J. B. H. LEONARD.
Pocket-Cutlery.
No. 217,623. Patented July 15, |879.
N. PETERS. PHDTUUTHOGRAF WASHINGTON D C UNITED' STATES, PATENT FFICE.
JOHN B. H. LEONARD, OF BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO l JAMES D. FRABY, OF SAME PLACE.
IMPROVEMENT IN POCKET-OUTLERY.
Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,623, dated July 15, 1879; application led May 12, 1879.
.To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, JOHN B. H. LEONARD, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Pocket-Cutlery; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-
Figure 1, a longitudinal section of a knife, showing theimprovement; Fig.2, atransverse section on linexrr; Fig. 3, a perspective View of the stop as prepared for introduction.
This invention relates to an improvelnent in that class of pocket-cutlery in which the'scales and bolster are cast together with the back.
In this class of cutlery it has been usual to leave an opening in the back, and in which lies the active part of the spring, the end of the spring itself forming the stop for the blade in opening. This is necessary, because the metal of which the handle is made is of too soft a nature to stand the blow of the blade in opening.
The object of this invention is to close the back so as to entirely cover the spring and still have a hard-metal stop for the blade.
The invention consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claim.
The scales A are cast, together with the back a and bolster b, in one and the same piece, in the usual manne-r for casting this class of handles, save that the back extends to the stop-point near the hinge end of the handle.
Previous to casting, the hard-metal stop d, Fig. 3, is introduced into its proper place in the bolster part of the mold. This stop is a U-shaped piece of hard metal, and it is arranged so that when the handle is cast its outer face will be in the same plane as the striking-shoulder of the blade, and as seen in Figs. l and 2. On its face toward the sprin g it is chamfered off, so that the end ot' the spring may extend as nearly as possible to the shoulder, and prevent the angles ot' the blade from striking the stop.
It will be readily seen that were the stop d not introduced, but the end of the spring used for the stop, there would be an opening between the spring and back, and which would be liable to receive foreign substances, which would prevent the play of the spring 5 and, further, that if to close this the soft metal of the handle Were turned up to form the stop, the blow of the blade in opening would soon upset the stop and ruin the knife-difticulties which are entirely overcome by this inven` tion.
In this class of cutlery the handles are some times cast entirely of metal, and in some cases wood, or other material, covers are secured to the scale in the process of casting. Therefore, by the expression cast-metal handle 7 I wish to be understood as embracing the entire class.
I do not wish to be understood as broadly claimin ga close or solid back handle for pocketcutlery, as such I am aware is not new; but
What I do claim is- In cast-metal solid-back handles for pocketv cutlery, a hard-metal stop for the blade, introduced in the process of casting, and substantially as described.
JOHN B. vH. LEONARD.
Witnesses:
J As. D. FRARY, ITHAMAR MEEKER.