To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Edward J. Deneen, of Oneida, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Safety-Razor and Hair-Cutter, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in combined safety-razors and hair-cutters, in which a suitable supporting-frame is provided with ways for the reception of an adjustable comb and a razor-blade, which latter is held between the comb and frame, and the frame is adapted to receive a suitable handle at either end, while the comb is provided with means for receiving the same handle and supporting it at substantially right angles to the comb and blade.

One of the objects of this invention therefore is to enable the handle to be used at either end or at the comb side of the frame, so that the razor or comb side may be used alternately with either the right or left hand, or when the handle is attached to the comb side the cutting edge is always presented to the face and in this position may be used either for shaving or trimming the hair or beard.

A further object is to provide the comb-guard with suitable notches or marks which are adapted to be registered with the edge of the razor-blade to indicate the correct relative position of the comb and blade for use in shaving.

A still further object is to interpose a thin guard-plate between the comb and razor-blade near their working edges to prevent contact of the teeth of the comb-guard with the cutting edge of the razor-blade, thereby preventing nicking or dulling said cutting edge.

Another object is to convex one side of the frame to fit the adjacent concave face of the razor and to make the razor-blade-receiving pocket shallow enough to allow the guard-plate to impinge the razor-blade against said convex face when the guard-plate is clamped in position, so that the razor-blade is held solely by the clamping of the guard-plate.

The broad object of the invention, however, is to provide a combined safety-razor and hair-planer capable of being used in the right or left hand and in which either the comb or razor side may be applied to the face or hair.

Other objects and uses will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined safety-razor and hair planer or trimmer, showing the handle in full at one end and in dotted lines as applied to the comb side of the device. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 2 2 and 3 3, Fig. 1, and 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the detached comb and guard-section. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the detached supporting-frame. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the razor-blade. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the handle.

In carrying out the objects stated I provide a suitable substantially rectangular frame consisting of a top bar 1, end pieces 2, and transverse bars 3 and 4, all of which parts are formed of metal, the metal bar 1 and transverse bars 3 and 4 being united at their ends to the end pieces 2 to form a rigid integral structure adapted to receive a comb 5 and razor-blade 6. The top piece 1 is formed with a central threaded aperture 7 for receiving a clamping-screw 8, which is adapted to be passed through an elongated slot 9 in the comb-section 5 for permitting the adjustment of said comb-section and clamping it in its adjusted position. The end pieces 2 are each provided with a threaded aperture 8′ for receiving the threaded end 9′ of a suitable handle 10, and it is therefore apparent that this handle may be screwed or secured in either of the apertures 8 to be used in connection with either end of the frame for right or left hand shaving or hair-trimming. These end walls 2 are also provided with lateral slots or ways 11, in which the opposite ends of the comb-guard 5 are slidingly mounted and held in operative position while being adjusted between the main frame and suitable flanges 12 for forming the outer walls of the grooves 11. The whole frame is comparatively thin transversely of the blade and comb-section, so that either the comb or blade side of the device may be used for trimming the hair or shaving, as may be desired.

The lengthwise bar 3 is depressed to one side of the plane of the grooves 11 and its face is preferably convex transversely, as best seen in Fig. 2, to conform to the concave face of the razor-blade, which it is adapted to engage and against which the razor-blade is seated.

The bar 4 connects the lower ends of the end pieces 2 and is separated from the lower edge of the bar 3 to form an intervening slot or space 13, through which the razor-blade may be inserted, with one of its concave faces resting upon the convex faces of the bar 3, the space 13 being equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the back of the razor-blade in order that the latter may be readily inserted from the lower side upwardly through the opening 13. The opposite edges of this bar 4 are substantially parallel with the lower edge of the bar 3 and are therefore parallel with each other, and the inner face of the bar 4 is disposed in a plane coincident with one side of the slots 11, so as to form a bearing for the free ends of the comb-teeth from end to end of the frame when said comb is placed in its guides 11.

