This invention relates to safety razors of the type in which a thin flexible blade is clamped between co-operating blade-shaping and supporting members and maintained by them in a position of transverse curvature for shaving. The present invention comprises a novel razor construction in which the relative position of such members is controlled more accurately and with greater convenience to the user than in razors of this type heretofore known.

It will be appreciated that in replacing a used blade or removing a blade for purposes of cleaning, it is desirable to separate the blade-shaping members quickly and completely, so that the blade may be reached and withdrawn without obstruction or danger of cutting the fingers. It is also desirable to expose fully the blade-receiving face of that member of the razor to which the new blade is presented, so that the user may conveniently locate the blade upon positioning means provided for that purpose.

In the novel razor of my invention there is employed a cap member which comprises co-operating sections separately pivoted for transverse or lateral swinging movement from an open, blade-exposing position to a position covering the blade. An important feature of the invention consists in a carrier or spider member upon which the cap sections are pivotally mounted and which is arranged to be moved, first to cause a closing movement of the cap sections and then to move the cap sections bodily in their closed position to flex the blade and clamp it with a desired degree of pressure for shaving. As herein shown the construction is such that the continuous uninterrupted movement of the carrier is made effective to produce these two dissimilar movements of the cap sections accurately and in the proper timed relation, positively and with sufficient force or pressure to insure complete and quick flexing of the blade.

Preferably and as herein shown the carrier is associated with a blade-supporting member which may be the usual guard of a safety razor. By arranging the carrier for movement from a position below the blade-supporting face of the guard to a position elevated with respect thereto the blade may be picked from the guard and elevated into a position in which it may be conveniently removed from the razor. From this standpoint the carrier has the function of an elevator operating to lift the blade from the face of the guard as the cap sections are swung into open position and to lower the blade into engagement with the guard as the cap sections are swung into closed position.

It is desirable further to provide means for locking the cap sections in their closed or blade-flexing position and while they are being moved to plant or release the blade. As herein shown this is accomplished by providing each of the cap sections with an arm or arms passing through openings in the blade-supporting member and so designed as to lock the cap sections by engaging their arms when the carrier is lowered below a predetermined point in its path of movement.

The invention includes, as another feature, novel means for actuating the cap sections in their swinging movement. As herein shown, each cap section is equipped with a cam member having a face shaped to engage an operatjng pin as the carrier is moved with the cap sections in closed position and to swing into a position to clear or partially clear the operating pin as the cap sections themselves are swung into their open position.

The carrier may be operated by any suitable mechanism. As herein shown, for example, the razor handle is provided with a threaded spindle and an operating nut by which the user may shift the spindle longitudinally in the handle and the continuous movement of the spindle in one direction or the other is utilized to move the carrier in the appropriate direction and to bring about the movement of the cap sections as already explained.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,—

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the complete razor;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section, on an enlarged scale, showing the razor in shaving condition;

Fig. 3 is a view of the razor-head in longitudinal section, on line 3—3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of the razor-head showing progressive steps between the fully closed and the fully opened positions of the razor;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, on a still further enlarged scale, of the head of the razor in open condition; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary views in perspective showing details of the connection of the cap sections to the carrier or spider and guard.

As illustrated herein the razor is provided with a stationary guard member 10 having a somewhat convex blade-supporting face provided with fulcrum shoulders 12 over which the blade is flexed when clamped in shaving position. The longitudinal edges of the guard member are provided with guard teeth 14 of conventional type except that each tooth is provided in its upper face with a notch, these notches collectively forming a longitudinal groove for the support of a cap section in open position, as will presently appear. In its under face the guard member 10 is provided with a central longitudinal rib 18 and opposite to the rib 18 and in its upper face the guard member is provided with a corresponding longitudinal groove 20.

The guard member 10 is integrally connected to the head 22 of the handle, the latter being shouldered and spun or flanged into a circular opening in the center of the guard member. At its lower end the handle head 22 is shouldered to receive the barrel 24 of the handle and this in turn receives and forms a bearing for an elongated cylindrical nut 26. The head of the nut projects beyond the barrel 24 of the handle within convenient reach of the user, while the body of the nut extends upwardly within the barrel, being held against longitudinal movement by a circular groove 28 in which it receives a rib formed by indenting the barrel 24 of the handle. The nut 26 is hollow and is provided at its inner and upper end with an internal thread in which is received the lower threaded end of a longitudinally movable spindle 30. The spindle 30 makes a sliding fit in the bore of the handle head 22 and is limited in its longitudinal movement by a short slot 34 into which projects a stationary pin 32 from the head of the handle.

