Knife sharpener and scabbard

Claim 2

A knife scabbard including, an elongate housing (j) having a knife receiving passage (26) therein, top and bottom walls (11, 9) of said housing (1) forming upper and lower extremities respectively of said passage (26), a latch device (6) at a front end of said top wall (11) and forming a forward continuation (27) of that wall (11), an access opening (2) for said passage (26) at the front end of said latch device (6), means (24) connecting said latch device (6) to said housing (1) for relative pivotal movement about an axis (25) which extends transverse to said passage (26) and is located adjacent said top wall front end (15), a carrier member (4) positioned between said latch device (6) and said bottom wall (9) and being at least partially located within said passage (26) and extending lengthwise thereof, a sharpening device (39) mounted on said carrier member (4) at a location adjacent said access opening (2) such that it is engagable by a knife blade extending through said opening (2), a pivotal mounting for said carrier member (4) having its axis (70) extending transverse to said passage (26) and biasing means (5) urging said carrier member (4) about the pivot axis (70) thereof to move said sharpening device (39) towards said top wall (11); characterized in that said pivotal axis (70) of the carrier member (4) is located such that it will intersect with a knife blade located in said passage (26), and said pivotal axis (70) is located closer to said top wall (11) than said bottom wall (9) and is at an end of said carrier member (4) which is spaced inwardly of said passage (26) from said latch device pivot axis (25).

Claim 3

A knife scabbard according to claim 1, further characterized in that said latch device (6) includes a reaction portion (34) which extends into said passage (26) away from the pivot axis (25) of said latch device (6) and said reaction portion (34) is engagable with an upper surface (35) of said carrier member (4) at a position between the two said pivot axes (25, 70).

Claim 4

A knife scabbard according to claim 2, further characterized in that a guide groove (31) is provided beneath said top wall continuation (27) for slidably receiving an upper edge portion of a knife blade and thereby providing lateral support for said blade.

Claim 5

A knife scabbard according to claim 3, wherein said guide groove (31) intersects the pivot axis (25) of said latch device (6).

Claim 6

A knife scabbard according to claim 2, 3 or 4, further characterized in that said reaction portion (34) is divided into two laterally spaced parts (36) each of which is adapted to be located on a respective side of a knife blade positioned within said passage (26).

Claim 7

A knife scabbard according to any preceding claim, further characterized in that said latch device (6) has two laterally spaced side walls (28) which extend forwardly of said top wall front end (15), and portion of said carrier member (4) which includes said sharpening device,(39) is receivable between said side walls (28).

Claim 8

A knife scabbard according to any preceding claim, further characterized in that said biasing means (5) comprises a spring which acts between said carrier member (4) and said housing (1), and a portion (61) of said spring (5) forms part of said pivotal mounting and is arranged to releasably retain said carrier member (4) in assembly with said housing (1).

Claim 9

A knife scabbard according to claim 7, further characterized in that said spring portion (61) comprises a coiled portion of the spring (5) which acts against an end portion (56) of said carrier member (4) to resiliently retain that end portion (56) in pivotal engagement with a curved bearing surface (58) which forms part of said pivotal mounting and is an integral part of said housing top wall (11).

Claim 10

A knife scabbard according to claim 8, further characterized in that said end portion (56) includes a cylindrical part (57) which is coaxial with the pivotal axis (70) of said carrier member (4), and said bearing surface (58) and spring coiled portion (61) engage said cylindrical part (57) on respective opposite sides thereof.

Claim 11

A knife scabbard according to claim`8 or 9, further characterized in that said bearing surface (58) and said spring coiled portion (61) are located on one side of a median plane (71) of said passage (26) so that they are located beside a broad surface of a knife blade positioned with said passage (26).

Claim 12

A knife scabbard according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further characterized in that said spring (5) includes two arms (62, 63) extending generally forwardly oi said spring portion (61), a terminal end portion (66) of one said arm (62) engages with an abutment (67) connected to said bottom wall (9), a terminal end portion (68) of the other said arm (63) engages said carrier member (4) at a position adjacent said sharpening device (39), and said spring (5) is biased so that said arms (62, 63) tend to move apart about a fulcrum formed by said spring portion (61).

Claim 13

A knife scabbard according to claim 11, further characterized in that said spring arms (62, 63) extend on respective opposite sides of an internal wall portion (69) of said housing (1) and that wall portion (69) serves to retain the spring arms (62, 63) in correct position relative to each other and to other parts of said scabbard.

Claim 14

A knife scabbard according to any preceding claim, further characterized in that said latch means (6) includes stop means (32) which is engagable with a handle of a knife to limit penetration of said knife into said passage (26).

