Improvements in Clasp or Pocket Knives.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clasp or Pocket Knives.
We, WILLIAM HINSON, Cutlery Merchant, and HAMLET ALFRED KERR, Archi-
tect, both of No. 454, Collins Street, Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, 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 follow-
ing statement;-
-
The
In clasp or pocket knives, as at present constructed the spring is made flat
throughout its length, the rounded heel on the blade being made with a flat face
to correspond with it, so that the meeting faces are flat to one another.
objection to this construction is that the metal wears at the points of contact
of the spring and heel, owing to the wear at those parts caused by the repeated
opening and closing of the blades. The effect of such wearing is that the knife
blade, when closed, will not be held thoroughly within the casing but will lie
at an elevation above its proper recumbent position with the point of the blade
projecting outside its casing. It is principally to obviate this objection that we
have devised improvements in the construction of knives whereby any amount
of wear between the heel and spring will not affect the proper closing, and
thorough holding when closed, of the blades and will at the same time effectually
maintain the blade when in its open position.
In order to make our invention clear we will now refer to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which-
Figure 1 represents a side view of a pocket knife drawn to a large scale and
with one side removed.
Figure 2 represents a view of the front edge of same with the lower blade
removed.
Figure 3 a section taken on line "AA" on Figure 1.
Figure 4 a section showing a grooved spring and a rounded and nosed heel
piece (the parts being disconnected).
Figures 5 and 6 show similar parts to Figure 4 but with alternative sectional
forms of groove and heel.
Figure 7 is similar to Figure 3 but showing a reversal of the concave and
convex members respectively to one another.
Figure 8 represents the face of a spring designed for a three-blade knife.
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aa
66
"
In these drawings
represent the side plates, "6" and "c" two
blades "d" the rivets which hold the parts in place; and "f" represents the
metal spring upon the inner face of which we provide grooves or channels "g"
extending from the ends a short distance along it, these grooves may be semi-
circular (see Figure 4)-V shaped (see Figure 5)-curved (see Figure 6)-or
of a somewhat similar concave section. The blade heel "h" in addition to being
rounded (see Figure 4)-is also nosed or its face may be V shaped (see Figure 5)-
or curved (see Figure 6) according to the section of the groove in the spring so as
to lie close within and wear correspondingly with the groove in the spring.
By this construction notwithstanding any wear of the engaging parts the
spring "f" will always be in close contact with the blade heel "h so that it
"

page_text: will always exert sufficient force to hold the blade perfectly closed within the
case. In addition to this advantage the employment of our invention enables the
blade to be firm or secure at all times when in its " open" position whereas
under the present form of construction the blades become loose or shaky when
open if the knife be an old one.
66
Referring to Figure 8 we have shown the spring split through half its length
each of the bifurcations being provided with a groove "g" as described, the other
half of the spring being intact and having a single groove g" this con.
struction is designed especially for a knife with one large and two small blades;
or the construction may be in accordance with the dotted line "k," that is to
say the two springs may be of full length and the single large groove cut equally
out of both such members-but by preference we employ a single spring with a
single groove at each end.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. In pocket knives a blade heel rounded and nosed along its lower edge in
combination with a spring in which is a groove to correspond with such nosed
heel substantially as set forth.
2. In pocket knives a knife heel having a semi-circular, V shaped, curved or
like bottom surface in combination with a spring provided with a groove whose
section corresponds with the form of such heel substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
3. In pocket knives a knife heel having a semi-circular curve or like groove
therein in combination with a spring the face of which latter is so formed as to
correspond and wear equally with the angle or curve in the groove in such heel
substantially as and for the purposes set forth and in the manner indicated on
Figure 7 of the drawings.
"
4. In pocket knives a spring which is split through half its length each portion
being provided with a groove as g the other half of the spring being intact
and having a single groove g" substantially as set forth.