To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Merrick A. Mihills, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety-razors; and the object of my improvements is to provide a razor of the character hereinafter described having a blade provided with a back slidably mounted in a slotted stem or handle and having a guard mounted on said handle and provided with a sleeve slidably mounted on said stem or handle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved razor suitably adjusted to be used by the right hand; Fig. 2, a side view of same suitably adjusted to be used by the left hand; Fig. 3, an inverted view of the opposite side of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a side view of the sleeve detached from the stem; Fig. 5, an end view of the sleeve; Fig. 6, a side view of the stem detached from the sleeve, blade, and guard ; Fig. 7, a view of the opposite side of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, an end view of the stem; Fig. 9, a view of the inner face of the guard; Fig. 10, an end view of the guard detached from the blade; Fig. 11, a side view of the blade detached from the stem and guard; Fig. 12, an end view of the blade; Fig. 13, an end view of the blade and guard assembled; Fig. 14, a side view of a sleeve of modified construction; and Fig. 15, an end view of the sleeve of modified construction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a represents a hollow tubular stem or handle having secured in each end a plug or stop a′ and provided in one side and midway between its ends with a longitudinal opening a² and having on the same side at each end a slot a³, extending from the end of the stem to the end of the opening a². Formed in the opposite side of the stem is a longitudinal groove a⁴, communicating at each end with a perforation a⁵.

b represents a cutting-blade having a back b′, adapted to fit the tubular opening in the stem and to slide endwise therein with the blade projecting through the slot a³. Said back b′ is adapted to be removed from the stem through the openind a².

c indicates a guard removably secured to the blade by means of the lugs c′, formed on the ends of the guard and engaging the ends of the blade. The guard instead of the blade may be provided with a back adapted to be slidably mounted in the stem.

d denotes a sleeve slidably mounted on the stem and provided with a perforation d′ and having in its opposite side a longitudinal slot d² to receive the blade.

e represents a resilient member, made preferably from a piece of spring-wire or the like and having one of its ends secured to the sleeve d and having its opposite end e′ arranged in and extending through the perforation d′ in the sleeve and adapted to travel in the groove a⁴ in the stem a when the sleeve is moved endwise and to enter the perforations a⁵ one at a time at the ends of the groove, and thereby prevent the accidental endwise or rotary movement of the sleeve on the stem when the razor is in use.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 14 and 15 a band or collar f surrounds the sleeve and is provided with a strew-threaded perforation in which there is mounted a thumb-screw f′, extending through the perforation d′ in the sleeve and adapted to travel in the groove a⁴ in the stem or to engage the perforations a⁵ in the same.

The razor, as shown in Fig. 1, is properly adjusted to be operated by the right hand. To adjust the razor so it may be used by the left hand, the sleeve and the blade are slid to the opposite ends of the stem, as shown in Fig. 2. Sliding the blade with the guard thereon from one end of the sleeve to the other is equivalent to changing the guard from one side of the blade to the other.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is—

1. In a razor of the class described, a tubular handle provided with a longitudinal slot having a widened portion midway of the handle, and a cutting-blade having an enlarged back slidably mounted in the handle and adapted to be removed through the said widened portion of the slot.

2. In a razor of the class described, a tubular handle provided with a longitudinal slot having a widened portion midway of the handle, a cutting-blade having an enlarged back slidably arranged in the handle and adapted to be removed through the said widened portion of the slot, and a guard removably mounted on the blade.

3. In a razor of the class described, a tubular handle provided in one side with a groove, a blade slidably mounted in said handle, and a sleeve slidably mounted on said handle and provided with a perforation, and a resilient member connected with the sleeve and having one of its ends extending through the said perforation and adapted, when the sleeve moves endwise, to travel in the groove in the handle.

4. In a razor of the class described, a tubular stem provided with a longitudinal opening midway of its length, and having at each end a slot communicating with the ends of said opening; a cutting-blade having one edge slidably mounted in the stem, and adapted to be removed therefrom through the said longitudinal opening; and a sleeve slidably mounted on, the stem.

5. In a razor of the class described, a tubular stem provided with a longitudinal slot, and having a groove in its opposite side; a cutting-blade slidably mounted in the stem; a guard for, said blade; a slotted sleeve slidably mounted on the stem, and provided with a perforation; and adjustable means mounted in the perforation in the sleeve, and adapted to engage the groove in the stem.

6. In a razor of the class described, a tubular stem having plugs in its opposite ends, and provided in one side with a longitudinal opening, and having in the same side slots extending from the ends of the said opening to the ends of the stem, and provided on its opposite side with a longitudinal groove, and having a perforation at each end of the stem; a blade having a back mounted in the stem, and adapted to be removed through the longitudinal opening in the stem; a guard removably secured to said blade a slotted sleeve slidably mounted on said stem, and provided with a perforation; and means mounted on the sleeve, and extending through the latter perforation, and adapted to engage the groove and the perforations in the stem.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Merrick A. Mihills.

Witnesses:

O. K. Trego,

I. Dareks.