Improvements relating to Folding Knives, Cork-screws, and other Folding Articles.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 9th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 16th Sept., 1887.
Improvements relating to Folding Knives, Cork-screws, and other
Folding Articles.
1, CARL HOLLWEG, of Barmen, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare tho
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates chiefly to folding pocket knives, and comprises improved
means for opening, closing and locking the blades as hereinafter described.
In a knife constructed according to my said invention the blades can be opened
without being touched, so that bright blades do not rust, and dirty blades do not
require to be touched with the fingers; they can be immovably fixed in the closed or
in the open position in such a manner that an unintentional motion of the same is not
possible; and when closed they do not, as in the folding knives heretofore constructed,
project laterally with their backs, so that, besides the more olegant appearance of the
improved knife, the danger of the point of a blade catching or cutting anything is
obviated.
The improved knife does not possess springs of any kind, so that on the one hand
the inconveniences arising from such springs becoming slack are obviated, and on the
other hand the pressure exerted by such springs to the opening and closing of the
blades is here entirely dispensed with and therefore the knife can be opened or closed
with the greatest facility; also the movable parts do not become fixed through rusting
or corrosion and there is no wear; consequently the lubrication of the joints is
superfluous.
The handle of the improved knife comprises two plates, upon which can be rivetted
or otherwise fixed any ornamented covering.
The two handle plates are connected, near the ends by rivets upon which the blades
turn, they are also connected at one edge by means of a plate termed a back plate,
having dove-tailed projections which fit corresponding notches in the handle plates.

page_text: Each blade has, besides the hole for the rivet, a small square hole at one side of the
rivet hole. With this square hole corresponds a similar hole in an operating plate
arranged outside the adjacent handle plate. Into these two holes fit the opposite
journals of a carrier shaft, so that, when the operating plate is turned, the blade must
turn with it. In this motion the carrier shaft slides in a semicircular slot of the
adjacent handle plate.
The operating plate is moreover provided with recesses, into which fit the journals
of an operating handle, so that when the operating plate is lying upon the handle
plate, and the journals of the operating handle are in their recesses, and when a
covering disc is put upon the operating plate and handle the latter can move upon a
hinge joint. The said operating handle has two semicircular notches, to which
corresponds the projection on a stop plate, which latter is fixed upon the adjacent
handle plate.
The blade can be locked in its open or closed position according as one or other of
the said notches is in engagement with the projection on the stop plate.
Besides the parts already described a filling piece is arranged on each side of a blade
and when the knife is provided with two or more blades, a filling piece is inserted
between each two adjacent blades to provide the necessary intermediate space.
When the knife is provided with only a single blade at either end of the handle, an
operating handle for moving the blade is required only on one side of the knife; the
other side can then be covered by a full disc without an operating handle.
The mechanism hereinbefore described for moving the blades of pocket knives can
also be applied to other larger knives. It can moreover be used for moving cork-
screws, button-hooks and other articles adapted to be folded into a handle.
Dated this 10th day of November 1886

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Folding Knives, Cork-screws, and other
Folding Articles.
I, CARL HOLLWEG, of Barmen, in the Empire of Germany, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to he
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
My invention relates chiefly to folding pocket knives, and comprises improved
means for opening closing and locking the blades as hereinafter described.
In a knife constructed according to my said invention the blades can be opened
without being touched so that bright blades do not rust and dirty blades do not
require to be touched with the fingers; they can be immovably fixed in the closed or
in the open position in such a manner that an unintentional motion of the same is not
possible; and when closed they do not, as in the folding knives heretofore constructed,
project laterally with their backs, so that, besides the more elegant appearance of the
improved knife, the danger of the point of a blade catching or cutting any thing is
obviated.
The improved knife does not possess springs of any kind, so that on the one hand
the inconveniences arising from such springs becoming slack are obviated, and on
the other hand the pressure exerted by such springs to the opening and closing of the
blades is here ontirely dispensed with and therefore the knife can be opened or closed
with the greatest facility; also the movable parts do not become fixed through rusting
or corrosion and there is no appreciable wear, consequently the lubrication of the
joints is superfluous.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a knife having three blades, of which the upper and one of the lower
blades are shown quite onen, while the second lower blade is shown partly oven.
Figures 7 to 13 the remaining details of the knife.
The handle of the improved knife comprises two plates A of which Figure 4 shows
only an upper half upon which can be rivetted or otherwise fixed any ornamental
covering B.
The two handle plates are connected near the ends by rivets upon which the blades
urn, they are also connected at one edge by means of a plate, termed a back plate, (
by means of the dove tailed notches p, into which fit corresponding projections h on
the handle plates.
Each blade K (Figure 6) has, besides the hole a for the rivet, a small square hole
t one side of the rivet hole u. With this square hole b a corresponding hole is made

page_text: in an operating plate E (Figure 7). Into these two holes b, b¹ fit the opposite
journals of a carrier shaft F (Figures 11 and 3) so that when the operating plate E is
turned the blade K must turn with it.
In this motion the carrier shaft slides in the semicircular slot ƒ (Figure 4) of the
adjacent handle plate A.
The operating plate E (Figure 7) is moreover provided with recesses m, m into
which fit the journals i, of the operating handle D so that, when the operating
plate E is lying upon the handle plate A and the journals i, i of the operating
handle D are in the recesses m, m of the operating plate E and when the covering
disc G (Figure 9) is put upon the operating plate and handle D E, the latter can
move upon a hinge joint as will be seen in Figure 1 lower half, and Figure 3 upper
half where the gripe is turned up entirely or partially. The said operating handle D
has two semicircular notches, to which corresponds the projection n on the stop
plate H (Figure 10) which latter is fixed upon the adjacent handle plate as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
The blade can be locked in its open or closed position according as one or other of
the said notches is in engagement with the projection on the top plate.
Besides the parts already described a filling piece I (Figure 13) is arranged on
each side of a blade and when the knife is provided with two or more blades a filling
piece is inserted between cach two adjacent blades to provide the necessary intermediate
space, (Figure 2 lower half).
When the knife is provided with only a single blade at either end of the handle an
operating handle D for moving the blade is required only on one side of the knife, the
other side can then be covered by a full disc J (Figure 12) without an operating
handle.
Figure 3 shows a cross section on a double scale on the line a, a Figure 2 the
When by
position of the several parts heroin before described being clearly seen.
placing the operating handle D in the upright position (Figure 1 lower half) with the
finger nail between scale plate A and the said gripe which is bevelled a little for this
purpose, the notch in D leaves at the same time the nose non H, and the gripe can
now be turned whereby, as above explained the blade is moved also. When the blade
has been entirely turned up, the operating handle D can again be laid down flat and
the projection then prevents the unintentional back movement of the knife blade
by its engagement with the first opposite notch of the operating handle.
?"
The mechanism hereinbefore described for moving the blades of pocket knives can
also be applied to other larger knives. It can, moreover, be used for moving cork.
screws, button-hooks and other articles adapted to be folded into a handle.
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 :—
In a knife the combination of the blade K, the operating handle with the hinge
journal which are in incisions m of the operating plate E the carrier shaft F which
on the one hand engages with the hole b¹ of the said operating plate and on the other
hand with the hole of the blade K, and is guided into the slot of the handle
plate A, the semicircular notches in the handle D with the corresponding
projections in the stop plate H for fixing the blade in its terminal positions
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.