US2567230A - Magazine for and process of feeding safety razor blades - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 11,1951 J MUROS MAGAZINE FOR AND PROCESS OF FEEDING SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Original Filed Jan. 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 11, 1951 J MUROS 2,567,230

MAGAZINE FOR AND PROCESS OF FEEDING SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Original Filed Jan. 12, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept 11, 1951 MAGAZINE FOR AND PROCESS OF FEEDING SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Joseph Muros, Newtonville, Mass., assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass., a. corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Serial No. 572,492, J anuary'12, 1945. This application May 7, 1948,

Serial No. 25,616

24: Claims. I

This invention relates to safety razors and consists in a new and improved magazine for retaining an ample supply of thin flexible sharp-edged, blades with their edges fully protected and for delivering them accurately, one by one, ready for immediate use.

The magazine of my invention includesv as one of its component parts a blade-carrying unit which, if desired, may be supplied separately to the user and inserted as a refill unit in the casing of the magazine to make up the complete device.

The extreme thinness of safety razor blades and the fragile character of the blade edge renders these blades difficult to handle and to locate in a safety razor ready for shaving, without danger of cutting the user or impairing the keen edge of the blade by accidental contact with part of the razor or the blade package. The. present invention deals with blades of a type that it is desirable to protect at the time and place of manufacture by assembling them in stack formation and enclosing them as a unit, or as a. refill unit, that may be bodily inserted in and so become a part of the magazine. As herein shown, the advantages of this feature may be realized by providing a base plate with projections by which a stack of perforated blades are located and held in position, enclosed and protected by a removable cover which constitutes part of the unit. The cover is preferably inserted with the unit into the magazine. and then removed by the user tornake the blades thus located in the magazine accessible for discharge.

An important feature of my invention relates to the manner in which the blades are disposed in the magazine to facilitate accurate and unvarying feeding of the blades. The problem of separating thin safety razor blades which may not be thicker then .003 to .007 inch is one which has proved very troublesome for many years. It is, of course, essential that one blade, and only one blade, shall be advanced at a time, and when the feeding device has only the thickness of a single blade in which to operate, an accuracy of workmanship is required, not compatible with a magazine of low cost that may be discarded when empty by the user. In accordance with the present invention this difliculty is avoided by separating or spacing the blade which is to be fed by an appreciable amount from the other blades in the stack before any feeding movement is imparted to the blade. As herein shown, the stack of blades is spring-supported and depressed at one end to any convenient or desired distance by a suitable stop. Provision is now made for advancing the uppermost blade in the stack sufiiciently tov disengage it from the stop, whereupon it is immediately separated or fanned by spring action from the remainder of the stack at least to the extent of the effective height of the stop. The feeding device may now operate with certainty in the clearance space thus provided be-- tween the uppermost blade and the stack.

As herein shown, the magazine of my invention is constructed and arranged to handle unsymmetrically perforated or contoured blades and the blades are arranged so that open spaces within the outline or contour of successive blades are staggered, but not necessarily the blades themselves. That is to say, an open space in one blade is located above or below a solid portion of the next adjacent blade. The feeding device is equipped with spaced projections which engage an unsymmetrically located edge of the uppermost blade in the stack wherever it may be located, pass through or beyond it to depress the underlying blades and advance the single uppermost blade. I

Thus the magazine of my invention may be operated in accordance with a novel cycle. The feeding device may advance the uppermost blade in the magazine in two steps, first, toward the end of its feeding movement it may pick up the blade just exposed and advance it sufficiently to disengage it from the blade-spacing stop and then, in its next reciprocation, it may engage the rear end of the now-separated blade and complete the full feeding movement. The uppermost blade is thus advanced fully and delivered from the magazine while the next underlying blade is displaced in the stack sufficiently to cause its separation in anticipation of the succeeding feeding step. Each time the feeding device is reciprocated, the uppermost blade is given a long bladedelivering movement while the next underlying blade is given a short blade-displacing movement. The result is that the feeding device is given at all times ample clearance for engaging and moving the blade and thus operates effectively and uniformly to separate one blade at a time from the stack and to advance it accurately in the path desired for its delivery.

