Folding knife apparatus
OwnerVaughn O. Neelyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Folding knife apparatus includes a blade having a tang secured to a case or housing. Wedging action between the tang and the case locks the blade open and closed. The tang includes a longitudinally extending slot, and the case or housing includes a pin extending through the longitudinally extending slot. A spring is disposed in the slot and biases the blade against the pin to help lock the blade in place, particularly in the open, use position. Axial movement of the blade is required to unlock the blade from its open position in order to pivot the blade. A cam relationship exists between a portion of the tang and a portion of the case or housing to urge the blade to the closed position.
Claims22
Folding knife apparatus, comprising, in combination:
- handle and case means for supporting a blade when the knife apparatus is in an open, use position and for receiving the blade when the knife apparatus is in a closed, storage position, including wedging means for providing wedging action for locking the blade in the open and closed positions;
- blade means pivotally secured to the handle and case means, including
- a blade,
- a tang extending outwardly from the blade and having a top surface adapted to contact the wedging means of the handle and case means for defining the open position of the knife apparatus,
- a bottom surface on the tang adapted to contact the wedging means of the handle and case means for defining the closed position of the knife apparatus, and
- slot means in the tang;
- a pin secured to the handle and case means and extending through the slot means in the tang;
- and
- spring means disposed in the slot means and against the pin for providing a bias to urge the top surface of the tang against the wedging means to lock the knife apparatus in the open position and for providing a bias to urge the blade means to the closed position as the blade is pivoted from its open position to its closed position.
Folding knife apparatus, comprising, in combination:
- handle and case means for supporting a blade when the knife apparatus is in an open, use condition and for receiving the blade when the knife apparatus is a closed, storage condition, including
- a front wedge surface for limiting the movement of the blade in the open condition, and
- a rear wedge surface aligned with the first wedge surface for limiting the movement of the blade in both the open and the closed positions;
- blade means pivotally secured to the handle and case means, including
- a blade having a cutting edge,
- a tang extending outwardly from the blade,
- a top surface on the tang for contacting the front and rear wedge surfaces to define the open position of the knife apparatus;
- a slot in the tang having a first end adjacent to the blade and a second end remote from the blade;
- a pin secured to the handle and case means and extending through the slot in the tang;
- and
- spring means disposed in the slot and against the pin for providing a bias to urge the top surface on the tang against the front wedge surface and the rear wedge surface in the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.