Abstract:
A scabbard for axes or tomahawks that provides a lightweight and foldable integrated head cover configuration that encloses the respective sharpened surfaces of the weapon in multiple pivoted hard case covers for safety and transport on the person of the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to scabbards and covers that are used to cover and hold hatchets, axes, and other types of handheld tools that have a short handle with a fixed head and sharpened blade-like surfaces. Such scabbards allow a user to safely carry and transport the weapons on their person. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have heretofore been directed towards flexible and fixed covers into which the axe head or hatchet head is slidably positioned and held by folding inter-engageable flaps and retaining straps. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,342,395, 1,821,258, 1,928,063, 4,909,424, and 5,820,001, and Design Pats. D530,906 and D253,798. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 1,342,395 an axe sheath is disclosed having a handle portion into which a non-bladed end of the axe is first positioned and a pivot blade sheath extends therefrom for receiving the axe head. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,821,258 shows another axe scabbard with a contoured handle and blade engagement surface having blade cover flaps fold over and multiple depending retainment straps on each side of the handle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,928,063 illustrates a holder for headed tools having a leather T-shaped frame with a blade hatchet and retainment straps. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,424 shows a knife sheath with a blade-enclosed pocket pivoted to the handle. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,001 a hatchet scabbard is disclosed having flexible formed blade pocket and integrated retainment straps. 
     Design Pats. 253,793 and 530,906 both show fixed rigid hatchet head holders in which the blade portion is received and held by associated integrated overlapping straps. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A compact pivoted hard shell implement scabbard for tomahawk type weapons that have sharpened axe-like blades and points attached to a short handle. The scabbard has multiple opposing blade receiving enclosures pivotally secured to one another by a connection bracket that allows simple and quick placement on and retainment over the tomahawk end surfaces with a single retainment strap. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the scabbard positioned partially on a tomahawk weapon shown in broken lines. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view with the scabbard completely positioned on the tomahawk weapon. 
         FIG. 3  is top plan view of the scabbard of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an end view on lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an end view on lines  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the tomahawk scabbard. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 , and  2  of the drawings, a weapon scabbard  10  for tomahawk weapons W can be seen having a first blade cover portion  11  and a second blade cover portion  12  pivotally secured to an intermediate elongated connector bracket  13 . 
     The first and second blade covers  11  and  12  are of a similar construction method formation defining a pair of blade-shaped specific retainment pocket covers. Each of the blade covers  11  and  12  have identical front and back surface panels P secured to one another in space parallel relation by an edge band insert fitting  14  formed by a pair of identical band plate elements  15  and  16  of a co-contoured configuration as to the respective first and second blade covers extending inwardly from their respective panels perimeter edges partially thereabout. 
     Multiple assembly facet rivets  17  extend through and secure the panels P and interposition inserted edge band fitting  14  to one another. 
     The first band cover portion  11  is of a generally triangular configuration with a blade-receiving slot opening  18  therein defined by the panels P between corresponding edge band insert fitting  14  enclosed edge surfaces  20  and  21  as best seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3  of the drawings. 
     The second blade cover portion  12  has a closed curved edge band surface  22  with an angularly disposed closed top and bottom edge bands  23  and  24  defining a corresponding blade-receiving slot opening  25  there between. The blade-receiving slot opening  25  has a mid-termed curved recess area in the respective panels P to accommodate the corresponding blade B of a weapon W, shown in broken lines, inserted and additionally retained therein by a strap and snap fitting  26  extending transversely there across as seen best in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 3-6  of the drawings, the elongated connector bracket  13  can be seen pivotally secured to the first and second blade covers  11  and  12  adjacent to their respective blade-receiving slot openings  18  and  25  by respective pivot pins  27  and  28 . The connector bracket  13  has identical shaped front and rear elongated elements  29  and  30  each having aperture contoured enlarged opposing ends  31  and  32  which as noted are pivotally secured to the respective exterior panel P surfaces S of each of the blade-receiving covers  11  and  12 . 
     It will be seen that the corresponding axial points of the pivot pin attachment of the connector bracket  13  to the blade covers  11  and  12  being adjacent their respective slot openings  18  and  25  allow for multiple angular articulation of the blade covers  11  and  12  independently as connected to the is bracket  13  illustrated in  FIG. 1  of the drawings in broken and solid lines. 
     The independent pivoting positions of the blade covers  11  and  12  with respect to the connector bracket  13  provides for quick and easy placement of the scabbard  10  of the invention over the blade portions of the weapon W for safer user carrying on their person. Additionally, the folding ability of the safety weapons scabbard  10  of the invention when not in use increases the propensity of user use compliance given that it can be placed in a pocket when not in use but be easily accessible, not shown. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5  of the drawings, the respective end views of the rigid retainment blade covers  11  and  12  can be seen illustrating the pivot attachment point of the pivot pins  27  and  28  through the aperture enlarged ends  31  and  32  of the connector bracket  13  and the respective closed end edge surfaces  20  and  21  on the cover  11  and closed end curved edge surface  22  comprised of the continued edge band insert fitting  14  designed by the abutting band contoured plates  15  and  16  secured together by fastener rivets  17  to the respective surface panels Pas hereinbefore described. 
     It will be evident from the above description that by utilization of the dual hard surface blade cover portions  11  and  12  interconnected and in spaced oppositely disposed relation by respective pivot pins through corresponding aperture ends of the bifurcated connection bracket  13  that the scabbard of the invention will be in compliance for easy deployment and insertion on to the ends of a tomahawk-like weapon W configuration illustrated in broken lines in  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings affording a safe simple and durable safety cover configuration for the user&#39;s benefit 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel folding weapon scabbard  10  has been illustrated and described and various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.