IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING RAZOR OR OTHER BLADES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I HENRY BEZER of 12 Teddington Park Road, Teddington in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING RAZOR OR OTHER BLADES to be as
follows:-
">
My invention relates to apparatus for sharpening razor or other blades, and the
essential characteristics or features of the improved apparatus are:-a rotary strop
or sharpening roller in combination with means for moving the blade to be
sharpened in the contrary direction to the travel of the roller; and a holder for
the blade which by a downward pressure thereon brings a portion of the flat of the
blade, from the cutting edge to the back, in the required contact with the periphery
of the roller, the blade being of course held at an angle with the axis of the
roller.
In one modification of my apparatus I employ a rotary sharpener or roller which
is provided with a spring or weight always tending to return it to its starting or
normal position. The roller has at its middle a part of smaller diameter. A cord or
string attached at one end to the roller and is wound round the part of smaller
diameter while its other end is connected to a holder or clamp for the heel of the
razor or other blade.
This cord is by preference carried over a small pulley fixed at a level below that
of the upper surface of the roller and immediately behind the part of smaller
diameter; and the cord should be connected with the holder so that the point of
connection is in line with the cutting edge of the blade when secured therein.
The action is as follows:-The blade having been secured in the holder it is laid
at an angle to the axis of the roller and then drawn across the roller until the
whole of its cutting edge has been brought into contact therewith. During this
movement the roller itself has by the unwinding of the cord been rotated in the
contrary direction to that in which the blade has moved. The roller is then allowed
to run back under the action of its spring or weight thereby winding up the cord
and drawing back the blade ready for another sharpening action. The blade can
be turned over so as to present either side to the roller, but the one side will
DJ

page_text: always be brought in contact with the half of the roller on the one side of the part
of smaller diameter while the other side of the blade will always be brought in
contact with the other half of the roller.
In another modification I impart rotary motion to the roller by a wheel and
pinion operated by a handle or otherwise and in this case motion may be given to
the blade by a rack worked by a pinion on the wheel spindle so that as the roller
is rotated in the one direction or the other the blade whose holder is connected to
the rack is caused to travel in the reverse direction across the roller.

page_text: "
I HENRY BEZER, of 12 Teddington Park Road, Teddington, in the County of
Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING RAZOR OR OTHER BLADES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
My invention relates to apparatus for sharpening razor or other blades and an
essential characteristic or feature of the improved apparatus is, a rotary strop or
sharpening roller in combination with means whereby the blade to be sharpened
must move in the contrary direction to the travel of the roller; a portion of the
flat of the blade from the cutting edge to the back is during such movement in
contact with the periphery of the roller, the blade being of course held at an angle
with the axis of the roller."
In one modification of my apparatus I employ a rotary sharpener or roller which
is provided with a spring (or weight) always tending to return it to its starting or
normal position. The roller has at its middle a part of smaller diameter. A cord
or string is attached at one end to the roller and is wound round the part of
smaller diameter while its other end is connected either to a holder or clamp for
the heel of the razor or other blade or as I prefer (practice having shown that a
holder or clamp is not necessary) to a ring or similar device to receive the finger of
the operator.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation and Figure 2 an end
elevation of an apparatus constructed according to the modification above described.
a, a' is the rotary sharpener or strop and b is the part at the middle of smaller
diameter. The parts a, a' and b may be made in one piece but I find it best to
make the parts a and a¹ of wood (preferably hollow) and the bar 6 of metal and
to fit the parts a, a¹ upon the part b. The part 6 is surrounded by a box c within
which is fitted a spring d; one end of this spring is attached at e to the end of the
box while the other end is attached at g to the part 6 of the roller. h, h are collars
on the part b to separate the parts a, a¹ from the box c. i is a cord or string
attached at one end to the part 6 by being passed through a hole therein and
knotted to keep it in place; it is wound several times round the part 6 and then
passed through a hole at k in the box c. is a ring attached to its outer end.
The hole forms a contracted continuation of a hole m (shown in dots) which
extends from the opposite side of the box and is for the purpose of allowing the
cord to be readily placed upon the part b and of allowing clearance for the winding
of the cord. n is a handle screwed into the box c; it is preferably made hollow
so as to form a receptacle for soap. When the apparatus is to be packed in a case
or otherwise the handle n may be unscrewed and placed within the part a of the
roller while the part a¹ may serve to hold the shaving brush.
The action is as follows:-The apparatus is held in the left hand by the handle n
and the blade to be sharpened is held between the thumb and fingers of the right
hand at an angle to the axis of the roller a, a¹ and the little finger of this hand is

page_text: slipped into the ring . The blade is then drawn across the roller until the whole
of its cutting edge has been brought into contact therewith. During this move-
ment the roller itself, by the traction and unwinding of the cord i, has rotated in
the contrary direction to that in which the blade has moved, and the spring d has
become wound up. The roller is then allowed to run back under the action of the
spring thereby winding up the cord and drawing back the blade ready for another
sharpening action. The blade can be turned over so as to present either side to
the roller, but the one side will always be brought in contact with the part a of
the roller while the other side will always be brought in contact with the part a¹.
In another modification I impart rotary motion to the sharpening roller by a
wheel and pinion operated by a handle or otherwise and in this case motion may
be given to the blade by a rack worked by a pinion on the wheel spindle so that
as the roller is rotated in the one direction or the other the blade which is attached
to the rack is caused to travel in the reverse direction across the roller. This
modification is represented in plan in Figure 3; Figure 4 is a side view. a is the
roller; free to turn in bearings in metal pieces b, b¹ fixed to the box o.
d is a
toothed wheel whose spindle is likewise free to turn in bearings in b, b¹; on one
end of this spindle is a square e to receive a handle for rotating it. The wheel d
gears with a pinion fon the roller spindle. On the wheel spindle is a pinion g in
gear with a rack h which is free to slide in guides on the metal piece 6¹. At each
end of the bar i that carries the rack are two pins k, k to act as a holder to the
heel of the blade as seen in Figure 3. It will readily be understood that when the
wheel d is rotated the roller a is also rotated while the rack h carries the blade
across the roller in the reverse direction to the travel of the roller. When the
movement of the parts is in the reverse direction, the blade should be placed
between the pins k, k at the other end of the rack bar, which pins will have been
brought into position by the previous movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. An apparatus for sharpening razor or other blades composed of a rotary strop
or sharpening roller and means whereby the blade to be sharpened must move in
the contrary direction to the travel of the roller substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. The apparatus constructed and acting substantially as herein before described
with reference to Figures 1 and 2.
3. The apparatus constructed and acting substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 3 and 4.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.