Patents by Inventor John F. Francis

John F. Francis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4932123
    Abstract: A razor formed as a unitary moulding comprises a main body 1 including a cap member 3 and two side walls 4 and a guard member 6 connected to the body 1 by spring fingers 7 and living hinges which permit the guard member to be located in guide means 9 which guide the guard member for limited displacement during shaving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 12, 1990
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 4916812
    Abstract: A safety razor incorporating blade magazines and magazines therefore, the blades being incorporated in individual units, each comprising at least one blade, carried by a support plate. A plurality of units are housed as a stack within a magazine, open at one end and providing a guard and a cap. The units are stacked in the magazine extending transversely thereof, the outermost unit being positioned at the mouth of the magazine with its blade positioned between the guard and the cap and its support plate and the magazine wall providing seal against the ingress of debris and moisture. Means are incorporated in the magazine or razor handle to eject the outermost unit from the magazine and replace it with the next unit in the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 4868983
    Abstract: A pair of compact blade units are connected together at each end by a spring metal link comprising independent spring fingers 2, a lug 7 having inner guide surfaces 8 and an end wall 3 with an aperture providing outer guide edges 9, and a top wall 6. Blade support members are guided vertically by co-operating pairs of guide edges 8, 9 and spring loaded upwardly by the respective spring fingers 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 4603477
    Abstract: In a safety razor having cutting edges directed towards each other across a gap, i.e. an opposed blade razor, the blade edges are each formed with undulating edges. The blade margins are preferably corrugated and the corrugations intersected by planar facets (12), the facets of the two blades being substantially in the same plane (T).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1986
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 4516321
    Abstract: A tandem blade unit for use in a safety razor comprises a pair of wire-supported blades (i.e. narrow blade strips secured directly to elongate, wire-like support members) and optionally, additional wire like cap and guard members, held together to form a permanent integrated assembly by links directly moulded onto end portions of the components. Such units can be permanently incorporated into disposable razors or may be exchangeable in a purpose made co-operating razor handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1985
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 4449428
    Abstract: Method of attaching a stainless steel blade member to a support member of cold deformable material, wherein the imperforate blade member (5) is located in a die cavity adjacent a die surface having a through hole (10), the support member (6) is located in the cavity over the blade member (5), and is impacted to effect piercing of the blade member. The slug (7) of blade material displaced into the through hole remains attached by a radial tab (8) to the remainder of the blade, and then the slug is impacted to form a rivet head from the support material which has pierced the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1984
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 4443940
    Abstract: A safety razor head including a guard member, a platform member fixed to the guard member, a leading blade fixed to the platform member, a cap member, a following blade fixed to the cap member, and flexible bridge portions interconnecting the guard and cap members, the bridge portions extending transversely to cutting edges of the blades and being adapted to permit resilient flexing of the cap member relative to the guard member during a shaving operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: John F. Francis, Brian R. Kirk, John C. Terry
  • Patent number: 4335508
    Abstract: A safety razor head, which may be a replaceable cartridge or part of a disposable razor, has leading and following tandem blades fast with a guard member and a cap member, respectively. The members are pivotally mounted for angular movement independently of each other about spaced axes parallel with the blade edges. Alternatively, the members may be interconnected by flexible bridge portions to provide for the relative angular movement of one member and blade relative to the others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1982
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: John F. Francis, Bryan R. Kirk, John C. Terry
  • Patent number: 4168571
    Abstract: A shaving unit comprising a frame, a blade member supported by the frame, first and second skin engaging elements supported by the frame and disposed respectively, in use of the unit, forwardly and rearwardly of the blade member, the first and second skin engaging elements being mounted in the frame in a manner permitting their resilient displacement relative to the frame and the blade member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1979
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis
  • Patent number: 3940853
    Abstract: A razor blade unit in the form of an elongated blade member, at least one long edge of which is constituted by a cutting edge, and means engaged with the blade member and in compression to strain the ends of the blade member apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1976
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventor: John F. Francis