To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Levi T. Snow, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety-Razors; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in—

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of my improved safety razor. Fig. 2 a view thereof in central longitudinal section. Fig. 3 a view thereof in transverse section on the line a—b of Fig. 2, drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 a broken view of the razor in rear elevation with the pivotal operating-plate removed to expose the spring on which the razor-blade rests. Fig. 5 a detached view of the razor-blade. Fig. 6 a detached view in inside elevation of the pivotal operating-plate.

My invention relates to an improvement in safety razors, the object being to produce a simple and compact device constructed with particular reference to superior convenience and effectiveness in use.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a safety razor having certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I employ a straight tubular handle 2 formed with knurled bands or fillets 3 to improve the grip of the hand upon it. At its upper end this handle is furnished with a backing-plate 4 extended in its axial line, concavo convex in cross-section and formed along its side edges with teeth 5 which make the comb of the device. To the inner face of the backing-plate 4 I secure a wide sheet metal blade-supporting spring 6 upon which the removable rigid razor-blade 7 is placed so as to rest at points near its ends upon the square ends of the spring. The said blade is mounted, as it were, in a longitudinally movable and pivotal carrying or operating-plate 8 also concavo convex in cross-section and narrower in width than the blade 7 which is narrower than the body of the backing-plate 4 or exclusive of the comb-teeth 5 thereof. The blade 7 is reversible end for end and formed at its ends with corresponding notches 9. The outer notch 9, whichever of the two it may be, receives a positioning pin 10 located within a forwardly bent hook 11 at the outer end of the plate 8, while at the same time the other notch at the outer end of the blade 7 adapts it to be fitted over a positioning pin 13 located near the lower end of the plate 8 and adjacent to a corresponding hook 14 nearer the lower end thereof. The hook 11 aforesaid passes forward through a wide notch 15 in the upper end of the backing-plate 4 and engages with a bevel 16 at the bottom of the said notch 15 which is also formed with a cut 17 to clear the pin 10. The said hook 14 passes forward through an opening 18 in the lower end of the backing-plate 4 for engagement with a bevel 19 formed adjacent to the lower wall of the said opening. The said operating plate 8 is pivotally attached at its lower end to a rod-like stem 20 the lower end of which is threaded for entrance into the threaded hub 21 of a cylindrical rotatable finger-piece 22 the said hub 21 of which is adapted to be entered into the lower end of the handle 2 to which the finger-piece 22 corresponds in diameter. In effect the finger-piece 22 is a part of the handle 2.

In using my device, the finger-piece 22 is turned from right to left to permit the operating-plate 8 to be drawn outward with respect to the backing-plate 4 so that the hooks 11 and 14 of the latter may be disengaged from the bevels 16 and 19 of the former. The operating-plate 8 is now free to swing down into its open position in which the blade 7 is applied to it. The plate is now swung back into its closed position whereby the blade is engaged with the ends of the spring 6 which is flattened by drawing the plates 4 and 8 together between the fingers so as to register the hooks 11 and 14 with the notch 15 and opening 18 respectively. The finger-piece 21 is now rotated from left to right whereby the operating-plate is longitudinally drawn inward and its hooks 11 and 14 brought into coaction with the bevels 16 and 19 which then draw the operating-plate laterally forward toward the backing-plate, whereby the blade is firmly held with its cutting edges separated from the comb-teeth 5 by a distance directly proportioned to the flattening of the spring 6. The more the finger-piece 21 is turned from left to right, the more the operating-plate will be drawn inward and forward and the more the spring 6 will be compressed and the closer the edges of the blade 7 will approach to the comb teeth 5. On the other hand, by turning the finger-piece from right to left, and relieving the draft upon the operating-plate 8, the spring 6 will assert itself to proportionately push the razor 7 back away from the comb teeth 5.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes from the construction herein shown and described may be made. I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself thereto but hold myself at liberty to make such departures therefrom as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

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

1. In a safety razor, the combination with a handle, of an alined backing-plate rigid therewith, an operating-plate registered with the backing-plate and connected at its outer end with the outer end thereof, the two plates being adapted to have a double-edged razor blade introduced between them, and means connected with the said operating-plate for moving the same laterally with respect to the backing-plate.

2. In a safety razor, the combination with a tubular handle, of an alined backing-plate rigid therewith, an operating-plate registered with the backing-plate, the two plates being adapted to have a double edged razor blade introduced between them, means for moving the operating-plate laterally with respect to the backing-plate, and means located within the tubular handle for moving the operating-plate longitudinally.

3. In a safety razor, the combination with a handle, of an alined backing-plate rigid therewith, of an operating-plate registered with the said backing-plate and formed upon its edges with guard-teeth, the two plates being adapted to have a double edged razor blade introduced between them, and means combined with the said handle and coacting with the operating-plate for operating the latter.

4. In a safety razor, the combination with a handle, of an alined backing-plate rigid therewith, an operating-plate registered with the said backing-plate, the two plates being adapted to have a double edged razor-blade introduced between them, a stem located in the said handle and pivotally connected with the operating-plate, means mounted in the handle and connected with the stem for operating the operating-plate, and means for coupling the ends of the two plates, whereby the operating-plate is laterally moved with respect to the backing-plate when the operating-plate is longitudinally moved.

5. In a safety razor, the combination with the handle thereof, of a backing-plate rigid therewith and in line therewith, a stem located in the said handle, an operating-plate pivoted to the said stem, means for confining a razor blade between the said backing and operating plates, means for coupling the two plates together, and a finger-piece combined with the handle and connected with the said stem for adjusting the operating-plate longitudinally.

6. In a safety razor, the combination with the handle thereof, of a backing-plate rigid therewith and extended in the axial line thereof and formed upon its edges with comb teeth, an operating-plate between which and the backing-plate a razor-blade is confined, and means for adjusting the operating-plate for setting the edges of the razor blade with respect to the teeth of the comb.

7. In a safety razor, the combination with the handle thereof, of a backing-plate extending in line with the said handle and rigid therewith and formed with two bevels, a comb, an operating-plate formed with hooks coacting with the said bevels, and means for adjusting the said operating-plate longitudinally, whereby the said hooks are moved with respect to the said bevels and the edges of the razor-blade positioned with respect to the comb.

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

Levi T. Snow.

Witnesses:

Clara L. Weed,

George D. Seymour.