The cap sections 44 are carried at the upper end of the spindle 30 in a manner which will now be set forth. The spindle 30 is provided at its upper end with a cross-bar 36 which extends longitudinally across the body of the guard 16 and is of such cross-section as to fit within the groove 20 already referred to. At each end the cross-arm 36 is provided with a short downwardly extending arm 38 and this in turn merges into an outwardly extending arm 40. The outwardly extending arms 40 are received in notches extending downwardly through either end of the rib 18 of the guard and each arm carries at its outer end a transverse bar 42. The cross-arm 36 with its connected transverse bars 42 constitutes a vertically movable carrier or spider in the razor upon which the cap sections are mounted.

The two cap sections 44 are similar in shape and are inwardly concave and shaped to flex the blade over the fulcrum shoulders 12 of the guard member when in shaving position. Each cap section is provided at its ends with downwardly extending arms 46 and these are pivotally connected by pivot pins 48 to the ends of the transverse bars 42 so that each cap section is free to swing transversely about the axis of the pivot pins 48, these axes being parallel to the cross-arm 36. The arms 46 are disposed inside the bars 42 and swing in contact with their inner surfaces. The outer edge of each cap section, extending between the arms 46, is the critical edge which engages and flexes the blade upon the surface of the guard.

Each of the arms 46 is provided with a semi-circular cam piece 50 and these, in the closed position of the cap sections, stand with their flat sides uppermost, or perhaps slightly inclined inwardly, as best shown in Fig. 4. The cam pieces 50 are disposed concentrically with respect to the axis of the pivot pins 48 about which the cap sections swing. They project inwardly from the inner face of each of the arms 46 and the guard member 10 is vertically notched to permit the passage of the arms and cam pieces. A stationary pin 52 is set in each of these notches, projecting from the guard member into a position to be engaged by the outer end of the flat face of its associated cam piece 50 as the latter is lifted. In the continued upward movement of the spider the stationary pin 52 acts first to swing the cam piece 50 and with it the corresponding cap section and in the continued upward movement of the spider the cam pieces are finally swung into a substantially vertical position in which they clear the stationary pins 52 so that the whole spider may be carried upwardly with the cap sections into a position above the surface of the guard member 10.

The swinging movement of the cap sections, and consequently upward movement of the spider, is limited by the engagement of the outer longitudinal edge of each cap section with the groove formed by the notches in the guard teeth 14, as best shown in Fig. 7. On the other hand, downward movement of the spider from its uppermost position causes the cap section arms to swing inwardly because their outer ends are supported in fixed position by the engagement of the cap section edges with the guard teeth, while the point of pivotal connection is moved down with the spider. Each end guard tooth 14 is widened outwardly so as to underlie a portion of one of the cap section arms 46 when the latter are swung into an outward position. Consequently, in the downward movement of the spider the arms 46 are drawn downwardly and inwardly over the rounded surface of the end guard teeth and are swung until they assume a vertical position as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this position they are free to move up and down with the spider without further angular movement and are moreover locked with the cap sections in contiguous relation.

The razor is provided with a thin flexible blade 60 internally apertured to receive the cross-arm 36 as a positioning means, determining accurately the transverse position of the blade and the position of its cutting edge with respect to the guard teeth. The internal aperture may be provided with transverse enlargements to receive other positioning means on the cap member, for example such as the two pins 58 shown in Figs. 4 to 8. These pins engage in such an enlargement and accurately determine the longitudinal position of the blade.

The razor is adapted to receive thin flexible blades of any design so long as they are provided with an internal aperture of the proper shape to receive the particular blade projections (such as the rib 36 and the pins 58) with which it may happen to be equipped, and with corner recesses affording clearance for the passage of the arms 46 of the cap sections. The blade shown in Fig. 8 is one example of a suitable blade now in commercial production.

