Shaver Cutter Head

Arpino August 6, 1

Patent Grant 3827144

U.S. patent number 3,827,144 [Application Number 05/363,475] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-06 for shaver cutter head. This patent grant is currently assigned to Sperry Rand Corporation. Invention is credited to Ronald G. Arpino.


United States Patent 3,827,144
Arpino August 6, 1974

SHAVER CUTTER HEAD

Abstract

An improved shaver cutter head, including an outer cutter, an inner cutter mounted within the outer cutter, and means for moving the inner cutter within the outer cutter in a predetermined path of travel. Each of the cutters has a hair-shearing first wall portion, the first wall portion of the mounted inner cutter being urged into engagement with the first wall portion of the outer cutter for shearing hair as the inner cutter is moved in said predetermined path of travel within the outer cutter. The outer cutter also has opposed, non-hair-shearing, second and third wall portions, respectively depending from the first wall portion of the outer cutter. The second wall portion is provided with an aperture, and the third wall portion is oriented to extend in the direction of movement of the inner cutter within the outer cutter. A resilient member disposed adjacent to the outer cutter's second wall portion, extends through the aperture therein and urges the moving inner cutter into sliding engagement with the third wall portion of the outer cutter. As a result, the moving inner cutter is directly guided by the third wall portion in the aforesaid predetermined path of travel.


Inventors: Arpino; Ronald G. (Branford, CT)
Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation (Bridgeport, CT)
Family ID: 23430377
Appl. No.: 05/363,475
Filed: May 24, 1973

Current U.S. Class: 30/43.92; 30/34.2
Current CPC Class: B26B 19/042 (20130101)
Current International Class: B26B 19/04 (20060101); B26b 019/02 (); B26b 019/04 ()
Field of Search: ;30/43.91,43.92,43.2

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents
3105298 October 1963 Carissimi
3191300 June 1965 Locke
Primary Examiner: Smith; Al Lawrence
Assistant Examiner: Joyce; M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Miranda; Charles R. Walker; Donald P.

Claims



What is claimed is:

1. A shaver cutter head comprising:

a. an outer cutter and an inner cutter, each of the cutters including a hair-shearing first wall portion, the inner cutter adapted to be mounted within the outer cutter and moved therewithin in a predetermined path of travel, the first wall portion of the mounted inner cutter being disposed to cooperate with the first wall portion of the outer cutter for shearing hair as the inner cutter is moved within the outer cutter;

b. the outer cutter including non-hair-shearing second and third wall portions, the second wall portion having an aperture formed therein and the third wall portion extending in the direction of said predetermined path of travel of the inner cutter; and

c. a member disposed adjacent to the second wall portion of the outer cutter, the member including resilient means extending through said aperture in the second wall portion of the outer cutter and being adapted to urge the moving inner cutter into sliding engagement with the third wall portion of the outer cutter, whereby said third wall portion directly guides the moving inner cutter in said predetermined path of travel.

2. The cutter head according to claim 1 including spring means connected to the inner cutter and adapted to resiliently urge the inner cutter in a first direction transverse to the direction of said predetermined path of travel of the moving inner cutter, and said resilient means being adapted to resiliently urge the moving inner cutter in a second direction which is transverse to both said first direction and the direction of said predetermined path of travel.

3. The cutter head according to claim 1 wherein said aperture in the second wall portion of the outer cutter includes two apertures spaced apart from one another, and said resilient means includes a pair of spaced resilient arms, one of said arms partially extending through one of said two apertures and the other arm extending partially through the other of said two apertures, said arms slidably contacting spaced areas of the moving inner cutter and being adapted to urge the moving inner cutter in a direction transverse to the direction of said predetermined path of travel thereof.

4. The cutter head according to claim 1, wherein said inner and outer cutter respectively include an upper wall portion and said outer cutter includes a pair of oppositely disposed side wall portions, said first wall portions of the inner and outer cutters respectively being the upper wall portions thereof, said second wall portion of the outer cutter being one of the side wall portions thereof, and said third wall portion of the outer cutter being the other side wall portion thereof.

5. The cutter head according to claim 1, wherein said outer cutter includes a pair of oppositely disposed side wall portions, said second wall portion of the outer cutter being one of said side wall portions thereof, the first wall portion of the outer cutter including a channel formed inwardly of the outer cutter, said channel having a depending non-hair-shearing wall portion disposed between the side wall portions of the outer cutter, and said third wall portion of the outer cutter being the depending wall portion of said channel.

