Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.

Nathan E Knight

Benjamin C Rivera

Hollan A Tsuda

Melissa C Yale

Glenn A Klecker

Charles F Goodrich

Jason D Veltz

John Peter Nenadic

Blair Scott Barnes

Reinhard Srajer

Stephen J Hull

Hollan E Tsuda

Bernd Heinrichs

Hollan Akio Tsuda

A folding hand tool with an open-assist mechanism that is not mechanically linked to a folding knife blade is disclosed. The open-assist mechanism is allowed to rotate around the same pivot used by the blade, and includes a lug that interacts with the kick of the blade when rotated. Because the open-assist mechanism is not mechanically linked to the blade, it has a range of free motion that promotes safety, and allows the mechanism to rotate into the blade cavity when the blade is extended. The folding knife also may have a carabiner that shares the blade cavity with the blade, with the blade nesting into the carabiner to save space, thereby giving the folding knife a smaller profile.

Folding knife

A folding multipurpose hand tool including a pivoted latch that engages side walls of a handle and a base of a folding tool member to hold the folding tool member in a selected position. A separate safety interlock latch keeps a folding blade stowed in a handle when another tool is moved from a first position with respect to the handle. A tool bit holder securely holds and drives reduced thickness tool bits that can also be engaged in and driven by conventional sockets having a regular hexagonal shape.

Multipurpose folding tool with tool bit holder and blade lock

A folding multipurpose hand tool including a pivoted latch that engages side walls of a handle and a base of a folding tool member to hold the folding tool member in a selection position. A separate safety interlock latch keeps a folding blade stowed in a handle when another tool is moved from a first position with respect to the handle. A tool bit holder securely holds and drives reduced thickness tool bits that can also be engaged in and driven by conventional sockets having a regular hexagonal shape.

Folding multipurpose hand tool

A hand tool is provided that includes a handle and one or more implements that are movable relative to the handle. The hand tool may include a first implement that is rotatable within a plane and a second implement that is slidable along an axis that may also lie within that same plane. The implements may include a variety of tools or blades, such as knife blades and cutting hooks. The hand tool may also include locks and/or catches to bias or lock one or more of the implements in retracted and extended positions. The handle may define a groove or other recess for holding an instrument such as a sharpening tool.

Hand tool

Symmetric handle with margin inserts, for a folding multipurpose tool

Folding carabiner with spring gate

Pair of handle sides for a folding knife

Blade opener for a folding knife

A carrier for an article such as a folded multipurpose hand tool. The carrier is molded of a stiff but resiliently flexible material and includes a body to which is attached an arm that can be placed around a person's belt. The arm has a hook at its lower end that can be latched into mating engagement in a receptacle in the body of the carrier. Grip members hold an article securely in the carrier. Ears on the sides of the carrier can be used to hold the carrier while the article carried is being removed from the carrier.

Carrier for attaching a multipurpose tool to a belt

Handle for a folding multipurpose hand tool, with margin inserts and latch lever

Belt-worn carrier for a folding tool

Multipurpose hand tool with folding pliers

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Nathan E Knight