IMPROVEMENT IN POCKET KNIVES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENT 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. knives or other tools adapted to be sheathed in the
handle when not in use, and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement
and adaptation of parts as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically
pointed out in the claim.
For convenience I will describe the device as a sailors knife, but it will be
obvious that it may be applied to other purposes or arts without departing from
the principle, or sacrificing the advantages of the Invention, the essential elements
of which are fully illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which form a part
of this Specification, and in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, with the blade extended.
Figure 3 is an end view.
'
Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, with the blade within the handle.
Referring to the Drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like
parts in all the Figures :-
a designates the sheath or handle, in opposite recesses a' of the sides of which
are received the lateral projection g' of the spring g. One end of this spring g
is rebated at g and fits under the butt piece h of the sheath, while the opposite
end operates under the handle end c of a lever or trigger C pivoted at c in the
sheath. a designates the forward end piece of the sheath. I preferably form the
sides and one edge of the handle of a single piece, the spring and trigger forming
the remaining edge, and being entirely out of the way. The handle may be
finished with exterior pieces of ivory, bone or other suitable material.
The back of the blade b is for a greater portion of its length bevelled upon
either side to fit a V shaped recess r formed in the end piece a', but the balance of
the same back is rectangular as at d to catch against the back edge of such recess r
and act as a stop to the blade b. When the said blade b is projected out, and the

page_text: part d has abutted against the inner edge of the recess r, the hooked end c² of the
trigger C passes behind a rebate e and prevents the blade from passing back into
the sheath, and when locked in this position the device is ready for service.
When
it is desired to conceal the blade, the end piece a³ is elevated and the handle end
of the trigger depressed, when the catch c² unlocks the blade and it passes back
into the sheath by its gravity where it is locked against being again projected by
the catch passing into recess f formed in the back of the blade, the blade
remaining thus locked until the trigger is again manipulated.
Other devices have been suggested for essentially similar purposes, but in all such
attempts known to me the locking spring and trigger has projected from the
handle, and served only their purposes of spring and trigger. In my present
device it will be observed that the spring and trigger form essentially one side of
the sheath in addition to these functions.
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, substantially as described, in combination with a sheath and
longitudinally moving blade, a spring and trigger arranged to form one inclosing
side of the sheath and adaptated to serve as set forth.
2. In combination with the sheath h having recesses a¹ and butt piece h, with
the blade bhaving locking recesses, the spring g having lateral arms 7 and
rebate g, and the trigger C having hook c² and handle c, as and for the purposes
-set-forth.
3. The combination with the sheath a having end piece a with V shaped slot r
and having butt. piece h and recesses a¹, the blade b as described having square
portion d, rebate e and recess f, the spring g having arms g' and rebate g², and
the trigger C having handle c and catch e, as and for the purposes set forth.