Other features of the invention relate more particularly to the refill unit and its novel combination with the casing and feeding device of the magazine. As herein shown, the refill cover is detachably secured to the base plate of the refill unit and arranged to be disengaged by longitudinal movement thereon. The feeding device of the magazine and the cover of the refill unit are arranged to make engagement during the normal feeding movement of the feeding device so that in the initial movement of the feeding device the cover is disengaged and removed and may be discarded by the user. The initial movement of the feeding device not only disposes of the cover but is effective to engage and displace the uppermost blade of the stack, disengaging it from a hold-down blade-supporting stop and organizing the blades within the magazine for the ensuing blade-delivery movement of the feeding device.

My invention also includes within its scope the novel process of separating and feeding one-byone, thin, sharp-edged blades from a stack, herein shown as carried out by the magazine illustrated, but not in any sense limited to that or to any other specific apparatus. This process includes the steps of locating the opposite ends of a stack yieldingly at different levels with the blades of the stack re istering at their ends, then moving the uppermost blade out of registration with the rest of the stack, swinging it into a level position, and then advancing the blade in its level position.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are views in perspective and on an enlarged scale of the magazine casing and the refill unit respectively, ready to be assembled in the magazine;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the complete magazine substantially at full size;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective on an enlarged scale of the magazine, showing the feeding device at the end of its first or cover-removing stroke;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view of the feed slide as seen from beneath;

Figs. 6, '7, 8 and 9 are views of the magazine in longitudinal section showing the feed slide in progressively different positions in the cycle of operations; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are views in perspective of blades of two different designs shown in the relation they occupy at the end of the first reciprocation of the feed slide.

The magazine and blade-carrying or refill unit herein shown are designed particularly to handle double-edge safety razor blades of a wellknown commercial type, but with appropriate modifications may readily be adapted for blades of other types or designs. As shown in Fig. 10, the blade I9 is substantially rectangular in outline with recessed corners that define elongated unsharpened end portions in the blade. It is provided with a longitudinal medial slot I I, provided with intermediate enlargements, such as the diamond-shaped enlargement l2, and these are designed primarily to fit the blade-locating projections of the various razors in which the blades are to be used. Each blade is provided also with an unsymmetrically disposed open space or aperture, shown in Fig. 10 as a rectangular perforation I3, located in the elongated end portion of the blade and nearer to one side than the other. These blades are arranged in vertical registration within the magazine and in stack formation, with the perforations l3 alternating from side to side in position or staggered so that the perforation in one blade overlaps a solid portion of the blade next beneath it.

Another blade I, adapted by perforations of different shape for use in the same manner, is shown in Fig. 11. This blade has a longitudinal medial slot I5 in which the terminal enlargement I6 is unsymmetrical, extending further out from the center of the blade on one side than on the other. It will be apparent that when blades of this shape are stacked with the enlargements l6 arranged alternately, the open space provided by the extended end of the enlargement in each case will overlap a solid portion of the underlying blade exactly as in the case of the perforations I3 in a stack of blades 10.

The purpose of this arrangement, as will presently appear, is to permit a feeding projection or spur to be inserted into the perforation of the uppermost blade in such a manner as to contact a solid portion of the next underlying blade and depress it away from the empaled blade. Thus the projection of the feeding device may be made greater in length than the thickness of a single blade and the blade may thus be posi tively engaged without danger of feeding with it the next underlying blade.

The casing of the magazine may be formed of sheet metal or moulded from a single piece of plastic material. As herein shown, it is rectangular in shape, having a bottom [1, side walls It? and I9, and inturned top flanges 29 and 2% which are separated by a slot or channel of sub stantial width. The inner end of the casing isclosed by a wall 22 while its outer end remains open for reception of the refill unit and delivery of the individual blades. The bottom of the easing is notched at its forward end and provided with an upturned retaining tongue 2 3 and within this tongue the bottom is provided with a circular hole 24, providing access through the bottom to the refill unit, so that the latter may be lifted to pass over the tongue 23 when it is desired to remove the unit from the casing. Flanges 20 and 2! are provided near their outer ends with projecting stop pins 25 for limiting the movement of the feed slide, while the end wall 22 is extended as a stop above the flanges 23 and 2| at the inner end of the casing. The side walls are slit and provided with inturned flanges 26 which, in co-operation with the bottom of the casing, serve as guideways for the head or guard of a safety razor presented to the magazine to receive a blade therefrom. Each of the top flanges 20 and 2| is notched and provided with a downwardly-extending blade-depressing stop 27 near its inner end. The side walls [8 and 19 are provided with pin-receiving notches 2% in their forward edges.

