Knife with replaceable cutting element

A knife having a handle component and a blade component connected thereto, said blade component comprising a pair of opposed flanking side members and a replaceable blade insert confined and held therebetween;

• said side members being joined together by blade insert locator means so as to provide a slot for insertion of said blade insert, said blade insert being configured to engage with said blade insert locator means so as to be held in place in said slot, and blade insert locking means located on said blade component for locking said blade insert within said slot, said blade insert locking means comprising a locking element and aligned openings in said side members extending forwardly from said handle component, said blade insert including an opening aligned with the openings in said side members when the blade insert is held in said slot, a spacer element in the area of the connection between the blade component and the handle component, said spacer element including an opening therein aligned with the openings in each said side members, said locking element extending through the openings in said side members and moveable to a first position into the opening in said blade insert to prevent relative movement therebetween and a second position into the opening in said spacer element and out of contact with the blade insert to permit removal thereof said blade insert locking means being carried by said blade component so as to be structurally and fictionally separate from said handle component, and clamping means to retain said locking element in said first position.

In a knife having a handle component and a forwardly extending blade component connected thereto and terminating in a forward end distal from said handle, said blade component comprising;

• elongated parallel flanking side members,
• a replaceable blade insert having a forward end adjacent the forward end of said blade component and a rear end with a cutting edge therebetween, said rear end being close to said handle but spaced therefrom,
• spacing means to hold said side members in spaced relation forming a slot therebetween for receiving said blade insert,
• said spacing means including a blade insert locator connecting said side members adjacent the forward end thereof and spaced from said handle component and a spacer element at the junction between the blade and handle components for seating the rear end of the blade insert,
• said blade locator including a pivot surface for contacting the forward end portion of said blade insert to enable downward rotational movement of the insert between said side members for seating on said spacer element, said blade insert being positioned and held in place in said slot by said insert locator with the cutting edge thereof extending along said side members and exposed beyond the peripheral edges of said side members, and
• blade insert looking means carried by said blade component to lock the blade insert against relative movement therebetween, said locking means being moveable between a locking position and a release position to enable removal of said blade insert,
• said blade insert locking means being carried by said blade component between the blade insert locator and said handle component, separate structurally and functionally from said handle component.