US2636596A - Dispensing magazine for safety razor blades - Google Patents

Description

April 28, v193s N. TEST. 2,636,596

DISPENSING MAGAZINE FOR SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Filed May 9, 1947 17 20 I m a /91175117791? A INVENTOR.

BY I

Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING MAGAZINE FOR SAFETY RAZOR BLADES- Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass., assignor to The Gillette Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 746,908

"The present invention comprises a new and improved dispensing magazine for safety razor blades and the like. The principal object of the invention is to provide a dispensing magazine which may bemanufactured at low cost and filled or loaded by the blade manufacturer, which will; adequately protect the blades against damage in storage, distribution and sales and provide the user with a reservoir for an ample supply of individual blades conveniently at hand for use from time to time.

' The fine cutting edge of a safety razor blade is so delicate in its structure that it is likely to' be easily damaged by any chance contact occurring before actual use. It is desirable that the manufacturer, who is best qualified to produce the fine cutting edge of the blade, should also package and protect the blades as they are finished so that they may arrive unimpaired in' the users hands.

' The magazine of the present invention meets all the requirements above discussed and has other advantages which will be pointed out hereinafter. In one aspect, the present invention constitutes an improvement upon the blade-containing and dispensing device of my co-pending application Serial No. 724,680, filed January 27, 1947, which has matured into Patent No. 2,581,- 332, dated January 1, 1952. Among other improved features, the magazine herein disclosedis so constructed and arranged that its parts may be easily assembled. Going more into detail, the

magazine hasja cover member that may be readily snapped into place in the magazine by hand or by automatic machinery. The cover itself iseconomical in construction, requiring a minimum amount of material and having no projections that are likely to be caught and bent in handling the magazine.--;The cover also presents a con- .tinuous uppersurface and is free of areas which;

an aperture or window through which the uppermost blade in the stack may be reached for thumb engagement when it is to be ejected endwise from the magazine.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the fol- 4 Claims. (01. 205-16) lowing description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the loaded magazine,

shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the magazine as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base member of the magazine;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the base on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view of the base in side elevation;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the spring cover or clip;

Fig. 7 is a view in cross-section on the line 'l'! of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a plan view, actual size, of the base showing one blade in position thereon; and

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective, on a somewhat reduced scale, showing the magazine in the hand of the user, with one blade partially ejected.-

The illustrated device comprises a rectangular:

base l0, having parallel longitudinal side Walls or ribs H and H at its opposite edges. The walls II and I2 are provided respectively, in their top edges, with narrow notches or slots l3 and [4 dis-; posed symmetrically and centrally for'the purpose of receiving the cover, as will presently be described. The walls [I and [2 respectively are further provided with tongues or lugs l5 and 16 located centrally opposite .to the notches l3 and I4 and overhanging outwardly and downwardly as best shown in Fig. 4. A pair of thin fiat upstanding blade-locating studs I I and I8 project from the bottom of the base I0 adjacent'respec-' tively to its opposite ends and disposed in the line of its median axis. These studs are slightly less in height than the height of the walls I I and:

I2 and are separated by an open unobstructed space. In the bottom of the base H1 is provided,

a pair of parallel longitudinal ribs 19, V-shaped' in cross-section and extending from end to end of the base substantially midway between the,

studs l7 and I8 and the side walls It and I2. The ribs I 9 are shallow and furnish parallel lines of support for the blade stack, holding it spaced above the bottom of the magazine. The base In,

with its side walls 1! and 12, the hooked lugs l5; and IS, the ribs l9 and the upstanding studs Fly and I 8 may, if desired, be modeled as a single integral piece from any synthetic resin such as Vinylite, or the like. 1

Cooperating with the base to complete the magazine in the form herein shown is a metallic cover member or clip 20, formed of thin sheet spring metal and having outer downwardly extending side walls or wings 2| and 22. The outline of the cover is substantially rectangular and its center is cut away to present a large rectangular window or finger opening 23. The cover is of such width as to extend across the base Ill and over its walls II and I2 just filling the notches I3 and I4 therein. At its sides the cover is provided with longitudinal slots 24 and 25 respectively, of such dimensions as to receive the hooked. tongues or lugs I5 and I6 of the base and thus to make interlocking engagement with them. The cover has integral end sections that extend from one side to the other and these are downwardly concave in transverse contour so that the cover tends always in its portions at both sides of the window 23 to bear uponthe bottom of the base I!) or any blades that may be within the magazine.

The magazine is herein shown as provided with a stack of 10 01 12- blades 21 of a wellknowncommercial type, that is to say doubleedged blades .004 to .007 inch in thickness, pro vided with corner notches and having a central longitudinal slot that is of the proper width to receive the flat studs H and it with clearance and with transversely extending enlargements in its sides. The blades are arranged in staggered relation within the magazine, that is to say, alternate blades engage at one end the stud II while the remaining blades engage the stud I8 at the respective ends of their longitudinal slots. Each blade is therefore free to move outwardly only in one direction in the magazine and through a distance equal to the length of its slot minus the length or one of the studs.

