This invention relates to safety razors used primarily for shaving and more particularly to razors which have finger-engaging means thereon providing a handle for the razor.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a safety razor having means thereon for facilitating the manipulation of the razor during shaving to render the razor highly maneuverable and to permit the user thereof to dispose the razor at every conceivable angle so that the shaving action can be done with ease and dispatch.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a razor having a shaft and a finger-engaging handle rotatably mounted on the shaft, so that the razor may be easily held by the fingers and the handle rotated relative to the shaft to dispose the fingers at any angle relative to the edge of the blade inserted in the razor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a handle for razors which, when placed in use in a manner contemplated by the invention, permits the user to bring the razor blade into operative relationship to the face in a relatively large number of different positions or angles so that, notwithstanding facial irregularities and other factors, a clean, smooth shave can be obtained.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the razor made pursuant to my present invention, the handle thereof being shown in one rotative position;

FIG. 2 is the razor shown in FIG. 1, with the handle illustrated in a second rotative position;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the razor illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the razor held in an operative position by the thumb and index finger of the user thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the razor illustrating the same in an operative position utilizing the thumb, index and middle fingers of the user thereof.

This application is a continuation in part of my earlier application Serial No. 766,843, filed October 13, 1958, now abandoned.

The razor which is the subject of this invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 10 and comprises a shaft 12, a blade mounting means 14 and handle means 16.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, shaft 12 is formed from a rigid material, such as sheet metal or the like, and, being substantially polygonal in plan form, is provided with a pair of opposed ends 18 and 20. The longitudinal edges 22 of shaft 12 intermediate ends 18 and 20 are substantially arcuate as shown in FIG. 3 to increase the transverse dimension of shaft 12 at end 20 thereof to accommodate the blade-mounting means hereinafter described. Although the embodiment of shaft 12 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive illustrates the same as comprised of a sheet of rigid material, it is clear that shaft 12 could be of any plan form and transverse cross section.

Blade-mounting means 14 is comprised of a polygonal projection 24 integral with shaft 12 at end 20 of the latter and extending outwardly from one face 25 of shaft 12 and disposed relative to the latter at an angle, as is clear in FIGS. 1 and 2. Projection 24 is provided with a first surface 26 adapted to engage one side of a conventional razor blade 28 and is further provided with a longitudinal edge 30 spaced from end 20 of shaft 12 for engaging the cutting edge 32 of blade 28. An elongated channel 34 is formed integral with projection 24 proximal to edge 38 of the latter to provide a portion of surface 26 out of contact with blade 28. To retain blade 28 on surface 26 an elongated band 36 is disposed in overlying spaced relationship to surface 26 and secured at the ends 38 thereof to opposed side margins 40 of projection 24, as is clear in FIG. 3. Band 36 is substantially parallel to edge 30 of projection 24 and is disposed on the latter intermediate edge 38 and end 20 of shaft 12. Blade 28, as shown in the drawings, is a conventional single edge blade having a transversely U-shaped portion 42 surrounding the edge thereof opposite to cutting edge 32. When blade 28 is inserted between surface 26 and band 36 the marginal edges of portion 42 engage the corresponding longitudinal edges of band 36 and blade 28 is releasably held therebetween by virtue of the frictional engagement thereof with the sides of the blade. It is clear that a conventional double edged blade could be used with blade-mounting means 14, such a blade being also held between surface 26 and band 36 by the frictional engagement therewith. It is further conceivable that blade 28 could be held between surface 26 and band 36 by virtue of means mounted on band 36 in the nature of a setscrew or the like for locking blade 28 in a fixed position relative to edge 30 of projection 24.

Handle means 16 includes an element 44 having a pair of elongated, transversely U-shaped members 46, each having a bight 48 and a pair of opposed extremities 50 spaced from bight 48 thereof. Members 46 are joined at one extremity 50 of each by means of a part 52 integral with members 46 and extending substantially the length of the latter, as is clear in FIG. 3. Element 44 is formed from a sheet of rigid, bendable material such as sheet metal and is open at the ends thereof to permit one finger or several fingers of the user of razor 10 to be inserted into one member 46 or both members 46, respectively, so that razor 10 may be held to accomplish the shaving action by the user thereof.

