IMPROVEMENTS IN POCKET KNIVES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
" I BERNARD MºGOVERN of Bridgeport in the County of Fairfield and State of
Connecticut in the United States of America, gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POCKET KNIVES" and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:—
My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in the construction
of knives and has for its object to provide a device of this description which shall
be readily adapted for the various uses to which it may be put, and in which there
shall be no hinged or stationary connection between the blade and the handle, and
exceedingly simple and economical, and with these ends in view my invention
consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully
described and then specifically designated by the claims.
In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may
more fully understand its construction and operation I will proceed to describe the
same in detail referring by letter to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of
this specification, in which,-
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section of my improvement.
Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the same, showing the head to which the blade is
secured locked with one of the notches in the cylinder.
Fig. 3, a side elevation showing the head thrown forward to its full extent and
locked in this position, and Fig. 4, a side elevation showing the spiral slot in the
socket and the pin arranged therein.
Similar letters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing.
A, is a socket having therein an elongated slot, B, deflected at its forward
portion as seen at C.
D, is a hollow cylinder arranged within said socket and also provided with an
elongated slot E.
F, is a small pin secured within this cylinder so as to project laterally therefrom
within a spiral slot G, in the socket.
The rear ends of both the socket and the cylinder are closed and between them is
placed a coil spring, H, so as to give the cylinder a spring movenient.
The relative positions of the elongated slots B, E, are such, that when the cylinder
is forced within the socket to its full extent against the action of the spring, the

page_text: action of the pin, F, within the spiral slot G, will cause the cylinder to turn and
bring said slots into alignment for the purpose presently explained.
I, is the blade the tang of which is riveted, soldered, or in any other suitable
way secured to a head, J, fitting loosely within the cylinder, D. K, is a small pin
projecting laterally from said head within the slot, E, and it will be readily under-
stood that, the action of the pin, F, within the spiral slot will throw the pin, K,
into the deflected slot, C, when the spring, H, forces the cylinder foward. L, is
a collar secured at the outer end of the cylinder.
In assembling the several parts of my improvement I first place the coil spring
within the socket and then introduce the cylinder. The pin, F, is driven into the
latter through the spiral slot.
The head J, with blade secured thereto is now dropped into the cylinder and the
pin K, is driven into said head through the slots, B, E.
The device thus assembled is placed within a hollow cylindrical handle M, open
at both ends, and secured therein by means of a pin, N, passed through the handle
into the collar L, or by a screw thread formed on the collar the rear end of the
socket being allowed to project as shown for the purpose presently explained.
I preferably make the diameter of the collar slightly greater than that of the
socket so that the latter will move freely when forced down over the cylinder.
The operation of my improvement is as follows:—
The knife blade being out to its full length the position of the several parts is as
shown at Fig. 2, the pin, K, resting within the deflected slot C.
By depressing the rear end of the socket the cylinder will be turned owing to
the action of the spiral slot on the pin, F, until the elongated slots are brought into
alignment; the pin, K, will have thus left the slot, C, and when the knife is held
in a position with the point of the blade up, the head carrying the latter will drop
by gravity within the cylinder. The socket is now relieved of pressure, and the
force of the spring together with the action of the spiral slot on the pin F, will
bind the pin, K, between the edge of the slot, B, and the edge of the slot E,
thereby holding the head J, within the cylinder.
When it is desired to use the knife, the socket is again depressed and by holding
the knife point down the blade will readily drop out and by relieving the socket
of pressure the action of the spiral slot on the pin, F, will throw the pin K,
within the deflected slot, C, and lock the blade in position.
By having a series of notches, c, along the edge, d, of the slot, E, the blade may
be locked in any position so as to project to any desired extent from the forward
end of the handle.
It will be obvious that any device other than a knife blade may be attached
to the head, J, as for instance a button-hook, tooth-pick, pen, pencil and the
like, my invention not being.confined in this respect to a knife blade.
If desired any suitable cap may be placed over the forward extremity of the
handle and the parts protected from grit, dust, etc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a knife, the socket provided with elongated slot and spiral slot, and having
interiorly arranged therein a hollow cylinder having an elongated slot provided
with one or more notches, and a pin adapted to travel within said spiral slot, in
combination with a coil spring placed between the rear ends of said socket and
cylinder, and a blade or other suitable device secured to a head provided with a pin
projecting within the slot in the cylinder, whereby the said pin may be clamped or
locked between the edge of the said slot and the edge of the slot in the socket and
at any point along the length thereof thereby allowing the extremity of the blade
or other device to project any desired distance beyond the end of the handle,
substantially as hereinbefore set forth and described.

page_text: 2. The socket having slots, B, G, in combination with the cylinder, D, arranged
within said socket and having slot, E, provided with one or more notches, c, and
pin F, projecting within the slot, G, coil spring H, between the rear ends of the
socket and cylinder, blade I, secured to the head J, which fits loosely within the
cylinder, and pin, K, projecting from said head within the slot, E, substantially as
set forth.
3. The handle M, having arranged therein the socket A, having elongated slot, B,
and spiral slot G, cylinder D, arranged within the socket and provided with collar L,
elongated slot E, notched as shown and pin F, projecting within the slot G, coil
spring, H, between the rear ends of said socket and cylinder, and head J, fitting
loosely within the cylinder and having pin K, projecting within the slot E, sub-
stantially as shown and described.