US3038254A - Dry shaver with blade adjusting and indicating means and a locking device for said means - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1962 J scHi-:M1NGER,JR 3038,254

DRY SHAVER WITl- BLADE ADJUSTING AND INDICATING9 MEANS AND A LOCKING DEVICE FOR SAID MEANS Filed Aug. ll, 1951 y l l/o 66 44 46 6 M 66 E C 6546\ 3 c@ ATTORNEYS Patented .lune 12, 1962 Filed Aug.

7 Claims. (Cl. .S0-60.5)

The present invention relates to a safety razor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a one-piece safety razor wherein the blade is clamped by cap sections that are pivotally secured in pl-ace by an adjusting nut located on the handle of the razor.

In the one-piece safety razor in use today, a head portion is mounted on a handle portion and includes a pivotally adjustable cap assembly that is mounted for selfadjusting movement about -a transverse axis. The cap assembly which includes cap sections is adapted to exert pressure on the razor blade and cooperates with a blade carrying or supporting member lso that the pressure on the blade is equalized in the clamping operation. The adjusting movement of the cap sections is carried out by an adjusting nut that is located on the handle portion of the razor blade at the outermost end thereof and is interconnected to the head portion through an internally located spindle. Since the adjusting nut is positioned at the outermost end of the handle portion, it is oftentimes inadvertently rotated while the user is shaving, thereby causing the cap sections to be loosened. Loosening of the cap sections results in the pressure on the razor blade being released. Since eiective cutting action of the razor blade is dependent upon the blade being securely clamped in the cap assembly, release of the pressure of the cap sections thereon effectively reduces the etiiciency of the shaving operation and, furthermore, could result in the user cutting his face.

The present invention is designed to prevent loosening of the cap sections due to inadvertent movement of the adjusting nut, and for this purpose, incorporates a freely rotatable outer sleeve on the handle portion in place of the conventional adjusting nut. The adjusting nut that is interconnected to 4the internally located spindle is repositioned by the present invention inwardly of the freely rotatable outer sleeve, land thus in the handling of the razor, inadvertent rotation of the adjusting nut is prevented.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safety razor construction wherein inadvertent loosening of the razor blade in the head portion thereof is prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a freely rotatable sleeve on the handle portion of the safety razor in place of the conventional adjusting nut wherein normal handling of the razor by the user will result in free rotation of the sleeve, thereby preventing inadvertent loosening of the blade during the shaving operation.

Still another object is to provide a safety razor having blade angle adjusting means and means for locking said right-angle adjusting means in position.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated yby me for carrying out my invention:

FIG. l is a perspective View of the safety razor embodied in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines k2 in FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the outermost end of the handle portion of the safety razor embodied herein showing the interrelation of the coacting parts that are adapted to prevent inadvertent loosening of the razor blade in the head of the razor.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. l, the razor embodied herein is illustrated and includes a head portion generally indicated at 10 in which a double-edged blade is adapted to be clamped for use in shaving, and a handle portion 12 that is interconnected to the head portion 10 and defines a one-piece construction therewith. Referring -to FIG. 2, Ithe head portion is shown comprising the conventional elements of a onepiece safety razor construction and includes pivotally mounted cap sections 14 and 16 Ithat are interconnected to an axially movablbe spindle 18 through a cross bar 20. The cap sections 14 and `16 are adapted to be cammed into opening or closing relation with respect to Va guard member 22 in the conventional manner. As is well known in the art, a blade supporting member 24 having upwardly projecting edges 25 that extend through openings in the guard 22 cooperates with the cap sections 14 and 16 to clamp a blade 26 therebetween.

The spindle 18 extends through the handle portion 12 and is adapted to be positioned coaxially with respect to a barrel 28 that defines the intermediate portion of the handle portion 12. The barrel 28 is fixed [to a hollow insert 30 through which a tubular portion 32 of the guard 22 extends. The tubular portion 32 receives the spindle therein in sliding relation with respect thereto andhas mounted on the outer periphery thereof a hollow extension 34 of the blade supporting member 24.