6. The cutter head according to claim 1 including a frame upon which a pair of outer cutters are mounted so as to position the first wall portions thereof in hair-shearing relationship with a shaver user's skin and to position the apertured second wall portions thereof opposite one another, said member being an outer cutter spacer member mounted on the frame between said apertured second wall portions, said resilient means including spaced resilient arms, one of said arms extending into the aperture in one of said second wall portions, and the other arm extending into the aperture in the other second wall portion.

7. The cutter head according to claim 1 wherein said cutter head includes two of said outer cutters each including a side wall portion, the cutters being spaced apart from one another by said member such that the side wall portions thereof are disposed opposite one another, at least one of said side wall portions being an outer cutter second wall portion, said member including opposed side walls one of which abuts with one of said opposite outer cutter side wall portions and the other of which abuts with the other of said opposite side wall portions, said member having spaced apertures formed therein, said resilient means including spaced resilient arms, one of said arms extending outwardly from within each of said member apertures, said member's arms and apertures being respectively relatively dimensioned to allow the arms extending therefrom to be urged inwardly thereof to dispose said arms within said member, and at least one of said arms extending through the aperture in said at least one side wall.

8. The cutter head according to claim 1, wherein said outer cutter is one of a plurality thereof, said inner cutter is one of a plurality thereof, each of said inner and outer cutters including one of said first wall portions, each of said outer cutters including one of each of said second and third wall portions, one of said apertures being formed in each of said second wall portions, each of said inner cutters being adapted to be mounted within each of the outer cutters and moved therewithin in a predetermined path of travel relative thereto, one of said members being disposed adjacent to the second wall portion of each of said outer cutters, and each of said members including resilient means extending therefrom and through at least one of said second wall portion apertures.
Description



BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is concerned with means for guiding a moving inner cutter in a predetermined path of travel within an outer cutter of an electric dry shaver cutter head. More particularly, the invention is concerned with providing resilient means adapted to urge the moving inner cutter into sliding engagement with an outer cutter wall portion which extends in the direction of said predetermined path of travel, whereby the wall portion directly guides the moving inner cutter in said predetermined path of travel.

Although the invention is generally adaptable to shaver cutter heads which include either rotating or reciprocating inner cutters, for exemplary purposes this disclosure describes the invention in connection with a cutter head of the type which includes a reciprocating inner cutter.

A typical cutter head of the exemplary type includes one or more hollow, elongated, outer cutters, which are rectangular in transverse cross-section, and a corresponding number of elongated inner cutters mounted for reciprocation within the outer cutters. Each of the cutters includes a hair-shearing upper wall portion, spaced, non-hair-shearing side wall portions, and a lower wall portion. For hair-shearing purposes, the upper wall portions of the cutters are slotted to provide a plurality of parallel hair-shearing teeth with hair shearing edges. The hair-shearing wall portion of a given inner cutter, and particularly the hair-shearing edges thereof, are urged, by means of a spring connected to the inner cutter, to cooperate with the hair-shearing wall portion of the outer cutter, for shearing hair as the inner cutter is reciprocated within the outer cutter. The inner cutter is normally reciprocated by means of the spring, which has a mid-portion driven by a motor mounted within the shaver, and opposite end portions connected to the lower wall portion of the inner cutter. The motor is provided with a plurality of motor arms, each of which urges a spring and thus one of the inner cutter hair-shearing wall portions into engagement with an outer cutter hair-shearing wall portion, and reciprocates the inner cutter several hundred times per minute.

To promote rapid assembly of inner and outer cutters, the cutters are relatively dimensioned to allow for fitting the inner cutters and connected springs loosely into randomly chosen outer cutters. On the other hand, a loose fitting relationship between a given inner and outter cutter allows for unwanted transverse movement of the reciprocating inner cutter toward the side wall portions of the outer cutter. Such transverse movement results in the inner cutter intermittently contacting the outer cutter side wall portions, causing noise to be emitted by the cutter head, and causing excessive wear of inner cutters, springs and other parts of the cutter head. To cure this problem the moving inner cutter should be guided to ensure travel thereof in a predetermined, substantially linear path of travel.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved cutter head for an electric dry shaver, including novel means for directly guiding a moving inner cutter in a predetermined path of travel within an outer cutter; and

