Improvements in Knives.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATIUA.
Improvements in Knives.
I, HENRY HATTEN FIELD, of Leylands, Lymm, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
At the present time sportsmen's knives, pruning knives, and the like have one
or more pivoted blades which shut up within the handle or haft when not required
for use, and are held firm by the back which constitutes a spring. Such knives
when used by deer stalkers and others are liable to get saturated with blood and
other matter, which is very difficult to clean off, and moreover owing to the
strength of the spring the blades are sometimes difficult to open.
Now my invention has for its object to avoid these defects, to provide a strong
and serviceable knife which will be useful for many purposes, and one which can
be easily and quickly cleaned or sharpened.
In carrying my invention into effect, the plan I prefer is to provide a knife
blade of any suitable size. To this blade is hinged two side cheeks constituting
the haft, these cheeks being separate, and the arrangement of hinge being such
that they can be folded flat against opposite faces of the blade to protect the same
when it is not required for use. In this position they can be grasped together by
forming the hinge with a spring, or by means of a clasp or in any other suitable
manner, and they form a perfect shield for the blade, protecting it not only from
injury, but also against the blade accidentally cutting anything. When however
the knife is required for use the cheeks are unfolded from the blade and brought
into an extended line therewith, in such manner that the cheeks constitute a handle
to hold the implement by, and they are fastened together in line with the blade by
means of a suitable clasp so that they cannot separate accidentally; or if the hinge
is furnished with a spring, this spring will keep them from accidentally separat-
ing. In this position the blade is fully exposed and can be used for the purposes
required, and the arrangement of cheeks is such that all parts of the impleinent
can be easily and quickly cleaned of any matter that may adhere to them. The
end of the blade where it is hinged to the cheeks may be provided with an eve by
which it can be suspended to any object when not in use, or this eye may be formed
on one or both of the cheeks instead of on the blade if so desired. The cheeks may
of course be formed in any suitable manner, and either wholly of metal or pro-
vided with a facing of bone or ivory etc.
In thus describing my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not con-
fine myself to the exact details set forth, as once having given the general idea,
the details can be varied without departing from the nature of the invention.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, HENRY HATTEN FIELD, of Leylands, Lymm, in the County of Chester,
Engineer, 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 ;-
At the present time sportsmen's knives, pruning knives and the like have one
or more pivoted blades, which shut up within the handle or haft, and are held firm
by the back which constitutes a spring. Such knives, when used by deer stalkers
and others are liable to get saturated with blood or other matter, which, owing
to the interstices and cavities in the handle or haft, is difficult to clean off. And
moreover owing to the strength of the spring the blades are sometimes difficult
to open, which difficulty increases as the parts of the knife get rusted or fouled
by blood or other matter. And again by the sudden collapse of the spring a risk
is incurred of the blade shutting down on the hand or otherwise injuring the user.
Now my invention has for its object to avoid these defects, to provide a strong
and serviceable knife, which will be useful and safe for many purposes. A knife,
which, being made of more or less flat and even surfaces, all of which can be
readily exposed, can be thoroughly and easily cleansed. A knife which does not
depend for its stability when in use upon any spring, but has the strength and
firmness when open and in use of a straight knife or dagger.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which :
Figure 1 is a front view with the blade exposed;
Figure 2 a side view;
Figure 3 a front view with the blade closed;
Figure 4 a side view showing the side cheeks separated;
Figure 5 a front view of a slight modification with the blade exposed;
Figure 6 a side view with the blade closed;
Figure 7 a front view with the side cheeks separated.
3
Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the plan I prefer is to provide a knife blade A
of any suitable size. To this blade is hinged two side cheeks B constituting the
haft, these cheeks being separate, and the arrangement of hinge C being such that
they can be folded flat against opposite faces of the blade A to protect the same
when not required for use. In this position they can be clasped together by
means of a clasp D, or in any other suitable manner, and they form a perfect shield
for the blade A, protecting it from injury and also against the blade accidentally
cutting anything, as shown in Figure 3. When however the knife is required for
use, the cheeks B are unfolded from the blade, and brought into an extended line
therewith, in such a manner that the cheeks B constitute a handle to hold the
implement by, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and they are fastened together in line
with the blade A by means of a suitable clasp so that they cannot separate
accidentally. In this position the blade is fully exposed and can be used for the
purposes required, and the arrangement of cheeks is such that all parts of the
implement can be easily and quickly cleaned of any matter that may adhere to
them. The end of the blade where it is hinged to the cheeks may be provided
with an eye E by which it can be suspended to any object when not in use, or this 4
eve may be formed in one or both of the cheeks instead of on the blade if so desired.
The cheeks may of course be formed in any suitable manner, and either wholly
of metal or provided or faced with bone or ivory etcetera.
In thus describing my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine

page_text: myself to the exact details set forth, as once having given the general idea, the
details can be varied without departing from the nature of the invention. Thus
for example the two side cheeks B constituting the haft may have a hinge whose
pivot is arranged at right angles to the former arrangement, so that in folding
they will fold in a plane parallel with that of the blade. This is shown in
Figures 5, 6 and 7. When in the position shown in Figure 6, the cheeks can be
clasped together by providing them with a clasp or with a projection G on one
snapping into a cavity on the other, and in the position depicted in Figure 5 the
two cheeks may be clasped together in a similar way.
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. The improvement in knives, which consists in hinging to the blade two side
cheeks constituting the haft of the instrument, these cheeks being separate, and
so arranged that they can be folded flat against opposite sides of the blade to pro-
tect the same when it is not required for use, or unfolded therefrom and brought
into an extended line therewith in such a manner that the said cheeks constitute
a handle to hold the implement by, when the blade is required for use.
2. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
improved Knife substantially as set forth with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4,
and in Figures 5, 6 and 7.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.