The feeding device is herein shown as comprising a feed slide 2 9, which is movably retained at all times upon the casing itself. It extends across the top of the casing, downwardly and across both of its side walls and has inturned flanges which engage and slide on the bottom I! of the casing. As already intimated, it is confined in its movement for reciprocation between the stop pins 25 and the stop provided by the folded-over end wall 22. To the under side of the feed slide is attached a bridge plate 30 which substantially fills the space between the top:

flanges 20 and 2| of the casing and is of sub-- stantially the same thickness as the fianges. Thehand end and tapers rearwardly to the plane of the bridge plate 30. Accordingly, when the feed slide is advanced toward the right, one spur 31 or the other will enter a perforation IS in the uppermost blade of the stack and will advance that single blade. On account of the fact that the next underlying blade presents a solid surface beneath the perforation l3 the height of the spur is not critical. If it touches the underlying blade it merely pushes it down but cannot possibly engage it for feeding. On the other hand, when the feed slide is moved reversely, the rear beveled end of the spur will ride smoothly out of the blade perforation without disturbing the position of the blade. The forward edge of the bridge plate 30 is so disposed as to engage the rear end of the already displaced blade and ad- Vance it in the next successive reciprocation of the feed slide.

The blade-carrying unit of the magazine, or the refill unit, as the case may be, is best shown in Fig. 2. It comprises the rectangular base plate 32, having a notch 33 in its forward edge to receive the retaining tongue 23 of the casing, and pins 34 extending transversely from each side edge at its forward end in position to enter the end notches 28 in the ends of the side walls of the casing. The base plate 32 is thus adapted to be slipped freely into the casing and is removably locked in place when its notched end drops behind the retaining tongue 23.

Projecting upwardly from the base plate 32, adjacent each end' thereof, are two pair of upright studs 35, having horizontal guide recesses herein shown as slots cut in their inner walls. Between these studs and in the body of the base plate 32 is provided a rectangular well 36 for the reception of a leaf spring as will presently -ap pear. Projecting upwardly from the bottom of the well 36 is a longitudinal blade-locating rib 31 and blade locating studs 38 and 39 which are disposed in alignment with the rib 3! and of appropriate cross-section to fit the diamondshaped enlargement l2 on the blade I0. In the magazine, as herein organized, both the studs 38 and 39 control the blade movement in the maga- The blades ID are stacked in registration upon the base plate 32 of the unit with their slot-s H loosely fitting upon the rib 31 and with the diamond-shaped enlargement l2 fitting upon the stud 39 at the inner or left-hand end of the unit. The solid end portions of the blades in the stack lie between the righthand end of the rib 21 and the stud 38.

The stack of blades disposed upon the base plate 32 of the unit, as above explained, is covered and enclosed by a sheet metal cover having a wide central rib 40, flat side flanges 4| and an end wall 42. The wide central rib 4i] terminates short of the inner end of the cover so as to clear the feed slide when the parts are assembled in the magazine and accordingly the side flanges 4| present a forked inner end in the cover. The inner edge of the central rib 40 is turned up to form a transverse flange 43 that will project into the path of the feed slide. The flanges 4| of the cover are provided with end notches 44 and side notches 45 which present edges adapted to slide into the guideways of the four studs 35. These are spaced so that the edges of the notches 45 may be introduced into the guideways of one pair of studs 35 before the edges of the walls 44 are introduced into the guideways of the other pair of studs 35, thus facilitating the operation of assembling the cover upon the stacked blades in the unit.

Beneath the stack of blades and disposed with= in the well 36 is a curved leaf spring 46 forked so that it may be slipped into the well 36 beneath the blade stack after the blade stack has been properly located on the rib 31, and secured in place by engaging the cover with the studs 35.

It will be understood that in preparing the blade-carrying or refill unit, the manufacturer will deposit the blades l0 upon the rib of the base plate 32, preferably by automatic machinery and without any contact whatever with the keen shaving edges of the blades. The cover is then positioned above the blade stack and the spring 46 inserted beneath it, thus completing the bladecarrying unit as an article of commerce, that is to say, a complete blade package in which eight or ten blades may be conveniently dispensed to the user. In the blade-carrying unit, therefore, the blades of the stack are held pressed upwardly by the spring 45 against the cover. The blade-carrying unit may be assembled at once within the casing of the magazine or may be supplied as a separate article.