It will be apparent that the bodily up and down movement of the spider and cap sections, relied upon for flexing the blade and determining its degree of transverse curvature, and also the transverse swinging movement of the cap sections 44 take place in properly timed relation in response to the continuous actuation of the nut 26 by the user. Assuming that the razor is closed and the blade flexed and clamped in shaving position, as shown in Fig. 4 and that it is desired to open the razor to replace the blade or for purposes of cleaning; the user has only to turn the nut 26 in a counter-clockwise direction causing the spindle 30 and the spider carried thereby to move upwardly. During the first part of this movement the spider is lifted vertically with the cap sections 44 locked together until the blade is fully released and allowed to assume a flat position, as shown in Fig. 5. In this position the semi-circular cam pieces 50 are represented as having been moved just into contact with the stationary pins 52. As the user continues to turn the nut 26 and further elevate the spider the stationary pins 52 begin to bear down upon the outer ends of the flat side of the cam pieces 50 and cause these to rock, with the connected cap sections transversely and outwardly, as shown in Fig. 8. This movement continues until the flat edge of each semi-circular cam piece 50 has assumed a substantially vertical position and at this time it has been elevated bodily, so that instead of underlying the corresponding stationary pins 52 it is free to pass upwardly past its inner face, as shown in Fig. 7. The upward movement of the spider may then be continued without further swinging of the cap sections until the outer edge of each section 44 is seated firmly in the longitudinal groove extending along the guard teeth 14. This not only limits the opening movement of the parts to a convenient amplitude but also supports the cap sections in their open position, so that they are not likely to be bent or broken even should the razor be dropped in this condition. In this final elevating movement the spider picks the blade 60 from the surface of the guard 10 and holds it in an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 7.

In this condition the blade may be removed for cleaning or replacement and when the user desires to close the razor and clamp a new blade in shaving position he may do so by turning the nut 26 in a clockwise direction thus retracting or lowering the spindle 30, moving the spider downwardly and swinging the cap sections into their closed and locked position, as shown in Fig. 5. When this position has been reached further turning of the nut 26 carries the spider downwardly and the cap sections 44 are moved in their closed relation into flexing engagement with the blade 60. The degree of flexing and consequently the edge exposure of the blade may be regulated and adjusted by varying this final movement of the spider.

It will be noted that the line of engagement between each cap section 44 and the flexible blade 60 falls outside the axis of pivotal movement of the section. Consequently, the resiliency of the blade tends to close the cap sections and is effective at all times to take out of the parts any lost motion which might appear as the result of wear in long use.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:—

1. A safety razor comprising a member having a blade-supporting face, a cap for flexing a blade thereon consisting of sections pivotally mounted respectively adjacent to the longitudinal edges of said member and outside its blade-supporting face, and means for moving the closed cap sections as a unit toward and from said face in a path at right angles thereto and for swinging the cap sections for covering or uncovering the same.

2. A safety razor comprising a member having a blade-supporting face, a cap for flexing a blade thereon consisting of sections pivotally mounted respectively adjacent to the longitudinal edges of said member and outside its blade-supporting face, and a single operating device having connections for moving the closed cap sections first as a unit toward and from said face in a path at right angles thereto and then for simultaneously swinging them to cover or uncover the same.

3. A safety razor comprising a guard member having a blade-supporting face, a carrier movable with respect to said face into and out of position to engage a blade resting thereon, and cap sections pivotally mounted on the carrier for swinging movement toward and away from said face.

4. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-supporting face, a carrier having a blade-lifting portion which is movable from a position below said face into an elevated position with respect thereto and being adapted in said movement to pick up a blade from said face, and cap sections mounted on the carrier and arranged to be opened when the carrier is elevated.

5. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-supporting face, a carrier having a blade-lifting portion which is movable from a position below said face to a position above it, and cap sections pivotally mounted upon said carrier and having connections with the guard whereby they are swung transversely as the carrier is moved.

6. A safety razor comprising a member having a blade-supporting face, a carrier having a blade-lifting portion which is movable with respect to the plane of said face, cap sections pivotally mounted upon said carrier, and connections arranged to lock the cap sections against separating movement while the carrier is located below said face and to unlock them when the carrier is moved above said face.

7. A safety razor comprising a blade-supporting member having a convex face with openings therethrough, a carrier having blade-lifting portions and being movably related to said member, and cap sections having arms extending through said openings and pivotally connected beneath the blade supporting member to said carrier, whereby the carrier may be moved to cause the cap sections to flex a blade more or less against the convex face of said member or to carry the points of pivotal connection through said openings.