Another object is to provide, in combination, a shaver cutter head of the type which includes an outer and inner cutter wherein the inner cutter is mounted within the outer cutter and adapted to be moved in a predetermined path of travel therewithin, and resilient means disposed adjacent to the outer cutter and adapted to urge the moving inner cutter into sliding engagement with a non-hair-shearing wall portion of the outer cutter which is oriented in the direction of said path of travel of the inner cutter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention resides in providing a shaver cutter head including an outer and inner cutter and improved means for directly guiding the inner cutter in a predetermined path of travel within the outer cutter. Each of the cutters includes a first wall portion having means for shearing hair. The inner cutter is adapted to be mounted and moved within the outer cutter, such that the first wall portion of the moving inner cutter is disposed to cooperate with the first wall portion of the outer cutter for shearing hair. The outer cutter also has oppositely disposed, non-hair-shearing, second and third wall portions. The second wall portion has an aperture formed therein, and the third wall portion is oriented to extend in the direction of said predetermined path of travel of the moving inner cutter. In addition, the cutter head includes a member disposed adjacent to the outer cutter's second wall portion. The member includes resilient means extending through the aperture in the outer cutter's second wall portion for urging the moving inner cutter into sliding engagement with the outer cutter's third wall portion. Since the outer cutter's third wall portion is oriented in the direction of the aforesaid predetermined path of travel of the moving inner cutter, the second wall portion directly guides the moving inner cutter within the outer cutter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of an electric dry shaver, including an improved cutter head in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view, in elevation, of the upper end portion of the shaver of FIG. 1, taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1, showing an embodiment of the improved cutter head, including a plurality of outer cutters and spacer members respectively mounted on a cutter head frame, the cutters and spacer members being constructed in accordance with invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the cutter head of FIG. 2, which shows details of one of the outer cutters and spacer members according to the invention, details of one of the inner cutters with a connected spring, and the cutter head frame.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view, partially in section, of the spacer member shown in FIG. 3, the section being taken substantially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the spacer member shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, in elevation, of the spacer member shown in FIG. 5, taken substantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, in elevation, of the improved cutter head; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, in elevation, of another embodiment of the improved cutter head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, an upper portion of an electric dry shaver 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2), of the type in which the invention may be included, generally includes an upper portion of a casing 11. The casing 11 includes spaced front and rear walls, respectively numbered 12 and 13, and spaced side walls 14. The walls 12, 13 and 14 define a rectangularly-shaped receptacle 15 within which a cutter head 16 is located.

The cutter head 16 includes a plurality of hollow, elongated, stationary, skin-contacting, outer cutters 17, which are rectangular in transverse cross-section. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the outer cutters 17 has a hair-shearing upper wall portion 18, including oppositely disposed, parallel, marginal edges 19. In addition, each of the outer cutters 17 includes oppositely disposed, non-hair-shearing, side walls portions 20, respectively depending from the opposite marginal edges 19 of the upper wall portion 18. Each of the outer cutters 17 also includes an elongated base spacer 21.

The upper walls 18 (FIG. 3) of the outer cutters 17 each include two rows of a plurality of spaced, parallel, transversely extending, hair-shearing teeth 22. The teeth 22 are formed by two rows of hair reception slots 23, spaced from one another by a substantially U-shaped channel 24 protruding inwardly of the outer cutter 17. Each of the channels 24 includes a pair of oppositely disposed, depending, non-hair-shearing wall portions 25, respectively located intermediate the side wall portions 20 of the outer cutter 17, and a base wall portion 26.

The opposed side wall portions 20 (FIG. 3) of the outer cutters 17 respectively include an aperture 27, one of which is shown in FIG. 3. Each of the apertures 27 is located approximately midway of the side wall portion 20 in which it is formed, but closer to the base spacer 21 than to the upper wall portion 18 of the outer cutter 17. In addition, at least one of the side wall portions 20 includes a downwardly protruding tab 28 located adjacent to one of the ends of the base spacer 21.

The outer cutter base spacers 21 (FIGS. 2 and 3) are respectively U-shaped in transverse cross-section and have a rectangularly-shaped aperture 29 formed therein. The apertures 29 are located approximately midway between the ends of the respective base spacers 21. The base spacers 21 are positioned between the lower ends of the side wall portions 20 of the respective outer cutters 17, and fixedly connected thereto by known means, for example, as by welding, to provide each of the outer cutters 17 with a rigid, apertured, lower wall portion.

