Folding knife provided with an accessory

Claim 2

A combined folding knife and accessory including a handle provided with a blade and accessory support having first and second ends and an intermediate portion narrower than said ends, first and second sides, front and back edges and a lengthwise slot opening through the front edge and so dividing the first end as to establish a fork, side walls connected to the sides of the intermediate portion, the bottom of the slot spaced from the back edge to provide an intermediate section having a chamber having a passageway opening through the second end, an accessory in the chamber and provided with a movable actuator exposed in said back edge and operable to effect the use of the accessory, a blade having a cutting edge a back edge and an attaching end, said attaching end within the fork, a pivot connecting the attaching end to the fork, said blade shaped and dimensioned to fit in the slot with the back edge of the blade exposed for digital engagement in a closed position of the blade, and at least one spring having first and second ends, the first end of the spring anchored in the slot adjacent the second end of the handle and the second end of the spring held by the pivot for limited movement in directions normal to the axis of the pivot, said spring provided with an offset lug engaging the periphery of the attaching end of the blade and providing resilient resistance to the pivoting of the blade from said closed position into an open, operative position thereof, and said periphery provided with a shoulder engageable as a stop by the lug when the blade has been pivoted into said operative position.

Claim 3

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 1 wherein said at least one spring comprises two springs, each the mirror image of the other and anchored to the side of the slot opposite the other, and the two springs are spaced apart and dimensioned to accommodate the blade between them.

Claim 4

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 1 in which the periphery of the attaching end of the blade is a cam surface provided at one end with said shoulder and a flat at the other end, the flat engaged by the lug as the blade enters its closed position then to yieldably hold the cutting edge of the blade out of contact with the bottom of the slot.

Claim 5

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 1 in which the front edge of the handle is arcuate between the first and second ends so that the same manual grip results whichever of said first and second end is foremost.

Claim 6

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 1 in which the back edge of the handle has a recess adjacent the second end and the movable actuator is within the recess and does not protrude therefrom so as not to be engaged and moved unless the second end is manually held to be foremost in use.

Claim 7

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 1 in which the chamber opens through at least one side thereof, and is dimensioned to enable the accessory to be inserted into the chamber from said one side when an appropriate one of the side walls has been removed.

Claim 8

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 6 in which the accessory is a miniature flashlight comprising a battery, a non-conductive switch housing having a tubular socket, a lamp having two prongs seated in the tubular socket, a reflector and a lens, the chamber has a shoulder at the junction of the passageway therewith, the lens closes the passageway, and the reflector is held in the passageway close to the lens, the battery and the switch housing are within the chamber and slidable lengthwise thereof, a grounded spring in said chamber urges the battery and switch housing into a position in which the switch housing is seated against the shoulder, an actuator, the switch housing has a shouldered socket receptive of the actuator and opening through the back edge of the handle exposing the actuator when the switch housing is seated against the shoulder, first and second switch contacts adjacent the one end of the shouldered socket, a spring in said one end constitutes a part of the first switch contact and the first switch contact extends into the tubular socket into engagement with one prong of the lamp, the second switch contact has an end against which the positive terminal of the battery is held by the grounded spring, the tubular socket is engaged by the other lamp probe and has an end held by the switch housing against the shoulder and a switch element includes said actuator and is within the shouldered socket and is held by the grounded spring therein against the shoulder thereto but is movable relative thereto to bring the switch element into contact with the second switch contact.

Claim 9

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 7 in which the end of the chamber remote from the shoulder has a cavity, the grounded spring in the chamber is a curved metal strip having a curled end fitted in and resiliently held in the cavity.

Claim 10

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 7 in which a rotatable annular focusing wheel is held captive in the passageway, the reflector has a tubular sleeve threaded through the wheel, rotation of the wheel in either direction moving the reflector axially with respect to the lamp and the periphery of the wheel is exposed for digital engagement when one of said side walls is removed.

Claim 11

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 7 in which the switch element and the actuator are separate components of a two part push button, the actuator has a flange engageable with the inner surface of the chamber and the switch element has an end exposed in a proximate end of the shouldered socket engageable by the flange of the actuator when the switch housing is seated against the shoulder with said proximate end axially aligned with the actuator.

Claim 12

The folding knife and accessory of claim 10 in which the switch housing has a shallow channel extending from the open end of the shouldered socket through the end of the housing which is to engage the shoulder of the chamber, the shallow channel of a width and depth to slidably accommodate the flange of the actuator as the switch housing is slid into contact with said shoulder.

Claim 13

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 10 in which the end of the actuator which is engageable with the switch element is a conical depression and the engaged end of the switch element is a mating conical projection.

Claim 14

The combined folding knife and accessory of claim 7 in which the walls of the chamber have slideways adjacent the shoulder at the junction of the chamber and the passageway and the switch housing has marginal guides slidably engageable with the slideways to ensure that when the switch housing is seated against said shoulder, the open end of the shouldered socket thereof is axially aligned with the actuator.