The present invention relates to razors and more particularly to a safety razor having an improved construction and arrangement of elements.

Conventional safety razors usually comprise a handle having a head at one end on which replaceable blades are mounted and clamped in position thereon. The head has a guard adjacent to but spaced from the edge of the blade to provide a space therebetween for the hair to be shaved and discharged. Also the clamp for the blade together with the guard form guides which bear against the surface being shaved at the opposite sides of the blade edge to aid in positioning the edge of the blade at a proper shaving angle to cut the hair. Safety razors, in general, are so satisfactory in use that they have practically replaced the straight razors previously used. However, the head of a safety razor can be moved in only one direction to cut the beard and, like the straight razor, must be continually manipulated manually to follow the contour of the face or other part of the body being shaved.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved safety razor in which the blade pivots to follow the contour of the area being shaved and automatically adjusts the angle of the blade relative to the skin to produce optimum shaving results at all times.

Another object is to provide a razor of the type indicated having a blade arrangement which will shave hair from the skin by movement of the razor in apposite directions.

Still another object is to provide a safety razor of the type indicated having a simple and compact construction adapted for economical manufacture and one which shaves a beard efficiently and at a fast rate with a minimum of concentration, skill or dexterity.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the following description and drawings, in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout the several views. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a razor incorporating the novel features of the present invention and shown applied to the face of a user;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the razor illustrated in. FIG. 1 and showing the blade carrier pivotally mounted to rock on the handle and the inclined blades mounted on the carrier at an angle to each other;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the blade carrier showing the edges of the opposed pairs of blades arranged in spaced relationship to each other;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the head of the razor showing the blade carrier mounted for rocking movement and the studs for clamping a blade on the carrier;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the razor and showing a light spring for yieldingly limiting the rocking movement of the blade carrier;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a blade carrier of modified construction having a structure to facilitate the adjustment of the blades toward and away from each other and quick releasable clamps to facilitate the changing of blades; and

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 7—7 of FIG. 6 to show the springs for yieldingly holding the clamps in a blade-engaging position or a blade-releasing position.

Referring now to the drawings, a razor incorporating the novel features of the present invention is shown as comprising a handle 10 having a blade-mounting carrier 11 at one end. The handle 10 has a bifurcated yoke 12 at said end on which the blade carrier 11 is pivotally mounted for free rocking movement and the carrier, in turn, mounts a plurality of blades 13 and 14. Yoke 12 comprises a sheet metal plate 15 attached to the end of handle 10 to extend at right angles thereto. The ends of the plate 15 are tapered and folded upwardly to provide spaced arms 16 and 17. Arms 16 and 17 have holes adjacent their ends to provide journal bearings for mounting the blade carrier 11 for rocking movement.

The blade carrier 11 is in the form of a plate having oppositely inclined flat surfaces 18 and 19 arranged at acute angles to a medial plane. The blade carrier 12 has a slot 20 at the apex of the oppositely inclined flat surfaces 18 and 19 which terminates short of the side edges of the carrier. Pins 21 and 22 project outwardly from the opposite ends of the carrier through the bearing holes in the spaced arms 16 and 17 to mount the carrier for rocking movement.

Each of the blades 13 and 14 is mounted on one of the oppositely inclined flat surfaces 18 and 19 with its cutting edge 13a or 14a facing the other and overlying the slot 20 in the carrier. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 5 the blades have spaced horizontal slots 23 and 24 through which the threaded shanks of bolts 25 and 26 extend and on which nuts 27 and 28 are screwed to detachably mount the blades on the surfaces. As shown in FIG. 3, the blade carrier has slots 29 and 30 to adapt each blade to be adjusted toward and away from the opposite blade.

In addition, the pivot points for the blade carrier 11 are located at or below the apex of the dihedral angle between the flat surfaces 18 and 19 so that the carrier will rock freely in the spaced arms 16 and 17. Such pivotal movement of the blade carrier 11 is initially limited by a very light loop spring 31 attached to the plate 15 of yoke 12 which will be engaged by the undersides of the oppositely inclined sections of the carrier, but the spring yields easily to permit additional rocking movement as required. One form of the invention having now been described in detail, the mode of operation is now explained.