The cutter head 16 (FIGS. 2 and 3) also includes a plurality of elongated, stationary, skin contacting non-hair-shearing spacer members 30 (FIGS. 2 and 6). Each of the spacer members 30 has a narrow, upright, generally rectangularly-shaped, transverse cross-section; and includes a curved upper edge 31, opposed side surfaces 32 and a lower edge 33. At least one of the side surfaces 32 includes an outwardly extending lug 34, and the lower edge 33 includes a plurality of equidistantly spaced, downwardly extending, protrusions 35 (FIG. 3).

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer cutters 17 are arranged parallel to one another and respectively spaced from the next adjacent of their number by means of one of the spacer members 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer cutter side wall portions 20 abut with the spacer member side surfaces 32 next adjacent thereto, and the spacer member lugs 34 extend into the outer cutter apertures 27 located next adjacent thereto. As thus arranged, the outer cutters 17 and spacer members 30 are mounted on a cutter head mounting frame 40 (FIG. 3).

As shown in FIG. 3, the cutter head mounting frame 40 includes an elongated, rectangularly-shaped, base plate 41 having a plurality of legs 42, each provided with an aperture 43. The base plate 41 also includes a plurality of spaced, parallel, rectangularly-shaped apertures 44 and 45 formed therein, the apertures 44 being larger than the apertures 45. A plurality of generally U-shaped apertures 46 are also formed in the base plate 41. The U-shaped apertures 46 are disposed in the form of a rectangular array (not numbered) in the base plate 41 and dimensioned to receive the outer cutter protrusions 28 for aligning each of the outer cutter apertures 29 in registry with one of the frame apertures 44. In addition, each of the spacer member protrusions 35 is dimensioned to be inserted into one of the base plate apertures 44 or 45. Upon thus assembling the outer cutters 17, spacer members 30 and frame 40, the outer cutters 17 are connected to the frame 40 by means well-known in the art, for example, as by means of clips 49 adapted to tightly hold the ends of each of the outer cutter base spacers 21 in contact with the frame 40 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, the shaver cutter head 16 also includes a plurality of hollow, elongated movable, inner cutters 50, which are rectangular in transverse cross-section. Each of the inner cutters 50 has a hair-shearing upper wall portion 51, oppositely disposed, depending, side wall portions 52, and a lower wall portion 53. The upper wall portions 51 of the inner cutters 50 (FIGS. 2 and 3) each include two rows of a plurality of spaced, parallel, transversely extending, hair-shearing teeth 54. The teeth 54 are formed by two rows of hair reception slots 55, spaced from one another by a substantially U-shaped, inwardly protruding, channel 56. Each of the channels 56 includes a pair of oppositely disposed, depending, non-hair-shearing wall portions 57, respectively located intermediate the side wall portions 52 of the inner cutter 50, and a lower wall portion 59.

Another form of inner cutter 50 is shown in FIG. 8. The inner cutter 50 of FIG. 8 differs from the inner cutter 50 of FIG. 7 in that it has an inverted W-shaped transverse cross-section; the inner cutter channel 56 (FIG. 8), and thus each of the opposed, depending, channel wall portions 57 (FIG. 8), extends further inwardly of the inner cutter 50 than the corresponding wall portions 57 of the inner cutter 50 of FIG. 7; and the channel's lower wall portion 59 (FIG. 8) is the inner cutter's lower wall portion 53. Thus the inner cutter 50 of FIG. 8 has a lower (channel) wall portion 53 (59).

The lower wall portions 53 of the inner cutters 50 (FIGS. 3, 7 and 8) respectively include a rectangularly-shaped aperture 60 formed therein. The apertures 60 are located approximately midway between the ends of the respective lower wall portions 53. In addition, each of the lower wall portions 53 includes spaced apertures 61, located on either side of aperture 60, each near one of the opposite ends of the lower wall portion 53. The apertures 61 of the respective inner cutters 50 are adapted to have seated therein the end portions an elongated spring 63.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the springs 63, is rectangularly-shaped in transverse cross-section, and has a body portion 64 and spaced end portions 65. Each of the body portions 64 is provided with a partial loop 66, formed therein approximately midway between the spring end portions 65. The spring end portions 65 are dimensioned to be seated within the inner cutter apertures 61 and adapted by means well-known in the art to be removably connected to the inner cutter lower wall portions 53. The connected springs 63 are thus adapted to be carried by the inner cutters 50 beneath the lower wall portions 53 thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2 an inner cutter 50 and connected spring 63 is removably inserted, by means well-known in the art, into each of the outer cutters 17. In addition, the cutter head 16 is mounted within the cutter head receptacle 15 and detachably connected in place. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the shaver 10 includes a shaver motor housing 70 within which a shaver motor (not shown) is disposed. The motor includes a plurality of motor arms 72, adapted by known means (not shown) to be reciprocated by the motor (not shown). The motor arms 72 respectively extend upwardly from the housing 70, and the housing 70 includes a plurality of lugs 73 extending laterally therefrom. The lugs 73 are dimensioned to detachably engage the apertures 43 in the legs 42 of the cutter head frame 40, thereby mounting the cutter head 16 within the shaver casing 11.

