US2869232A

US2869232A - Combination knife and slitting tool

Info

Publication number: US2869232A
Application number: US667251A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stanley E Kivela
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-06-21
Filing date: 1957-06-21
Publication date: 1959-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1976-01-20

Description

Jan. 20, 1959 s. E. KlvELAl COMBINATION KNIFE AND sLIITING Tool.

Filed June 2l 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jan. 20, 1959 s. E. KlvELA 2,859,232

C-OMBINATION KNIFE AND SLITTING TOOI.d

Filed June 2l, 1957 r 2 *Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5 Fig. 6

78 72 /4 H l f6 In@ 34 i l |l a5 l 'l 36 Ll f Ilmllll' `f\ l Stan/ey E. K/'ve/d. l I I INVENToR.

COMBINATION KNIFE AND SLITTING TOOL Stanley E. Kivela, Fond du Lac, Wis. Application June 21, 1957, Serial No. 667,251 7 Claims. (Cl. 30-161) This invention relates to a combined slitting tool and knife.

An object of the invention is to provide a slitting tool whose blade is adjustable to selected depth of penetration in accordance with the work that is being done. The thicknesses of the material from which cartons, boxes, packages, etc. are made varies. This presents a problem of making the cut sufliciently deep to achieve complete severing but yet, not too deep so as to damage the packaged merchandise. My invention solves this problem by having the blade adjustable through a wide range of extensions from the blade supporting frame. The means by which this is accomplished are mechanically simple but yet are effective.

From time to time a slitting tool or knife blade will become knicked, too dull or broken. Although replaceable blades in knives are well known at the present time, a further object of this invention is to provide a replaceable blade for a slitting tool or a knife or a combined slitting tool and knife wherein the means by which the blade is held, possess the above advantage in holding the blade with absolute surety but yet enable the blade to be easily separated therefrom. An important feature is the v lack of keys, notches or like parts on the blade which increase the cost of the replacement blade.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combination slitting tool and knife with eective means to hold any selected adjustment throughout the entire range of adjustmentv of the blade regardless of rough treatment under which the slitting tool or knife would ordinarily be subjected. These means are exemplified by a small sliding lock which is movable to selected positions along an edge of the blade and which is carried by the frame of the slitting tool or knife. The blade is pivotally carried by the frame and when the blade is adjusted to any of the slitting positions; the pivot connection between the blade and the frame is such that a torque is applied to the blade in a direction to bring the edge of it against the lock very firmly. Therefore, the lock cannot slip and needs no other mechanical devices or contrivances to hold it in the selected position.

Therefore, it is a further object of the invention to pro` vide a novel pivot assembly for the blade of a knife or slitting tool, wherein-when the blade is moved to any of the wide range of slitting positions, a resilient force'is applied to the blade tending to hold it engaged with the lock. In addition, the construction is mechanically such that when the blade is moved to a position whose principal function would be as a jack knife, there are these same means which are brought into operation to serve a second purpose and that is to establish a limit of pivotal movement for the knife blade that is coextensive with the longitudinal axis of the knife handle.

Other objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated forms of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combination slitting Patented Jan. 2G, 195@ i the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lock which holds the blade in each of the selected positions for various depths ofcut made with the slitting tool;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the blade pivot assembly and associated means as would be seen along the line 5 5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view in enlarged scale and taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the combined slitting tool and knife;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 3 and in enlarged scale; and

Figure 9 is an elevational view of a modification of the invention, parts being broken away in section to illustrate the modified features.

In the accompanying drawings there is a combined slitting tool and knife 10. It is constructed of a frame 12 that has

flat sides

14 and 16 together with a rounded end 18 connecting the sides. Plastic or other decorative material covers 20 and 22 are attached to the outer surfaces of the sides and frame 12 by means of pins 24 that are xed to the frame. These pins penetrate small holes in the covers 2t) and 22 and are sufficient to hold the covers fastened in place. However, should other or additional fastening means be desired, such as cement, they may be adopted.

Two

slots

26 and 28 respectively are formed longitudinally in the

sides

14 and 16 of frame 12. Notch 30 is at one end of slot 28 and is used to seat the neck 32 of lock 34 and to provide an entrance for insertion and removal of lock 34. The lock is in the form of a plate 36 extending transversely across the sides of the frame. Neck 32 is disposed in slot 28 while the opposite end of plate 36 is disposed in slot 26. Finger grip 38 is at the outer end of neck 32 and is wholly or partially recessed in slot 40 formed in cover 22 and in alignment with slot 28. Slot 26 is blind in that it is hidden from view by cover 20.

