Knife and sheath

Claim 1

In combination a knife having a handle terminating in a projecting pommel and a blade, a sheath having a blade engaging portion and a hanger integral therewith, said hanger adapted to lie adjacent to said knife handle when the knife blade is inserted in said blade engaging portion, and lock means comprising a pommel engaging member, means pivotally supporting said pommel engaging member on said hanger and spring means selectively spring loading said pommel engaging member in either nonlocking or locking engagement with said pommel; wherein said means pivotally supporting said pommel engaging member includes a hinge supported in part by said hanger, and a dog integrally formed on said pommel engaging member adapted to be engaged by said spring; wherein said pommel engaging member comprises a rigid ring shaped to conform with and engage the periphery of said pommel and supported by said hinge for pivotal movement between a locking position in which the diameters of the ring are in a plane normal to the length of the knife when positioned in the sheath to a nonlocking position in which the diameters of the ring are in a plane substantially parallel to the length of the knife; wherein said dog extends normally from the plane containing the diameters of said ring; wherein said spring means comprises a leaf spring with one end secured to said hanger and the other engageable with said dog when said pommel engaging member is in nonlocking position; and wherein said pommel engaging member further includes a slot extending parallel to the axis of said hinge and sized to permit said other end of said spring to project therethrough on movement of said pommel engaging member to said locking position.