Each of the motor arms 72 (FIG. 2) extends through the next adjacent cutter head frame aperture 44 and into one of the outer cutter base plate apertures 29, to engage the next adjacent inner cutter spring loop 66. As the motor arms 72 engage the springs 63, each of the springs 63 is urged from a relaxed state to a compressed state and towards the associated inner cutter lower wall portion 53. When the shaver motor (not shown) is operated, reciprocating motion of the motor arms 72 is transmitted to the inner cutters 50 via their connected springs 63. Concurrently, the springs 63 urge the upper hair-shearing wall portions 51 of the inner cutters 50 into sliding engagement with the upper hair-shearing wall portions 18 of the outer cutters 17 for shearing hair.

When the shaver 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is in use, the uppermost surfaces of the cutter head 16, and thus the upper wall portions 18 of the outer cutters 17 and the curved upper edges 31 of the spacer members 30, are placed in contact with the user's skin (not shown) and moved thereacross for shearing hairs (not shown). Normally the shaver 10 is moved in a hair-shearing path wherein both the outer cutter upper wall portions 18 and spacer member upper edges 31 extend transversely of the path of movement, for example, in path directions shown by the arrows A or B (FIG. 2). As the cutter head 16 is moved across the user's skin, hairs which enter the outer cutter slots 23 are shorn by the inner cutter teeth 54 in cooperation with the outer cutter teeth 22. Concurrently, the spacer member upper edges 31 exert sufficient pressure on the user's skin to stretch the skin in the area thereof immediately in advance of the path of movement of the outer cutter marginal edges 19, thereby preventing the user's skin from entering the outer cutter slots 23. In addition, the spacer member upper edges 30 contact the hairs extending from the user's skin in advance of the path of movement of the outer cutter marginal edges 19, and lift the hairs, by means well-known in the art, from the surface of the skin, to facilitate their entry into the outer cutter slots 23.

The inner and outer cutters, 50 and 17, as hereinbefore described, are respectively dimensioned to have a loose fitting relationship with one another to allow consumer's to periodically replace the inner cutters 50. As a consequence, although the inner cutters 50 are urged into sliding engagement with the upper wall portions 18 of the outer cutters 17, the inner cutters 50 are able to move toward the outer cutter wall portions 20 and 25. The inner cutters 50 thus move both transverse to the direction of travel of the inner cutters 50 within the outer cutters 17, and transverse to the direction the springs 63 urge the inner cutters 50 into sliding contact with the upper wall portions 18 of the outer cutters 17. Such transverse movement causes the reciprocating inner cutters 50 to intermittently contact the outer cutter side wall portions 20, or the channel wall portions 25, depending on the relative dimensions of the inner and outer cutters 50 and 17. As a result, the cutter head 16 tends to emit noise, and the outer cutters 17, inner cutters 50, springs 63 and other parts of the cutter head 16, tend to become excessively worn. Accordingly, this invention is directed to providing means for preventing the aforesaid transverse movement of the reciprocating inner cutters 50 within outer cutters 17.

To that end, as shown in FIG. 3, 7 and 8, one of the side wall portions 20 of each of the outer cutters 17 is provided with at least one, and preferably two, rectangularly-shaped, apertures 80. The apertures 80 (FIG. 2) are spaced apart from one another and located on opposite sides of, and above, the side wall apertures 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the apertures 80 are located adjacent one of the side wall portions 52 of the inner cutter 50, when the inner cutter hair-shearing wall portion 51 is disposed in sliding engagement with the outer cutter hair-shearing wall portion 18.