Blade 42 is disposed between the sides of the frame 12 and is mounted for pivotal movement. The means mounting the blade will be described subsequently. Blade 42 has a cutting edge 44 and a locking surface 48. The locking surface is formed by a plurality of notches or undulations S0 that aid in keeping the blade in a selected position of adjustment when the blade is used for slitting. The shank 52 of the blade is flat and has an arcuate bearing 54 at its end. The bearing fits over the surface of spindle 56 that has head 58a countersunk in a hole in side 14 of frame 12. A blade holder consisting of

clamp plates

58 and 60, embraces shank 52 and holds it very rmly. The two clamp plates are constructed with confronting pockets within which the shank 52 is held. Teeth 64, serrations or equivalent structural scoring, are formed on the surfaces of the pockets of

clamp plates

58 and 60 so that the shank 52 is gripped very firmly. There are

holes

66 and 68 in the plates of the holder and these, too, are mounted for rotation on spindle 56.

Collar 70 is formed on clamp plate @it and has its bore coincident with hole 68. The end of frame side 16 has an arcuate bearing 72 formed in it and this bearing has a surface against which the outer surface of collar 70 4 tion to a slitting tool the cam 74 bears against a part of bearing '72 and opposes movement in one direction.

This opposition creates a yielding force by slight spreading of the upper and lower parts of frame side 16 at bearing 72. The cam 74 coacting with the two parts of frame side 16, tending to very slightly spread them and being opposed by the inherent resilience of the metal from which these parts are made, constitute resilient means tending to return the knife blade 42 to its rest position. The result is that there is a binding action between the locking surface 48 o-f blade 42 and a lock 35i. It is cx.- ceedingly diflicult if not impossible, to inadvertently shift the adjusted position of the blade 42 when it is in a selected slitting position.

The collar 70 has a stop 73 formed on it and the purpose of the stop is to abut the stop S formed at the extremity of bearing '72. When the blade 42 is rotated to the cutting or knife forming position, the limit of pivotal travel of the blade s2 and the holder within which the blade is supported, is established by stops 7S and Sii coming into contact with each other. Moreover flat portion '79 on collar '7d seats on the upper surface 8l of stop 80 to hold the blade in the extended position. To hold the blade holder in the closed position, flat portion S3 rests on stop surface 81 (Fig. 5). During any movement of the blade holder and while the device is used as a slitting tool or knife, no motion between the knife blade shank S2 and its holder nor between the parts of the holder is permissible. The surfaces of the pockets of the holder assure that there will be no slippage between the knife blade shank and the holder blades, and a key 84 on plate 60 is itted in a slot 86 in the plate 58 to prevent any relative rotary movement between the plates of the knife blade clamp.

Two

flat portions

88 and 96 are formed at the end of the spindle 56.

Washers

92 and 94 having oblong apertures are fitted on the extremity of the spindle 56 with non-circular apertures in the washers and the non-circular shape of the spindle end preventing the washers from rotating as the blade 42 is adjusted. One of the Wassers is a lock washer while the other is aaflat non-resilient washer. They are superimposed and presss against collar 70 to offer a resistance to pivotal movement of the blade 42. Screw 96 is threaded in the spindle 56 to hold the entire assembly organized as shown in Figure 8.

Washers

92 and 94 prevent any twisting force from being transmitted to screw 96 which would tend to loosen the screw. The covers 2d and 22 have openings in them so that tools may be inserted for holding the heads of the spindle 56 and the screw 96 respectively while the device is being assembled and tightened.

In use, the tool 10 is grasped in the hand and the upper part of the blade 42 is pushed near the thumbnail slot 98 and against the resilient bias formed by cai 74 pressing against a surface of the bearing 72. Lock 34 is slid from the rest position at one end of

slots

26 and 28 until it becomes nested in the correct notch in the upper surface of the blade 42. Then pressure is removed from the blade and it will snapy tightly into the adjusted position for slitting. Y

When used as a knife the lock 34 is in or is moved to the rest position at one end of its

slots

26 and 28 and the blade is pivotally operated by pulling upwardly at the thumb slot 98. The limit of pivotal movement of the blade is established by the stops 78 and Si) coming into contact with each other. For removal or replacement of the blade d2, screw 96 is removed and the tool is easily loosened enough so that the blade 42 can be slipped out and replaced by the same blade after sharpening or repairing or by another blade.

