This invention relates to a safety razor, and has more particular reference to a safety razor of the character which includes a longitudinally reciprocatable blade.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a safety razor provided with mechanism of very simple and economical construction for causing reciprocation of the razor blade when applied to use.

It is a further important object to provide a safety razor of the type mentioned, the blade reciprocating mechanism of which will include a minimum number of parts and will be associated with the blade in a novel and unique manner.

A further important object is to provide a safety razor having a longitudinally reciprocatable blade, and mechanism for actuating said blade which will be directly associated with the blade itself in an improved manner, without the necessity for employing a special blade holder or like device to obtain uniform, smooth and even reciprocations of the blade.

A further important object is to provide a safety razor of the type mentioned, the blade reciprocating mechanism of which will be of simple and sensible construction to be easily actuated and will be directly associated in an improved manner with the blade itself to reciprocate said blade, whereby the load (the blade alone) which said mechanism is required to actuate is reduced to a minimum, and the reciprocations of said load (the blade) are uniform, smooth and even.

A further important and more specific object is to provide a safety razor including a reciprocable blade, and mechanism for actuating said blade including a cam upon a rotatable shaft having tractor elements or the like adapted to be propelled to rotate the cam by riding upon the face of a person using the razor, and a lever mounted within the razor handle and passing through the usual hole at the center of a blade now of commerce and associated with said cam to impart to and fro movements to said blade as the cam advances, all as will be hereinafter specifically set forth.

A further important and specific object is to provide in the improved safety razor novel means for mounting the razor blade and for mounting and supporting the movable parts cooperating with said blade to reciprocate the same.

With the above objects in view, as well as others which will appear as the specification proceeds, the invention comprises the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as now to be fully described and as hereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that the disclosure herein is merely illustrative and intended in no way in a limiting sense, changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts being permissible so long as within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a safety razor ready for use and having the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding with the showing of Fig. 1, except that the handle is partly broken away, and the hinged plate is in open position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the safety razor as it would appear from the top of the sheet in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, central, longitudinal sectional view of the safety razor ready for use, disclosing the razor blade in longitudinal section and the handle partially broken away;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view as on line 5—5 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of a tractor element.

With respect to the drawing, 10 denotes a supporting and guard plate provided upon its under side with a central boss 11 having an opening 12 to tightly fit upon an end 13 of a hollow handle 14, the handle having an annular flange 15 adjacent its end 13 against which said boss 11 engages. See Fig. 4. The supporting and guard plate 10 is provided at its opposite side edges with the usual guard fingers 16, extending gently in direction adjacent the handle in any preferred manner. At one of its ends the plate 10 is provided with spaced ears 17 to receive a hinge pin 18, and at its opposite end said plate 10 is provided with a downturned lip 19.

A retaining plate 20 is arranged above the supporting and guard plate 10, and is provided at one of its ends with an ear 21 curved about the pin 18, completing a hinge pivotally supporting the retaining plate upon the supporting and guard plate. At its other end the retaining plate is provided with a downturned curved lip 22 adapted to engage against the lip 19, as in Fig. 4, to maintain the retaining plate in closed position. The retaining plate 20 is cut away to provide a central approximately rectangular opening 23 adapted to be situated longitudinally of the plate 10 when the plates 10 and 20 are in operative relation. Small brackets 24 secured to the retaining plate 20 adjacent the opposite ends of the rectangular opening 23, as by screws 25, include bearings 26 for the opposite ends of a roller 27. As disclosed, each bracket 24 includes a length of material 28 flat upon the retaining plate 20 and having the screws 25, a length 29 extending away from said plate 20 and perpendicular to said plate, a length 30 extending inwardly of the razor and parallel to the length 28 and to the supporting and guard plate when assembled with-the retaining plate, and a length 31 parallel to the length 29 and perpendicular to the plate 10, said length 31 having the bearing 26. The lengths 29 of the different bearings provide thrust walls of the brackets limiting longitudinal movement of the roller 27 when said brackets are fast to the retaining plate 20, and situating said roller upon said retaining plate. See Fig. 4.

The roller 27 is mounted at the side of the rectangular opening 23 opposite the supporting and guard plate 10, and includes a cam 32 desirably midway between the brackets 24, and tractor elements or like devices 33 between the cam and each bracket. The cam and tractor elements desirably extend a slight distance into the rectangular opening 23, as in Fig. 4.

The construction of blade 34 desirably employed with the present razor is best shown in Fig. 3. It is an article now of commerce, and comprises a body portion having cutting edges 35 at its opposite sides, a circular opening 36 through its center, and elliptical slots 37 at or adjacent its ends and arranged at its longitudinal center.

Studs 38 mounted upon the supporting and guard plate 10 as at 39, at the longitudinal center of said plate 10 and beneath the rectangular opening 23, are in spaced relation to the cam 32 at opposite sides of said cam when in the operative position of the razor, and are adapted to enter the elliptical slots 37 in such manner as to guide the blade when assembled with the supporting and guard plate without interfering with reciprocations of said blade.

