Cutlery – Combined cutlery or combined with ancillary feature – With sharpening feature
Patent
1997-04-04
1998-07-28
Watts, Douglas D.
Cutlery
Combined cutlery or combined with ancillary feature
With sharpening feature
302984, B24D 1308, B26B 2902
Patent
active
057847860
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to blade scabbards, and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with knife and scissor blade scabbards. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with particular reference to knife blade scabbards of the kind incorporating a mechanism for sharpening the blade cutting edge.
Examples of combined scabbard-sharpeners are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,676,961, 3,774,350, 4,041,651, 4,091,691, 4,805,350 and 5,009,040.
It is generally the case that scabbard-sharpeners of the foregoing kind do not include means for resisting withdrawal or dislodgment of a contained knife blade. That leads to the possibility of a child withdrawing the knife blade, and the further possibility of the blade being dislodged from the scabbard by accident or inadvertence. In any of those situations a person could sustain injury from the sharp cutting edge of the exposed blade.
An object of the present invention is to provide a blade scabbard with restraining means which is operative to effectively prevent or substantially hinder removal of a contained blade. It is an object of the invention in a preferred form to provide such restraining means which is automatically rendered operative when a blade is inserted into the scabbard.
A blade scabbard according to the invention is characterised in that it intrudes restraining means which coacts with a blade inserted into the scabbard, or coacts with a member associated with that blade, so as to thereby resist withdrawal of the blade from the scabbard. The scabbard further includes release means which is operable to render the restraining means inoperative. In a preferred arrangement, insertion of a blade into the scabbard has the consequence of automatically causing the restraining means to become operative. It is also preferred that the release means requires deliberate manipulation and is at least difficult to operate by the same hand as that being used in an attempt to withdraw the blade from the scabbard.
In circumstances where the scabbard includes a blade sharpening mechanism, the restraining means may be associated with that mechanism. By way of example, the sharpening mechanism may be arranged for movement between active and inactive positions, and in that event the restraining means may be responsive to such movement so as to be rendered operative when the sharpening mechanism is inactive. When the restraining means is operative, it is preferred that a member forming part of that means coacts with a blade in a manner such as to prevent or resist relative movement of the blade in a direction such that the blade would be withdrawn from the scabbard. It is further preferred that movement of the restraining member out of a blade restraining position is necessary in order to free the blade for withdrawal from the scabbard, and releasable locking means may be provided to prevent that movement. Operation of the release means to release the looking means may have the result of permitting movement of the sharpening mechanism into its active position and simultaneously causing or permitting the restraining means to be rendered inoperative.
It is further preferred that two activities must occur simultaneously in order to free the blade for withdrawal from the scabbard. In particular, it is preferred that operation of the release means alone is not sufficient to free the blade. In one arrangement, the blade must be moved in the blade withdrawal direction while the release means is operated, and failure to do those two things simultaneously will result in the blade restraining means continuing to prevent or hinder withdrawal of the blade from the scabbard.
Embodiments of the invention are described in detail in the following passages of the specification which refer to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, however, are merely illustrative of how the invention might be put into effect, so that the specific form and arrangement of the various features as shown is not to be understood as limiting on the invention.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side elev
REFERENCES:
patent: 3958330 (1976-05-01), Hutchens
patent: 4091691 (1978-05-01), Bayly
patent: 4414744 (1983-11-01), Collins
patent: 4654968 (1987-04-01), Gatley et al.
patent: 4726498 (1988-02-01), Esposito
patent: 4805350 (1989-02-01), Farrer
patent: 4974322 (1990-12-01), Butka
patent: 5115953 (1992-05-01), Werner
McPherson's Limited
Watts Douglas D.
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