With the face properly lathered, the razor is applied to the face in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1, which will permit the blade carrier 11 to rock relative to the handle 10 until the beveled edges of both blades 13 and 14 engage the face. The spaced edges 13a and 14a of the blades 13 and 14 provide a seat for the blade carrier 11 so as to position the blades at equal angles to the surface of the skin to be shaved. After the edges 13a and 14a of the blade have engaged the surface to be shaved the handle may be rocked relatively to the blade carrier 11 without changing the position of the carrier. At the time the razor is to be applied to the surface to be shaved the spring 31 initially holds the carrier in a fixed position relative to the handle until the edges of the blades 13 and 14 are engaged with said surface.

After the blades have engaged the surface to be shaved the razor may be moved in either of two opposite directions to shave a beard or hair from other parts of the body. If the razor is moved downwardly from the position illustrated in FIG. 1 the edge 13a of the blade 13 provides a guard spaced from the edge 14a of the blade 14 so that the latter will cut the whiskers of the beard during such movement without cutting into the skin. Vice versa, if the blade is moved upwardly on the face, the edge 14a of the blade 14 forms a guard for the edge 13a of the blade 13 which then cuts the whiskers of the beard. In either case, the leading edge or guard of one blade 13 or 14 maintains the opposite blade at a proper shaving angle to prevent it from digging in and cutting the skin. Furthermore, the blade carrier 11 and blades 13 and 14 thereon rock relative to handle 10 to follow the contour of the surface being shaved while automatically maintaining the blades at a proper shaving angle. The razor is moved back and forth over the surface to be shaved and cuts the beard when moved in either direction without digging into the skin. Upon completion of the shaving operation the razor may be easily and quickly cleaned by merely rinsing it with water, because all of its surfaces are exposed.

The proper angle of the blades 13 and 14 to cut the hair from the surface being shaved without cutting into the skin will vary with the width of the slot 20 and the fold of skin which may project between the blades. For example, it has been found that the angle between the blades should always be greater than 90° and that good results are obtained when the spacing between the edges 13a and 14a of the blades 13 and 14 is 0.03 inch and the blades are at an angle of 130° to each other. If the angle of the handle 10 relative to the blade carrier 11 is too great, the light spring 31 will engage the underside of the carrier to limit its movement before engaging the face, but then yields to adapt it to rock freely relative to the handle. This prevents the razor head 11 from flopping about randomly and positions it loosely for ease of alignment in initially applying the head 11 to the surface to be cut.

When it becomes necessary to change the blade, the bolts 25 and 26 are removed to release the blade and a new blade substituted, after which the bolts are replaced and tightened. It will be understood that the bolted construction is shown merely to illustrate a first form of construction made to test the razor.

FIGS. 6 and 7 disclose a razor of modified construction having the same handle 10 and a blade carrier 111 of modified construction for adjusting the position of the blades 113 and 114 relative to each other, and for releasing the blades for removal and replacement. In this modified construction each surface 118 and 119 of the blade carrier 111 has centrally positioned studs 131 and 132 rotatable in the oppositely inclined surfaces 118 and 119 with each stud having an eccentric 133 or 134 at its end. Located at opposite sides of each eccentric 133 or 134 and in spaced relation thereto are spaced pairs of pins 135 and 136. Each blade 113 or 114, in turn, has a horizontal slot 138 or 139 into which the eccentric 133 or 134 projects for engaging the flat edges at opposite sides, and right-angular slots 140 and 141 into which the pins 135 and 136 project. Thus, by turning a stud 131 or 132, blade 113 or 114 may be adjusted toward or away from the opposing blade.

In addition, the blade 113 or 114 is clamped in position on its surface 118 or 119 by pivoted clamping plates 142 or 143. The plate 142, for example, has ears 144 and 145 overlying the edges of the blade carrier 111 and the clamping plate is pivotally mounted thereon by means of pins 146 and 147 projecting outwardly from the carrier through holes in the ears. Clamping plate 142 also has a tailpiece 148, see FIG. 7, extending around the pivotal axis and having opposed angularly related surfaces 149 and 150. A spring 151 has one end attached to the underside of the blade carrier 111 and a free end which bears against one or the other of the angularly related surfaces 149 and 150. Preferably, the clamping plate 142 has lugs 152 and 153 projecting outwardly beyond the edges of the carrier 111 for manual engagement between the forefinger and thumb to rock the clamping plate on its pivoted pins 146 and 147 from the position shown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7. Clamping plate 143 has a construction identical with 142 described above for operation in the same way.

