What is a razor safety rack, you may ask? Well.. a razor safety rack is basically a rack for your safety razors. Or as the patent abstract puts it:

A holder for a plurality of safety razors and other bathroom articles is detachably secured to a bathroom wall.

…

Catch mechanisms disposed in all of the recesses press against the heads of both double and single edge razors to hold same detachably in these recesses to prevent the razors from being accidentally dislodged therefrom.

From US patent 4,008,808

So a razor safety rack is a rack that safely holds your safety razors. It isn’t the first wall mounted razor kit or holder I’ve shown here. It is the first, as far as I recall, that has catch mechanisms though.

The rack held more than just your razor. Or razors, rather, since the patent drawing shows room for three razors. As well as four four toothbrushes. And, and this amuses me, one drinking glass. The whole thing is secured with a dovetail in a wall bracket.

The razor rack, as depicted, would have one slot for a single edge razor and two slots for double edge razors. The double edge razors would be held in place by a a small lip (marked 24 in the drawing). Trapezoid flaps is mentioned in the text, but is less easy to identify¹ on the drawing. The single edge razor on the other hand, would be kept in place by a spring loaded plate. This plate would make sure the razor couldn’t twist and fall out, while pressing² the razor against the trapezoidal flap.

I assume, based on little more than a feeling, that the patent text mainly refers to an earlier drawing of the razor rack. In part due to the hard to find trapizoidal flaps. A flap like structure can be seen in figure 4, but it does not match the description in the text. Instead of a hinge and spring, this seems more like a flap made from the same sheet metal as the top. Gravity seems to take the role of the spring in keeping it closed.

To insert your razor³ into the razor rack, you would simply have to press it into the correct recess.⁴ The razor would push open the flap, and the flap would close behind it to keep in place. To withdraw the razor, press it in enough that you could open the flap with a finger, and pull it out. Nice, simple, and not all that much of an improvement on a pair of hooks.

The claims of the patent makes it clear that the number of recesses could vary. But at least one of the recesses should be constructed to fit a single edge razor. I guess if a recesses for a single edge razor wasn’t present, the razor rack wouldn’t be a proper razor safety rack.

The patent is, of course, expired. Although that means anyone can make a safety razor rack to safely hold your safety razors today… I’m not sure why anyone would. It is a neat but overly complicated idea.

The full patent can be read at Google Patents.

Footnote:

1. In part because the numbers mentioned in the text – 48 and 50 – is not visible on Fig 4 as the patent text claims.
2. I presume.
3. Double or single edge.
4. Against spring pressure, in the case of the single edge.