Folding blade pocket knives

Claim 2

A folding blade pocket knife, comprising: a handle which is formed of a plurality of parts; means for releasably securing said parts together; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade in the handle so that the blade can be unfolded into an extended position and folded into a stored position when the handle parts are secured together; the handle having a storage space therein for at least the cutting edge-defining part of the blade when said handle parts are secured together and when the blade is in the stored position; means for preventing removal of the blade from the handle when said handle parts are secured together and permitting separation of the blade from all said parts of the handle when said handle parts are released from being secured together; latching means for latching the blade in its extended position, said latching means including a latch member movably mounted inside the handle for movement between a latching position and an unlatching position, spring means for biasing said latch member towards said latching position, manually operable means for moving said latch member against the spring bias to the unlatching position; and storage within the handle for a spare blade, the storage being formed partly by a cavity in the latch member, part of the latch member forming a spring to engage the spare blade and, when the handle parts are separated, to move the spare blade outwardly, whereby the spare blade can readily be withdrawn from storage.

Claim 3

A folding blade pocket knife, comprising; a handle which is formed of a plurality of parts; means for releasably securing said parts together; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade iN the handle so that the blade can be unfolded into an extended position and folded into a stored position when the handle parts are secured together; the handle having a storage space therein for at least the cutting edge-defining part of the blade when said handle parts are secured together and when the blade is in the stored position; means for preventing removal of the blade from the handle when said handle parts are secured together and permitting separation of the blade from all said parts of the handle when said handle parts are released from being secured together; latching means for latching the blade in its extended position, said latching means including a latch member movably mounted inside the handle for movement between a latching position and unlatching position, spring means for biasing said latch member towards said latching position, manually operable means for moving said latch member against the spring bias to the unlatching position; said handle parts being pivotally connected together and being separable by pivoting one relative to the other when the blade is in its extended position, one of the handle parts including means for engaging the latch member to unlatch the blade so that the blade can be removed and replaced.

Claim 4

A folding blade pocket knife, comprising; a handle which is formed of a plurality of parts; means for releasably securing said parts together; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade iN the handle so that the blade can be unfolded into an extended position and folded into a stored position when the handle parts are secured together; the handle having a storage space therein for at least the cutting edge-defining part of the blade when said handle parts are secured together and when the blade is in the stored position; means for preventing removal of the blade from the handle when said handle parts are secured together and permitting separation of the blade from all said parts of the handle when said handle parts are released from being secured together; latching means for latching the blade in its extended position, said latching means including a latch member movably mounted inside the handle for movement between a latching position and unlatching position, spring means for biasing said latch member towards said latching position, manually operable means for moving said latch member against the spring bias to the unlatching position; said handle parts being pivotally connected together and being separable by pivoting one relative to the other when the blade is in its extended position, one of the handle parts including means for engaging the latch member to unlatch the blade so that the blade can be removed and replaced.

Claim 5

A folding blade pocket knife comprising: a handle which is in two separable parts; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade inside the handle folding into a storage position, with the cutting edge inside the handle, and for unfolding the blade into an operative position, with the cutting edge outside the handle; means for releasably securing the handle parts together whereby, when released, said handle parts can be separated; said means for pivotally mounting the blade comprising a rotatable disc member inside the handle; said blade and rotatable disc member having interlockingly engageable portions whereby the blade and rotatable disc member are rotatable as one unit and are separable from each other; the rotatable disc member including a resiliently deformable portion in the form of a part-annular peripheral tongue having at an outer end thereof a portion which is engageable in a recess in the handle, whereby the blade can be retained in said operative position; and a prestressed cantilever spring having one part engaging the handle and having another part engageable with a portion of the disc member to exert a bias on the disc member and hence on the blade both when the blade is in its operative position and when the blade is in its storage position; the handle part securing means comprising a screw-threaded member and mutually interlocking portions of the two handle parts, whereby when the handle parts are separated the blade can be removed and replaced.

Claim 6

A folding blade pocket knife comprising: a handle which is in two separable parts; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade inside the handle folding into a storage position, with the cutting edge inside the handle, and for unfolding the blade into an operative position, with the cutting edge outside the handle; means for releasably securing the handle parts together whereby, when released, said handle parts can be separated; said means for pivotally mounting the blade comprising a rotatable disc member inside the handle; said blade and rotatable disc member having interlockingly engageable portions whereby the blade and rotatable disc member are rotatable as one unit and are separable from each other; the rotatable disc member including a resiliently deformable portion in the form of a part-annular peripheral tongue having at an outer end thereof a portion which is engageable in a recess in the handle, whereby the blade can be retained in said operative position; and a prestressed cantilever spring having one part engaging the handle and having another part engageable with a portion of the disc member to exert a bias on the disc member and hence on the blade both when the blade is in its operative position and when the blade is in its storage position; the handle part securing means comprising a screw-threaded member and mutually interlocking portions of the two handle parts, whereby when the handle parts are separated the blade can be removed and replaced.

