US2766521A - Razor with skin stretching means - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1956 e. BENVENUT] RAZOR WITH SKIN STRETCHING MEANS Filed April 28, 1953 Fig.1

2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 Oct; 16, 1956 e. BENVENUTI RAZOR WITH sxm STRETCHING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1953 Arr United States Patent RAZOR WITH SKIN STRETCHIN G MEANS Giulio Benvenuti, Florence, Italy Application April 28, 1953, Serial No. 351,720

Claims priority, application Italy August 28, 1952 16 Claims. (CI. 30-34) The present invention relates to a novel razor provided with skin stretching means.

In the shaving by a safety razor hitherto effected with the usual blade-carriers, the heard is cut by pushing the blade against the surface of the skin. However, the beard, owing to the necessarily remarkable stress, is bent by the blade and the shaving is effected aslant, as a quill, with a cross-section larger than the normal one and not at the base of the hair or beard; owing to this fact it is necessary to effect a successive passing of the blade in the reverse direction to remove the beard residue.

The present invention relates to a device which provide an easier shave in a simple way and with an easy actuation from the industrial viewpoint.

According to the invention, the device designed to stretch the skin at that instant when the shaving edge exerts its action against the beard is made up of a series of rollers or similar memberssuch as rings orlaminaswhich lie or rest on the skin along narrow elongated surfaces, said rollers or similar members being arranged on the two sides of a blade if the latter has a double cutting edge, or on one side if the blade has a single cutting edge; however, a series of rollers or the like is provided for each cutting or shaving edge, so as to form a rest and guide for the safety razor when said shaving edge is working.

The rollersor similar members-01? a series are aligned, in relation to the shaving edge, on the opposite side of the blade-cover, i. e., below the blade, and each roller has an orientation, appropriately different from all other rollers, for example like a fan, so as to stretch or distend the skin during the sliding of the razor on the skin.

A guide to determine a displacement of the razor in the direction inclined relative to the shaving edge, rather than perpendicular thereto, is obtained by orienting the middle geometrical plane of the fan made up by the rollers or similar elements, which is inclined relative to the shaving edge rather than being perpendicular thereto, or however in such a way that its straight geometrical intersection with the cutting geometrical plane is inclined relative to the cutting edge; the action makes shaving easier.

Therefore it is possible to attain the aim of shaving the beard with such an inclination of the blade edge in relation to the razor travel direction so as to make a slight cutting pressure sufficient to cut the beard along a cross-section smaller than the usual one; this is obtained by the eifect of the presence of the stretching rollers on the skin or other similar members, arranged and oriented in an appropriate way, to stretch the skin and aid the shaving and force the razor to follow a trajectory relative to which the blade edge is inclined; also the aim is attained owing to the presence of grooves, appropriately arranged on the razor upper face.

The accompanying drawings show the diagrammtical or rings and some embodiments of the invention.

2,766,521 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 In said drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are a view and a section along the line II-II of Fig. 1 of a safety razor according to a first embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the razor with some members, partially broken;

Fig. 4 is a similar embodiment of Fig. 3 with a variation in the arrangement of the rollers;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of Fig. 1 of a razor actuated according to another embodiment;

Figs. 6 and 7 show a partial top view of the embodiment of Fig. 5 similar to Figs. 3 and 4, and a variation of it respectively;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are three examples of the assembly systems of the rollers;

Fig. 11 is a cross-section along the line XI-XI of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is another example of the assembly system of the rollers;

Fig. 13 is another embodiment where instead of the rollers, flexible stationary rings are used;

Fig. 14 is a partial top view of an element provided with flexible rings, according to the embodiment of Fig. 13;

Figs. 15 and 16 are a perspective and top view of a safety razor according to a further embodiment, provided with a special handle.

In accordance with Figs. 1, 2 and 5, 1 denotes the razor handle, 2 denotes the block or plate which houses the blade 3, 4 denotes the blade-stop, which is secured to the unit 1-2 in any suitable way. The illustrated razor is given as an example, but may be made up in any other suitable way.

The razor handle 1 carries some shoulders (see Fig. 2) provided with grooves 10 for the fingers, so as to define the exact position of use of the razor in relation to the orientation of the rollers or similar elements.

The rollers 5, grouped in two series, which are arranged along the two shaving edges 3a--3a of the blade 3, are connected to the block 2, in accordance with the invention.

