To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Frederic Schnabel, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New London, Henry county, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razors; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in the following full, clear, and exact description, terminating with the claims particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to cutlery, and more especially to that class of devices therein known as “razors;” and the object of the same is to produce certain improvements in razors such as have removable blades.

Heretofore it has been common in most cases to make the blade integral with the knife-bar and pivot the latter in the handle; but in some instances the blade proper has been made removable from the knife-bar, so that it could be turned end for end, if desired, or could be replaced by a new and sharper blade when it became dull, for it is well known that although tempered with the greatest care blades do not always possess the same temper at different points along their edges, and, furthermore, in using razors some people bring more wear on the heel than on the toe of the knife-edge.

My present invention contemplates the furnishing of a number of blades with each razor, so that when one becomes dull it can be removed and replaced and so that when many of them are dull they can be stropped, honed, or conveniently ground.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of the knife-bar, so that its parts may be separated when desired, and also in the peculiar construction of the blade and the means for attaching it within the parts of the knife-bar without necessarily separating the latter.

Further details of construction are set forth in the following specification and claims, all as illustrated in the drawings hereto attached, wherein—

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the razor, showing in dotted lines its manner of use. Fig. 2 is a plan or top edge view of the same with the catch slightly sprung outward from the knife-bar, the blade being removed and shown in side elevation. Fig. 3 shows certain details.

Referring to said drawings, the numeral 1 designates the handle, which is made in two parts, as usual, connected at their rear ends, as at 2, and also at their front ends, as at 3, by a pin or screw, which forms the pivot. Just in the rear of this pivot are depressions 4 and 5 in the upper and lower edges of the two members of the handle for giving the fingers a better grip, as shown in Fig. 1.

6 is the main portion of the knife-bar, which is pivoted on the pin 3, in rear of which it has a curved portion 7, that stands under the middle finger when the device is in use. The body of this bar is cut away from the bevel 8 on its front face (which is also dovetailed slightly, as seen in Fig. 2) to its extreme outer end, and 9 is the locking-bar connected by screws 10 and 11 with the outer and inner ends of the main portion of the knife-bar, as seen. The outer screw preferably has its head adjacent the main portion and its shank passing into the locking-bar, while the inner screw 11 preferably has its head countersunk in the locking-bar adjacent the bevel, with its shank passing through the main portion. The inner end of the locking-bar is cut off obliquely, so as to fit the dovetail bevel 8 when this end is brought upward around the outer pivot-screw until the body of the locking-bar stands in true alinement with that of the main portion. At this time its beveled inner end is seated firmly in the dovetail 8, and the screw 11 holds the parts rigidly but detachably connected.

20 is a catch comprising an arm secured by a screw 21 to the back of the main portion of the bar, a lip 22, projecting from the upper edge of this arm over the main portion and preferably having a tongue 23 moving in a notch 24 in the upper edge of the locking-bar, a pin 25, extending from the body of the spring beneath and parallel with the lip and through registering holes in the two parts of the bar, with its outer end beveled, as at 26, and a handle 27 at the extreme end of this spring-arm, which handle lies flat against the main portion of the bar and is exposed for the reception of the thumb-nail through a notch 28 therein. When the nail is applied against this handle and the same is pressed to the rear, the arm springs so as to allow the lip, tongue, and pin to move rearward, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

30 designates the blade proper, which is of rolled steel finely tempered and preferably thin throughout, as concaving will not be necessary in a razor of this character. The back of the blade is straight, as at 31, and just below each upper corner is a notch 32, opening outward, as shown. With these exceptions all parts are of the desired shape and construction and their proportions and other details are entirely matters of degree.

In operation the blade is taken between the finger and thumb of the right hand, while the handle is held in the left hand. The blade is then passed obliquely upward, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 1, with its back edge inserted between the two parts of the bar and one of the notches 32 passed astride the pivot-pin 10 at the outer end of said bar. The inner end of the blade is then borne upward until its back 31 passes completely between the two parts of the bar, and as it reaches the proper position it strikes the beveled outer end of the pin 25, causes the springing of the catch, and finally abuts against the under side of the lip 22, at which time the spring of the catch will throw the pin 25 through the remaining notch 32 and the blade will be locked in position. The razor is then used as desired and as shown. If the heel or the toe of the razor should become dull and it is desired to reverse its position in the handle, or if the entire blade becomes dull and a new one must be substituted, the operation is as follows: The thumb of the left hand is pressed through the notch 28 against the handle 27 to spring the latch outward. This disengages the pin 25 from the notch 32 at the inner end of the blade, and the latter is then drawn downward and then inward, so as to entirely disengage it from the knife-bar. Thereafter it can be reversed and reinserted, or another blade can be inserted in the manner above described.

What is claimed as new is—

1. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar pivoted thereto and comprising a main portion cut away on one side from its outer end inward to an upright bevel which is dovetailed toward its center, a locking-bar for complementing this cut-away portion and having its inner end cut oblique to engage said dovetail, a transverse screw-pivot between the outer ends of these members whereby the locking-bar will move in a plane parallel with that of the knife-bar, and means for detachably fastening their inner ends; of a blade, and means for holding it between the members of the knife-bar, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar having an upright slot with a pin across the same at its outer end, and a catch carried by the knife-bar and having a pin passing removably across the slot near its inner end; of a blade adapted to enter said slot, and longitudinally-opening notches in the blade spaced to engage said pins, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar having an upright slot with a pin across its outer end, and a spring-catch attached at one end to the knife-bar and having a handle at the other end, the body of this catch carrying a pin projecting across said slot and having a beveled outer end; of a blade having openings in its body spaced to receive said pins, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar having an upright slot through its body with a pin across its outer end, a spring-catch secured to the bar and having a pin also passing across said slot, and a lip on said catch passing over the bar; of a knife having openings spaced to receive said pins and remote from its upper edge the same distance as the pin stands from the lip, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar having an upright slot through its body with a pin across its outer end, a spring-catch secured to the bar and having a pin also passing across said slot, and a lip on said catch passing over the bar and provided with a downturned tongue at its free end, that portion of the bar forward of the slot having a notch in which said tongue moves; of a knife having openings spaced to receive said pins and remote from its upper edge the same distance as the pin stands from the lip, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar having an upright slot in its body, and a spring-catch attached at one end to the rear of the body, having at its other end a handle standing opposite a thumb-notch in the back of the body and having at its center a pin projecting across said slot in the body and above the same a lip projecting over the body and carrying a downturned tongue moving in a notch in the front half of the body; of a blade, means for detachably connecting its outer end with the outer end of the body, and an opening in its inner end adapted to be engaged by said pin and remote from its upper edge the same distance as the pin stands from the lip, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a razor, the combination with a handle, a knife-bar consisting of a main portion cut away on its front half and a locking-bar adapted to complement said cut-away portion, and transverse screws removably connecting these parts at the ends of the locking-bar; of a blade adapted to fit between the parts of the knife-bar and having longitudinally-opening notches in its body one of which engages the outermost screw, and a pin removably passing through the parts of the locking-bar and through the inner notch in the blade, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my signature on this the 17th day of January, A. D. 1898.

Frederic Schnabel.

Witnesses:

Phillip Krukel,

Sam I. Shaner.