In addition, according to the invention each of the spacer members 30 (FIG. 3) is provided with at least one, and preferably two apertures 81, from which resilient means 82 extend. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the apertures 81 are spaced from one another and have a substantially rectangularly-shaped configuration. The resilient means 82 includes at least one, and preferably four, elongated, resilient arms 83, respectively designated 83A or 83B for discussion purposes to distinguish between the side surfaces 32 of the spacer member 30 from which the arms 83 outwardly extend. Preferably, one of the arms 83 of each pair of arms 83A and 83B extends from each of the apertures 81. Each arm 83A or 83B (FIG. 3) includes a free end 84 having a protrusion 85 thereon. The protrusions 85 on arms 83A and 83B are disposed in the same spatial relationship relative to one another and to the outer cutter lug 34, as the outer cutter apertures 80 are disposed relative to one another and to the outer cutter aperture 27. As a result, when the outer cutters 17 and spacer members 30 are recpectively connected to the cutter head frame 40, with the spacer member lugs 34 extending into the next adjacent outer cutter apertures 27, the protrusions 85 on arms 83A and 83B are disposed in registry with, and extend into, the next adjacent outer cutter apertures 80.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8 each of the outer cutter wall portions 20 and 25, longitudinally extends in the direction of the desired path of travel of the reciprocating inner cutter 50 associated therewith. In addition, the protrusions 85 extend from the resilient arms 83A and 83B and respectively contact spaced areas of the moving inner cutter side wall portions 52. The arms 82A and 83B, via their respective protrusions 85, urge the moving inner cutters 50 toward the outer cutter wall portions 20 and 25. The inner cutters 50 are thus respectively urged in a direction which is transverse to the direction of movement of the inner cutters 50 within the outer cutters 17, and transverse to the direction in which the springs 63 urge the inner cutters 50 to ensure sliding engagement between the cutter wall portions 51 and 18. The arms 83A and 83B associated with each of the outer cutters 17 thereby resiliently urge one of the moving inner cutters 17 into sliding engagement with either an outer cutter side wall portion 20, as shown in FIG. 7, or an outer cutter channel wall portion 25, as shown in FIG. 8. Since both of the aforesaid wall portions, 20 and 25, extend in the desired direction of movement of the inner cutter 50 associated therewith, both wall portions, 20 and 25, are adapted to directly guide the associated moving inner cutter 50 in its predetermined path of travel. In accordance with the invention the resilient means 82 thus cooperates with the inner cutter 50 and either of two non-hair shearing, depending, outer cutter wall portions, 20 or 25, i.e., either a channel wall portion 25 or the side wall portion 20 opposite the outer cutter aperture 80, to substantially prevent side to side transverse movement of a given moving inner cutter 50 within the outer cutter 17 associated therewith.

As shown in FIG. 2, only one of the side wall portions 20 of each of the outer cutters 17 is provided with apertures 80. On the other hand, both of the spacer members 30 are provided with resilient arms 83A and 83B. As a result, the arms 83B of both spacer members 30, and the arms 83A of the right hand spacer member 30, extend into apertures 80 in the adjacent cutter wall portions 20, whereas the arms 83A of the left hand spacer member 30 cannot extend into the centrally disposed outer cutter's left side wall portion 20. Nor is it desirable that they do so, since both side wall portions 52 of the centrally disposed inner cutter 50 would then be resiliently supported, and reciprocating movement of the centrally disposed inner cutter 50 would not be stabilized in accordance with the invention. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4-6, the spacer member apertures 81, from which arms 83A and 83B extend, are dimensioned such that the arms 83A and 83B, including the protrusions 85 thereof, can be respectively urged toward and completely within the aperture 81 associated therewith. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2, the resilient arms 82A of the left hand spacer member 30 are disposed within the apertures 81 thereof, and do not prevent abutment of that spacer member's right side wall surface 32 with the centrally disposed outer cutter's left side wall portion 20.

In accordance with the objects of the invention there has been described an improved cutter head including an outer cutter and an inner cutter adapted to be reciprocated within the outer cutter by means of a spring, wherein resilient means are provided for urging the inner cutter into sliding engagement with a wall portion of the outer cutter which extends in the direction of movement of the inner cutter within the outer cutter, to prevent side to side movement of the inner cutter within the outer cutter.

Inasmuch as certain changes may be made in the above described invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative rather than limiting sense. And, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described.

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