8. A safety razor comprising a blade supporting member, a carrier movably mounted thereon, cap sections pivotally connected to the carrier, and having operating means constructed and arranged to move the carrier and closed cap sections first as a unit and then to swing the cap sections on the carrier in unclamping a blade which has been clamped in position upon said blade-supporting member.

9. A safety razor comprising a blade supporting member, a carrier mounted for movement adjacent to said member, cap sections pivotally connected to the carrier for movement about parallel axes, and operating means constructed and arranged first to swing the cap sections on the carrier and then to move the carrier and the closed cap sections as a unit in clamping a blade in position upon said blade-supporting member.

10. A safety razor comprising a blade-supporting member, a carrier having blade-lifting bars located at each end of said member and being mounted to move with reference to the face thereof, cooperating cap sections pivotally mounted between said bars and means for swinging said cap sections transversely at a predetermined point in the path of movement of the carrier.

11. A safety razor comprising a guard, a handle rigidly connected thereto, a carrier having blade-lifting faces and being movably mounted upon the guard, operating means in the handle for moving the carrier up and down with respect to the guard, and cap sections pivotally mounted on the carrier and so related to the guard as to be locked against transverse movement while the carrier is in lowered position and to be freed to swing outwardly when the carrier is elevated.

12. A safety razor comprising a guard having openings therein, a handle rigidly secured to the guard, a carrier having blade-lifting faces and being movably mounted upon the guard, operating means in the handle for moving the carrier up and down with respect to the guard, and cap sections having downwardly extending arms passing through the openings in the guard and thus locking the cap sections against transverse movement while the carrier is in lowered position.

13. A safety razor comprising a blade-supporting member, a carrier mounted for movement adjacent to said member and having cap sections pivotally connected thereto, and cam elements for swinging the cap sections mounted in the sections and in the blade-supporting member respectively and which are arranged to be brought into operative contact by the movement of the carrier to a predetermined point.

14. A safety razor comprising a blade-supporting member, a carrier movable therein and having cap sections pivotally mounted thereon, a cam secured to each cap section and a cooperating actuating pin for each cam projecting from said blade-supporting member.

15. A safety razor comprising a guard having fulcrum shoulders, a flexible blade adapted to be flexed thereover, swinging cap sections, and an elevator movable automatically in timed relation to the cap sections and arranged to lift the blade from the guard when the cap sections are opened.

16. A safety razor having a guard provided with guard teeth, and a relatively movable carrier having cap sections pivotally mounted thereon, the guard teeth being arranged to engage and support the cap sections in their open position.

17. A safety razor having a blade-supporting member, a longitudinally disposed blade-locating bar movable thereon, a blade internally apertured to receive said bar, fixed spaced pins projecting from the blade-supporting member adjacent to the end of the bar and adapted to engage in transverse enlargements of the blade aperture, and cap sections movable with said bar and co-operating with the blade-supporting member to flex the blade thereon.

18. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-shaping face, a blade carrier including bars extending transversely across the ends of the guard and being located below the face of the guard when the razor is clamped in shaving condition, and co-operating cap sections pivotally mounted on the carrier.

19. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-supporting face, a blade carrier including a longitudinal bar disposed above the face of the guard and spaced transverse bars located below the face of the guard when the razor is clamped in shaving condition, operating mechanism connected to said longitudinal bar, and co-operating cap sections pivotally mounted on said transverse bars.

20. A safety razor comprising a guard having a blade-supporting face, a blade carrier including a longitudinal bar disposed above the face of the guard and transverse bars suspended from the ends of the longitudinal bar and located below the face of the guard when the razor is clamped in shaving condition, a flexible double edged blade slotted to permit the passage of said longitudinal bar and to rest on said transverse bars when the razor is opened, and cap sections pivotally mounted on the carrier.

21. A safety razor comprising a guard having a face for supporting a thin flexible blade adjacent to its cutting edges, a carrier having blade-lifting portions, and co-operating cap sections pivotally mounted on the carrier and having sliding connections for movement in a straight line path of limited extent with said guard.

22. A safety razor comprising a blade-supporting member with openings on its ends, a carrier mounted for movement with respect to said member and having blade-lifting portions, a flexible double edged blade having corner recesses arranged to overlie the end openings of the supporting member, and cap sections having arms extending downwardly through said openings and recesses and adapted for pivotal connection with the carrier member.

Joseph Muros.