A New or Improved Safety Razor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1898
A New or Improved Safety Razor.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Bucking-
ham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention a communication to me from abroad by Mary Zinn, of 672, Hudson
Street, New York City, United States of America, Manufacturer, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
By means of this invention a safety razor is capable of being satisfactorily set or
adjusted and conveniently operated and cleaned as set forth in the following
specification and claim and illustrated in the annexed drawing in which―
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device.
Figure 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a modification.
Figure 4 is a view like Fig. 1 showing the device opened or in position for
cleaning without the blade having to be removed.
The blade holder 1 is provided with blade retaining clamps 2, a spring 3 pressing
the blade 4 toward the guard or teeth 5. The razor holder 1 is provided with
adjusting screw 6 for the clamps. These screws are shown mounted in the holder
clear of the clamps, the taps or threads for the screw 6 being shown in the rear or
back part of the holder.
The clamps 2 have a yielding or spring support formed by arms 7 secured or
riveted at the front of the holder or under the guard or comb 5. The clamps are
thus yielding and are shown extending over the top of the holder at the ends of
the top so as to catch or hold the blade to the holder.
By running or setting the screws more or less forward or toward guard 5, said
screws engaging the parts or inclines 8 (Fig. 1) of the clamps 2 or of their arms 7
will draw or set the latter with the blade in relation to the guard or holder as may
be required. The blade can thus be adjusted for coarser or finer shaving.
It will be noted that the spring 3 presses against the back of the blade and has
a constant tendency to feed the blade forward controlled by the adjusting screws 6.
If said screws be loosened, the spring 3 will instantly and automatically feed the
blade forward, the distance which the blade is moved being dependent upon the
extent to which the screws are loosened and the clamps consequently raised.
The adjusting screws for the clamps being mounted in the back or body of the
holder leave the top of the holder smooth or unstudded. Should the screws or
studs project from the top of the clamps or holder such screws would be apt to
scratch or contact with the person while shaving, thus producing discomfort. By
having the tops of the clamps smooth such discomfort is avoided.
The clamps could be mounted independently of one another or said clamps could
be connected or formed or made to act in unison or as one clamp by a connecting
bar or strip as shown in Fig. 3 where the clamps 21 are formed or provided with a
connection 9.
The casing or body M can be of any suitable shape and the blade support or
swinging top 1 is jointed or pivoted to the case M at a. When the top or blade

page_text: support is closed or swung down into the case, it is held or locked by a suitable
fastening.
This fastening, as shown in the drawing, embraces a spring plate C, one end of
which is secured upon the inside of the body frame or case M. Upon the other end
of said spring plate is located a press button g which passes through a slot or
opening of the frame, and is adapted, when pressed inward by the user of the
device, to disengage the plate C, from engagement with a depending portion of the
upper or swinging portion 1 of the body frame.
This catch or lock C, g, located at the rear of the case or opposite the pivot a
will releasably hold the support to the case. Said support when thus locked to the
case is in position for shaving, and when released or open will allow cleaning of the
device. The blade 4 being mounted on the support clear of or out of contact
with the case, said support or blade will swing or open without the blade having
to be dismounted or removed.
The support 1 pivoted to the front of the casing will swing forward in opening
as seen in Fig. 4.
The guard teeth customary in safety razors are carried by or formed in one piece
with the support 1 so as to swing with the latter. The support when thus opened
or swung will carry the blade and teeth away from the case so as to open or give
access to the parts as required for cleaning.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a safety razor, the combination with a casing, of a blade support pivoted
to the casing, a catch or lock opposite the pivot for releasably holding the support
to the case, and a blade mounted on the support clear of or out of contact with the
case so that said support and blade can be swung or opened without the blade
having to be dismounted, substantially as described.
2. In a safety razor, the combination with a casing, of a blade support pivoted
to the front of the casing, a catch at the rear of the casing opposite the pivot and
adapted to releasably hold the support to the case, and a blade mounted on the
support clear of or out of contact with the case substantially as described.
3. In a safety razor, the combination with a casing, of a swinging blade support,
a spring plate secured upon the inside of the casing, and a press button on the
spring plate, said casing having a slot or opening for the passage of the button, and
said swinging support having a depending portion made to engage the plate, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a safety razor, the combination with a casing, of a blade support jointed
to the front of the casing, a spring plate secured to the back of the casing, and a
press button secured to the plate, said spring plate being made to releasably lock
the blade support, and said support being provided with a blade mounted clear of
the casing, substantially as described.
5. In a safety razor, the combination with a casing, of a blade support made to
hold the blade clear of the case, and guard teeth carried by or made to swing with
the support, substantially as described.
6. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade and a comb-plate on which the
blade is arranged to rest, of spring supported clamps arranged to clamp the ends
of the blade to the comb-plate with a yielding pressure, means for adjusting the
pressure of the clamps on the blade, and a spring arranged at the rear of the
blade and operating to press the latter forward beneath the clamps to regulate
the cutting action of the blade, substantially as described.
7. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade and a comb-plate on which
the blade rests, of spring arms attached at their forward ends to the front portion
of the comb-plate and carrying U-shaped clamps that extend over the ends of the
blade and operate to clamp the blade to the comb-plate with a yielding pressure,
means for adjusting the pressure of the clamps on the blade, and a spring arranged

page_text: at the rear of the blade and arranged to press the latter forward beneath the
clamps, substantially as described.
8. In a safety razor, the combination with a blade and a comb-plate on which
the blade rests, of spring arms attached at their forward ends to the front portion
of the comb-plate and having their rear ends inclined from the blade support,
U-shaped clamps carried by said arms, said clamps extending over and clamping
the ends of the blade to the comb-plate with a yielding pressure, adjusting screws
tapped through the rear of the comb-plate and engaging the inclined ends of the
spring arms to regulate the pressure of the clamps on the blade, and a spring
operating to press the blade forward beneath the clamps, substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of December 1898.