Patent Publication Number: US-4730393-A

Title: Locking knife with movable scale

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Folding or pocket knives include blades, scales and further arrangements for pivoting and housing the blades. Knives used for filleting, cutting and cleaning fish or other food substances require periodic thorough cleaning. 
     The construction, assembly, orientation of parts or disassembly of prior knives has not afforded desired simplicity and ease of operation while at the same time permitting required cleaning. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Broadly, the present invention comprises a folding knife having a blade, a first scale and a second scale on either side of the blade with a tumbler or back spring positioned to hold the blade in its operative position having the features of pivotal mounting of the second scale and hand-force latching means of the second scale whereby the second scale can be readily pivotally moved away from the first scale for cleaning. 
     It is a feature of the knife that the second scale latch arrangement includes a slot with ramp means for engaging and disengaging a headed pin positioned on the first scale. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a left side elevational view (with handle panels removed) of the locking knife in its blade-open operable position; 
     FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view (with handle panels removed) of the knife is in a partially closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view with one scale pivoted to an angle to the other scale for cleaning; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning to the Figures, locking knife 10 includes first scale or plate 11 having rearward portion 11a and front blade-end portion 11b, second scale or plate 12 (see FIG. 2) having rearward portion 12a and front blade-end portion 12b, and spacer piece 13 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) between the scales rearward portions 11a, 12a, all such parts secured together about pivot pin 16. Spacer piece 13 is immovably secured to first scale 11 while second scale 12 is mounted about pin 16 for rotation as further described to permit cleaning of the knife 10. 
     Mounted on the first scale 11 about pivot pin 17 is back spring 18 and also mounted on first scale 11 is knife blade 21. First scale 11 carries headed pin arrangement 22 to provide for rotary mounting of knife blade 21 and as a locking means. Headed pin arrangement 22 includes stem 23 and enlarged head 24 with stem 23 permanently secured to (or formed as part of) scale 11. 
     Head pin arrangement 22 is normally located in slot 26 in the front blade-end 12b of scale 12. Slot 26 includes border ramp pieces 27, 28 which receive enlarged head 24 when it is moved into slot 26 to accomplish a friction fit between the ramp pieces 27, 28 and the underside of head 24. Once head 24 rides up, along and past ramp pieces 27, 28, which extend along only a part of slot 26, it passes a neck portion 26a of slot 26 to a wider portion of slot 26 where it is held in place to remain until a reverse force urges enlarged head 24 back over the ramp pieces 27, 28 and past neck portion 26a. Slot 26 also has a keyhole opening 30 at one end to afford some resilience in slot walls 26b, 26c, so they can be moved apart under the force as applied by movement of enlarged head 24. In the operable position of the folding knife, scales 11, 12 are generally parallel and superimposed as viewed in FIG. 1. In this operable position back spring 18 holds blade 21 in a fixed rigid position. 
     When the blade is not in use, it may be released by depressing the back spring 18 to tilt against spring 31 (FIG. 3) about pin 17 and release blade 21 for rotation to its closed position. 
     Turning now to FIG. 3, second scale 12 is shown rotated to an angle to first scale 11 by urging the scale apart (as they rotate about headed pin 16). Second scale slot 26 is readily movable past enlarged head 24 by application of sufficient hand force. Blade 21 has locking notch 21a which locks with back spring projection 18a when the blade is in its open position. In the knife position shown in FIG. 3, knife 10 is easily cleaned to remove fish, meat and other materials which lodge in the knife during use. After cleaning has been completed, second scale 12 is rotated back to its normal position (FIG. 1). 
     Preferably each scale may have mounted on it, using glue or other suitable means, a handle panel (not shown) of plastic, bone or other material for functional and decorative purposes.