To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Frederick A. Clauberg, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Handle Supports, of which the following is a specification.

A requisite in a razor is that the handle shall be so devoid of bulk and so light in weight as to be no impediment whatever to the user's free manipulation of the razor, and hence the lighter and less bulky the handle the more desirable and salable the razor. Bone, horn, ivory, celluloid, gutta-percha, and like brittle and frangible substances, because of their lack of bulk and weight in proportion to their strength, are frequently, almost universally, employed for razor-handles; but they do not afford a sufficient resistance for the strain put upon the rivets used to insert the blade and unite the partsof the handle to stand too constant handling, and particularly to withstand the effects of being handled roughly and being dropped. If it were possible in razor-handles to reinforce the bone or other like substance of the handle by linings or scales of metal, as is done in pocket-knife handles, and solder, braze, rivet, or otherwise fix to such scales the sides and bolsters common in pocket-knives, then my invention would be unnecessary; but it is not possible so to do, and for one main reason. that the handle would be so bulky, but especially so heavy, as to be refused by barbers.

Now the object of my invention is to so reinforce the ordinary light-weight razor-handle as to avoid the objections stated and secure the strength necessary to minimize liability of breakage; and to this end the invention consists of shields, supports, or bolsters made of thin, strong metallic shells of the contour of the handle, applied exteriorly to such handle at both ends, and receiving the ends of the rivets, all as I will proceed now more particularly to set forth and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a side view with the blade partly open. Fig. 2 is an edge view with the blade closed. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the blade open, but broken off. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the shields, bolsters, or supports, looking toward its inside. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inner side of one end of the handle, showing the manner in which the edge of the support or shield extends around the edge of the handle. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the outside. Fig.7 is a cross-section taken in the plane of line x x of Fig. 1, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane of line y y of Fig. 1.

In practicing my invention I form the handle of two pieces A of wood, bone, ivory, or other material best adapted for the purpose and possessing the requisite lightness and strength while of slight bulk. I then form shields, supports, or bolsters B, of sheet or cast metal, but mere shells in thickness and weight, and curved transversely and longitudinally to the external contour of the ends of the handle, and these bolsters I apply to the substance of the handle exteriorly and overlying it by rivets or pins C or otherwise, and at that end of the handle opposite which the blade is fixed the sides of the handle and the bolsters are firmly united by a rivet D, passed through all and headed outside of and upon the bolsters, a spacing-block E being interposed first between the sides of the handle at this point. Where the handle is made of material that may be softened, as celluloid, &c., the bolsters are pressed or embedded in the same; but in any case it is desirable that the outer surfaces of the bolsters shall be flush with the outer surfaces of the handle. The bolsters, shields, or supports B at the end of the handle where the blade F is pivoted are constructed and applied as just described, saving that no spacing-block is used, and the rivet H, used to unite the handle, also serves as the pivot on which the blade turns. The blade is tapered at its shank G, so as to fit with sufficient friction in the handle to assist in holding the blade in position. Now it will be observed that the rivets D and H are headed on the metallic shields and not on the brittle and frangible material of the handle, and hence they are greatly strengthened to resist strain and against being loosened and pulled out. Moreover, these metallic shields greatly reinforce the rivets against the strain put upon them in honing and stropping, and also very materially relieve the handle of such strain. Still further, the advantages of metallic bearings or anchorages for the rivets are secured without adding metal linings or scales to the handle and without bringing the cutting-edge of the blade into contact with metal; and, still further, the addition of the metallic shields does not add materially or even appreciably to the weight or bulk of the handle, but does permit it to be made quite as light as of old, and admits of its ornamentation, and finally, the shields inclose and therefore protect the ends of each side of the handle.

What I claim is—

1. In a razor, the blade and its handle, combined with metallic shields shaped to conform to the sides of the handle and rivets for uniting the blade and handle, passed transversely through and having their ends anchored in said shields, substantially as described.

2. A razor-handle having the shell-like shields B, curved longitudinally and transversely to conform to the ends of the sides of such handle and applied externally to and inclosing said ends, combined with rivets for uniting the shields and the sides of the handle and other rivets anchored in said shields for uniting the sides of the handle at one end and connecting the sides of the handle and the blade at the other end, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 10th day of October, A. D. 1891.

Frederick A. Clauberg.

Witnesses:

J. S. Zerbe,

Thomas Myers.