Improvements in or connected with Instruments, such as Pocket Knives or the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Instruments, such as Pocket
Knives or the like.
I, LADY GERTRUDE ELEANOR MOLYNEUX, of Sefton House, Belgrave Square,
S.W., in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide in instruments-such as pocket knives
and the like, means for carrying a supply of twine, thread, silk, or other flexible
material, suitable for binding and other purposes.
In constructing for example a pocket knife according to my invention, I provide
an open part between the two side plates of the framework composing the handle
of the knife; passing through each side plate and extending transversely across
the open slot is a pivot, which is adapted to carry upon it a spool or reel.
The spool or reel may consist of a central cylindrical body having disc-shaped
ends which may extend a short distance beyond the edges of the knife handle,
the discs being arranged parallel to one another thus forming an annular groove
of rectangular shape in cross section in some cases the spool or reel may be
formed with a peripheral opening of lesser width than the interior of the groove.
At the central cylindrical part of the spool or reel, attachment means are located,
to grip or retain the end of a piece of twine, thread, silk or the like hereafter
termed flexible material, which is to be wound upon the spool or reel; such
attachment means may be composed of a spring device, or a slot or aperture may
be formed in the material of the cylindrical part to receive the end of such flexible
material.
In order to wind the flexible material upon the spool or reel, the peripheral
parts of the disc shaped ends which project slightly above the edges of the handle
of the knife may be serrated or milled, in order to assist an operator to revolve the
spool or reel.
In some cases there may be provided a spring, say a spiral spring,
arranged so as to tend to cause the spool or reel to revolve in an opposite direction
to which it revolves when the flexible material is being unwound; also locking
means or frictional devices to prevent the rotation of the spool when necessary
may be provided. In lieu of or combined with the locking means above referred
to, a self-acting catch or gripping device may be fitted, through which the flexible
material when being unwound, passes.
My invention is particularly applicable to pocket instruments which are
carried by persons in pursuit of sport, such as when fishing, shooting, hunting,
etc. It is obvious that my invention may be applied to other instruments not
strictly adapted to be carried in the pocket, as for example to pruning knives.
Dated this 19th day of February. 1898.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Instruments, such as Pocket
Knives or the like.
I, LADY GERTRUDE ELEANOR MOLYNEUX, of Sefton House, Belgrave Square,
S.W., in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement; -
The object of my invention is to provide in instruments such as pocket knives
and the like, means for carrying a supply of thread, twine, silk, or other flexible
material, suitable for binding and other purposes, and hereafter in this specifica-
tion termed "thread."
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will describe same with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation, shewing by way of example, a pocket knife
fitted or constructed according to my said invention, Fig. 2 being a plan of the
back of same, and Fig. 3 an end view. Fig. 4 is a sectional end view shewing
a modified form of reel or spool and means for holding same. Fig. 5 shews in
sectional side elevation, a further arrangement, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view
of a knife fitted with my thread carrying device.
According to my invention and with reference to the pocket knife illustrated at
Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I provide an open part between the two side plates A A¹ of the
framework of the knife handle, and at the rear end of same, the said open part
being suitable for the reception of a reel or spool to carry the thread, the spool
being revolvably mounted on a spindle B extending between the two side
plates A A aforesaid.
The spool or reel Figs. 1, 2 and 3, consists of a central cylindrical body C having
disc-shaped ends or flanges C¹ C¹, which may extend slightly beyond the edges
of the knife handle, and it is between the flanges and upon the cylindrical part C
that the thread is wound as at D, suitable means being provided, such as a hole C
in the part C, whereby the inner end of the thread can be secured.
Means are
provided in order to prevent the spool accidentally revolving, and
such means at Figs. 1, 2 and 3, consists in the formation of teeth at the periphery
of the flanges C₁ which teeth engage with a pawl-blade E; the pawl-blade E is
pivotted at between the frame plates, and its squared bearing end is acted
upon by a spring E2, so that when in action, as in full lines at Fig. 1, it engages
the teeth of the spool and retains same in position, while when the thread is
pulled, the pawl E allows the teeth to pass. When the spool is to receive a fresh
supply of thread, the pawl blade E can be turned down into the position shewn in
dotted lines, when the spool can be freely revolved for re-winding.
In some cases and as shewn at Fig. 4 the spool may be formed with flanges C₁ C¹,
which come nearly together at their peripheral edges, and afford protection to the
thread wound thereon.
Should it be desired to render the spool detachable from the knife frame, for
convenience of winding, the spindle B as at Fig. 4 may be made removable by
unscrewing the outer nut B', and also the spool may be prevented from accidental
revolution, by the friction produced by tightening up the said nut and drawing
the side plates A A¹ into frictional contact with the side plates of the spool. The
spool or reel may be made, say as shewn at Fig. 5, of a shape and with a central
aperture, to adapt it to be applied to an ordinary thread winder of a sewing
machine, for winding on the supply of thread. To render such a spool very

page_text: readily removable from the knife frame, the spindle B may be dispensed with as
at Fig. 5, the spool fitting and resting in a bed formed by a fixed part of the
frame As, between the side plates, and being maintained in position by a jointed
spring arm E which, when in the position as in full lines at Fig. 5, not only retains
the spool in position, but acts with sufficient pressure thereon as to prevent the
spool revolving until the thread is pulled.
At Fig. 6 is shewn a perspective view of a knife with a spool similar in con-
struction to that shewn at Fig. 1, with the exception that instead of the hinged
pawl blade E, as at Fig. 1, the spool is controlled at Fig. 6, by a pawl arm E of
spring metal, the end E being held down by the finger of the operator to release
the spool.
In some cases a spring may be fitted to the spool so as to cause the latter to revolve
on its spindle in an opposite direction to that in which it revolves when the flexible
material is being unwound, as will be well understood, such devices being common
with tape measures, and it is therefore unnecessary to specifically illustrate same.
My invention is particularly applicable to pocket instruments which are carried
by persons in pursuit of sport, such as when fishing, shooting, hunting, etc; and
it is obvious that my invention may be applied to other instruments not strictly
adapted to be carried in the pocket, as for example to pruning knives.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:
1. In instruments such as pocket knives, pruning knives, and the like, forming
a space between the side plates of the handle; and fitting therein a reel or spool to
carry thread, twine, silk, or other flexible material suitable for binding or other
purposes, such spool being so fitted as to be capable of revolving as the flexible
material, wound thereon, is drawn off, and means for controlling the motion of
the spool to prevent accidental unwinding, substantially as described.
2. The arrangement and combination of parts composing the pocket knife or
the like, with reel or spool fitted thereto, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The arrangement and combination of parts composing the pocket knife or
the like, with reel or spool fitted thereto, substantially as described with reference
to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts composing the pocket knife or
the like, with reel or spool fitted thereto, substantially as described with reference
to Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
T
1000