Improvement in Pocket and like Knives.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1896-Accepted. 9th Jan. 1897
I, WALTER JAMES THOROGOOD, of 9 Rockbourne Road, Forest Hill, in the
County of Surrey, Grocer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to pocket knives or to knives the blade or blades of which
can be opened or closed; and it consists in so shaping the handle that while the
point of the knife blade is protected in such manner as to prevent its cutting or
tearing the pocket, the edge of the point is accessible for the purpose of cutting
string or the like, without opening the blade.
In order to effect this I form a groove or depression transversely across that edge
of the handle into which the blade closes; this groove being situate just under the
point of the blade when the latter is closed. The groove or depression may be
of any convenient shape, but is preferably semicircular or curved and is of such
depth that the string or cord to be cut may be easily slipped under the point of
the blade, and pressed or drawn up against its edge.
Dated this 5th day of August 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvement in Pocket and like Knives.
1, WALTER JAMES THOROGOOD, of 9 Rockbourne Road, Forest Hill, in the
County of Surrey, Grocer, 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 :-
This invention relates to pocket knives or to knives the blade or blades of which
can be opened or closed; and it consists in so shaping the handle that, while the
point of the knife blade is protected in such manner as to prevent its cutting or
tearing the pocket, the edge of the point is accessible for the purpose of cutting
string or the like without opening the blade.
In order to effect this I form a groove or depression transversely across that
edge of the handle into which the blade closes; this groove being situate just under
the point of the blade when the latter is closed. The groove or depression may
be of any convenient shape, but is preferably semicircular or curved and is of
such depth that the string or cord to be cut may be easily slipped under the
point of the blade, and pressed or drawn up against its edge.

page_text: In order that my invention may be fully understood and ascertained I illustrate
it by drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is a view of a knife with the blade closed, and
Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the blade opened.
The knife consists of a handle A. of any convenient type and material the sides
of which are fastened together in the ordinary manner by rivets a. The blade B
is pivoted to the handle at b as in the well known common form of. pocket knives,
and has the usual thumb nail notch b'. The blade may be of any shape which is
suitable, and the handle A is cut away, at just under where the point of the
blade B falls when closed, to form a notch C; the relative positions of the
point of the blade and the notch C being so arranged that an opening D is left of
such a size that a string can easily be inserted. When the string has been inserted
in the opening D it can be easily and conveniently cut either by pulling the string
against the edge of the point of the blade or pressing the blade against the string.
The cutting is assisted by the opening D between the edges of the notch C, and
the edge of the point of the blade B being tapered, or wedge shaped as shewn
in Fig. 1.
It will be seen that the distance between the point of the knife and the end of
the notch is so small as to enable the handle to form a shield which prevents the
point of the blade catching the pocket, while allowing sufficient space for any
ordinary size of string to be inserted.
Existing pocket knives may be converted to this system by forming a groove C
in the proper position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A pocket or like knife as shewn and described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
2. A pocket or like knife having a notch or recess cut in the handle in such
manner that when the blade is closed a space or opening is left into which a
string or the like can be inserted for the purpose of cutting, substantially as shewn
and described.
3. A pocket or like knife having a notch or recess cut in the handle near
where the point of the blade falls when it is closed, substantially as shewn and
described.
4. In a pocket or like knife the combination of a handle A having a notch C,
with a blade B the point of which when closed leaves an opening D into which
a string or the like can be inserted for the purpose of cutting, substantially as
shewn and described.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75 Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.