The present invention relates to the field of dressing of large hunted game. U.S. patent to Goodwin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,202 issued Sep. 22, 1981 discloses a field game dressing device that is attached to a knife and covers the knife tip. The cutting edge of the knife faces upwardly and is pushed forward to produce the required elongated cut in the hide of the game after the initial short cut that accommodates the cutting edge of the knife. The top portion of the tip of the field dressing device lifts the hide of the animal upwardly to best position it to be cut, while the bottom portion of the tip of the field dressing device is configured to push the entrails of the game downwardly away from the knife which prevents the entrails from being cut, which cutting could otherwise contaminate the meat of the game. The device is attached to the knife by a string that is wrapped about the knife handle for holding the device in place over the knife tip. The inventor states in col. 3 of the patent that the string can serve to retrieve the device if it should fall off within the animal being gutted. Accordingly, the present inventor regards this attachment of the dressing device to the knife to be a detriment. Additionally, if the hunter becomes distracted during cutting of the elongated cut, he could turn the knife downwardly and accidentally cut his fingers or hand. Accidentally turning the cutting edge of the knife downwardly could also occur in the knife guard apparatus of patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,100 issued to Musland on Nov. 15, 2005. This knife guard also has the disadvantage of not allowing the use of knives of varying configurations.
In accordance with the present invention, a special, rugged, safety tool is provided, having a safety tool pistol grip handle configured to be firmly gripped by the left hand of a right handed hunter and having a deep knife blade support slot formed in a forward portion of the safety tool for receiving the knife blade, with its cutting blade up, during dressing of the game, and wherein the knife blade slot is configured to keep the knife handle above and away from the safety tool for facilitating gripping of the knife handle by the right hand of the hunter. With the right hand of the hunter gripping the knife handle and holding the knife blade within the slot, the hunter pushes the safety tool forward with his left hand while pushing the knife forward with his right hand to form the required elongated cut in the game. This arrangement, in contrast with the teachings of the aforesaid patents, ensures that both hands are kept well away from the cutting edge of the knife blade while forming the elongated cut to prevent accidental cutting of the hunter's fingers or hands.
Also, the deep elongated slot formed in the forward portion of the safety tool renders the tool capable of receiving knife blades of numerous configurations. Thus the tool can be used with virtually any knife already in the hands of the hunter.
Other features and advantages of the invention may become apparent upon reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
As shown in
The left hand of a right handed hunter firmly grips the tool handle 2 with its finger hole 3 and the hunter inserts the knife blade 7 of knife 6, cutting edge up, into the slot 4 as shown in
With the right hand of the hunter gripping the knife handle 8, and keeping the knife blade 7 within the slot 4, the hunter pushes the safety tool forward with his left hand while simultaneously pushing the knife forward with his right hand to form the required elongated cut in the hide. This arrangement, in contrast with the teachings of the aforesaid patents, actually forces keeping both hands far away from the cutting edge of the knife blade while forming the elongated cut. Thus an important benefit of the invention prevents accidental cutting of the hunter's fingers or hands. Of course, left handed hunters would usually use the right hand to grip the safety tool and the left hand to grip the knife handle.
The deep elongated slot formed in the forward portion of the safety tool renders the tool capable of receiving knife blades of numerous configurations. Thus the tool can be used with virtually any knife already in the hands of the hunter. Of course the safety tool could optionally be sold along with a suitable knife. The safety tool could be economically manufactured as a single rugged piece of injection molded plastic.
Thus the preferred method of the invention includes:
(a) providing said hunter with a safety tool 1 shown in
(a-1) a pistol grip handle 2 and knife blade support portion 4 positioned in tandem with and alongside and not under said pistol grip handle along the length of said safety tool, said knife blade support portion including an elongated slot having an opening across almost the entire top portion of said knife support portion for receiving and supporting a major portion of said knife blade with its cutting edge up;
(a-2) said knife blade support portion having a nose portion 5 the end of said safety tool and located along said top portion of the knife blade support portion and in line with an upper portion of said pistol grip handle and configured for pushing the hide upwardly and away from entrails of said game animal;
(b) positioning the cutting edge of the knife blade within and above said elongated slot with its cutting edge up; and thereafter
(c) gripping and pushing said pistol grip handle forward with a first hand of said hunter, and pushing the knife forward with a second hand of said hunter for forming an elongated cut in the hide of the game in accordance with dressing of said large game animal.
Preferably, the knife blade support portion has an elongated slot 4 that is wide enough and deep enough for facilitating receiving knife blades of numerous configurations, and the safety tool is made of a single piece.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, the description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/800,935 filed May 8, 2007, now abandoned.
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2767468 | Rogal | Oct 1956 | A |
2920668 | Leist | Jan 1960 | A |
3114402 | Jacoff | Dec 1963 | A |
4087911 | Schrock et al. | May 1978 | A |
4290202 | Nadenoff | Sep 1981 | A |
4428515 | Mayer | Jan 1984 | A |
4494310 | Slaughter | Jan 1985 | A |
4502218 | Carter et al. | Mar 1985 | A |
4707920 | Montgomery | Nov 1987 | A |
4841640 | Daniels | Jun 1989 | A |
4924924 | Stewart | May 1990 | A |
5127162 | Mansfield | Jul 1992 | A |
5146810 | Mueller | Sep 1992 | A |
6076261 | Eriksson et al. | Jun 2000 | A |
6460255 | Dassaud | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6964100 | Musland | Nov 2005 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100018063 A1 | Jan 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11800935 | May 2007 | US |
Child | 12586481 | US |