Claim 15

A knife scabbard including, an elongate housing (1) having a knife receiving passage (26) therein, top and bottom walls (11, 9) of said housing (1) forming upper and lower extremities respectively of said passage (26), a latch device (6) at a front end of said top wall (11) and forming a forward continuation (27) of that wall (11), an access opening (2) for said passage (26) at the front end of said latch device (6), means (24) connecting said latch device (6) to said housing (1) for relative pivotal movement about an axis (25) which extends transverse to said passage (26) and is located adjacent said top wall front end (15), a carrier member (4) positioned between said forward continuation (27) and said bottom wall (9) and extending lengthwise into said passage (26), a sharpening device (39) mounted on said carrier member (4) at a location adjacent said access opening (2) such that it is engagable by a knife blade extending through said opening (2), mounting means for said carrier member (4) positioned within said passage in spaced relation to said latch device pivot (25), an end portion (56) of said carrier member (4) cooperating with said mounting means to allow pivotal movement of said carrier member (4) relative to said housinq (I) about an axis (70) which passes through said end portion (56) and extends transverse to said passage (26), and a biasing spring (5) acting between said housing (1) and said carrier member (4); characterized in that the pivotal axis (70) of said carrier member (4) is located closer to said top wall (11) than said bottom wall (9), said end portion (56) comprises two laterally spaced parts which are arranged so that a knife blade can be received between them and thereby intersect said pivotal axis (70) of the carrier member (4), portion (61) of said biasing spring (5) forms part of said mounting means and is arranged such that said end portion (56) snap engages with said mounting means and is removable therefrom, a further portion (68) of said spring (5) engages said carrier member (4) at a location adjacent said sharpening device (39) so as to urge said carrier member (4) about the pivot axis (70) thereof to move said sharpening device (39) towards said top wall (11), and a reaction portion (34) of said latch device (6) extends into said passage (26) and is engagable with an upper surface (35) of said carrier member (4) at a position between the two said pivot axes (25, 70).

Claim 16

A knife scabbard including, an elongate housing (1) having a knife receiving passage (26) therein, top and bottom walls (11, 9) of said housing (1) forming upper and lower extremities respectively of said passage (26), a latch device (6) at a front end of said top wall (11) and forming a forward continuation (27) of that wall (11), an access opening (2) for said passage (26) at the front end of said latch device (6), means (24) connecting said latch device (6) to said housing (1) for relative pivotal movement about an axis (25) which extends transverse to said passage (26) and is located adjacent said top wall front end (15), a carrier member (4) positioned between said forward continuation (27) and said bottom wall (9) and extending lengthwise into said passage (26), a sharpening device (39) mounted on said carrier member (4) at a location adjacent said access opening (2) such that it is engagable by a knife blade extending through said opening (2), mounting means for said carrier member (4) positioned within said passage in spaced relation to said latch device pivot (25), an end portion (56) of said carrier member (4) cooperating with said mounting means to allow pivotal movement of said carrier member (4) relative to said housinq (I) about an axis (70) which passes through said end portion (56) and extends transverse to said passage (26), and a biasing spring (5) acting between said housing (1) and said carrier member (4); characterized in that the pivotal axis (70) of said carrier member (4) is located closer to said top wall (11) than said bottom wall (9), said end portion (56) comprises two laterally spaced parts which are arranged so that a knife blade can be received between them and thereby intersect said pivotal axis (70) of the carrier member (4), portion (61) of said biasing spring (5) forms part of said mounting means and is arranged such that said end portion (56) snap engages with said mounting means and is removable therefrom, a further portion (68) of said spring (5) engages said carrier member (4) at a location adjacent said sharpening device (39) so as to urge said carrier member (4) about the pivot axis (70) thereof to move said sharpening device (39) towards said top wall (11), and a reaction portion (34) of said latch device (6) extends into said passage (26) and is engagable with an upper surface (35) of said carrier member (4) at a position between the two said pivot axes (25, 70).

Claim 17

A knife scabbard according to claim 14, further characterized in that said housing (1) is composed of two parts (7; 8), one said part (7) includes said bottom wall (9) and the other part (8) includes said top wall (11), a rear end wall (10) is formed integral with said bottom wall (9), and two laterally spaced side walls (12) are formed integral with said top wall (11).

Claim 18

A knife scabbard according to claim 15, further characterized in that said two housing parts (7, 8) are retained against separation by coaction between said top and rear walls (11, 10) and coaction between a wall portion (14) upstanding from said bottom wall (9) at the front end thereof and a strap section (16) which extends forwardly from each said side wall (12) and across the front of said wall portion (14).

Claim 19

A knife scabbard according to claim 16, further characterized in that further retainer means for said housing parts (7, 8) comprises a screw (20) coacting with both said top and bottom walls (11, 9) at a location between the front and rear ends thereof.

Claim 20

A kniie scabbard according to any one of claims 14 to 17, further characterized in that said connecting means for the latch device (6) includes two pedestals (23) extending upwardly from said bottom wall (9) in laterally spaced relationship so as to receive a knife blade between them, and cylindrical axle portions (24) of said latch device (6) each of which rotatably locates within a hole at an upper end of a respective one of said pedestals (23).

Claim 21

A knife scabbard according to any one of claims 14 to 18, further characterized in that the first said portion (61) of said biasing spring (5) engages one said end portion part (56) of the carrier member (4) and resiliently urges that part (56) against an arcuate bearing surface (58) formed integral with said top wall (11), and the other said end portion part (56) is supported by an internal wall portion (65) upstanding from said bottom wall (9) and located so that a knife blade positioned in said passage (26) will have said internal wall portion (65) on one side and said biasing spring first portion (61) and said bearing surface (58) on the other side thereof.