Folding pocket knife with a lock

Abstract

Knives (10, 182) each include a handle (12, 184) having a blade (14, 90, 194) pivotally attached to the handle. The blade is movable between a closed position in which it is received within a groove (36, 192) of the handle and an open position. The blade has a working portion (38, 198) and a tang portion (44, 98, 204), which remains within the groove when the blade is in its open position. A locking pin (72, 208) extends transversely of the handle and blade and is movable along a pair of elongated openings (74, 216), and engages the tang portion (44, 98, 204) of the blade to lock the blade in its open position. A spring (78, 228) biases the locking pin toward the tang.

Description

[0001]This application is a 371 of PCT / US98 / 07509 filed Apr. 14, 1998 which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08 / 679,122 Jul. 12, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,841.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]This invention relates generally to folding tools, and more particularly to a folding tool including blades or tools capable of being locked in an open position.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Folding knives and tools suitable for many purposes are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,030,058 to Doles, U.S. Pat. No. 1,189,005 to Seely, U.S. Pat. No. 2,188,762 to Schrade, U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,774 to Miori, U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,737 to Peohlmann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,201 to Sawby et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,200 to Coder, U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,982 to Collins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,221 to Pittman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,984 to Rickard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,932 to Elsener, U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,424 to Walker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,379 to Neely, U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,175 to Rogers, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,786 to Miller...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a folding tool with a movable blade that can be locked in its open position using a blade locking pin. The blade locking pin is biased towards its locked position but can be manually moved to its unlocked position. The tool includes a handle with an elongate groove and a knife or tool blade attached to the handle at one end. The blade has a working portion that extends away from the handle when in its open position and a tang with a locking surface. The blade locking pin is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The invention allows for the locking of selected one of a plurality of tool blades or elements carried at one end of a handle."

Problems solved by technology

A shortcoming of this type of mechanism is that excessive wear can cause the locking mechanism to fail, thereby rendering the knife unsafe for use.

Neely's knife suffers from the same disadvantage as Collins's, and from the fact that the blade may be unlocked inadvertently by pulling the blade axially away from the handle during a normal cutting motion of the knife.

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