The assembling operation has already been described anol comprises merely slipping the unit into the casing. In this operation the wide central rib 4B of the unit completely fills the channel between the top flanges 2B and 2! of the magazine casing and the cover will push the feed slide to the inner end of the casing if it does not already occupy that position. When the unit is fully inserted its end wall 42, which is bent to provide a detent, will snap into the well 36- and so detachably lock the cover in place. Fig. 6 shows the magazine in this condition.

When the user desires to discharge a blade from the magazine, he has only to make two complete reciprocations of the feed slide. In the first reciprocation, the feed slide engages the flange 43 of the cover, sliding the cover outwardly, forcing its end-wall detent from the shoulder of the well 36, disengaging its side flanges 4| from the guide studs 35 and completely ejecting it from the magazine. When the cover has left the magazine, the blade stack is released from its confining effect and is immediately lifted by the spring 46 into an inclined position in which its inner or left-hand end is held depressed by the stop 21 and its outer or right-hand end is pressed against the under faces of the flanges 20 and 2|. In other words, the blade stack is now held yieldingly with its two ends at different levels and with the blades of the stack in endwise registration. However, toward the end of the initial stroke of the feed slide, one of the feeding spurs 3| will drop into one of the perforations H3 in the uppermost blade of the stack and accurately advance that blade just sufficiently to disengage its rear end from the blade-depressing stop 21. When this happens, the blade so displaced is immediately pressed upwardly or fanned into level or horizontal position against the top flanges 20 and 2| by the pressure of the stack against it. Meanwhile, the blades beneath it are held in depressed position by the stops 21. Fig. 7 shows the magazine in this condition, the uppermost blade having swung upwardly from its initial inclined position to the horizontal position shown with its rear end thus separated from the stack and spaced therefrom.

The feed slide is now moved toward the left into the position shown in Fig. 8, and in this movement the bridge plate 30 drops behind the rear edge of the displaced blade in readiness for the final blade-feeding step. Ordinarily there ,is no danger of retracting the displaced blade since the spur 3| passes smoothly out of the perforation l3 but in any case the stop 21. positively prevents retraction of this blade to a position in which it cannot be engaged by the feed slide but in which it cannot in any way interfere with the normal separating and feeding cycle.

When the feed slide 29 is advanced for its second stroke in the cycle, the displaced blade is engaged by the bridge plate 3!] at it rear end and the blade is advanced the full stroke of the feed slide and ejected at the right-hand end of the magazine either directly into a safety razor orinto a position where it may be removed by the user. In this movement of the feed slide, the blade which is being uncovered is held out of range of the feed slide and of its spur. These pass over the depressed end of the blade stack and nothing happens to the uppermost blade which is being uncovered until the spur 3| near the end of its stroke drops into the perforation l3 and advances that blade for the short distance required to disengage it in turn from the stop 21. The spur 3! cannot possibly displace the second blade in the stack because its unsymmetrical perforation does not register with the perforation in the uppermost blade, and the spur could under no circumstances encounter anything but the smooth continuous surface of the second blade. Fig. 9 shows the magazine in this condition.

It will be noted that the inner end of the blade stack extends to a position rearwardly beyond the feeding edge of the feed slide 29 when the feed slide is in its intitial position. Consequently the feed slide cannot make end engagement with any blade in the stack until the blade has been advanced toward the right substantially from its initial position in the stack. Under these circumstances it is impossible for the feed slide to pick up a second blade until it has fully ejected the first blade from the magazine.

It will be appreciated that there is disclosed herein a new and improved process of separating and feeding, one by one, thin sharp-edge blades from stacked formation. While this process may be carried out by the magazine apparatus above described, it may be practiced by apparatus of other types. As herein illustrated, characteristic steps of this process consist in first supporting a stack of blades in an inclined position or with its two ends at different levels, then displacing the uppermost blade in the stack, swinging it into a level position and advancing it in such level position. Preferably and as herein shown, the last step takes place with the simultaneous displacement of the next underlying blade in the stack.

