Knife patents: a “Combined Pocket Knife and Receptacle”
Knife patents: a “Combined Pocket Knife and Receptacle”
A patent is a way to protect your ideas. Patents have, in one form or another, existed throughout Europe since the 15th Century, but it was not until the Bern Convention of 1886 that international arrangements were made for the protection of intellectual property. Since then, thousands of knife patents have been granted. European Blades Mag. wil show some of them in a new series.
On October 22, 1907, Mr. Rudolph Fischbach, at that time living at the Hübschstrasse 40 in Karlsruhe, Germany, and stating his profession as Manager, applied through his agent for a British patent for a new invention: a “Combined Pocket Knife and Receptacle for Small Objects”. The patent was granted and published as British Patent No. 23,338.
Being German, it is likely that Fischbach also applied for a patent in Germany, but that has not been found.
Fischbach describes his idea as follows:
“The present invention relates to a pocket knife of the known type in which the knife casing is combined with a holder adapted to contain small useful articles such as needles, sticking plaster, pastilles and so forth. This device is of great utility especially for ladies, military men, sportsmen and tourists, because by the construction the serviceableness of the knife itself is not in any way diminished.”
The description continues:
“The container can assume various shapes and be placed in various positions upon the knife, but the principal essential is that is shall be so adapted to the shape of the knife that no lumps or projections are formed, which would be inconvenient for the hand during the use of the contrivance as a cutting tool, that is with considerable expenditure of force.”
The patent drawing shows three different positions in which a tubular container can be placed upon the knife. They are described as follows:
“In the construction shown in Fig. 1 a sliding tube a is arranged in the back of the knife; this tube has an opening at b and a notch at c by which the sliding tube may be drawn out.”
“The tubular receptacle d according to the construction illustrated in Figure 2 turns upon a hinge e and can be secured by means of a spring catch or the like. When closed, the objects placed in the tube are enclosed, but when this latter is hinged back they are freely exposed.”
“According to Figure 3, a cylindrical receptacle h is provided in the knife back and is arranged to be turned around its axis by a head i. The container revolvers in a casing k and when in the position shown in the drawing the objects in it are exposed to view; by rotating the container it is closed.”
So here we have a gentleman-predecessor of the survival knife. We would love to see an example of Fischbachs invention. If someone has one, please send us a picture.
On October 22, 1907, Mr. Rudolph Fischbach, at that time living at the Hübschstrasse 40 in Karlsruhe, Germany, and stating his profession as Manager, applied through his agent for a British patent for a new invention: a “Combined Pocket Knife and Receptacle for Small Objects”. The patent was granted and published as British Patent No. 23,338.
Being German, it is likely that Fischbach also applied for a patent in Germany, but that has not been found.
Fischbach describes his idea as follows:
“The present invention relates to a pocket knife of the known type in which the knife casing is combined with a holder adapted to contain small useful articles such as needles, sticking plaster, pastilles and so forth. This device is of great utility especially for ladies, military men, sportsmen and tourists, because by the construction the serviceableness of the knife itself is not in any way diminished.”
The description continues:
“The container can assume various shapes and be placed in various positions upon the knife, but the principal essential is that is shall be so adapted to the shape of the knife that no lumps or projections are formed, which would be inconvenient for the hand during the use of the contrivance as a cutting tool, that is with considerable expenditure of force.”
The patent drawing shows three different positions in which a tubular container can be placed upon the knife. They are described as follows:
“In the construction shown in Fig. 1 a sliding tube a is arranged in the back of the knife; this tube has an opening at b and a notch at c by which the sliding tube may be drawn out.”
“The tubular receptacle d according to the construction illustrated in Figure 2 turns upon a hinge e and can be secured by means of a spring catch or the like. When closed, the objects placed in the tube are enclosed, but when this latter is hinged back they are freely exposed.”
“According to Figure 3, a cylindrical receptacle h is provided in the knife back and is arranged to be turned around its axis by a head i. The container revolvers in a casing k and when in the position shown in the drawing the objects in it are exposed to view; by rotating the container it is closed.”
So here we have a gentleman-predecessor of the survival knife. We would love to see an example of Fischbachs invention. If someone has one, please send us a picture.
The drawings accompanying Rudolf Fischerbachs British Patent 23.338 from 1907.