To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Oscar V. Ball, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety razors and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide a safety razor with two cutting edges and a guard for said edges so that either edge of the razor can be used at any time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety razor in which the blade is arranged longitudinally of the handle so that the blade may be used in a manner similar to the ordinary razor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a double edged safety razor of few parts which can be readily stropped or honed and in which either edge of the blade may be used in the manner similar to the ordinary razor without danger of cutting the face.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safety, razor made in accordance with my invention, said view showing the blade side of the razor. Fig. 2 is a side view and partial section of the razor looking at the guard-side thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the razor guard. Fig. 4 is a side elevation and partial section of the razor blade connected to a stropping handle. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stropping handle. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the blade and guard on the line 6—6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a detail partial side elevation of the double edged blade and the integral shank connected thereto, the blade being shown broken away.

Referring to the drawing for a more specific description of my invention, the numeral 1 designates the double edged razor blade, said blade being beveled upon opposite sides from the central line 2, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6. Extending from one end of the blade is a round shank 3, provided with screw threads 4 at its outer end. The guard comprises a plate bent from a central point 5 upon opposite sides to lie flat upon either side of the blade 1, said guard having spaced guard points 6. Integrally connected with the guard is a tubular handle 7.

A milled head 8 provided with a reduced plug 9 is fitted within the tube 7 and provided with a shoulder 10 against which the outer end of the tube 7 bears, said plug having a threaded socket 11 into which the threaded end 4 of the shank 3 is fitted, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. When the milled head 8 is turned the shank 3 is drawn outward until the inner end 12 of the blade is seated in a notch 13 in the tube 7, thus holding the blade and the guard firmly in relative position. The razor blade may be quickly detached from the guard by turning the milled head 8 to disconnect the plug from the threaded portion 4 of the shank 3.

To strop the razor blade, a stropping handle is provided, said stropping handle having a substantially tubular guard 14 designed to protect one of the edges of the blade 1 while the other edge is being stropped. A tubular handle 15 is formed on the guard 14, said handle having oppositely disposed notches 16 in which the end 12 of the blade is fitted. The milled head 8 is then connected to the tubular handle 15 by inserting the plug 9 and turning the head until the shank 3 is drawn outward to engage the end 12 of the blade in the notches 16. When one of the edges of the blade has been stropped or honed, the blade may be reversed within the guard 14 for stropping the other edge as will be understood.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that a razor made in accordance with my invention may be used like the ordinary razor, that either edge may be brought into requisition and that both edges can be readily stropped or honed and that the razor as a whole can be manufactured at a low cost, being composed of few parts which can not readily get out of order.

Having thus described the invention, what, is claimed as new, is:—

1. A safety razor comprising a double edged blade, and a shank extending from one end of said blade, a guard for each edge of the blade, said guard comprising a single piece of sheet metal having an integral tubular handle, and a milled head provided with a socketed plug for connecting the shank to the handle of the guard.

2. A safety razor comprising a double edged blade, a shank extending from one end of said blade, a double guard, and means for securing the blade to the guard.

3. A safety razor comprising a double edged blade, a shank extending from one end of the blade, a guard, an integral tubular handle, said handle provided with oppositely disposed notches to engage one end of the blade, a milled head provided with a socketed plug, the latter being connected to the shank of the blade to hold the same in place in the guard.

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

Oscar V. Ball.

Witnesses:

S. H. McLaughlin.

S. R. Schatz.