GB2131732A - Locking device for folding hand knife - Google Patents

Abstract

A folding hand knife consisting of a blade 1 pivotally connected to a handle 2 has a stepped locking peg 6 mounted transversely through the handle. When the blade is in either the fully open or fully closed positions only, a web portion of the peg moves by pressure from a spring into engagement with the appropriate adjacent cut-outs 4, 5 in the tang of the blade, thus preventing the blade from moving about its pivot and thereby effecting a locking means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locking device for folding hand knife This invention relates to folding hand knives provided with a means of locking the blade in an open position and a closed or folded position.

According to this invention, a folding hand knife is provided with a blade which is pivotally connected, preferably by means of bifurcated headed rivets of the male and female kind, to a handle equipped with a longitudinal slot for the reception of the blade in the folded position, the handle being preferably of a one-piece moulded plastic construction, and also preferably having a hole through the handle at the end opposite to that of the blade pivot for the attachment of a lanyard. Through the handle is mounted a locking peg which consists of a member of rectangular cross section and which is stepped to provide a shank over roughly half its length and wider web over the other half of its length and which can move in a direction at right angles to the plane of movement of the blade about its pivot.An operating button is provided which is preferably adhesively bonded to the end of the shank of the locking peg below which a coil spring is concentrically mounted over the shank of the locking peg so enabling the spring to bear at one end on the button and at the other end in a recess in the handle. The locking peg and related components are mounted through the handle in such a position to allow the web part of the locking peg to engage by spring pressure into suitably shaped cut-outs in the tang of the blade when the blade is in the fully open or fully closed or folded positions only thus preventing the blade from moving about its pivot and securing it in the open position or closed position.The locking peg is readily disengaged from the cut-outs in the tang of the blade by depressing the operating button attached to the locking peg against spring pressure an amount slightly greater or equal to the blade thickness thus allowing the blade to move about its pivot.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a folding hand knife embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is an end sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is an exploded view from the side.

Referring now to the drawings, a folding hand knife is provided with a blade 1, a longitudinally slotted handle 2, a locking peg 6, a spring 7, an operating button 8, and a pair of bifurcated male 9 and female 10 rivets. The handle is also provided with a hole 11 for the attachment of the lanyard (not shown). Assembly commences with the insertion of the tang part 3 of the blade into the end of the longitudinal slot in the handle. The tubular female rivet 10 is then inserted through the hole 13 in the handle thus passing through the hole 12 in the tang of the blade. The solid male rivet 9 is then force fitted into the tubular female rivet 10, until the rivet heads are flush with the body of the handle thus providing a fixed pin about which the blade may pivot.Next the locking peg 6 is inserted through the rectangular hole 17 in one side of the handle, shank part 14 first until this protrudes from the other side of the handle. The spring 7 is then placed over the shank part of the locking peg to sit in the recess 1 6 provided in the handle and the operating button 8, which has a hole in one face, is force fitted and adhesively bonded to the end of the said shank, slightly compressing the spring in the process.

Therefore, when the blade is in the fully open position the web part 1 5 of the locking peg 6 moves by the action of the spring 7 acting against the button 8, across the longitudinal slot in the handle into the cut-out 4 in the tang of the blade preventing it from being closed. Similarly when the blade is in the fully closed position the web part 1 5 of the locking peg 6 can move across the longitudinal slot in the handle and into the cut-out 5 in the tang of the blade preventing it from being opened. This web is disengaged from either cutout by depressing the operating button an amount slightly greater than or equal to the blade thickness, thereby compressing the spring and moving the web across the longitudinal slot until only the narrower shank remains in the slot area, so allowing the blade to move about its pivot in the normal manner.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

For example the blade and/or the handle may be of different external appearance for aesthetic reasons and the handle could be fabricated from several pieces in known manner if required.

1. A folding hand knife comprising a blade pivotally connected to a handle through which is mounted a locking peg which can move by spring pressure in a direction at right angles to the plane of movement of the blade about its pivot, wehreby such movement will, by the engagement of a part of the said peg into adjacent cut-outs in the tang of the blade, effect a means of locking the blade when in the fully open or fully closed positions only.