The bowed integral end sections of the cover 20 extend downwardly below the top of the studs I land I 8 and rest upon the uppermost .blade in the stack thus holding the whole stack firmly but frictionally in position upon the supporting ribs 89 of the base. However, the user may readily reach the uppermost blade of the stack with his thumb and push that blade endwise out of the magazine until the movement of the blade is arrested by contact of the solid end of the blade, beyond its slot, with the inner edge of. the stud. When the blade has been moved to this position it will have passed entirely beyond the blade-engaging portion of the cover 20 so that it is free to be lifted by the user and removed without obstruction from. the magazine. Preferably and as herein shown, the base 18 is provided in each end with a concave recess 2d to facilitate grasping the blade as ejected. It will be understood that if the operator attempts to move the uppermost blade of the stack in the wrong direction, the solid end of the blade will prevent movement and nothing will happen, whereas the blade is always free for movement in the proper direction. The magazine may be turned, end for end, between the removal of successive blades or the successive blades may be removed by being advanced in opposite directions in the magazine.

It will be apparent that the cover, being resilient as a whole, may be sprung into its assembled position by merely properly placing it, after the magazine has been loaded, and pressing it downwardly, whereupon its side wings 2i and 22 will spread sufficiently to pass over the hook-shaped lugs I5 and I5 and allow them to snap into the slots 24 and 25. The cover is thus securely locked in place by its connection with the lugs I5 and i6 despite the fact that it does not extend continuously about the base thereof. The cover, moreover, presents a continuous frame with side members extending uninterruptedly across the magazine and presenting no projections likely to become caught in handling or using the magazine.

The cover member is particularly well "shaped for its function in that its side wings 2| and 22 initially diverge or flare and thus are easily wedged open when the cover is pressed down over the side walls H and I 2 and their lugs Iii and I6. When the wings have snapped over the lugs they lie tightly against the outer faces of the side walls while the center portion is held up by the full stack, but as the stack is depleted and decreases in height the center portion of the cover follows down the uppermost blade and its side wings are free to diverge as suggested in Figure '7. In other words, the side walls or. wings of the cover. member are normallybiased yieldingly to 'engagethe sides of the base.- I.

It will be understood that the spring cover 2!! may be varied in size and shape within considerable limits; for example, it may be lengthened to cover the greater part of the blade stack so long as it contains an aperture sufiicient in area to permit the thumb or finger of the user to reach the uppermost blade of the stack and propel it to its position for removal.

The blade may be advanced by repeated action of the thumb or it may be advanced in that manner only one step to. a position in which the user can grasp it and pull it outwardly until momentarily arrested by engagement with the stud H or IE. Whenthat position is reached the blade has passed out from beneath the bladeengaging portion of the Icover member 20 and may be freely removed.

Having thus disclosed my invention and tiescribed in detail an' illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A blade dispensing magazine comprising a base, side walls rising from the base and having oppositely disposed notches in their upper edges, and hooks below the said notches, in combination with a spring cover member spanning the base between its side walls, fitting into the notches therein, being slotted and making interlocking connection with the said hooks whereby the cover may be sprung into place }after the blade stack has been placed in the ase.

2. A blade dispensing magazine having a base. side walls with external lugs, a resilient cover member spanning the base and having normally diverging wings interlocked with said lugs and. a blade stack disposed between the side walls, the cover member having a bowed center portion bearing on the blade stack and its wings.

being free to move angularly as the stack-is depleted whereby the cover maybe sprung into place after the blade staok'has been placed in the base. i v

A blade dispensing magazine having exit openings at both ends and comprising a base member having upstanding blade-locating studs with a free space of substantial length between them, a stack of slotted blades empaled in ion-- gitudinally staggered relation alternately upon the respective studs, each blade being free to move in one direction only, and an integral cover member resilient as a whole and having side walls depending therefrom shaped to fit over the base member and integral end sections for engaging the top blade of the stack and retaining it yieldingly against longitudinal displacement, the base and cover members having respectively interlocking tongues and slots that are maintained in engagement by the resilient side walls of the cover member, the cover member being forcibly pressed downwardly and the sides of the cover member being yielding and springing over the side tongues for engagement therewith and holding the cover in position on the base with its end sections in engagement with the blade stack, said cover memher having a finger opening located above the open space between the blade-locating studs.

4. A blade dispensing magazine having exit openings at both ends and comprising a base member having upstanding blade-locating studs with a free space of substantial length between them, a stack of slotted blades empaled in 1ongitudinally staggered relation alternately upon the respective studs, each blade being free to move in one direction only, and an integral cover member made of resilient material and having side walls depending therefrom shaped to fit over the base member and end sections integral therewith for engaging the top blade of the stack and retaining it yieldingly against unintended longitudinal displacement, the base and cover members having interlocking tongues and slot means that are maintained in engagement by the resilient side walls of the cover member,

the cover member being forcibly pressed downwardly and the sides of the cover member being yielding and springing said tongue and slot means into mutual engagement and holding the cover in position on the base with its end sections in engagement with the blade stack, said cover member having a finger opening located above the open space between the blade-locating studs.

NICHOLAS TES'II.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,132,925 Gillette Mar. 23, 1915 1,244,338 Johnson Oct. 23, 191? 1,445,124 .Ames Feb. 13, 1923 1,834,284 Kylberg Dec. 1, 1931 1,843,994 Testi Feb. 9, 1932 1,863,074 Swan June 14, 1932 1,909,919 Testi May 16, 1933 2,315,990 Testi Apr. 6, 1943 2,330,252 Testi Sept. 28, 1943 2,344,961 Benjamin Mar. 28, 1944 2,352,113 Muros June 20, 1944 2,410,311 Steinbach Oct. 29, 1946 2,456,488 Brown Dec. 14, 1948 2,581,332 Testi Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 486,367 Great Britain June 2, 1938

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