A lever 40, preferably of some considerable length to have a uniform, smooth and even oscillatory motion, is pivoted in the hollow handle 14, as at 41, and projects through the circular opening 36, as at 42, when the blade is upon the support 10. The free end of the lever is bifurcated, as at 43, to ride upon the cam 32, and the portion of said lever surrounding its bifurcated part and within and adjacent to the circular opening 36 is well rounded as indicated at 44. See Fig. 4.

The supporting and guard plate 10 is provided with small spaced apart protuberances 45 adapted to engage the face of the razor blade when upon said plate 10, and the retaining plate 20 is provided with like protuberances 46 to engage the face of the blade adjacent said plate 20 when in operative position. The protuberances are, obviously, to reduce the frictional surfaces over which the blade must ride when reciprocated.

Assuming that the plates 10 and 20 are in hinged relation and the plate 20 is in its open position, as in Fig. 2, the blade is placed upon the protuberances 45 of the plate 10 so that the studs 38 enter the slots 37 and the free end of the lever 40 enters the opening 36. The plate 20 is then closed, the protuberances 46 coming into engagement with the blade, the cam 32 entering the bifurcated portion of the lever, and the lips 22 and 19 cooperating, in a manner clearly apparent from Fig. 4, to insure that said plate 20 will remain closed and not become accidentally opened. The safety razor is used in the usual manner, being moved in a line substantially perpendicular to the line of the cutting edge of the blade, while the tractor elements 33 contact with the skin. The contact between said elements and the skin causes the roller and the cam 32 to revolve, and the lever 40 associated with said cam to oscillate. Oscillation of the lever, naturally, reciprocates the blade, said blade riding uniformly, smoothly and evenly over the protuberances 45 and 46. The studs 38, it will be noticed, are approximately the width of the slots 37, so that the blade is effectually guided to move longitudinally in a truly straight path during reciprocation, there being no transverse movements of the blade liable to jab into the skin.

It will be seen that while the blade reciprocating mechanism includes a minimum number of parts, the direct association of said mechanism with the blade itself without use of a special blade holder or like device, provides a simple and sensible construction capable of being easily actuated to impart to the blade longitudinal reciprocatory movements of uniform, smooth and even character, said blade moving, during its reciprocations, in a line coinciding with the line of its cutting edge.

What I claim is:

1. In a safety razor, a razor blade supporting plate, a retaining plate for the razor blade, a hollow handle upon said supporting plate, means upon said supporting plate adapted to enter longitudinal slots in said blade to guide the same, and mechanism associated with said retaining plate and said handle and directly associated with said blade for imparting reciprocatory longitudinal movements to said blade, said mechanism including a cam upon said retaining plate, and a lever pivoted in said handle and adapted to pass through an opening in said blade and be operatively associated with said cam.

2. In a safety razor, razor blade supporting and guiding means, a hollow handle associated with said supporting and guiding means, and mechanism for imparting reciprocatory longitudinal movements to said blade, said mechanism including a roller, devices upon said roller adapted to be engaged with the face of a shaver to advance said roller, a cam fixed upon the roller, and a lever pivoted in said handle and adapted to pass through an opening in said razor blade and be operatively associated with said cam.

3. In a safety razor, razor blade supporting and guiding means, a hollow handle associated with said supporting and guiding means, and mechanism for imparting reciprocatory longitudinal movements to said blade, said mechanism including a lever pivoted in said handle and adapted to pass through an opening in said razor blade, a roller, devices upon said roller adapted to be engaged with the face of a shaver when the razor is in use to advance said roller, and a cam fixed upon the roller and adapted to be associated with said lever.

4. In a safety razor, razor blade supporting and guiding means, a hollow handle associated with said supporting and guiding means, and mechanism for imparting reciprocatory longitudinal movements to said blade, said mechanism including a lever pivoted in said handle and having a bifurcated end portion adapted to pass through an opening in said razor blade, a roller, devices upon said roller adapted to be engaged with the face of a shaver when the razor is in use to advance said roller, and a cam fixed upon the roller and adapted to be associated with the bifurcated portion of said lever.

5. A safety razor comprising a supporting plate, a retaining plate hinged to said supporting plate, a hollow handle upon said supporting plate, means upon said supporting plate adapted to enter longitudinal slots in a razor blade adapted to rest directly upon said supporting plate to guide said razor blade, a roller mounted upon said retaining plate and including a cam and traction members adapted to be propelled by contact with the face of a shaver as the razor is used, and a lever in said hollow handle and adapted to pass through an opening in said razor blade and to be operatively associated with said cam, whereby when said roller is advanced said lever is oscillated to reciprocate said razor blade.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 10th day of March A. D., 1927.

EARL C. BUNNELL.