2. A folding hand knife constructed, arranged and provided with locking means adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as iliustrated by the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (2)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Locking device for folding hand knife This invention relates to folding hand knives provided with a means of locking the blade in an open position and a closed or folded position. According to this invention, a folding hand knife is provided with a blade which is pivotally connected, preferably by means of bifurcated headed rivets of the male and female kind, to a handle equipped with a longitudinal slot for the reception of the blade in the folded position, the handle being preferably of a one-piece moulded plastic construction, and also preferably having a hole through the handle at the end opposite to that of the blade pivot for the attachment of a lanyard. Through the handle is mounted a locking peg which consists of a member of rectangular cross section and which is stepped to provide a shank over roughly half its length and wider web over the other half of its length and which can move in a direction at right angles to the plane of movement of the blade about its pivot.An operating button is provided which is preferably adhesively bonded to the end of the shank of the locking peg below which a coil spring is concentrically mounted over the shank of the locking peg so enabling the spring to bear at one end on the button and at the other end in a recess in the handle. The locking peg and related components are mounted through the handle in such a position to allow the web part of the locking peg to engage by spring pressure into suitably shaped cut-outs in the tang of the blade when the blade is in the fully open or fully closed or folded positions only thus preventing the blade from moving about its pivot and securing it in the open position or closed position.The locking peg is readily disengaged from the cut-outs in the tang of the blade by depressing the operating button attached to the locking peg against spring pressure an amount slightly greater or equal to the blade thickness thus allowing the blade to move about its pivot. In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 1 is a side view of a folding hand knife embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is an end sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3 is an exploded view from the side. Referring now to the drawings, a folding hand knife is provided with a blade 1, a longitudinally slotted handle 2, a locking peg 6, a spring 7, an operating button 8, and a pair of bifurcated male 9 and female 10 rivets. The handle is also provided with a hole 11 for the attachment of the lanyard (not shown). Assembly commences with the insertion of the tang part 3 of the blade into the end of the longitudinal slot in the handle. The tubular female rivet 10 is then inserted through the hole 13 in the handle thus passing through the hole 12 in the tang of the blade. The solid male rivet 9 is then force fitted into the tubular female rivet 10, until the rivet heads are flush with the body of the handle thus providing a fixed pin about which the blade may pivot.Next the locking peg 6 is inserted through the rectangular hole 17 in one side of the handle, shank part 14 first until this protrudes from the other side of the handle. The spring 7 is then placed over the shank part of the locking peg to sit in the recess 1 6 provided in the handle and the operating button 8, which has a hole in one face, is force fitted and adhesively bonded to the end of the said shank, slightly compressing the spring in the process. Therefore, when the blade is in the fully open position the web part 1 5 of the locking peg 6 moves by the action of the spring 7 acting against the button 8, across the longitudinal slot in the handle into the cut-out 4 in the tang of the blade preventing it from being closed. Similarly when the blade is in the fully closed position the web part 1 5 of the locking peg 6 can move across the longitudinal slot in the handle and into the cut-out 5 in the tang of the blade preventing it from being opened. This web is disengaged from either cutout by depressing the operating button an amount slightly greater than or equal to the blade thickness, thereby compressing the spring and moving the web across the longitudinal slot until only the narrower shank remains in the slot area, so allowing the blade to move about its pivot in the normal manner. Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims. For example the blade and/or the handle may be of different external appearance for aesthetic reasons and the handle could be fabricated from several pieces in known manner if required. CLAIMS

1. A folding hand knife comprising a blade pivotally connected to a handle through which is mounted a locking peg which can move by spring pressure in a direction at right angles to the plane of movement of the blade about its pivot, wehreby such movement will, by the engagement of a part of the said peg into adjacent cut-outs in the tang of the blade, effect a means of locking the blade when in the fully open or fully closed positions only.

2. A folding hand knife constructed, arranged and provided with locking means adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as iliustrated by the accompanying drawings.