Claim 7

A folding blade pocket knife as claimed in claim 3 wherein the cantilever spring is formed with a detent which is engageable by part of the disc member when the disc member and the blade are in a position intermediate the storage position and the operative position, whereby the blade and the disc member are stable in the intermediate position.

Claim 8

A folding blade pocket knife comprising: a handle which is in first and second separable parts; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade inside the handle for folding about an axis into a storage position, with the cutting edge inside the handle, and for unfolding the blade into an operative position, with the cutting edge outside the handle; means for releasably securing the handle parts together whereby, when released, said handle can be opened; said means for pivotally mounting the blade comprising a rotatable disc member inside the handle; said blade and rotatable disc member having interlockingly engageable portions whereby the blade and rotatable disc member are rotatable as one unit and are separable from each other; a latch member slidably mounted in said first handle part and having a first part outside the handle and a second paRt inside the handle, said second part of the latch member having a surface which is inclined at an acute angle relative to the direction of sliding of the latch member; said disc member having a surface so arranged as to be engageable by said surface of the latch member when the blade is unfolded into its operative position; and means for spring-biasing the latch member in such a direction as to urge said surface therof into engagement with said surface of the disc member, whereby to wedge the blade in its operative position; the handle part securing means including means pivotally connecting the handle parts together with a pivot axis parallel to the folding axis of the blade, whereby the handle can be opened by relative pivoting of the two handle parts; the second handle part including a portion which is engageable with the latch member to move the latch member against the spring bias when the handle is opened by said relative pivoting of the two handle parts, whereby the blade is unwedged and can be removed and replaced.

Claim 9

A folding blade pocket knife comprising: a handle which is in first and second separable parts; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade inside the handle for folding about an axis into a storage position, with the cutting edge inside the handle, and for unfolding the blade into an operative position, with the cutting edge outside the handle; means for releasably securing the handle parts together whereby, when released, said handle can be opened; said means for pivotally mounting the blade comprising a rotatable disc member inside the handle; said blade and rotatable disc member having interlockingly engageable portions whereby the blade and rotatable disc member are rotatable as one unit and are separable from each other; a latch member slidably mounted in said first handle part and having a first part outside the handle and a second paRt inside the handle, said second part of the latch member having a surface which is inclined at an acute angle relative to the direction of sliding of the latch member; said disc member having a surface so arranged as to be engageable by said surface of the latch member when the blade is unfolded into its operative position; and means for spring-biasing the latch member in such a direction as to urge said surface therof into engagement with said surface of the disc member, whereby to wedge the blade in its operative position; the handle part securing means including means pivotally connecting the handle parts together with a pivot axis parallel to the folding axis of the blade, whereby the handle can be opened by relative pivoting of the two handle parts; the second handle part including a portion which is engageable with the latch member to move the latch member against the spring bias when the handle is opened by said relative pivoting of the two handle parts, whereby the blade is unwedged and can be removed and replaced.

Claim 10

A folding blade pocket knife as claimed in claim 5 and including storage for a spare blade, part of the latch member forming a spring which is engageable with the spare blade to move the spare blade outwardly when the handle is opened.

Claim 11

A folding blade pocket knife comprising: a handle which is in first and second separable parts; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade inside the handle for folding about an axis into a storage position, with the cutting edge inside the handle, and for unfolding the blade into an operative position, with the cutting edge outside the handle; said means for pivotally mounting the blade comprising a rotatable disc member journaled on said blade pivotal mounting means; said blade and rotatable disc member having interlockingly engageable portions whereby the blade and rotatable disc member are rotatable as one unit and are separable from each other; a latch member slidably mounted in said first handle part and having a first part outside the handle and a second part inside the handle, said second part of the latch member having a latching surface disposed generally in the direction of sliding of the latch member; said disc member having a surface so arranged as to be engageable by said latching surface of the latch member when the blade is unfolded into its operative position; and means for spring-biasing the latch member in such a direction as to urge said surface thereof into engagement with said surface of the disc member to lock the blade in its operative position.

Claim 12

A folding blade pocket knife comprising: a handle which is in first and second separable parts; a blade, part of which defines a cutting edge; means for pivotally mounting the blade inside the handle for folding about an axis into a storage position, with the cutting edge inside the handle, and for unfolding the blade into an operative position, with the cutting edge outside the handle; said means for pivotally mounting the blade comprising a rotatable disc member journaled on said blade pivotal mounting means; said blade and rotatable disc member having interlockingly engageable portions whereby the blade and rotatable disc member are rotatable as one unit and are separable from each other; a latch member slidably mounted in said first handle part and having a first part outside the handle and a second part inside the handle, said second part of the latch member having a latching surface disposed generally in the direction of sliding of the latch member; said disc member having a surface so arranged as to be engageable by said latching surface of the latch member when the blade is unfolded into its operative position; and means for spring-biasing the latch member in such a direction as to urge said surface thereof into engagement with said surface of the disc member to lock the blade in its operative position.