In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 the planes in which the rollers 5 lie are all normal to the plane containing the two shaving edges 3a of the blade 3 (plane of the drawing) or however to the shaving plane; the inclinations of said planes, relative to each shaving edge of the blade, vary from one roller to the other; the plane of the central roller is, in the first case, perpendicular to the shaving edge and in the second case inclined. The planes diverge from the outside towards the shaving edge.

In both cases, while the shaving edge 30 is displaced, during the shaving action, parallel to itself in the direction of the arrow 6, the rollers 5, arranged on divergent planes, by biting the skin when rolling thereon and while simultaneously sliding on the side thereon, produce an outer transversal displacement of the skin; the whole result is such as to stretch the skin in the direction of the arrow 6'6" in the entire zone of the skin covered by the series of the rollers, during the shaving action.

In order to increase this stretching effect, it is possible to rotate the planes on which the rollers lie, only in relation to the two shaving edges (Figs. 3 and 4) but also in relation to the plane containing said shaving edges (Figs. 5, 6 and 7), for example by the same quantity of which they have been rotated relative to the same edges, and in such a Way that the intersections of said planes may be in the zone under the blades 3 and that is, on the side of the razor handle 1.

The single rollers 5a of Fig. 8 have a central truncated oone aperture, the smaller base of which has a diameter such as to allow the passage of a cylindrical shaft 7 parallel to the shaving edge of the blade and relative to which each roller may also assume the two abovementioned inclinations; the aperture of each cone may be appropriately ditferent for every roller in relation to the inclination or the two abovementioned inclinations, preferably in such a way that during the rotation each roller lies on the common shaft along a generating line of the conical surface of the aperture. Said rollers are kept in the predetermined position by a suitably shaped rack 8, of which each housing has the inclination provided for each single roller.

In accordance with the embodiment of Figs. 10 and l i, particularly designed for the case wherein the double inclination is required, suitably inclined lugs 9 are provided on the edge of the support 2 and each lug has a pin 10, moreeconomically derived from the some log, on which pin said roller 51; pivots. After having riveted the pins 10 to hold the rollers 5b thereon, each lug 9 is appropriately rotated in such a way that the relative roller 5b may assume the assigned inclination.

In accordance with Fig. 9, the pin 11, arising from the lug 12, is not riveted, since the roller 50 is held on the pin of the successive lug back against which the roller preferably lies with a convex projection.

The embodiment :of Fig. 12 provides that each roller 51!, rather than rotating on a pin, rotates on two points 3 derived therefrom, the lugs 14 carrying corresponding roller may assume the determined position. The arrangement could be reversed, in that the rollers could have the recesses and the lugs 14 have the points. Similarly it may be intended for the resolutions of Figs. 9 and 10.

Without altering the relative inclinations of the rollers indicated in the arrangements of Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, the respective supports may be provided in such a way as to deflect-- owing to the resistance of the skin to the distension dur the action of the rollers, obviously in two opposite directions, parallel to the blade shaving edges, or however lying on a plane normal, or nearly normal, to the axis of the razor handle.

The arrangement could be modified, always with the aim of obtaining the stretching of the skin, by replacing the rollers by other elements such as thin extensions or projections of the supports, and it would be better if said supports are flexible, as previously indicated. For example, the two series of rollers can be replaced by two series of small lamina's or preferably by flexible rings 15 as in Fig. l3, of which one edge is incident on the skin and which are engaged to the support 3; the arrangements of said rings and the inclinations of their planes being similar to those already indicated for the rollers.

it is obvious that the series of rollers, or laminas, or rings, in the specified arrangements, can be applied to any safety razor provided with a double shaving edge blade or with a single shaving edge blade, obtaining a higher efficiency in tl e shaving, either for the tension conferred to the skin through the action of the rollers or lam'inas, or also elastic rings, or by the eventual trajectory inclined relative to the blade edge owing to the general orientation of the rollers, l nas, or resilient rings; this owing to the fact that the bl edge is forced to follow a trajectory relative to which the edge is inclined. 7

in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 15 and 16, the razor includes two covers or lids 16-17 forming the handle of the razor, said lids being coupled through the screws 13 Wh. it secure said lids l617 to an inner box including a deVlCC for the opening and closing of the blade-cover. A blade-cover or guard 19 is pivoted at one end on a pin 2% so that it can be raised and pushed against the blade, not indicated in the drawing; said bladeguard has a Series of inclined grooves 19a. The bladeguard is controlled by toggle lever members, contained in the box closed by the two covers 161"/'. The displacing device for the blade-cover or guard 19 is controlled by a lug 21 emerging out of an appropriate slot 22, which is formed by the coupling of the lids 16l7; a button 23 helps the operation. The blade-guard is stressed into the closed position by a spring, so that the blade is locked in the right position.