The position of the blade supporting member 24 is adapted to be adjusted with respect to the guard 22 so as to vary the angle of the cutting edges 35 of the blade 26 with respect to the guard 22. For this purpose, an adjusting knob 36 is provided and is internally threaded for engaging a threaded portion 38 of the insert 30. The insert 30 is xed to :the hollow extension 34 of the blade supporting member 24, and upon rotation of the adjusting knob 36, will be moved in a longitudinal or -axial direction to move the blade supporting member 24 a corresponding amount. It is seen that movement of the blade supporting member 24 in an axial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the razor blade will cause the edges 35 to be adjusted with respect to the cap sections 1d and 16. In order to provide a positive adjustment of the adjusting knob 36, the inner periphery thereof adjacent the head portion 10 is formed with a plurality of spaced indentations that are adapted to engage a stop spring 40; Thus, it is seen, as the adjusting knob 36 is rotated, one of the indentations will receive the stop spring 40, thereby positively locating the adjusting knob in position. Indicia may be inscribed on the outer surface of the adjusting knob to visually indicate various adjusted positions of the edges 25 of the blade supporting member 24, which in effect defines the adjustment for the cutting edge of the blade 26.

In order to lock the adjusting knob 36 in position so .as to prevent the inadvertent movement thereof when the desired blade setting is obtained, a lock collar 42 is provided and is internally threaded for threadably engaging a threaded portion 44 of the hollow insert 30. Interposed between the lock collar 4t2 and the adjusting knob 36 is a lock washer 46 which adjusting knob 36 when the lock collar 42 is moved into rm engagement therewith. -It is seen that when an adjustment of the blade setting is required, the lock collar 42 is released from engagement with the lock washer 46, which then releases the adjusting knob 36 for rotary movement on the threaded portion 33. Pins 48 are secured to the lock collar 42 and are provided so that the lock collar may be easily secured in the locking position provides for locking of the on the threaded portion 44 or for quickly loosening the lock washer 46 when it is necessary to adjust the position of the adjusting knob 36.

In use of the razor, the user in grasping the handle portion 12 has a tendency to rotate the outermost end thereof. In the conventional one-piece safety razor, since the locking nut for the cap sections is located on the outermost end of the handle portion, this rotating tendency could cause inadvertent loosening of the cap sections, thereby resulting in loosening of the blade. In order to avoid this inadvertent loosening of the razor blade, which could result in incomplete shaving or cutting the users face, the locking nut for the cap section is displaced from the outermost end of the handle portion 12 and is located at a point spaced therefrom. Referring again to FlG. 2, the locking or adjusting nut is indicated .at t) and is shown in abutting relation with respect to the outermost end of the barrel 28. The adjusting nut Si) is fixed to the outer periphery of an inner sleeve 52, the innermost end of which projects within the barrel 28. The inner sleeve 52 is secured to the barrel 28 and for this purpose has a reduced inner section 54 that is formed with an annular groove 56. The annular groove 56 receives an annular swedging 5S, thereby locking the inner sleeve 52 to the barrel 28. Fixed Within the bore of the inner sleeve 52 in forced fitting relation is an inner element 60 that is internally threaded for receiving a threaded portion 62 of the spindle 18. It is seen that the cap sections 14 and 16 are adapted to be opened and closed by the adjusting nut 50 upon rotation thereof. Rotation of the adjusting nut 50 produces a corresponding rotation of the inner sleeve 52 and the inner element 60. Since the inner sleeve 52 is prevented from longitudinal movement through coaction with the barrel 28, rotation thereof produces a corresponding axial movement of the spindle 18.

Mounted on the outer end of the inner sleeve 52 for free rotation with respect thereto is an outer sleeve 64. The outer sleeve 64 is prevented from axial movement on the inner sleeve 52 by the formation of a shoulder 66 thereon that is adapted to engage a flange 68 that is formed on the outer end of the inner sleeve S2. The outer sleeve `64 is prevented from outer movement thereof by peening the outer edge to deiine an inturned annular edge 70. Disc 72 is captured within the outer sleeve 64 when the outer edge is peened over and abuts against the flange 68 to define a cap for the handle portion 12. It is seen that the outer sleeve 64 is prevented from endwise movement but may be freely rotatable with respect to the inner sleeve S2. In use of the razor, the user thereof may inadvertently rotate the outer sleeve 64 without affecting the locking action of the cap sections 14 and 16 with respect to the blade 26. When it is necessary to remove the blade 26 or open the cap sections llfl-` and 16, the adjusting nut 50 may be rotated to axially move the spindle 18, thereby pivotally moving the cap sections 14 and 16 tothe open position thehreof.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the .art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a safety razor having a handle portion and a head portion, said head portion including a blade supporting member, a cap assembly having movable cap sections that cooperate with said blade supporting member for locking a razor blade therebetween, and a guard cooperating with said cap assembly for properly locating the cutting edges of said razor blade, said handle including a barrel, a spindle located in said barrel and operatively connected to said cap sections for producing the movement thereof, thereby providing for securement of said blade between said cap sections and said blade supporting member, an inner sleeve operatively connected to the end of said spindle opposite said head portion, an adjusting nut secured to said inner sleeve in surrounding relation and being adapted to produce longitudinal adjusting movement of said spindle, and an outersleeve rotatably mounted on said inner sleeve and defining the outer end of said handle portion, said outer sleeve capturing said .adjusting nut therebetween and said barrel but permitting adjusting movement of said adjusting nut, said outer sleeve being freely rotatable on said inner sleeve without affecting the position of said spindle, thereby preventing inadvertent movement of said cap sections located in said head portion.

