19. The Bolster Patent

Colonials knife bolster assembly patent is for an interesting way of making knives.

Patent # 3,317,996 was applied for on July 6th 1965 by Antonio Paolantonio. It was approved on May 9th 1967.

It allowed the bolsters to be added to the knife as one of the last steps in making it. The bolsters had a pin sticking out on the inside and it was pressed into a hole in the frame of the knife securing it. Colonials reason for this was to make it faster and easier to make knives as well as looking better because you cant see a pin through the bolster.

Colonial designed a machine that installed 2 bolsters at the same time. An operator would sit at the machine and  put a bolster on each end of the knife then pull a lever and boom, the machine came down and pressed both bolster in place at once. Flip the knife, add 2 more bolsters and a lever pull, boom. Bolsters finished and the knife was off for final sharpening and polishing.

 

Here is how Antonio Paolantonio explains his invention.
“This invention relates to a knife, more particularly a pocket knife, and more especially to the assembly of a bolster at one end of the knife.

Heretofore, it has been customary to assemble the bolster on the liner plate and then secure the bolstered liner plates, springs, and pivoted blades together by passing a pin completely through the bolster and riveting it over the outer surface of the bolster.

This invention provides the assembly of the bolster as nearly the last operation and secures the bolster without a pin extending completely through both bolsters by utilizing a recess in the cover for the liner plate and a heading over of a projection which passes only through the liner plate and does not pass through the springs. Thus the bolster may be positioned as nearly a last operation after the remainder of the knife is assembled.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an assembly so that there is no need for piercing the bolster or the passing of a securing pin therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction so that the bolster may be assembled as substantially a last operation and hide the rivet which holds the remainder of the knife assembled.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the grinding of the tips of the pin which heretofore was used to secure the bolster in position.”

Below are the original patents.
United States Patent Office 3,317,995 Patented May 9, 1967 3,317,996 KNIFE BQLSTER ASSEMBLY Antonio Paolantonio, Johnston, RI, assignor to Colonial Knife Company, Inc, a corporation of Rhode Island Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,431 3 Claims. (Cl. 30-164) This invention relates to a knife, more particularly a pocket knife, and more especially to the assembly of a bolster at one end of the knife.

Heretofore, it has been customary to assemble the bolster on the liner plate and then secure the bolstered liner plates, springs, and pivoted blades together by passing a pin completely through the bolster and riveting it over the outer surface of the bolster.

This invention provides the assembly of the bolster as nearly the last operation and secures the bolster without a pin extending completely through both bolsters by utilizing a recess in the cover for the liner plate and a heading over of a projection which passes only through the liner plate and does not pass through the springs. Thus the bolster may be positioned as nearly a last operation after the remainder of the knife is assembled.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an assembly so that there is no need for piercing the bolster or the passing of a securing p-in therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction so that the bolster may be assembled as substantially a last operation and hide the rivet which holds the remainder of the knife assembled.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate the grinding of the tips of the pin which heretofore was used to secure the bolster in position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pocket knife with my bolster in position thereon;

FIG. 2 is an elevation with parts assembled except for the bolster;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the parts shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bolster looking at the underside; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional fragmental view showing the manner of assembling the bolster in position on the liner plate with the parts greatly enlarged.

The knife here shown comprises liner plates and 11 with an intermediate plate at 12 between the two liner plates. Springs 14 and 15 separate the intermediate plate from the two liner plates and are secured in position at one end of the knife by a riveting pin 16 headed over as at 17 and 18 against the outer surface of the liner plates and passing through the intermediate plate and the springs. Prior to the assembly of the liner plates with the springs, the liner plates are equipped with covers 20 and 21 by reason of rivets 22 passing through the covers and the liner plate. As a further assembly of the liner plates with their covers and the springs, there is a rivet 23 which passes through the covers, liner plate, intermediate plate and springs securing the springs in fixed position. The opposite ends of the springs are left free, but there is a pin 24 which passes through the blades of the knife 25 and 26 pivoting them so that they are held in closed position or in open position when swung out from between the liner plates and intermediate plates against the action of the spring.

The covers 20 and 21 do not extend the full length of the liner plates, and the knife as thus far described would leave showing the heads of the rivet pins 16 and 24. These heads and the ends of the liner plates are covered with the bolsters which in each case comprises a solid body 30 with a finger 31 extending from the edge thereof which is to be adjacent the end of the cover. The cover is recessed as at 33 (FIG. 5) for the reception of this finger 31, while the bolster is also recessed as at 34 for the reception of the head of the rivet such as 17 or 18. A proturberance 35 extending from the inner surface of the bolster is also received in a hole 36 in the liner plate. Thus, after the knife is assembled as above described, the bolster may be assembled by inclining the bolster at an angle to the liner plate (FIG. 5) where there is a hole 37 to receive it and then swinging the bolster so that the finger 31 extends into the recess 33, while the protuberance 35 will enter the opening 36 in the liner plate. The protuberance 35 may by reason of its engagement with the springs 14, 15 at the fixed end of the springs or some jig at the opposite end, when struck from the outer surface will cause the protuberance 35 to head over or rivet itself in the flared part 39 of the opening 36 so as to firmly secure the bolster in position. By reason of this sort of assembly, the bolster may be positioned near the end of the assembly operation with no need for grinding off pins to hold it in position and no need of providing a hole in the bolster for the reception of such pins, thus providing a smooth unmarred outer surface of the bolster and yet one which is held securely in position.

I claim:

1. In a knife a liner plate having an opening adjacent one end, a rivet having a head that retains the plate in assembled position and said rivet is adjacent said opening, a cover over a portion of said liner plate terminating in an edge short of said rivet head, said terminating portion having an undercut pocket in the edge thereof extending from the edge away from said rivet head, a bolster secured on the uncovered end of said plate having a finger extending into said pocket and a protuberance extending into said opening in said plate and locked therein by having a riveted end.

2. In a knife as in claim 1, said bolster having on its inner surface a recess to receive said rivet head.

3. In a knife as in claim 1 wherein said rivet head extends above said liner plate and said liner plate has a second opening adjacent said pocket permitting said bolster finger to enter said second opening and be swung into position into said pocket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,499 3/1891 Schmachtenberg 30l55 850,420 4/1907 Cooper et al. 30164 FOREIGN PATENTS 906,054 1/ 1954 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

 

 

Below are some pictures of Colonial knives I have with the pressed on bolsters. These knives were never finished being assembled so you can see very well how they worked. These came from the Colonial auction in 2002.