The stop 39 is beveled so that it will release the uppermost blade in the stack for forward displacement but it substantially fills the enlargement I2 in the blades and positively prevents advancing movement of any blade that cannot reach its beveled rear corner. The stop 38, on the other hand, is of such height as to define a blade passage beneath the bridge plate 3|] of the feeding device of just sufficient width to admit passage of a single blade.

The spring 46 is forked at its right-hand end and accordingly the blade stack may tilt transversely, according to the location of the perforation I3 in the uppermost blade; that is, if the perforation is looted at the left-hand side of the uppermost blade, the spur 3| will pass through it and rock the blade stack slightly down on its lefthand side.

This application is filed as a continuationof my copending application Ser. No. 572,492, filed January 12, 1945 now abandoned in favor of the present application.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the process thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent:

1. A blade magazine comprising walls forming an elongated enclosure, a blade-locating rib therein, a stack of slotted blades removably held by the rib, and a single blade located above the stack in a longitudinally advanced position, together with a feeding device mounted for reciprocation on a wall of the enclosure and having one portion shaped and disposed for engaging and advancing the said displaced blade in the initial movement of the device and another portion shaped and disposed for engaging and advancing the next underlying blade in the concluding movement of the device in the same direction.

2. A blade magazine comprising walls forming an elongated enclosure, a blade-locating rib therein, a stack of perforated blades removably held by the rib, and a single blade located above the stack in a longitudinally advanced position, together with a feeding device mounted for reciprocating movement on a Wall of the enclosure from one end to the other thereof and having a portion shaped to engage the said displaced blade at one end and advance it in the initial movement of the feeding device in one direction, and another portion shaped for engaging a perforation of the next underlying blade and advancing it in the concluding movement of the feeding device in the same direction.

3. A blade magazine comprising walls forming an elongated enclosure, a blade-locating projection therein, a stack of perforated blades removably held by the projection, and a single blade located above the stack in a longitudinally advanced position, together with a feed slide mounted for reciprocation on the walls of the enclosure, and having a portion shaped to engage the displaced blade and move it throughout the remainder of the feed slide travel, and another portion for engaging the next underlying blade in the final movement of the slide and thus advancing both blades simultaneously.

4. A blade magazine comprising walls forming an elongated enclosure, a blade-locating projection therein, a spring-supported stack of perforated blades fitting loosely upon said proj ection, and a single blade located above said projection, a stop located rearwardly beyond said uppermost blade in position to engage and depress the blades of the stack beneath it, and a feed slide movable in a path above said depressed blades, first to engage and advance said single blade and then to drag the next underlying blade out of contact with said stop.

5. A blade magazine comprising walls forming an elongated enclosure, a blade-locating projection therein, a stack of perforated blades loosely fitting upon said projection, and a single blade located above said projection, a spring tending to lift all of said blades, a stop located rearwardly beyond said. uppermost blade in position to engage and depress the blades of the stack beneath it into an inclined position, and a feed slide movable in a path above said depressed blades and having an edge portion for engaging and advancing said single blade, and a spur for engaginga perforation of the next underlving.

decades l 6. A'blade magazine comprising waus'ferming an elongated enclosure, a' blade-locating pro ec tion therein, a stack of perforated blades loosely fitting upon said projection,- and a single blade located above said projection and in a longitudinally advanced position with respect to th blade stack, a spring located beneath the stack, a stop located rearwardly of said single'blade in position to depress the blades beneath it, and a feed slide movable in a fixedpath in line with said single blade and having a downward-1y extending projection for engaging a perforation of the next underlying blade only after thefeed slide has already advanced througha substantial portion of its path, thereby moving the said underlying blade and releasing it from the stop;

7. A blade magazine comprising walls and a top forming an elongated enclosure, means 'for locating a stack of blades therein, a stop project ing downwardly from the top of the enclosure,- a stack of perforated blades held in the enclosure by said locating means, and a single similar blade located above the stack in a longitudinally ad vanced position, a spring within the enclosure acting to press the said single blade against the top of the enclosure and to press the uppermost blade of the stack against said stop, and a feed slide movable in a path in substantially the same plane with said single blade and having a downwardly extending projection for engaging a perforaticn of the blade in the stack which is engaged and held down by said stop.

