To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Benno vom Eigen, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of razors known as “safety-razors,” in which the blade is supported on a suitable frame and provided in front of its cutting-edge with a guard device, by which the cutting of the skin while shaving is prevented; and the invention consists of a safety-razor the blade of which is supported on a frame by bent side lugs and by a locking-lever at the rear part of the blade, which locking-lever is retained on the frame by a suitable catch device.

The invention consists, secondly, of the novel construction of the blade-supporting frame and the thumb and finger rests of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved safety-razor. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same on line x x, Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation; Fig. 4, a top view of the same with the blade removed for showing the supporting-frame, the guard, and the locking-lever of the blade; and Fig. 5 is a top view of the blank from which the supporting-frame of the blade is made, drawn on a smaller scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame of my improved safety-razor, which frame is made of the sheet-metal blank shown in Fig. 5 and bent into proper shape by passing it through a series of dies, so as to form inclined side bars a a for the blade B, and an inturned curved and corrugated front guard b, on which rests the cutting-edge of the blade B, as shown in Fig. 2. The inclined side bars a are provided with upwardly and inwardly bent lugs a′, which serve to retain the blade B, said inclined bars being connected with the body of the frame by stays a² at the front end and curved shorter stays a³ at the rear end, as shown clearly in Figs. 2, 4, and 5.

The curved front part of the frame A below the corrugated guard b is provided with inclined slotted openings d, which serve to take up the lather, so as to resupply the same from time to time after one or more strokes of the blade, which is accomplished by passing the slotted curved part of the frame over the skin. This saves considerable time in applying lather by the brush and greatly enhances the convenience and ease of the safety-razor when in use.

The blade B is retained in position on the inclined side bars a a and lugs a′ by means of a locking-lever C, which is pivoted at one end to one side of the frame A and provided at the middle part with a bent-up lug e, that bears on the rear part of the blade B. The opposite end of the lever C is provided with a handle e′ and with a catch or teat f, that engages the depression f′ of the frame, so as to retain the lever in locked position when the teat f enters the depression f' of the frame A, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The lever C can be readily released from the frame, so as to remove the blade for cleaning and honing or for replacing it by another blade.

The supporting-frame A is provided at its under side with a concave thumb-rest D, which is soldered to the under side of the frame A at right angles thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and with a backwardly-curved concave finger-rest E, which is preferably made integral with the frame A, and which serves, in connection with the thumb-rest D, to conveniently hold the safely-razor while shaving. This arrangement of thumb and finger rests dispenses with the detachable handles heretofore in use in safety-razors and permits the direct use of the razor without the screwing in of the handle.

My improved safety-razor is used like the razors of the same class heretofore in use, but has the advantage of a very simple and convenient construction and facility in handling the same, as shaving in upward or downward direction may be readily accomplished by changing the position of the thumb and fingers, respectively, from the handles D and E to the handles E and D.

The razor can be furnished at comparatively small expense, as the supporting-frame is stamped and bent up of one piece and the whole razor composed of only four pieces—namely, the supporting-frame with the finger-rest, the blade, the locking-lever, and the thumb-rest.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent—

1. In a safety-razor, the combination, with a blade-supporting frame having inclined side bars and upwardly and inwardly bent lugs, of a blade resting on said side bars, and a retaining-lever pivoted to the rear end of the frame and provided with an upwardly-bent lug at the middle part and a locking device at the outer end, substantially as set forth.

2. In a safety-razor, a blade-supporting frame provided at its under side with a concave thumb-rest and with a curved backwardly-extending finger-rest at the rear of said thumb-rest, said thumb-rest and finger-rest abutting back to back, substantially as set forth.

3. In a safety-razor, a blade-supporting frame formed with inclined side bars having upwardly and inwardly bent lugs, said side bars being supported by stays bent up from the body of the razor, the side bars, stays, and lugs being made integral with the frame, substantially as set forth.

4. In a safety-razor, a blade-supporting frame provided with a curved and slotted front part, a backwardly-bent and corrugated front guard, inclined side bars, and a curved backwardly-extending finger-rest, all made integral with the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Benno vom Eigen.

Witnesses:

Paul Goepel,

Carl Karp.