The guard-plate or comb 5 is adjustable in the guides 11 and is provided with a series of comb-teeth 14 and with comparatively shallow notches 15, extending inwardly from its lower edge at opposite ends of the portion of the guard-plate in which the comb-teeth are formed, the depth of these notches 15 being uniform and serving to determine the amount of the projection of the teeth 14 beyond the cutting edge of the razor-blade in the manner presently described. This guard-plate 5 is also made of comparatively thin sheet metal and provided with a central boss 16 and a suitable finger-piece 17, the boss 16 being provided with a threaded aperture 18, similar to the apertures 8′ for receiving the threaded end of the handle 10, while the finger-piece 17 serves as a means for effecting the adjustment of the blade 5 along its ways 11 in its supporting-frame 1.

The blade 6 is of the ordinary type used in safety-razors, and when seated in its recess in its supporting-frame one of its concave faces rests upon and against the convex face of the bar 3, with the back of the blade resting against the lower face of the lengthwise upper bar 1, while the cutting edge extends through the slot 13 and its opposite cutting-face engages and lies in close proximity to the bar 4,so that the razor-blade is practically interposed between the bars 3 and 4 and also between the bar 3 and guard-plate 5. The cutting edge of the razor-blade extends a slight distance beyond the lower edge of the bar 4. This bar 4 is quite thin and serves as a separator between the cutting edge of the razor-blade and lower part of the guide or comb-plate 5 to prevent contact of the teeth of the guard-plate with the cutting edge of the razor-blade, and at the same time enabling these parts to be brought together.

It is now obvious that my invention comprises, essentially, a supporting-frame, razor-blade, and guard-plate or comb with means for holding the guard-plate in its adjusted position, and a suitable handle which is adapted to be secured to either end of the frame or to the side of the guard-plate.

In assembling the parts of my invention the razor-blade is inserted back foremost and from the under side through the slot 13 until its back edge comes in contact with the lower face of the bar 1 and one of the concave sides of the blade resting against the convex face of the bar 3. This brings the lower portion of the razor-blade closely against the bar 4, with its cutting edge projecting slightly beyond said bar. The guard-plate 5 is next placed in operative position, with its opposite ends seated in the ways 11, and this blade is adjusted until the upper edges of the notches 15 are registered with the cutting edge of the razor-blade 6, in which position the slot 9 is registered with the aperture 7, and the clamping-screw 8 is then inserted through the slot 9 and engaged with the threaded aperture 7 until the head of the clamping member 8 is impinged against the adjacent face of the plate 5. It is now apparent that this plate 5 is held in the ways 11, and by tightening the screw 8 said plate is firmly impinged against the protruding portion of the back of the razor-blade and forces said receptacle firmly against the convex seat of the bar 3.

It will be observed upon reference to Fig. 2 that when the guard-plate 5 and razor-blade are clamped in a manner just described the distance between the upper portion of the bar 3 and adjacent face of the plate 5 is considerably greater than the distance between the lower portion of the bar 3 and adjacent blade of the plate 5 and that the lower portion of the blade 6 bears against the side of the bar 4 opposite to that engaged by the guard-plate 5, and therefore the razor-blade is firmly held against edgewise movement, and, in fact, the mere act of clamping the blade 5 against the adjacent face of the razor-blade tends to force the back of said razor-blade against the lower edge of the bar 1, thus firmly holding the blade against accidental movement while in this position.

In operating my invention as a safety-razor the guard-plate is adjusted so as to bring the upper edges of the notches 15 into exact registration with the cutting edge of the razor-blade, whereupon the clamping-screw 8 is tightened to hold the guard-plate in its adjusted position. The handle 10 may then be screwed into the aperture 18, so as to project from the comb side of the supporting-frame, which brings the razor-blade at the opposite side ready for use in shaving, although it is clearly evident that by tilting the whole device at a greater angle than is necessary for shaving the comb edge may be drawn through the hair or beard to cause the razor edge to trim the hair or beard to the desired length,

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