Improvements in or connected with Pocket Knives and such like Folding Instruments.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Pocket Knives and such like
Folding Instruments.
We WALTER JOHN MINTER of 8 Elm Road, Stratford, in the County of Essex,
Inventor, and JOHN SANDERS of 41 Ferndale Road, Leytonstone, also in the
County of Essex, Retired Silversmith, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide pocket knives and such like folding
instruments with means whereby the blade or blades thereof can be quickly and
easily opened.
According to this invention we provide each blade of the pocket knife or other
folding instrument with an extension piece which preferably slides in a groove or
grooves in the heel or tang of the blade. We also cut away or otherwise form the
back spring of the knife or other instrument in such manner as to provide a recess
or recesses in which the said extension piece works when the blade is being opened
and in which it rests when the blade is fully opened. The extremity of the said
extension piece may be formed or provided with a notch which engages. with the.
contiguous part of the back spring and forms a catch therewith which effectually
locks the blade in position when open. When the blade is closed into the handle,.
the extension piece may be moved along in its groove or grooves until the head of
said extension piece is close to the heel or tang of the blade so that it does not
project beyond the handle. To open the blade it is only necessary to draw out the
extension piece from the aforementioned groove or grooves when it forms an arm of
a lever whose other arm is the blade centered on the ordinary pivot. Pressure on
the said extension arm turns the blade on its pivot.
It will be obvious that pocket knives and such like folding surgical or other
instruments fitted or provided with this invention can be quickly and easily opened,
and that the slit usually provided in the blades for the insertion of the thumb nail
can be dispensed with. Moreover the knife or instrument can be so made that when
closed the blades are completely within the side plates or scales of the handle and
need not project therebeyond as is now the case, for the purpose of offering a grip.
for the thumb and finger when opening the blade, as such opening can be effected:
entirely by the aid of the extension piece aforedescribed.
Dated this Lith day of March 1894
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.
Improvements in or connected with Pocket Knives and such like
Folding Instruments.
We WALTER JOHN MINTER of 8 Elm Road, Stratford, in the County of Essex,
Inventor, and JOHN SANDERS of 41 Ferndale Road, Leytonstone, also in the
County of Essex, Retired Silversmith, 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 this invention is to provide pocket knives and such like folding

page_text: instruments with means whereby the blade or blades or the implements thereof can
be quickly and easily opened and without requiring to touch the blade or blades or
implements with the fingers or finger and thumb. Means are also preferably
provided for locking the blade or blades or implements in the open position.
The invention will be described with reference to pocket knives it being under-
stood however that it is applicable to surgical and other instruments which fold up
into a recess contained in the handle after the manner of a pocket knife.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 to 4 are side views of part of a pocket knife with one of the scales
removed shewing our invention fitted to the blade, the different views shewing
different positions of the parts. Figure 1 shews the blade in the closed position
and Figures 2 & 3 shew the blade partly open and fully-opened respectively;
Figure 4 shews the blade locked in the open position. Figure 5 is a back view of
Figure 4 and Figures 6 & 7 are detached back views of the extension piece and
back spring C.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate the same or corresponding
parts where they occur in the different figures.
A knife having only one blade is shewn in the drawings, but the invention is not
confined to single bladed knives, an opening device of the kind to be hereinafter
described may be fitted to every one of the blades of a two, three, or more bladed
knife.
The
The blade A is provided with an extension piece which consists of two longitudinal
side members B joined by a finger cross piece 6 as shewn in Figure 6. The side
members B of the said extension piece fit into recesses or grooves a formed in or on
the tang A' of the blade, said recesses or grooves being so made as to admit the side
members B and so placed as to allow them to slide longitudinally in said recesses or
grooves and to take up the two extreine positions shewn in Figures 1 and 4.
free end of each side member is furnished with a nose piece or projection b¹ which
is larger than the recess or groove a whereby the extension piece is prevented from
being entirely withdrawn from the said recess or groove. When the blade is closed
the extension piece may be pushed inwards until the finger piece b lies close to and
against the shoulder g on the back of the blade tang and flush or nearly flush with
the back of the blade; this is the position shewn by the full lines in Figure 1 the
dotted lines shewing the position into which it may be drawn when it is desired to
open the blade.
The end of the back spring C adjacent to the blade A is cut away
on each side (see Figure 7) to provide spaces or recesses to admit the side
members B of the extension piece which enter thereinto as and when the blade is,
being opened (see Figures 2, 3 and 4). Or, instead of cutting away the spring,
additional pieces of suitable metal may be fitted to or placed alongside the
same, i.e. between the spring and side plates in order to form the said spaces or
recesses as required. When the blade is fully opened the side members B of the
extension pfece pass from the blade tang obliquely through the aforesaid spaces in
or about the back spring C the finger cross piece b resting on the back spring and
forming a bridge thereover (see Figures 3 to 5).
For the purpose of locking the blade in the open position the extremity of each
side member B of the extension piece is formed with a notch b' of sufficient size to
take over the shoulder c' formed by the upper edge of the uncutaway portion of the
back spring C (see Figures 2, 3 and 7) or to engage with the ends of the substituted
pieces placed alongside the spring as before described.
In
The blade being in the fully open position shewn in Figure 3 is locked in that
position by drawing down the extension.piece until the notches thereon engage
with the shoulders c¹ on the back spring C in the manner shewn in Figure 4.
that position the heel 6 of the notch abuts against the inner side of the back
spring C and prevents the blade being turned on its pivot D.
Instead of making the extension piece with two side members B as shewn in
- Figure 6 it may consist of one side men.ber only with a notched finger pieco b as
already described in which case only one (corresponding groove in the blade tang will