Each lid 16-)17 has some indentations capable of housing the rollers 24 mounted in one of the previously described ways and oriented so as to operate the distension of the skin, as previously describe It is to be intended that the drawing only shows some po sible embodiments of the invention, which may be v' ed in their forms and arrangements. For example, in the usual case of two shaving or cutting edges it is possible to provide a series of rollers or similar elements on the razor according to one of the arrangements of 3 or 6, and a series of rollers or the like according to one of the arrangements of Figs. 4 or 7, or other similar combinations.

What I claim is:

l. in a razor, in combination with a blade having an elongated edge for shaving the skin of a user of said razor, and blade supporting means comprising guide means adapted for engagement with the skin for maintaining said blade in a desired predetermined relationship with respect to the skin, the provision of means included in said guide means and defining a plurality of spaced elongated guide surfaces adapted to press against the skin, said guide surfaces being directed generally transversely with respect to said blade edge, said guide surfaces each being directed at a ditferent angle with respect to said blade edge and diverging toward said edge, said divergence, when said guide surfaces are pressed against the skin, causing the skin to be progressively and substantially uniformly stretched between adjacent guide surfaces prior to engagement with said blade edge as said razor is moved over the skin.

2. The combination according to claim 1, in which the directions of elongation of said guide surfaces lie in planes which intersect substantially in a common line.

3. The combination according to claim 2, in which said line of intersection lies between two planes each normal to said blade edge and passing through one end thereof.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said guide means comprises a series of aligned spaced rollers each freely rotatable about an axis having a different angle of orientation with respect to said blade edge, each roller having a relatively narrow peripheral portion adapted for engagement with the skin, said guide surfaces being defined by said peripheral portions of said rollers.

5. The combination according to claim 4, in which said peripheral portions of said rollers have rough surfaces for enhancing said stretching action.

6. The combination according to claim 4, in which said rollers are so arranged that a series of planes, each plane being normal to the axis of rotation of one of said rollers and passing through the center thereof, will intersect substantially in a common line.

7. The combination according to claim 6, in which said line of intersection lies between two planes, each normal to said blade edge and passing through one end of said edge.

8. The combination according to claim 4, in which said rollers are so arranged that their rotational axes are coplanar and all lie in a plane substantially parallel to said edge of said blade.

9. The combination according to claim 4, in which said guide means comprises a member having a series of spaced slots formed therein, each of said slots having a different angle of orientation with respect to said blade edge, said combination further comprising a common shaft extending through said slots and upon which said rollers are rotatably mounted, each roller being disposed in and guided by the sides of one of said slots.

10. The combination according to claim 9, in which each of said rollers has a central aperture of frustoconical configuration formed therein through which said common shaft passes, the conical angle of each aperture being so selected with respect to the angle of orientation of each slot that line contact is obtained between said shaft and a generating element of said cone at the internal surface of each aperture.

11. The combination according to claim 4, in which said guide means comprises a member having a series of spaced slots formed therein, each of said slots having a different angle of orientation with respect to said blade edge, each slot having a roller disposed therein and guided by the lateral walls thereof, each of the walls of said slots having a projection formed thereon and each of said rollers having a central recess formed therein whereby said roller is freely revolubly supported in said slot by said projection.

12. The combination according to claim 11, in which the rotational axes defined by said projections and recesses are coplanar and all of said axes lie in a plane substantially parallel to said edge of said blade.

13. The combination according to claim 4, in which said guide means comprises a member having a series of spaced slots formed therein, each of said slots having a different angle of orientation with respect to said blade edge, each slot having a roller disposed therein, and a pair of conical bearings freely revolubly journaling each of said rollers in one of said slots.

14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein the rotational axes defined by said conical bearings are coplanar and all lie in a plane substantially parallel to said edge of said blade.

15. The combination according to claim 1, in which said guide means comprises a plurality of rings, said guide surfaces being defined by peripheral portions of said rings.

16. The combination according to claim 15, in which said portions of said rings defining said guide surfaces are resiliently displaceable with respect to said razor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,602,613 Hofiman Oct. 12, 1926 1,624,707 Alland Apr. 12, 1927 1,651,917 Connolly Dec. 6, 1927 1,701,036 Greene Feb. 5, 1929 1,833,079 Holtzman Nov. 24, 1931 1,833,242 Connolly Nov. 24, 1931 2,098,036 Gore Nov. 2, 1937 2,370,815 Ross Mar. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,355 Great Britain Dec. 6, 1909 of 1908

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