To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Edward Cyril Bowden-Smith, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Careys, Brockenhurst, in the county of Hampshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Stropping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method of stropping razors, and other instruments requiring a very sharp edge, and to means for carrying it into practice.

The object of this invention is to render the successful stropping of a razor independent of the skill of the operator and to construct apparatus of a simple and efficient nature in which the razor may be readily inserted and withdrawn after stropping.

These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1, is an end view of the machine in elevation; Fig. 2, is a side elevation of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, is an end view of the machine showing the machine opened out for the insertion or removal of the razor.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A and B are two rollers covered with a stropping surface C, say of buck-skin leather, or the like; they are carried in side frames D attached to a base plate E and the roller A is provided with a cranked handle F by which it is rotated in its bearings, the friction between the surfaces of the two rollers being sufficient to rotate both.

The roller B is supported primarily in bearings at the end of the arms G which are pivoted about the cross bar I carried by the brackets H H forming part of the side frames. The arms G bring the spindle J of the roller B over into the guide recesses K K of the side frames D where the surfaces of the two rollers will come into contact at L and they are kept pressed against each other by means of the angular springs M N of which the horizontal leg M works in brackets P P on the side frames and the spring leg N works in grooves O on the spindle J; the leg M is prevented from coming out of its bearings by the projection Q on the base E against which it presses. In order to prevent the rollers being turned backward and thus against the sharp edge of the razor a ratchet wheel R is provided attached to the roller A and a spring ratchet S is carried by the base E so as to gear into the ratchet teeth, thus allowing movement in one direction only.

The razor holder is formed of two angular plates T, and T¹, embracing the cross bar I between them after the fashion of a hinge and combining together beneath the cross bar to form the jaws which grip the razor V; as will be seen from the drawings, these jaws have a series of corrugations so that they are adaptable to razor blades of different depths or so that the position of the blade against the rollers may be varied. The jaws are kept closed on the razor by means of springs U, U¹, in the upper portion of the holder.

In operating the machine, the springs N N are first pressed out of the grooves O of the spindle J, which being released allow of the roller B being turned back as shown in Fig. 3, (or as dotted in Fig. 2,); the razor holder T, T¹, is then turned into the position shown in Fig. 3, and the razor inserted, after which it is turned down again until the razor touches the surface of roller A; the roller B is then turned back into contact with A, and upon replacing the springs N in the grooves O, it compresses the edge of the razor V between the rollers; by turning the handle F, the stropping is effected and the razor may be withdrawn by again releasing the roller B.

Various substances may be used as the covering surface of the rollers, for instance, buck-skin, leather, or any substance that is now in use on an ordinary strop for imparting a quicker stropping effect to the razor. Paste or powders may also be applied, to the roller in the same way.

I am aware that prior to my invention razor stropping machines have been made with stropping rollers revolving on each side of a razor blade and in stropping contact therewith. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly, but,

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:—

1. In a razor stropping machine, the combination with a roller covered with stropping material, of a frame work having end plates with bearings for the roller spindle, a cranked handle for turning same, brackets on the end plates carrying a cross bar, a razor holder pivoted on the said cross-bar, a second roller covered with stropping material and means also pivoted on the cross bar for supporting same in removable and adjustable contact with the first mentioned roller.

2. In a razor stropping machine, the combination with a roller covered with stropping material, of a frame-work having end plates with bearings for the roller spindle, a cranked handle for turning same, brackets on the end plates carrying a cross bar, a razor holder pivoted on the cross bar, a second roller covered with stropping material, pivoted links carrying bearings for the second roller, forks in the end frames forming guides for the latter, and means for retaining the roller in the said guides.

3. In a razor stropping machine, the combination with a roller covered with stropping material of a frame-work having end plates with bearings for the roller spindle, a cranked handle for turning same, brackets on the end plates carrying a cross bar, a razor holder pivoted on the cross bar, a second roller covered with stropping material, pivoted links carrying bearings for the second roller, forks in the end frames forming guides for the latter, a groove in the end of the second roller spindle, a spring actuated angular lever for retaining the roller in the said guides, hinges for same, and a shoulder on the base against which the end thrust is taken.

4. In a razor stropping machine, the combination with two revolving rollers covered with stropping material, of a frame for supporting same, a crossbar supported by brackets on the said frame, a razor blade holder composed of two crossed plates so as to form a pivot on the cross bar, and means for enabling the said plates to securely grip and hold the razor between the revolving rollers.

5. In a razor stropping machine, the combination with two revolving rollers covered with stropping material, of a frame for supporting same, a crossbar supported by brackets on the said frame, a razor holder composed of two crossed plates so as to form a pivot on the cross bar, and one or more coiled springs pressing outward on the crossed plates so as to cause the opposite ends of the plates to grip the razor.

6. In a razor stropping machine, the combination of a roller covered with stropping material, with a framework having end plates with bearings for the roller spindle, a cranked handle for turning same, a cross bar supported adjacently to the rollers, a razor holder connected to the cross bar having spring actuated corrugated jaws to grip the razor, a second roller covered with stropping material, links pivoted on the aforementioned cross bar having bearings for the second roller, forks on the end plates to act as a guide for the roller, and spring actuated levers for pressing the rollers into contact with each other.

7. In a razor stropping machine, the combination of a roller covered with stropping material, with a framework having end plates with bearings for the roller spindle, a cranked handle for turning same, a cross bar supported adjacently to the rollers; a razor holder connected to the cross bar having spring actuated corrugated jaws to grip the razor, a second roller covered with stropping material, links pivoted on the aforementioned cross bar having bearings for the second roller, forks on the end plates to act as a guide for the roller, spring actuated levers for pressing the rollers into contact with each other, and a ratchet wheel on one of the rollers with a spring ratchet preventing the revolution of the rollers in a backward direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Edward Cyril Bowden-Smith.

Witnesses:

Francis Henry Sheppee,

John Edward Gibbs.