The modification of Figure 9 differs from the previously described modification in that spindle 1% is integrally formed with the slide ll of frame 112 instead of being a separate part. The remainder of the construction is the same and the operation is identical.

It is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a combined slitting tool and knife, a frame having parallel sides with outer free ends, pivot means on and extending between said sides at said free ends, a blade having an upper edge and a lower cutting edge and an inner end, a holder engaged on said inner end of the blade and journaled on said pivot means, a lock mounted on and extending between said sides and conned for movement longitudinally of said sides, said blade adapted to swing from a position in longitudinal extension beyond the free ends of the sides of said frame to a slitting posi tion between the frame sides with the cutting edge of the blade reaching below the frame sides, said upper edge of the blade having a plurality of notches adapted to be selectively engaged by said lock upon inward movement of the lock away from one end of the frame and over the upper edge of the blade and into engagement with a selected notch to hold the blade in a selected slitting position.

2. A slitting tool comprising a frame that has sides, a blade, a blade holder, means in said holder separably attaching said blade to said holder, a spindle carried by said frame, said holder having an opening in which said spindle is disposed thereby mounting said holder for pivotal movement on said frame, a collar constituting a part of said holder, resilient means reacting on said collar and said frame and opposing the pivotal movement of said holder in one direction and also tending to return said holder to a rest position, a lock to hold said blade in a selected slitting position and carried by said frame, said lcck including a member which extends across the sides of said frame and which is contacted by said blade at selected positions along an edge thereof so that the resilient force generated between said holder and the part of said frame holds said blade and lock engaged to retain the blade in the selected slitting position.

3. An appliance convertible between a slitting tool and a knife, said appliance comprising a frame which has spaced sides, a spindle extending across the space between said sides, a blade holder pivoted on said spindle, a blade carried by said holder and having a longitudinal edge, a blade stop adjustably carried by said frame and engageable with selected parts of said blade edge to hold the blade in slitting position, and means for pressing said blade against said stop.

4. An appliance convertible between a slitting tool and a knife, said appliance comprising a frame which has spaced sides, a spindle extending across the space between said sides, a blade holder pivoted on said spindle, a blade carried by said holder and having a longitudinal edge, a blade stop adjustably carried by said frame and engageable with selected parts of said blade edge to hold the blade in slitting position, means for generating a yielding force on said blade holder to maintain said blade pressed against said stop, said means including cam surfaces on said holder and on said frame and in contact with each other.

5. In an appliance that is convertible from a slitting tool to a knife, said appliance comprising a frame having sides with a space between the sides, a spindle attached to said sides and extending across said space near one end of said frame, a blade that has a cutting edge and a longitudinal edge generally coextensive with the cutting edge, means mounting said blade on said spindle for pivotal movement into and from said space between the sides of said frame, means for resiliently urging said blade to a closed position within said space, a lock extending across said space between said sides and adapted to contact the second mentioned edge of said blade to hold said blade in selected pivotal positions by moving said lock to selected positions with respect to the ends of said frame, and means mounting said lock for adjustment on said sides of said frame so that said lock can occupy one of a number of positions all of which are held by the force applied by said resilient means tending to pivot said blade into the space between said sides of said frame.

6. In an appliance that is convertible between a slitting tool and a knife, a frame having sides with a space between said sides, a blade that has a iirst cutting edge and a second edge, means pivotally mounting said blade in said space between said sides, means for resiliently urging said blade to a closed position wherein said blade occupies said space, a lock carried by said frame and engageable with said second edge of said blade to hold said blade in a slitting position at which at least a part of said blade including said cutting edge is projecting outwardly from said space.

7. In an appliance which is convertible between a slitting tool and a knife, the combination of a frame that has sides with a space between said sides, said frame having openings along both longitudinal edges of its sides, a blade that has a first cutting edge and a second edge,

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 860,829 Schmidt July 23, 1907 975,015 Bryant Nov. 8, 1910 1,125,234 White Jan. 19, 1915 1,808,239 Logan June 2, 1931 1,906,573 Gits May 2, 1933 2,286,524 Wilbur Iune 16, 1942