page_text: be required and the back spring will be cut away or recessed on one side only to
correspond. The operation of the device for opening the blade and for locking it
open will be the same in this as in the other case.
To open the blade, the extension piece is by means of the finger piece b drawn
out of the recess a to the dotted position shewn in Figure 1 or as far as is necessary
to give an effective leverage. Pressure on the said extension piece will then turn
the blade on its pivot D into the position shewn in Figure 3. By then drawing the
extension piece further out of the recess a in the blade tang the notch or notches b
will catch over the contiguous shoulders c' of the back spring and will effectually
lock the blade in the open position as shewn in Figure 4. To close the blade the
finger piece b is pushed towards the blade tang until the notch or notches 6 is or
ure disengaged from the back spring. The parts are then in the position shewn in
Figure 3 when the blade may be closed up and the extension piece afterwards slid
from the dotted to the full line position shewn in Figure 1.
A modification of our invention would be to fit the extension piece in a position
at right angles to that shewn in the drawings, that is to say, arranged transversely
to the blade instead of longitudinally; the bridge finger piece 6 then lying across
the back of the blade tang.
In this case the extension piece when drawn out would form a bell crank instead
of a straight lever. This arrangement however would not open so easily and the
blade could not be locked in the open position. For these reasons we prefer the
arrangement shewn in the drawings hereinbefore described.
It will be obvious that pocket knives and such like folding surgical or other
instruments fitted or provided with this invention can be quickly and easily opened
and that the slit or nick usually provided in the blades for the insertion of the thumb
nail can be dispensed with. Moreover, the knife or instrument can be so made that
when closed the blades shall be completely within the side plates or scales of the
handle and need not project therebeyond, as is now the case, for the purpose of
offering a grip for the thumb and finger when opening the blade; such opening can
be effected entirely by the aid of the extension piece aforedescribed.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that our invention is
applicable to all kinds of pocket knives and such like folding instruments having a
back spring which serves to keep the blade or implement in its closed and open
positions and may be applied in the course of manufacture of such knives or
instruments or to those at present in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A pocket knife or such like folding instrument having an extension piece
fitted to the tang of each blade or implement for the purpose of opening the same
substantially as described.
2. In a pocket knife or such like folding instrument the blade or blades or
implements of which are acted on by a back spring, fitting the tangs of said blades
or implements with rearwardly extensible pieces sliding longitudinally in grooves or
recesses in said tangs, and recessing or otherwise forming the back springs to
accommodate said extension pieces as and when the blades or implements are opened
substantially as described.
3. In a pocket knife or such like folding instrument fitted with an extension piece
to every blade or implement and a recessed back spring as set out in the preceding
claim, means such as described for locking the blades or implements in the open
position, consisting in notching the ends of the extension pieces and so making the
grooves or recesses in the tangs in which they slide that the said notches can be
brought into engagement with the uncutaway ends or shoulders of the back spring
of the knife, or with the ends of pieces fitted alongside thereof, substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. A pocket knife or such like folding instrument with an opening device for the

page_text: blades or implements, and means for locking same in the open position constructed
and operated substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of December 1894.
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agent for the Applicants.