Element 44 is rotatably mounted on shaft 12 by virtue of pivot means 54 in the form of a rivet 55 extending through part 52 and shaft 12 proximal to end 18 of the latter and having a pair of opposed heads 56 and 57, respectively, as is clear in FIG. 2. A spring washer 58 is inserted on rivet 56 between shaft 12 and head 57 and is provided with an undulating outer surface engageable with the underside of rivet 57 for yieldably biasing head 57 outwardly from shaft 12. Rivet 55 is disposed centrally of part 52 to mount the latter on face 25 of shaft 12, and the tension on rivet 55 by virtue of the frictional engagement of head 57 thereof with washer 58 forces part 52 into tight frictional engagement with face 25 to preclude free rotation of element 44 relative to shaft 12. To change the position of element 44 relative to shaft 12, a slight amount of effort is required to overcome the frictional force existing between part 52 and face 25 to cause element 44 to rotate to the desired position.

In operation, the fingers of the user of razor 10 may be inserted within element 44 in any manner, but two different ways of holding razor 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4 the index finger 59 of the left hand 60 of the user is inserted in element 44 to engage bight 48 of one of members 46. The thumb 62 engages the outer surface of bight 48 so that element 44 is effectively grasped between finger 59 and thumb 62. It is clear that shaft 12, and thereby cutting edge 32 of blade 28, can be shifted relative to the finger 59 or thumb 62 by manually manipulating shaft 12 with the right hand (not shown) of the user of razor 10. In this way razor 10 may be used so that any number of rotative positions thereof can be utilized to shave a surface, such as the face of the user, notwithstanding the irregularities thereof.

Another manner of using razor 10 is to insert index finger 59 and middle finger 64 of hand 60 within both members 46 of element 44 and to support the latter on hand 60 by virtue of thumb 62 engaging both members 46 proximal extremities 50 thereof. Used in this way, shaft 12 may be shifted relative to element 44 by moving the thumb 62 in engagement with one of side margins 40 of projection 24 to force the latter in one direction and thereby rotating shaft 12 relative to element 44. To rotate shaft 12 in the opposite direction thumb 62 engages the opposite side margin 40 to force the latter in the opposite direction.

Razor 10 as described above permits the user thereof to accomplish the shaving action desired in an easy manner and with dispatch, so that the surface to be shaved can be covered by the cutting edge 32 of blade 28 with a minimum of effort, since shaft 12 can be rotated relative to element 44 to shift the cutting edge 32 into an infinite number of positions.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A razor comprising a shaft; means on one end of said shaft for mounting a razor blade thereon; and tubular finger-receiving means carried by said shaft proximal to the other end thereof for rotation about an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said shaft and providing a handle for said razor, whereby said finger-receiving means may be shifted relative to said blade-mounting means.

2. A razor comprising an elongated shaft provided with a face longitudinally disposed therealong; means on one end of said shaft for mounting a razor blade thereon including a polygonal projection having a blade-engaging surface thereon and extending outwardly from the face of said shaft, and a band secured to opposed side margins of the projection and spaced from said surface in overlying relationship thereto, whereby a blade may be mounted on said surface and held thereon by said band; finger-receiving means carried by the shaft proximal to the other end of said shaft and including a pair of elongated, transversely U-shaped members each having a pair of elongated, opposed extremities, and a part joining an extremity of each of said members to form a rigid tubular element providing a handle for said shaft; and pivot means carried by said shaft and engaging said part for rotatably mounting the latter on said face of the shaft, whereby the element may be rotated relative to said shaft to vary the angularity between the edge of the blade and the extremities of said members.

References Cited in the file of this patent

United States Patents

880,735 Heissenberger Mar. 3, 1908

971,772 Millar Oct. 4, 1910

1,201,317 Lishawa Oct. 17, 1916

1,500,643 Scalbom July 8, 1924

2,211,255 Claassen Aug. 13, 1940

2,648,129 Streeter Aug. 11, 1953

Foreign Patents

123.509 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1919