2. In a safety razor, a handle portion, a head portion connected to said handle portion and including a blade supporting member, a pivotally movable cap assembly that cooperates with said blade supporting member for locking a razor blade therebetween, and a guard cooperating with said cap assembly for properly locating the cutting edges of said blade, said handle portion including a barrel, an axially movable spindle coaxially positioned in said barrel and operatively connected to said cap assembly for causing the pivotal movement thereof when said spindle is axially moved, an inner sleeve located in said ybarrel and operatively connected to said spindle, an adjusting nut xed to said inner sleeve for causing rotation thereof thereby axially moving said spindle, and an outer sleeve mounted on said inner sleeve for free rotation with respect thereto and defining the outermost end of said handle portion wherein inadvertent movement of said adjusting nut and spindle is prevented.

3. In a safety razor, a handle portion, a head portion connected to said handle portion, said head portion including means for clamping a razor blade therein, an axially movable spindle located in said handle portion and operatively connected to said clamping means for causing the operation thereof, a rotatable inner sleeve operatively connected to said spindle for causing axial movement thereof, an adjusting nut fixed to said inner sleeve and spaced from the outermost endof said handle portion, and an outer sleeve mounted on said inner sleeve for free rotation with respect thereto and defining the outermost end of said handle portion, said rotatable outer sleeve preventing inadvertent rotary movement of said adjusting nut.

4. In a safety razor as set forth in claim 3, means carried by said head portion and extending into said handle portion for adjusting the angle of the blade mounted in said head portion, and means for locking said blade angle adjusting means -against inadvertent movement.

5. In a safety razor, a handle portion, a head portion connected to said handle portion and including a blade supporting member, a cap assembly having pivotally movable cap sections `that cooperate With said blade supporting member for looking a razor blade therebetween, and `a guard cooperating with said cap sections for properly locating the cutting edges of said blade in said cap assembly, said handle portion including a barrel, an axially movable spindle located in said barrel and operatively connected to said cap sections for `causing the pivotal movement thereof, a rotatable inner sleeve positioned at the outermost end of said barrel and fixed against axial movement with respect thereto, an inner element secured within said inner sleeve and threadably engaging the outer end of said spindle, an adjusting nut secured to the outer periphery of said inner sleeve and located in abutting relation with the outermost end `of said barrel, said adjusting nut being rotatable to produce a corresponding axial movement of said spindle, `and an outer sleeve mounted on said inner sleeve for free rotation with respect thereto and abutting said 'adjusting nut thereby capturing said adjusting nut therebetween and the outermost end of said barrel, said outer sleeve defining the outermost end of said handle portion and being freely movable so as to prevent inadvertent movement of said adjusting nut and the spindle operatively interconnected thereto.

6. In ia safety razor fas set forth in claim 5, means for adjusting `said blade supporting member for adjusting the angle of said blade with respect to said guard, said adjusting means including ya hollow insert mounted in said barre land having spaced threaded portions form thereon, ian adjusting collar threadably engaging one of said threaded portions for causing `axial movement of said hollow insert, and `a locking collar threadably engaging the other threaded portion lfor locking the hollow insert in the adjusted position thereof.

7. In a safety razor as set forth in claim 6, a lock washer interposed between said locking collar and adjusting co1- lar for locking said `'adjusting collar to `said locking collar when said locking collar is moved into rm engagement therewith, thereby locking said Ihollow insert in the ad- 5 justed position thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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