US2729989A - Safety razor blade sharpener - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 10, 1956 MccUE 2,729,989

SAFETY RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER Filed June 1, 1954 --oooooooo/2 iiti jgyg ii:

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United States Patent SAFETY RAZOR BLADE SHARPENER James H. McCue, Pasadena, Calif.

Application June 1, 1954, Serial No. 433,369

1 Claim. (Cl. 76-89.2)

My invention relates to an improved safety razor blade sharpener which when applied in use is adapted by rubbing and polishing action to remove rough and ragged edges from safety razor blades which have double or single cutting edges and while held in a safety razor blade holder or other support, thereby adapting the usual holder for a double purpose, one for holding the razor blade while the holder is being used for shaving and the other for holding the razor blade in a manner whereby both cutting edges of the blade can be sharpened by rubbing and/or polish ing action.

It is well known that the cutting edges of new or old razor blades are usually rough or irregular, thus preventing keen cutting action and frequently being painful for use, and l have found that by removing these objections the cutting edges of the blades can be sharpened evenly and thereby overcome past objections. I have also discovered that by wetting the cutting edges of the blades either with clear or soapy water that subsequent rubbing is rendered more effective by producing smoother and sharper cutting effect which overcomes objections.

With the above objects of removing roughness and other imperfections from safety razor blades and of improving and producing keen and sharp cutting effect my improvement comprises the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary double safety razor blade holder when open; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, when the razor blade holder is closed; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the lower member 21 of my improved polishing device applied in operative position in the safety razor blade holder; Fig. 4 is a plan of the lower member of my im proved razor blade polisher; Fig. 5 is a plan of the companion upper member of my improved razor blade polisher; Fig. 6 is an inverted plan showing an applied position assumed by a razor blade C, on the safety razor blade polishing member D, shown in Figs. 5 and 6; Fig. 7 is a side elevation partly in section showing the polishing members 20 and 21 applied to a safety razor blade holder in position to be reciprocated and thereby polish and sharpen a razor blade by applying rubbing action between the members 20 and 21 upon the cutting edges of the safety razor blade C as also shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is an illustration when in use of the plates 20 and 21 shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The schematic view of Fig. 7 illustrates the manner in which the polishing balls are applied to sharpen the cutting edges of the razor blade by hand longitudinal reciprocation of the plates. The view shown in Fig. 8 illustrates the manner in which the rubbing plates 20 and 21 are applied in use. Fig. 9 also shows that the invention is equally applicable for sharpening double or single type cutting edges on razor blades.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a safety razor blade holder having the usual chassis A supported by the usual tubular handle 15 through which a reciprocable shaft 13 slides 2,729,989 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 longitudinally and is connected between the usual hand operated rotary knob 14 on its outer end and the actuated pair of hinged shutters l2-12 on its work end, with the longitudinal reciprocable dividing wall B on its head end, all of usual and well known construction. Thus by turning the knob 14in one direction the shutters 12 are opened and the transverse dividing wall or guide B is raised into the position shown in Fig. 1, and by reversing the operation of the knob 14 the shutters 12-12 and guide B are retracted uopn the head of the holder as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, all in the usual manner.

It is usual to employ double razor blades C as shown in Fig. 7, which are applied in or removed by hand from the holder so that the user can quickly sharpen the razor blade by strapping. This has been common practice for many years, and has been instrumental in developing and producing safety razors with double cutting edges. This development has resulted in the production of razors having cutting blades which frequently have cutting edges which are rough and imperfect, thus resulting in the user having to discard the blades soon after attempting to use them. Among the objects of my improvements therefore is to overcome past objections and provide improvements which can be easily used.

To these ends a holder for the blades to be sharpened one at a time and comprising a pair of superimposed fiat plates 20 and 21 are provided, the plate 20 having upturned end shoulders 24 between which the plate 21 can be slidably lodged. These plates have corresponding longitudinal slots 22 and 23 which slidingly admit the dividing wall B on the holder. These slots are enlarged between their ends at 30 so as to freely admit the upper end portions 31 of shaft 13 so that the plates 20 and 21 may freely reciprocate longitudinally. The adjacent surfaces of the reciprocable plates 20 and 21 have longitudinal pairs of rows of engaging rubbing balls 25 and 26 which are rigidly seated and set in the adjacent inner side surfaces between the plates 20 and 21 while projecting inwardly. The inner plate 21 is shorter than the outer plate 20 as shown so that plate 21 may reciprocate back and forth a short distance which permits the rows of balls to engage and polish the cutting edges 27 and 28 of the razor blade C. Thus when the two cooperating plates 20 and 21 are loaded with a safety razor blade therebetween, such as indicated in Fig. 7 and the plates 20 and 21 are assembled together and placed in the holder and reciprocated longitudinally, both sides of the cutting edges 27 and 28 of the razor blade are sharpened.

The balls 25 and 26 are composed of carbon steel or case hardened metal, suitable to successfully resist wear, and the operating plates 20 and 21 when assembled with a cutting blade held with its cutting edges between the pairs of rows of balls while slight hand pressure is applied to the sides of the plates sharpens the cutting edges 27 and 28.

The schematic view shown in Fig. 7, illustrates the manner in which the polishing balls are applied in use to polish sharpen the double cutting edges of the razor blades by longitudinal reciprocation of the plates.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my improvement, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried into practice by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth.

I claim:

A safety razor blade cutting edge sharpener which when in use employs for a support a conventional safety razor having the usual tubular handle, pairs of hinged shutters and a vertically reciprocating dividing wall between the shutters, said sharpener comprising upper and lower rectangular plates, each of said plates having longitudinally V 3" and centrally disposed slots therein which are enlarged between their ends for mounting upon the dividing wall of the razor with a razor blade therebetween, said plates each having a plurality of. metal rubbing! balls embedded therein in a. line near the longitudinal edges of each plate, the halls of each plate facing corresponding ballsoi the other plate, so that, with plates. andintermediate blade mounted on therazor andover the. dividing wall thereof, the blade edges are sharpened by hand longitudinal reciprocation "of the plateswith. the dividing wall serving as a guide for the plates during reciprocation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Watson May 18, 1920 McGall Sept. 21, 1920 Spencer May 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 17, 1951

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