8. A blade magazine comprising walls and a top forming an elongated enclosure, means for locating a stack of blades therein, a stop projecting downwardly from the top of the enclosure, a stack of blades having apertures which are staggered in successive blades of'the stack and a single similar blade movable endwise'ab'ove the blade stack and located in overlappin'g relation to the stack, means for pressing thesaid single blade against the top of the enclosure and the uppermost blade in the stack against the said stop, and a feed slide movable in substantially the plane of said single blade and. having spaced projections for engaging the aperture ofthe uppermost blade of the stack in whichever eer: tion it may occupy.

9. A blade magazine comprising an elongated casing having an open top, a spring-supported stack of blades within the casing, fixed guideways within the casing, a cover slidablein said guideways and being shaped both to close the open top of the casing and to hold the blade stack in depressed position, and a feed slide having a porttion shaped to engage the cover and being mow able first to detach the said cover and then to advance successive blades from the uncovere stack inthe magazine. V 10. In a blade magazine, a refill unit cjdmpris} ing a base plate, a stack of perioratedblades located upon said plate, a spring underlying the blade stack, posts upstanding from said plate'on both sides of the blade stack having guide recesses therein, and a detachable cover slidably received in said posts and shaped to enclose the stack and hold it compressed upon the spring.

11. A blade magazine comprising an elongated casing having a blade outlet at one end, a springsupported stack of blades having apertures in their ends outermost in the casing, a stop projecting downwardly within the casing for holding the blade stack inclined downwardly at its inner end, and a feed slide having one portion shaped to engage the wall of the aperture of the uppermost blade in the stack at its outer end and pull it'out irom' under the stop whereby it may assume a level :position preparatory for a second feeding step, and having another portion located to" engage the rear edge of said blade in its level position for'said second feeding step.

12. A blade magazine comprising an elongated casing having a top and a downwardly projecting s'tolp near one end ofthe 'top, a stack of blades within the'casing, a spring pressing the stack upwardly and holding the blades in inclined posi: tior'i 'with one'end of the stack against the stop andtiie other against the top of the casing, means for disengaging the uppermost blade in the stack from the stop whereby it is thereupon caused to lie in horizontal position against the topof the casing, and means for advancing the blade its said horizontal position' 13; A-blade' magazine comprising a rectangular casing closed at one end and having a top with a downwardly-projecting stop near the closed end of the casing, a stack of thin sharp-edged blades within the casing, each blade of which has an aperture near its outer end, a spring pressing the blade stack upwardly and holding it in posi tion inclined downwardly toward thec losed end of the casing, a feed slide mounted to reciprocate upon the top of the casing and having a blade-en gagin spur movable above the stack without making ing contact with the depressed end there'- of and traveling in a path in which its spur subsequently enters the aperture in the uppermost blade of the stack.

14'. The process of separating and feeding oneby-one thin, sharp-edged blades from a stack, which includes the steps of supporting a stack yieldingly in a predetermined position with all the blades registering one above the next, displacing the uppermost blade longitudinally of the blade stack to a position in which pressure of the stack causes it to assume a position at an angle to the face of the stack, and then advancing the displaced blade by endwise engagement.

15. The process of separating and feeding onebyone thin,- sharp-edged perforated blades from a stack, which includes the steps of yieldingly holding a stack of blades in an inclined position pressed upwardly at one end against a horizontal surface, engaging a perforation of the uppermost blade and dis-placing it to a position in' which pressure of the stack and said surface causes the blade to assume a horizontal position, and then advancing the horizontal blade by engaging it at its rear end.

16. The process of separating and feeding thin, sharp-edged blades from a stack, which includes the steps of locating the two ends of a stacl yiel-din'gly at different levels With the blades in en'dwise' registration, then moving the uppermost blade out of registration with the rest or the stack, swinging it into a level position,- feeding the said blade in its level position, and simultaneously moving the next underlying blade out or registratipn with the remainderoi the stack.

17.- A blade refill unit for use with a bladema azine, comprising a base, an upstanding blade locating rib thereon, a stack of slotted blades placed upon the rib, and a removable cover engaging the base, extending over the blades and having parallel downwardly-projecting shoulders spaced from each other and disposed on either side of the said blade-locating rib, said shoulders acting, while the cover is in place, to hold the blade stack down upon the base and positively 11 prevent the blades from being lifted off the said rib.

