To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles W. Speece, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Ilinois, have invented a new and useful Razor-Blade Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cutlery and has special reference to razors.

The objects of the invention are to provide a temporary holder for supporting during honing or stropping the thin “wafer”-blades used in safety-razors so constructed and arranged that it will do more than merely hold the wafer-blade, and to provide a holder which, in combination with the wafer-blade, will constitute substantially an ordinary hollow ground razor having a thin, removable cutting-blade so that the cutting-portion of the blade may be renewed at small cost when damaged or when found lacking in quality.

With the above-named general objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the drawing and incorporated in the claims.

In the drawing—Figure 1 is a perspective view of a razor and wafer-blade-holder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 3—3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4—4 of Fig.2. Fig.5 is a transverse section of the holder, partly broken away. Fig. 6 shows substantially one-half of the clasp portion or head of the tool. Fig. 7 is a full size view of an ordinary “wafer-blade.”

The device herein shown comprises a head 2 which constitutes a clasp in two leaves or sections 3 and 4 hinged together at 5. The opposite ends of the two leaves or sections 3 and 4 are formed into two halves of a threaded tang or socket portion, which is shown as slightly tapered and as having threaded engagement with a threaded and tapered socket 8 in the handle 9. In order to insure a true adjustment of the threaded halves 6 and 7 upon each other I secure a pin or stud 10 on the inner face of the leaf 3 and provide the leaf 4 with an aperture 11 which fits the projecting part of the pin 10. The adjacent inner faces of the hinged sections 3 and 4 are recessed, the section 3 having a recess 12 (Fig. 6) which substantially fits the blade 13 (Fig. 7). The ordinary form of blade has perforations 14 which engage suitable studs in the ordinary safety-razor. Where the blade is to occupy a fixed position with relation to the head 2 studs 15, whose projections are equal to the thickness of the blade, may be provided in the face of the recess 12. These studs will then engage the apertures 14. The curved ends 16 and 17 and the abutments 18 and 19 formed by the recessing of the section 3 are also adapted to hold the blade firmly therebetween. The recess 12, where no adjustment of the projecting edge 20 (Fig. 3) is desired, will be made to conform with the configuration of the blade.

I have provided a construction, which will permit adjustment of the blade 13 so that its edge 20 may be projected more or less, as may be desired, or to provide for the decrease in width of the blade due to frequent grindings or sharpenings of its edge or edges 20 and 25. In the recess 26 is an elastic pad 27, which may be made of rubber or any suitable material which will yield to pressure. This pad is so arranged that it will firmly press against one side of the blade when the hinged sections 3 and 4 of the head 2 are closed as shown in Fig. 4. The compressed material in the pad will tend to expand into the perforations 14 when the blade is clamped between the two sections or leaves of the head, and prevent sliding movement of the blade under the strain imposed upon it while being stropped, ground or honed.

As shown in Fig. 3 the recess 26 is gradually deepened toward the back of the head 2 and the rubber or elastic material 27 is wedge-shaped. This gives it substantial body or thickness where it need not necessarily be very thin and comparatively deficient in elastic support under the blade, as at the edge of the head 2, designated at 28. As shown best in Fig. 3, the head is substantially triangular in cross section, like an ordinary razor-blade, and its sides are slightly concaved, said sides meeting substantially at the edge of the wafer-blade. As shown in Fig. 1, my device as a whole, with the blade inserted, is substantially an ordinary razor provided with means for removing or renewing the delicate cutting part of the blade, the head and the “wafer”-blade in that case forming one ordinary razor-blade which may be hollow ground, stropped and treated generally in the usual manner. As is well known, the thin “wafer”-blades made of the finest cutting material are and can be manufactured at an exceedingly small cost, so that they can be profitably retailed at less than 50 cents per dozen. The construction of a holder embodying my invention also involves but very little expense. The two sections 3 and 4 may be cast including their hinge and threaded tang portions and the method of joining handle and tang and at the same time clamping the two parts of the head together involves substantially only a minimum of expense. In order that the simple joint between handle and head shall be firm provide shoulders 29, 29 against which the threaded socket of the handle may be screwed up as tightly as may be necessary and leave sufficient space 30 between the end of the shank and the bottom of the socket to insure a firm friction engagement between the rim of the socket and the shoulders 29. The threaded shank is tapered in order to facilitate the insertion of the shank into the socket, the outer end of the socket being large and roomy for the small end of the shank. Again, if the blades should vary in thickness so that the two halves of the shank come together with varying degrees of proximity the tapered hole and shank will adjust themselves to such variations within certain, reasonable limits owing to the compressibility of the pad 27. In the event that they do not come together closely and the shank is wedged into the socket the shoulders 29 will, of course, not come into contact with the end of the socket-part, but the pad 27, being compressed upon the blade and between the leaves 3 and 4, will exert outward pressure upon said leaves and thus tend to expand the two halves of the shank against the handle socket. One turn of the handle after the threaded parts have taken hold is ordinarily sufficient to tighten the handle on the head, and the operation of removing the handle, opening the head, inserting a blade and again closing the parts may, accordingly, be performed very rapidly. The only part of my improved razor which need be made of ordinary razor-material, or fine steel, is the thin blade and when this is damaged or nicked the damage amounts to only a few pennies instead of the loss of the whole razor, and may be repaired instantly. Furthermore the same tool can be provided with any kind of a cutting edge desired without the aid of skill by simply selecting and inserting any one out of a dozen wafer-blades, the whole lot of which would cost less than a cheap razor.

The operation of the invention as a holder for safety-razor-blades while the latter are being ground, honed or stropped will be obvious from the foregoing description. The tapered, or knife-edge, form of the head when laid flat upon a strop or stone brings the surface of the latter to the proper angle with reference to the edge of the wafer-blade.

I claim as my invention—

1. A razor blade holder comprising a pair of leaves or sections which are hinged together and have threaded tang portions adapted to engage a threaded socket; a handle provided with a threaded socket adapted to engage said tang portions to lock said leaves or sections together, and elastic friction material between said leaves or sections.

2. The combination with a wafer blade, of a holder therefor which consists of a pair of hinged together leaves which constitute a blade-holding head; a handle for said head; means for locking said handle and head together; said wafer blade arranged between the leaves of said head so that only the cutting edge of said blade is exposed; said head having hollowed or concaved sides which substantially meet at the edge of said blade, and elastic material compressible upon the blade between the leaves of said head for the purpose of holding said blade against movement relatively to said head.

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

Charles W. Speece.

Witnesses:

M. C. Allen,

John A. Newstedt