To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James W. Leslie, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wakefield, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Safety-Razors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to safety-razors and it has for its object the production of a simple, easily and cheaply constructed and efficient razor of the class referred to, the cutting blade being held in its operative position in a positive and accurate manner while permitting the ready removal from or insertion of the blade in the holder.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety-razor embodying one form of my present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a front face view of the back plate, showing the blade seat thereon and the usual guard on its lower edge; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the front plate, detached from the back plate, said plates when fixedly secured together constituting the blade-holder; Fig. 5 is a view of the cutting blade, in elevation; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are cross-sections of Figs. 5, 4 and 3 respectively on the lines 6—6, 7—7 and 8—8; Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 9—9, Fig. 1, showing the blade in the blade-holder; Fig. 10 is a similar view of a modification to be described; Fig. 11 is an end view of the blade shown in Fig. 10.

I have herein shown the blade-holder as comprising a rigid back plate b and front plate f, the former having suitable teeth b′ at its lower edge, and cut away on its front face to form a transverse blade-seat b², the overhanging shoulder b³ serving as a guide for the back of the blade c, and a narrow groove b⁴ is made in the plate b just beneath the shoulder for a purpose to be described, Figs. 3 and 9. At its ends the back-plate is cut out or notched at b⁶, and a handle b³ is rigidly secured to the rear face of said plate in any suitable manner. The other member of the blade-holder, viz: the front plate f, shown separately in Fig. 4, is in outline substantially the same as the back plate, but of less depth, and it decreases in thickness to present a thin lower edge f′, while its inner face is shaped to fit squarely upon the part of the plate b above the shoulder b³, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9. Opposite the seat b² the inner face of the plate f is slightly convexed so as to diverge from the seat upward toward the shoulder b⁴, leaving a substantially triangular space between the opposed faces of the front and back plates. Into this space the cutting blade c fits easily, but as shown in Figs. 2 and 9 the depth of the blade is such that its cutting edge c′ projects beyond the edge f′ of the front plate, the latter edge resting upon the face of the blade with a yielding pressure and holding the blade firmly in its seat.

On the back face of the blade I form a longitudinal rib or lip c² which enters the groove b⁴ and prevents any displacement of the blade transversely of its length, the pressure of the front plate on the blade holding it against longitudinal movement.

The plates are rigidly and permanently connected by screws b^✕ or other suitable fastenings, and the blade is inserted by pushing it sidewise into the triangular space formed by the shoulder b³, seat b², and opposite face of the front plate f, the rib or lip c² sliding along the groove b⁴, the ends of the blade lying flush with the ends of the front plate f. Of course when the blade is thus inserted the lower edge or lip f′ of the front plate is pressed outward by the blade passing beneath it, and to increase the resiliency or spring of the front plate it is cut away or reduced in thickness transversely, as at f².

The extremities of the blade are exposed at the back of the holder by the notches b⁵, and in such exposed parts of the blade I prefer to make small holes c³, Fig. 5, so that by means of a pin or other small pointed article inserted in a hole the blade can be withdrawn sidewise from the holder.

When a blade becomes dull it can thus be readily removed for sharpening, and a fresh blade inserted in the holder, no setting or adjustment of the latter being required and hence I eliminate the chance of any part getting out of order or failing to perform its proper function.

The whole device is very simple, compact, and efficient, and it will be manifest that the two-part blade-holder can be made easily and cheaply and readily assembled.

The back of the blade rests against the shoulder b³ so that very little strain comes upon the rib or lip c² of the blade, such rib serving to guide the blade accurately, along the seat into operative position, and thereafter preventing any downward movement of the blade.

When the razor is in use the spring pressure of the lip of the front plate upon it holds it securely upon its seat on the back plate, preventing any accidental longitudinal displacement of the blade.

As the front plate extends across the notches b⁵ of the back plate the holes c³ in the blade are hidden, and after the blade is pushed properly into place it can be removed only from the back of the holder, in the manner previously described.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 10 the front plate f is constructed as described, and is secured to the back plate b^✕, the latter being slightly changed to present below the overhanging shoulder b³ a rib or lip b¹⁰ extending across the face of the plate above the blade-seat b².

The blade c^✕, shown in end view Fig. 11, has a transverse groove c¹⁰ formed in its rear face, so that when the blade is inserted in the holder the rib or lip b¹⁰ on-the latter enters the groove c¹⁰ in the blade. Such arrangement is practically a reversal of the rib and groove arrangement illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein the rib is on the blade and the cooperating groove in the back plate of the blade-holder.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:—

1. A safety-razor having a rigid back plate provided with a transverse blade-seat and having teeth at its lower edge, a front plate rigidly secured to the back plate and having its lower edge pressed yieldingly toward the seat, said front plate being reduced in thickness transversely at its outer face to increase the resiliency of its lower edge, and a thin blade slidable sidewise between said plates onto the seat, the pressure of the lower edge of the front plate on the blade from end to end adjacent its cutting edge retaining the blade in place on the seat.

2. A safety-razor having a rigid nack plate toothed at its lower edge and provided with a transverse blade-seat having a recess adjacent thereto extending the length thereof, a rigidly attached front plate having its lower edge pressed yieldingly toward the back plate along its toothed lower edge, a thin blade slidable sidewise between said plates onto the seat and pressed upon the seat by the lower portion of the front plate acting thereupon adjacent its cutting edge and lugs on the blade to enter the recess adjacent the seat and position the blade thereon.

3. A safety-razor having a rigid back plate toothed at its lower edge and provided with a transverse blade-seat having a recess adjacent thereto and extending the length thereof, a rigidly attached front plate having its lower edge pressed yieldingly toward the back plate, a handle fixedly secured to the back plate, a thin blade slidable endwise between the plates, and lugs on the blade to enter the recess adjacent the seat as the blade is pushed into place, the cutting edge of the blade extending below the lower edge of the front plate, the pressure of the latter upon the blade adjacent its cutting edge holding it firmly on its seat.

4. A safety-razor comprising a blade-holder consisting of a rigid back-plate having a blade-seat, and a rigidly and permanently attached front plate extended over the seat and having a resilient lip adapted to press against the face of the blade adjacent its cutting edge and retain it on the seat, a blade movable sidewise into position on the seat, means to guide the blade in its sidewise movement on the seat, and a handle connected rigidly and directly to the back-plate.

5. In a safety-razor, a blade-holder consisting of a rigid back-plate having a toothed lower edge and a blade-seat on its front face, a handle attached to and substantially at right angles to the back-plate, and a fixedly attached front plate overhanging and completely covering the seat and having a resilient lower edge or lip adapted to press yieldingly upon the blade adjacent its cutting edge when the blade, is seated.

6. A safety-razor comprising a blade-holder consisting of a rigid back-plate having a blade-seat, a fixedly attached front plate overlying the seat and having a resilient lower edge to yieldingly press upon the face of the blade adjacent its cutting edge and force the blade onto the seat, a blade movable sidewise into position on the seat, and a longitudinal lip or rib on one of said parts to enter a guide groove formed in the other part, to govern the side-wise movement of the blade into operative position.

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

James W. Leslie.

Witnesses :

John C. Edwards,

Margaret A. Dunn.