With the clamping plates 142 and 143 in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 7 the springs 151 acting on the flat surfaces 149 hold the plates firmly against the blades 113 and 114, but when either plate 142 and 143 is rocked to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7, the spring then holds its respective clamping plate in a releasing position to permit the blades to be removed. The spacing between the edges of the blades 142 and 143 may be easily and quickly adjusted by merely turning the eccentric 133 or 134 before its clamping plate 142 or 143 is rocked to a clamping position.

It will now be observed that the present invention provides an improved safety razor which automatically adjusts itself to follow the contour of the face and maintain a proper shaving angle regardless of the position in which the razor is held. It will be further observed that the present invention provides a razor which will shave a beard when moved in each of two opposite directions. It will be further observed that the present invention provides an improved razor of simple and compact construction to adapt it for economical manufacture and one which will shave a beard at a fast rate with a minimum of skill, concentration or dexterity.

While two embodiments of the invention are herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that further modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of elements without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, replaceable carriers may be detachably mounted on the handle, with said carriers each having cutting edges ground on the upper edge of its inclined, preferably, flat surfaces so that the cutting edges constitute an integral part of the carrier instead of on separate detachable blades mounted on the carrier. Therefore, without limitation in this respect, the invention is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A safety razor comprising a handle, a shaving head pivotally mounted on the handle freely rockable thereon and having spaced surfaces inclined at an angle to each other, each inclined surface having a cutting edge facing the cutting edge of the other surface in spaced relation thereto so that, when the razor is applied to the surface to be shaved and moved in either direction, one cutting edge acts as a guide to hold the other cutting edge at a proper cutting angle to shave hair from the skin in the space therebetween.

2. A safety razor in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cutting edges and at least a portion of said inclined surfaces are formed from replaceable razor blades.

3. A safety razor in accordance with claim 1 further comprising biasing means for positioning said head relative to said handle while yieldably permitting pivoting of said head when in use.

4. A safety razor in accordance with claim 3 wherein said biasing means is a loop strip of light spring metal mounted on said handle and pressing on the underside of said head.

5. A safety razor in accordance with claim 1 wherein the space between said cutting edges is unobstructed.

6. A safety razor in accordance with claim 2 further comprising means for adjustably setting the spacing between the cutting edges of said blades.

7. A safety razor comprising a handle having spaced arms at one end, a blade carrier having oppositely inclined surfaces with a space therebetween and pivot pins projecting from the ends of the blade carrier in a medial plane between the surfaces, said pivot pins projecting through holes in the spaced arms of the handle to mount the blade carrier for free rocking movement thereon, the pivot pins being located below the apex of the oppositely inclined surfaces of the blade carrier, a blade for each surface, and means for detachably mounting one blade on each surface with its cutting edge facing the cutting edge of the blade on the oppositely inclined surface, the edges of said blades being spaced from each other so that the edges of the blades contact the skin and tilt the blade carrier so as to position each blade at a proper cutting position, and each blade guiding the edge of the other blade when moved in either direction.

8. A safety razor in accordance with claim 2 in which the total included angle between the blades is greater than 90°.

9. A safety razor in accordance with claim 8 wherein the space between said cutting edges is about 0.03 inch and said blades are set at an angle of about 130° to each other.

10. A safety razor in accordance with claim 1 wherein said head is pivoted on said handle about an axis parallel to said cutting edges closely below the apex of the angle formed between said surfaces.

11. A safety razor comprising a handle, a shaving head pivotally mounted on the handle to rock freely thereon to follow the contour of the surface of the body to be shaved, and said head having at least one cutting edge and a guide cooperating with and so spaced from the cutting edge as to hold the latter at a proper cutting angle to the surface of the body to shave hair from the surface in the space between it and the guide without cutting into the surface.

12. A safety razor in accordance with claim 11 wherein said head is pivoted on said handle about an axis parallel to and within an area closely adjacent to said space between said cutting edge and said guide.

13. A safety razor comprising a handle, a blade carrier mounted to be freely rockable on the handle, means on said carrier to support and position a plurality of replaceable blades, said blade carrier constructed to mount said blades such that the shaving edges of a pair of said blades face one another and are spaced apart sufficiently for a ridge of skin to be pressed between the edges and further to mount said blades at an angle relative to each other such that when one blade is drawn flatly across the skin acting as a guard and guide for the cutting edge of the other facing blade the latter is positioned so as to produce the proper shaving angle therefor.