Cutlery – Sheathed – Pivoted blade
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-04-10
Watts, Douglas D. (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Sheathed
Pivoted blade
Reexamination Certificate
active
06212779
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Folding knives are well known in the art and serve a variety of uses, with the primary purpose of the folding feature being to conceal the sharpened edge of the blade so that the knife may be safely carried without an additional cover or sheath. An additional purpose is to reduce the overall length of the knife for more convenient carrying.
Numerous designs of folding knives have been developed in the past, both of the locking and non-locking variety. The primary benefits of the simple, non-locking foldable knife are its simplicity and economy, since there is usually only one principal moving part, the blade. However, any inability to lock the blade in its extended position places serious limitations on the use of such a knife for purposes such as self defense and other demanding activities.
Locking foldable or retractable knives have taken many forms, including blades which slide out of the handle and lock, and pivoting blades which are released and locked by one or more mechanisms operated by the user. While such knives have broad utility and are available in many forms, they usually suffer from one or more of the following deficiencies: inability to accommodate a blade with more than one sharpened edge; inability to be opened or closed with either hand; awkward or unreliable operation of the blade locking mechanism; inability to be quickly and easily disassembled for maintenance or repair; and susceptibility to contaminants which could render the knife inoperable. Therefore, despite the long and continued development of folding knives capable of being positively locked in the open position, there still exists the need for a knife of economical construction which can satisfactorily overcome the aforementioned deficiencies of contemporary folding knives.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention I have provided a novel folding knife having a pivotally mounted blade, with this knife utilizing two elongate handle members. When fitted together, these handle members form a mounting means for pivotal movement of the blade and safely enclose the blade when the knife is not in use and in addition, provide a means for grasping the knife when the blade is in the extended position.
Each of the elongate handle members provided in accordance with this invention has an internal surface and an external surface, with a protrusion located on the internal surface of each elongate handle member, adjacent one end of the handle member. The protrusion is disposed on only one side of a longitudinal centerline extending along the internal surface of each elongate handle member, with the part of the protrusion remote from the longitudinal centerline having an essentially semi-circular surface. An aperture is defined in each elongate handle member, disposed on the longitudinal centerline and located closely adjacent the protrusion.
When the elongate handle members have been fitted together, the protrusions define a substantially circular component, suitable for the mounting of a pivotally movable blade.
The blade is elongate with the sharpened edges originating at one end and a circular aperture adjacent the other end, with the aperture of the blade being of a diameter such that it can be closely received upon the protrusions when the protrusions have been juxtaposed so as to form the substantially circular component.
Significantly, the elongate handle members may be moved apart for a limited extent by the user, so as to make possible the pivotal movement of the blade into its extended position. When in such extended position, it will be strongly held and restrained against undesirable movement.
Instead of necessitating an expensive or complicated spring mechanism for causing the elongate handle members to be biased together when the blade is either in the folded or the extended position, my novel design permits the highly advantageous use of a compression spring of straightforward construction, thus assuring that my knife can be produced economically, and the spring easily replaced should such ever become necessary. An actuating disk is disposed in each handle member, with the simultaneous depression of the actuating disks bringing about the compression spring being compressed.
It will hereinafter be seen that I utilize two pairs of alignment pins of essentially cylindrical configuration and through contact with the respective actuating disk, each pair of alignment pins is pushed into contact with the base portion of the blade, so that when the actuating disks have been fully depressed, the alignment pins positively locate the blade in a centered position between the elongate handle members, which permits the blade to freely rotate from the folded position into the extended position, or from the extended position into the folded position.
Additionally, my novel design of the handle members is such that a multi-edged blade, rather than merely a single edged blade, can be accommodated.
It is therefore a primary object of my invention to provide a folding knife of economical construction that advantageously may be safely and conveniently opened or closed by one handed operation.
It is another object of my invention to provide a folding knife having handle members biased together by spring means to safely enclose the blade, with these handle members being movable apart for a limited extent when it is desired to deploy the blade, with the handle members then reclosing under the bias of the spring means to firmly and securely hold the blade in the extended position when the blade is to be put into use.
It is still another object of my invention to provide a folding knife involving a minimal number of components, with a pair of alignment pins utilized on each side of the blade to serve a blade centering purpose, thus to cause the blade to reside essentially equidistant from the handle members when the handle members have been moved apart.
These and other objects, features and advantages will become more apparent as the description proceeds.
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Renfro Julian C.
Watts Douglas D.
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