18. The process of feeding one-by-one thin, sharp-edged blades from a stack wherein each blade is provided with an unsymmetrically located openin therein, which includes the steps of arranging the blades in superposed stack formation alternately so that the unsymmetrically located opening in one blade overlies a solid portion of the blade next thereto in the stack, supporting the stack in a yielding manner, engaging the uppermost blade in the stack by the unsymmetrically located opening therein and simultaneously therewith depressing the underlying blade, and moving the uppermost engaged blade away from the stack.

19. The process of feeding one-by-one thin, sharp-edged blades from a stack wherein each blade is provided with a longitudinal medial slot which terminates in an enlargement and wherein the enlargement is unsymmetrically located so that the same extends further out from the center of the blade on one side than on the other, which includes the steps of yieldingly supporting the blades in superposed stack formation so that the unsymmetrically located portions of the enlargements in the blades alternate from side to side and the enlargement in one blade overlaps the solid portion of the blade next beneath it, engaging the uppermost blade in the stack by the unsymmetrically located enlargement therein depressing the stack beneath the uppermost blade, and moving the uppermost engaged blade away from the stack.

20. A blade magazine comprising walls and a top forming an elongated enclosure, a stack of blades therein, each having a longitudinal median slot and presenting a symmetrical external outline and having an unsymmetrical open space in its body, the said blades being arranged alternately in vertical registration with the open space of one blade opposite to a solid portion of an adjacent blade in the stack, means for locating the stack in spaced relation to the walls of the enclosure, a spring for pressing the stack toward the top of the enclosure, and a slide movable in the top of the enclosure and having a portion shaped to engage an edge of the unsymmetrical open space in the blade which is successively uppermost in the stack and to depress the next underlying blade by engaging a solid portion thereof.

21. A blade magazine comprising walls and a top forming an elongated enclosure, a stack of blades therein, each having a longitudinal me. dian slot and presenting a symmetrical external outline and having an unsymmetrical open space in its body, the said blades being arranged alternately in vertical registration with the open space of one blade opposite to a solid portion of an adjacent blade in the stack, means for eating the stack in spaced relation to the walls of the enclosure, and a slide movable in the top of the enclosure and having a portion shaped to engage an edge of the unsymmetricalopen space in the blade which is successively uppermost in the stack.

22.A blade-dispensing magazine comprising an elongated enclosure with an exit opening at one end, a stack of blades arranged with their ends and cutting edges in vertical alignment within the enclosure, each blade having a longitudinal median slot of a contour having a laterally extending enlargement providing an open space unsymmetrically located in the otherwise longitudinally symmetrical contour of the slot, the said blades being disposed alternately with the open space of one blade opposite to a solid portion of the next adjacent blade in the stack, means for locating the stack as a whole in the enclosure, and a feeding device movable above the stack and having a portion shaped to engage an edge of the unsymmetrical open space in that blade which is successively uppermost in the stack. 23. The process of separating and feeding, one-by-one, thin, resilient sharp-edged razor blades from a stack, which includes the steps of locating the two ends of the stack under tension at difierent levels with all the blades of the stack inclined to the horizontal and registering at both their ends, then moving the uppermost blade out of registration with the rest of the stack. and causing it to spring into a level position, thus vertically separating one end of the blade from the stack, and then advancing the blade in its level position by engagement with the outer edge of its end thus separated.

24. A blade magazine comprising a casing having a top portion and a blade-exit opening at one end only, a stack of apertured blades within the casing, a spring and hold-down in the casing engaging the blade stack and holding it under spring pressure with one end elevated above the other and in contact with the top portion of the casing, and a feed slide constructed and arranged to reciprocate longitudinally in the casing above the blade stack and having two blade-engaging faces disposed at different levels for automatically engaging first a perforation in the elevated end of a blade in the stack to move said blade to a longitudinally advanced position and then, in a subsequent movement, the rear end of the same blade to advance the blade through the said blade-exit opening.

JOSEPH, MUROS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,791,586 Todd Feb. 10, 1931 1,869,311 Gaisman July 26, 1932 1,911,627 Lashar May 30, 1933 2,321,570 Billing June 15, 1943 2,330,252 Testi Sept. 28, 1943- 2,357,208 Kuhnl Aug. 29, 1944 2,409,401 Testi Oct. 15, 1946

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