To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, George H. Hamilton, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety razors, the object in view being to provide a simple and inexpensive type of razor of this character embodying an improved construction of holder for the blade, whereby the blade is firmly and securely held in use and adapted to be easily and conveniently applied and removed without liability of injury to the operator, and whereby the pressure of the blade-retaining means may be regulated and ready adjustment of the blade permitted for an ordinary or a close shave.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:—

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a safety razor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view with parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a side view of a modified form of razor. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same.

The frame or holder consists of a handle 5 carrying a triangular frame embodying a base plate 6 and a back plate 6^a rising at right angles from the rear edge of said base plate, the latter having a comb 7 at its front edge to bear upon the face of the user. Stamped from the base plate 6 and back plate 6^a are inclined strips 8 extending between the upper edge of the back plate and front edge of the base plate and intermediately downwardly bowed or dished so as to provide reduced bearing points, edges or rests 9 to support the blade 10 at its front and rear edges and at or near its ends, thus reducing friction as the blade is inserted and removed. The handle 5 is fixed to and extends at right angles from the base plate 6 and in a plane parallel with the back plate 6^a, as shown, and, hence, the rests 9 and blade 10 bearing thereon incline downwardly and forwardly at an oblique angle to the base plate and handle. By this construction, the handle will project outwardly from the blade at a proper angle to be held easily and without material strain when the blade is disposed in working position.

The blade is retained in its place on the frame and against the rests by means of the pressure bar 11 which unites the ends of the spring arms 12 which rise from the back of the base plate 6 and project forward, and these spring arms may be bent and thus “adjusted” to cause the bar 11 to bear with a greater or less degree of pressure upon the blade and depress it between the front and rear bearing points, so as to elevate or lower the edge of the cutting blade with relation to the comb 7. If desired, the upper edge of the back plate may be formed with an upwardly projecting stop shoulder 6^b against which the rear edge of the blade 10 bears to hold said bade from rearward movement, and in such case the arms 12 will extend from this shoulder. This adjustment of the cutting edge is for the purpose of giving more or less cutting effect to the blade so that a close or coarse shave may be obtained to the liking of the user. The razor may be sold with the pressure bar set to act with a desired pressure force, which may be regulated subsequently by the purchaser to the degree desired.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the blade 10 is supported along its front and rear edges by means of forwardly and rearwardly extending offsets forming shoulders or rests 13 and 13^a which extend along the length of the holder respectively at the front edge of the base plate and at the upper edge of the back plate. The bar 11 and spring arms 12 are also used in this form and their pressure not only holds the blade firmly, but may be so regulated as to meet the requirements of the user. The rear edge of the blade rests against an upturned longitudinal stop shoulder 14 at the rear edge of the rest 13^a on the back plate, and fingers 15 on said shoulder are provided to overlap and prevent upward movement of the rear edge of the blade at that point. This shoulder 14 corresponds to the shoulder 6^b shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This arrangement of the blade and its holder permits of the instant insertion or removal of the blade and allows the removal and insertion of different blades for trial until one suited to the use of the owner is secured. It will be understood that in removing or inserting the blades they are caught at their ends by the thumb and forefinger and slid longitudinally into place from either side of the holder between the spring bar and the rests, and this manner of handling precludes any danger of cutting the fingers or dulling the cutting edge.

It will be seen that the cutting edge 10^a of the blade is chisel-shaped and it is obvious that a different shaving effect may be produced in accordance with the manner in which this blade is turned. The reversal of the blade is equivalent, to an adjustment to carry the edge away from or toward the comb to secure a shave of more or less closeness.

It is obvious that, within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims, other modified means for holding a blade by spring pressure between its supports may be adopted without departing from the essential features above described.

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

1. A safety razor embodying a triangular frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and embodying a base plate and a back plate rising at right angles from the rear edge of the base plate, the front edge of said base plate being formed with a comb, a handle fixed to the base plate and extending at right angles therefrom parallel with the back plate, offsets on the frame at or near the front edge of the base plate and upper edge of the back plate and forming rests inclined at an oblique angle to the base plate, a blade adapted to bear upon and be supported by the rests at a corresponding angle to the base plate, and a spring clamp carried by the back plate to engage the blade between the rests and hold the same pressed against said rests.

2. A safety razor embodying a triangular frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and embodying a base plate and a back plate rising at right angles from the rear edge of the base plate, the front edge of said base plate being formed with a comb, a handle fixed to the base plate and extending at right angles therefrom parallel with the back plate, offsets on the frame at or near the front edge of the base plate and upper edge of the back plate and forming rests inclined at an oblique angle to the base plate, a stop shoulder extending upward from the upper edge of the back plate, a blade adapted to rest upon and be held by the rests at a corresponding angle to the base plate and to bear at its rear edge against said stop shoulder, and a spring clamp extending from the stop shoulder to engage the blade between the rests and press the same against said rests.

3. A safety razor comprising a triangular frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, said frame embodying a base plate and a back plate extending at right angles from the rear edge of the base plate, the front edge of the base plate being provided with a comb and an offset bearing shoulder along the inner edge of the comb and the upper edge of the back plate having a rearwardly projecting offset bearing shoulder, the said bearing shoulders being inclined at an oblique angle to the plane of the base plate, a handle fixed to the base plate and extending at right angles therefrom parallel with the back plate, a blade adapted to rest at its front and rear edges upon said bearing shoulders and supported thereby at a corresponding angle to the base plate, and a spring clamp carried by the back plate for pressing said blade against said shoulders.

4. A safety razor comprising a triangular frame stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, said frame embodying a base plate and a back plate extending at right angles from the rear edge of the base plate, the front edge of the base plate being provided with a comb and an offset bearing shoulder along the inner edge of the comb and the upper edge of the back plate having a rearwardly projecting offset bearing shoulder, and a stop shoulder projecting upward therefrom, the said bearing shoulders being inclined at an oblique angle to the base plate, a handle fixed to the base plate and extending at right angles therefrom parallel with the back plate, a spring clamp carried by the back plate, and a blade adapted to rest at its front and rear edges upon said bearing shoulders at a corresponding inclination to the back plate and bear at its rear edge against said stop shoulder and to be held in contact with said shoulders by said clamp.

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

George H. Hamilton.

Witnesses:

James F. Duhamel,

Mae W. Clinton.