To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, August William Scheuber, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Stropping-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a stropping-machine which can be made of simple construction, light and compact, and by means of which a razor-blade can be effectively stropped.

The invention resides in certain novel features of construction set forth in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which—

Figure 1 shows a stropping-machine, partly in section, embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a blade-holder. Fig. 4 is a section along x x, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section through the blade-holder. Fig. 6 shows the position of parts when the device is moving in one direction. Fig. 7 shows the device moving in the opposite direction.

In the drawings is shown a handle a, with a pintle or stem b. Mounted upon the pintle is a blade-holder-supporting frame comprising a roller c, carrying at its terminals arms d, to which is pivotally connected the blade-holder e, adapted to receive or hold a blade f. The blade shown is of the so-called “safety-razor variety;” but of course no limitation of the invention is thereby implied. When the roller c is held or pressed to a strop g and moved back and forth thereon, such roller with arms d and holder e are oscillated or rocked, so that the arms and holder will move or slide along the strop in advance of the roller no matter in which direction the device is being moved on the strop. At the same time the friction of the roller sliding along the strop keeps the holder or the blade edge in contact with the strop. The blade is shown in the holder with its edge facing or turned in the direction of the roller. As the machine is run in one direction, Fig. 6, or the opposite, Fig. 7, the blade is moved along the strop in the direction from the heel to the edge to sharpen the latter. The blade-holder is eccentrically pivoted in the arms d with that portion to receive the back of the blade farthest removed from the roller, so that the weight of the blade will by gravity lift the edge and hold the latter out of contact with the strop except when the roller is pressed against and slid along the strop. A practical way has been found to be to have the holder support the blade with its heel and edge, respectively, on opposite sides of the lugs e′ or the pivot-line of the holder. The moment that the pressure on the roller e is relieved or that the motion of the roller is stopped or started to reverse the edge lifts or moves clear of the strop, as indicated by those dotted outlines in Fig. 5 showing the heel part of the holder in contact with the strop, while the edge is clear. The edge of the blade is thus prevented from catching or cutting the strop, even during rapid operation or reversing. It is also to be noted that upon the beginning of a reverse or return stroke the blade by reason of its gravity or overbalance is lifted edge first off the strop and as the arms d, with the holder and the contained blade, approach the end of the revolution about the pintle b the heel or heavier portion of the blade or holder is first brought into contact with the strop. This counteracts the initial shock. The delicate edge of the blade is thus relieved from violent impact or shock and is subjected only to the pressure required for sharpening.

A convenient way of constructing the blade-holder is to form two sections or blanks of metal or suitable material, the body parts e being each formed with lugs or pivot parts e′. By suitably riveting or securing the two halves together, as indicated, by rivets h in the lugs the holder with pivots is formed. This holder being open at its back and at parts of its side edges possesses resiliency or permits the insertion of various-shaped blades. As blades of more or less varying dimensions or thickness are forced or pushed into the holder the cheeks or sections thereof spring more or less to receive and suitably hold such blade during stropping. The blades can be conveniently inserted and withdrawn at the back or heel part of the holder. The blade-holder can swing, but not rotate, in the arms d. The lugs e′ are shown flat or non-circular, as are also the seats or holes in the arms for the support or bearing of these pivot-lugs. These holes are shown flaring or somewhat resembling triangular shape. The holder thus has a certain swing or play in the arms, but cannot rotate to turn the edge of the blade in the wrong direction or away from the roller. When the device is put into operation, the holder carried by the arms will force or hold the blade evenly to or against the strop. The arms being extended from opposite portions of or rigidly secured to the ends of the roller will properly support or carry the holder to and from the strop as the roller rocks or oscillates on pin b. The device when in use transmits practically all the pressure brought to bear upon it to the blade, as no gears or springs are required, the resistance of which has to be overcome. The roller c in addition to being rotative or rocking on the pin b is also capable of a certain lateral play or transverse movement thereon. The free end of the pin is shown headed, and a spring i presses or holds the roller to this head. A washer k can be placed between the spring and roller. When the roller is pressed or rests firmly on a strop, any slight lateral movement of the hand of the operator grasping handle a toward the roller will tend to slide the pin in the roller and compress spring i without the roller itself being slid transversely or moved off the strop. The spring i also serves to prevent the roller c swinging too freely, so that the tendency of the arms and holder to drop to vertical position when first applied to the strop is thereby overcome.

The directions for use of this device are manifest. The strop being hooked or connected to some suitable fixed point and held or stretched in horizontal position, or approximately so, the roller is pressed onto the strop and moved back and forth along the same, the roller with arms thus being rocked to slide first one face and then the other of the blade or edge portion along the strop.

The jaws or cheeks of the blade-holder extend beyond the heel of the blade when inserted into the holder, and by having these heel or projecting portions of the holder bent or made to approach one another the blade is securely held and cannot shift or become displaced during operation.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—

1. A stropping-machine comprising a frame and a blade-holder pivoted thereto, and disposed to throw the edge of the razor-blade toward the frame.

2. A stropping-machine comprising swinging arms and a blade-holder eccentrically pivoted in the arms.

3. A stropping-machine comprising a handle and a pintle, a roller rotatably mounted upon the pintle, arms rigid with the roller, and a blade-holder pivotally connected with the arms.

4. A stropping-machine comprising a handle, a headed pintle, a roller mounted on the pintle and provided with arms, a blade-holder pivotally associated with the arms, and a spring coacting with the roller.

5. A stropping-machine comprising a roller, arms rigid therewith, a blade-holder pivotally associated with the arms, and a pintle supporting the roller and on which the latter has lateral and transverse play.

6. A stropping-machine comprising a roller provided with arms, and a blade-holder eccentrically connected therewith for limited oscillatory movement.

7. A stropping-machine comprising a handle, a frame rotatably mounted thereon, and a blade-holder pivotally associated with the frame, and having that portion to receive the back of the blade farthest removed from the frame, thereby to cause the weight of the blade, by gravity automatically to lift the edge thereof and hold the latter out of contact with the strop, except when pressure is applied to the device.

8. A stropping-machine having a blade-holder made of two halves or pieces with body and lug portions, and riveted or secured to one another at such lug portions or ends.

9. A stropping-machine having a blade-holder with an open contracted rear or heel portion to securely hold the blade while allowing insertion and withdrawal of said blade at said rear portion.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

August Wm. Scheuber.

Witnesses:

Louis Wolfgang,

E. F. Kastenhuber.