Knife with removable blade

Claim 2

A knife comprising a handle defining a slot along its length and a tang opening at one of its ends intersecting said slot, a lever lock fabricated from resilient material and of a length approximately the same as the length of the slot of said handle pivotally connected at one of its ends in the slot of said handle adjacent said tang opening and arranged to pivot about its pivoted end into and out of said slot, said lever lock including a cam lock protrusion adjacent its pivoted end extending into said slot, a blade including a tang insertable into said tang opening of said handle, said tang defining a cam lock recess of a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the cam lock protrusion of said lever lock to receive the cam lock with a friction fit when the tang is fully inserted in said tang opening and sald lever lock is pivoted toward said slot, said cam lock protrusion being constructed and arranged to become seated in said cam lock recess as the lever lock is pivoted toward said slot but before said lever lock is fully received in said slot and to urge said tang further into said tang opening of said handle as said lever lock is moved further toward said slot, and said lever lock being bendable to move further into said slot after said cam lock protrusion is seated in said cam lock recess, and a latch carried by said handle for maintaining said lever lock bent within the slot of said handle, whereby the cam lock protrusion is biased toward its seated position in the cam lock recess.

Claim 3

The knife of claim 1 and wherein said handle includes a pin extending through said slot, and wherein the tang defines a pin recess for insertion about said pin when said tang is inserted into said tang opening.

Claim 4

The knife of claim 1 and wherein said latch is pivotally mounted in the pommel of said handle and includes a hook movable over said lever lock, and said lever lock defines a recess in its distal end for receiving and holding said hook.

Claim 5

The knife of claim 1 and wherein the cam lock protrusion of said lever lock is displaced along the length of said lever lock from the pivoted end of the lever lock whereby the cam lock protrusion is movable into and out of the slot of the handle with the pivotal movement of the lever lock.

Claim 6

A knife comprising a handle defining a slot extending along its length and a tang opening at one of its ends intersecting said slot, a lever lock fabricated from resilient material and pivotally connected at one of its ends to said handle and including a protrusion intermediate its ends facing said slot and movable with said lever lock into and out of said slot upon pivotal movement of said lever lock with respect to said handle, a latch carried by said handle and arranged to engage said lever lock at a position displaced further away from the pivotal connection of said lever lock to said handle than said protrusion for retaining the protrusion of said lever lock in said slot, and a blade including a tang defining a recess for receiving the protrusion of said lever lock when said tang is fully inserted in the tang opening of said Handle and said lever lock is moved partially into said slot, said protrusion being of a size corresponding to the size of said recess and constructed and arranged to become seated in said recess before said lever lock is fully inserted into said slot and being shaped to urge said tang further in the tang opening of said handle as said lever lock is pivoted into said slot whereby said lever lock must be bent further into said slot to be retained in said slot by said latch and said latch maintains said lever lock bent in said slot and maintains the protrusion biased toward its seated position in said recess and maintains said tang biased into said tang opening.

Claim 7

A knife comprising a handle defining a slot extending along its length and a tang opening at one of its ends intersecting said slot, a lever lock fabricated from resilient material and pivotally connected at one of its ends to said handle and including a protrusion intermediate its ends facing said slot and movable with said lever lock into and out of said slot upon pivotal movement of said lever lock with respect to said handle, a latch carried by said handle and arranged to engage said lever lock at a position displaced further away from the pivotal connection of said lever lock to said handle than said protrusion for retaining the protrusion of said lever lock in said slot, and a blade including a tang defining a recess for receiving the protrusion of said lever lock when said tang is fully inserted in the tang opening of said Handle and said lever lock is moved partially into said slot, said protrusion being of a size corresponding to the size of said recess and constructed and arranged to become seated in said recess before said lever lock is fully inserted into said slot and being shaped to urge said tang further in the tang opening of said handle as said lever lock is pivoted into said slot whereby said lever lock must be bent further into said slot to be retained in said slot by said latch and said latch maintains said lever lock bent in said slot and maintains the protrusion biased toward its seated position in said recess and maintains said tang biased into said tang opening.

Claim 8

The knife of claim 5 and wherein said lever lock is pivotally mounted about a pin extending through the slot of said handle, and wherein substantially the entire lever lock is pivotal into said slot.

Claim 9

The knife of claim 5 and wherein said latch is pivotally connected at one of its ends to the pommel of said handle and includes a hooked end movable over the distal end of said lever lock to hold the protrusion of said lever lock in said slot.

Claim 10

A knife comprising a handle defining a slot extending along its length, a tang opening at one of its ends intersecting said slot, and a pin extending through said slot, a lever lock fabricated from resilient material and bendable along its length, said lever lock being pivotally connected at one of its ends to said handle and including at a position intermediate its ends a rounded cam lock protrusion facing said slot and movable with said lever lock into and out of said slot upon pivotal movement of said lever lock with respect to said handle, a blade including a sharpened end portion and a tang, said sharpened end portion being wider than said tang and including shoulders facing said tang, said tang defining a cam lock recess on a side portion thereof and a pin recess at its end opposite to said sharpened end portion and facing away from said shoulders, said shoulders, pin recess and cam lock recess being spaced so that when said tang is fully inserted into said tang opening the shoulders will be in abutment with the end of said handle, the pin recess will be seated about said pin and the cam lock recess will be positioned to receive said cam lock protrusion, said cam lock protrusion being of a size large enough to become seated in said cam lock recess before said lever lock is pivoted fully into said slot and to urge said tang into said tang opening toward said pin and said shoulders toward said handle, and said lever lock being bendable further into said slot after said cam lock protrusion is seated in said cam lock recess, and a latch connected to said handle for maintaining said lever lock bent in said slot so as to maintain the cam lock protrusion biased toward its seated position in said cam lock recess.

Claim 11

A knife comprising a handle defining a slot extending along its length, a tang opening at one of its ends intersecting said slot, and a pin extending through said slot, a lever lock fabricated from resilient material and bendable along its length, said lever lock being pivotally connected at one of its ends to said handle and including at a position intermediate its ends a rounded cam lock protrusion facing said slot and movable with said lever lock into and out of said slot upon pivotal movement of said lever lock with respect to said handle, a blade including a sharpened end portion and a tang, said sharpened end portion being wider than said tang and including shoulders facing said tang, said tang defining a cam lock recess on a side portion thereof and a pin recess at its end opposite to said sharpened end portion and facing away from said shoulders, said shoulders, pin recess and cam lock recess being spaced so that when said tang is fully inserted into said tang opening the shoulders will be in abutment with the end of said handle, the pin recess will be seated about said pin and the cam lock recess will be positioned to receive said cam lock protrusion, said cam lock protrusion being of a size large enough to become seated in said cam lock recess before said lever lock is pivoted fully into said slot and to urge said tang into said tang opening toward said pin and said shoulders toward said handle, and said lever lock being bendable further into said slot after said cam lock protrusion is seated in said cam lock recess, and a latch connected to said handle for maintaining said lever lock bent in said slot so as to maintain the cam lock protrusion biased toward its seated position in said cam lock recess.