of the skin which frequently occur from the use of unsterilized razors.

In carrying out my invention I provide a safety razor having a handle and within the handle I locate electrical heating means which may be connected with any suitable source of electrical current, the heating means being so located with relation to the safety razor frame that the heat will be conducted to the blade to maintain the latter heated to the desired temperature during the shaving.

My invention also comprises novel details of improvement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein

Fig. 1 is a partly broken plan view of a safety razor embodying my invention, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section on line 2, 2, in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the razor frame, the blade and its backing being removed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 indicates a frame of a safety razor. At 2 is a blade fitted upon said frame and at 3 is a backing member upon the blade. The foregoing parts are illustrative of a form of safety razor construction adapted for use in connection with my improvements, although any desired form of safety razor may be used. The frame 1 is provided with a hollow handle indicated generally at 4, shown comprising a tubular member or section of metal 4^b and a tubular insulating member 4a removably connected with the member 4^b by screw threads at 4^c. The parts 4^a and 4^b are provided separately and detachably connected for convenience in manufacture, providing the metal and insulating members thereof, and assembling the heating devices therein.

The heating means I have shown comprise a coil or element of suitable resistance wire 5 shown wound around a tube of insulating material 6, which may be of lava or other suitable material, which coil and insulation are shown within the member or section 4^b and project into the bore of the member or section 4^a. In the example illustrated one lead of the coil or conductor 5 extends at 5^a within the bore 6^a of the insulating tube 6 and emerges from the same at the inner end through a transverse recess or hole in the insulation, from which point the coil 5 winds around the insulation and its terminal portion 5^b extends along said insulation. At 7 is an insulating tube within the member or section 4^b and around the coil 5, which tube may be of mica or other suitable insulating material to insulate the resistance conductor 5 from the handle. The handle is shown detachably connected with the razor in such a manner that heat will be conducted to the blade. I have shown the member or section 4^b provided with a threaded extension 8 adapted to pass through a hole 9 in the base of frame 1, the backing 3 being shown provided with a tubular internally threaded projection 10 adapted to pass through a hole 11 in the blade to receive the threaded extension 8, the member or section 4^b being shown provided with a shoulder or end at 12 adapted to bear against frame 1. When the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 2, the blade will be securely held between the frame and the backing, since the threaded parts 8 and 10 clamp and hold the blade between frame 1 and backing 3 and in contact therewith, and retain the cutting edge 2^a in shaving relation to the guard teeth 1^a of frame 1 for shaving purposes,

While the resistance conductor 5 may be connected at its terminals in any suitable way with the line wires 13, 14 of a source of electrical supply, as shown from a plug 15 adapted to be screwed in a well known way into any suitable outlet socket from a service source of electrical energy, I have shown the terminal ends of resistance conductor 5 as respectively connected with conductors 16, 17, preferably of low heat conductor metal, such as iron, so as not to heat the handle member 4^a, to which conductors 16, 17 the line conductors 13, 14 are connected. The conductors 16, 17 are shown provided with coils 18 at their ends into which the terminal ends of conductor 5 and of the conductors 13, 14 respectively are inserted, and the coils are squeezed or forced against such terminal ends to make firm electrical contact therewith and to avoid soldering. The conductors 13, 14 are covered with insulation in an ordinary way and their bared ends are inserted within the corresponding coils 18, the insulation on the conductors 13, 14 preferably extending within the handle member 4a as illustrated. The conductors 16, 17 and the coils 18 are shown enclosed within insulating tubes 19 within the handle member or section 4^a, which tubes may be of asbestos to resist radiation of heat from the conductors to the handle member 4^a.

With the handle member or section 4^a of insulating material it may be readily held for shaving while the member or section 4^b of metal will conduct heat to the safety razor. A detachable plug 20 may be screwed into the outer end of handle member 4^a and provided with a bore 21 for the passage of the conductors 13, 14, an insulating piece 22 being inserted in bore 21 to keep said conductors separated.

My improvements may be used in the ordinary way for shaving with a safety razor, and when the electrical current passes through the heating coil 5 the latter will be heated to the desired temperature, according to the gage and windings of the coil, etc., and heat from such heating coil will be transmitted to the handle member or section 4^b, from which such heat will be transmitted to the blade 2 by conductivity through the frame 1 and the projection 10, and any required resistance in the line circuit may be provided. By the means described the blade may be raised to a sterilization temperature before and after shaving, say from 212° F., up to, say, 240° F. When the razor is being used and it is desired to wipe off the lather etc. from time to time the razor will not become chilled because of the continued heat kept applied to the blade. I find from practical use that my improvements enable more comfortable and smooth shaving when the razor is heated than when cold or at atmospheric temperature and that the hair is more readily removed from the skin, and by reason of the blade being heated infections are prevented which might occur by cutting the skin, pimples etc. with a nonsterilized blade. By maintaining the razor heated the cutting edge will not be liable to become dull so soon as would occur with an unheated razor, and after the razor has been cleaned for storage it may be heated to dry and sterilize it and prevent moisture from remaining upon the parts, and particularly upon the cutting edge of the blade, thereby increasing the durability and effectiveness of the razor.

I do not specifically claim the particular construction illustrated, apart from my improvements in safety razors, comprising the heated coil 5 connected with the conductors 16, 17 of low heat conductor material within a handle.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination of a frame including a guard, means to secure a blade upon the frame, a hollow handle connected with the frame and having a metallic portion to conduct heat to the guard and blade, and electrical heating means associated within said handle comprising an insulator within said metallic portion and a resistance conductor around said insulator.

2. The combination of a frame, a handle, means to secure a tool upon the frame, said handle having a metallic member connected to the frame to conduct heat to the guard and tool and having an insulating member attached to the end of the metallic member remote from the frame, an electrical heating element within the first named member, means to insulate said heating element from said member, and line conductors in electrical circuit connected with said element within said insulating member.

3. The combination of a frame, a blade, a backing for the blade, said blade having a hole, said backing having a projection adapted to enter said hole, a hollow handle provided with a metallic member having means to cooperate with said projection to retain the parts together, said handle having an insulating member connected to the metallic member, a heating coil within the metallic member, insulating means within said member around said coil, and line conductors connected with said coil and having their terminals within said insulating member.

Charles Barra.