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April 1962 Radio-Electronics
 [Table of Contents]
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Electronics,
published 1930-1988. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.
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sink-me
New - Electronic Razor
By Mohammed Ulysses Fips, I.R.E.*
No moving pads and no razor burn
Fig. 1 - Three views of the special CRT plus a schematic representation.
Fig. 2 - This simple sweep circuit directs the sheet beam of the CRT across the
screen
Fig. 3 - Power supply for the razor. When on -off switch is closed, razor operates
at maximum power to handle tough beards. Depressing the medium button reduces high
-voltage applied to the CRT, and reduces intensity of the electron beam for medium
beards. Depressing the low button reduces high voltage further for light beards
or sensitive skin.
The completed electronic razor.
I HAVE A VERY THIN FACIAL SKIN AND a very stiff beard. Consequently, prac- tically
every day I cut myself with my razor; then I have to use alum and styptic sticks
to repair the bloody damage. This can become very annoying over the years. Well,
you might ask, why not use an electric shaver? A good question, but I have tried
many and found them wanting, particularly with my heavy, stiff beard. None of them
give me the clean, close shave I demand. I began to think deeply for a long time,
and study the entire razor subject from A to Z because I became convinced that there
must be something better than present -day razors. Well, there is. A few years ago
I read in a RADIO - ELECTRONICS editorial a piece that impressed me greatly. This
was the August, 1957, issue and the story was en- titled "Electronmechanics" (Page
29). It pertained to a newly- issued patent by R. H. Steigerwald (Patent 2,793,281;
May 21, 1957) . The device is chiefly a cathode -ray oscilloscope (CRO) generating
powerful cathode rays. Says the editorial: "It uses the kinetic energy of a con-
centrated electron beam to drill fine holes of the unprecedented order of 0.1 millimeter.
Yet these microscopic holes can be drilled in the hardest materials, such as steel,
stone, glass, tungsten (and its carbides), molybdenum, and even diamonds! "Using
the same means, unbelievably fine holes with a diameter of only .001 millimeter
can be drilled in these same substances in times measured in seconds. Nor are the
holes drilled through thin foils. They have a depth of several millimeters. Also,
the holes can be drilled conically, if desired. "While the term `drilling' is con-
stantly used in the description of the invention, it should be noted that the drilling
is actually done by heat. Therefore, it must be called a thermomechanical means."
This gave me the fundamental idea for my Electronic Razor. I have worked on it intensely
for several years, and I have it perfected now. It will be ready for the market
shortly. Now, as all CRT technicians know, cathode rays are generated only in an
evacuated tube. Hence all CRT's, particularly those that generate power- ful streams
of rays, do so only in a high vacuum. Thus the glass wall of a TV cathode -ray tube
absorbs practi- cally all cathode rays. Up to now, cathode rays could not be projected
in a satisfactory manner into the atmosphere, that is outside of a cathode-ray tube.
I experimented with various thin, metallic "windows ", like those of a Lenard tube,
from which the cathode rays would emerge, but none proved satisfactory., Such windows
were of course very small, usually less than 1/4 inch in diameter, just large enough
to let the cathode rays through. But, as I discovered, the electron stream was largely
absorbed by the metallic window. Finally I started to work with semiconductor windows,
and that problem. I tried silicon, germanium and others, but the ideal proved to
be what is now technically called S -33, a combination of refractory semiconductors.
It really is what I call a semi -conductor alloy. It has a very high melting point,
is hard and refractory, and makes the ideal window in that it passes a very high
percentage of the powerful cathode rays. For obvious patent reasons, the actual
specifications and composition of S -33 and its manufacturing processes cannot be
divulged here. If the thickness of the S -33 window is chosen carefully, the cathode
ray stream that issues from S -33 will not cause burns on the skin for the following
reasons. The window shape as shown in diagram Fig. 1 is rectangular, about 1/16
inch high by one inch wide. Because the cathode ray rapidly sweeps from side to
side over the full % -inch 56 arc of the window, and because the whole razor
sweeps over the face, too, the cathode rays can remain over only any one point on
the face for a small fraction of a second. This, however, suffices to burn off the
whisker protrud- ing above the skin, cleanly and efficiently. Note particularly
that as in all safety razors, there are metal safety shields on both long sides
of the CRT. They extend a fraction of an inch ahead of the face of the CRT and prevent
the "razor" from coming too close to the skin. As the burning effect of the electron
stream is confined to about % inch from the surface of the window, the metal shields
keep it from harming the underside of the nose, lips or ears. This effect, as already
stated is due to the correct thickness of the S-33 window. In practice, the electronic
razor gives the fastest shave of any known razor. You go over the face only once,
so rapidly that the average "shave" takes only about 8 to 10 seconds! Then you use
the usual after -shave lotion - that is all. I predict that in time the electron
razor will supplant all present -day razors. For fuller explanation of the technical
details of the new razor, see the illustrations in Figs. 2 and 3. Because all the
research on my new razor had been done in my elaborate laboratory at home, none
of my co- workers and editors knew anything about my invention - least of all the
Big Boss in the front office, who has the habit of sticking his nose into everyone's
affairs. Thus, a few weeks ago, right after lunch, when the illustrious Big Man
-we actually call him Bignose was smoking his 7 -inch cigar, I went in to see him
with my perfected model of the electronic razor. I explained the principle to him
in a few sentences, and as I could see that he hadn't shaved that morning, I invited
him to try it out. On his agreeing, I plugged the cord in the outlet behind him,
and he proceeded to "shave." He did it in 10 seconds flat on my pocket stop watch.
He evidently liked it, since he smiled one of his rare grimaces. He even offered
me a high price for my illustrated article and its sole publishing rights. He was
in a rare mellow mood. Suddenly his face contorted into dark clouds, and lightning
flashed from his black, beady eyes. He slammed his lit cigar ferociously onto his
glass- topped desk, which instantly caused a beautiful pattern of fireworks and
shredded cigar particles. Then he yanked the plug from its outlet and smashed the
only model of my electronic razor on the hardwood floor, where it created a far
from beautiful pattern as all the smashed com- ponents flew in every direction.
His face an apoplectic blue -red, he now bellowed: "Fips, you . . . you vacuum-brained
nogoodnik . . . what are you trying to do to me? You know that I own thousands of
shares of Hemington and Schlick Razor companies! Don't you know that that insane
contraption of yours will ruin all razor companies and me, too? Out of my sight,
you ... you electronut!" With that he took me by the coat collar and propelled me
from his office. Here I collided with the cashier, who was on his rounds distributing
the weekly paychecks. He handed me my check as I sailed past him. Still stupefied
from my unexpected treatment by the boss, my eyes scanned the top of the check.
It read:
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