Survival kit

Abstract

The survival kit of this invention has a handle which houses the tools for survival. The handle has a channel for receiving a pivotal knife blade and a drum reel integral with the handle which houses a retractable wire saw and a wind-up fishing line.

Description

The present invention is a survival kit to be used by those persons who find themselves unexpectedly exposed to the wilderness without proper supplies.

In emergency situations, particularly in cases of airplane wrecks, the survivors must vacate the aircraft immediately to avoid possible fire and explosion, and the fuselage is often damaged to such an extent that location of the survival equipment generally carried on aircraft can be difficult and a survivor's attempts to locate it under such potentially volatile conditions could prove fatal. However, with the present invention, which is compact enough to be carried by the pilot or a member of the crew, the chances of survival are greatly increased.

Briefly, the survival kit disclosed is a combination tool with a knife and various saws for specific purposes and a fishing line for providing food and to aid in constructing shelters. The combination tool is housed in a handle which very much resembles a pocket knife. However, except for the one pivotal knife, the combination tool has nothing in common with the ordinary pocket knife. Perhaps the biggest difference is the drum reel that is integral with the handle and houses a wire saw and the fishing line. The wire saw is useful for constructing shelters and building fires for cooking and rescue identification and for other heavy-duty work, and the metal cutting saw housed within the handle cover can be used to aid one in freeing one's self from aircraft wreckage such as entangled cables, wires, sheet metal and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a combination tool which can be used for survival purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination tool with a unique retractable wire saw.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combination tool with a fishing line.

It is a primary purpose of this invention to provide a compact survival kit that can be carried in a pocket or worn on a belt.

With these and other objects that will be apparent from the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view taken centrally through the tool along the lines 6--6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is top plan view of the tool;

FIG. 3 is a side view taken along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view taken along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the lines 5--5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view taken centrally through the tool similar to FIG. 1 but with the knife blade closed;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional veiw taken along the lines 7--7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the drum reel of FIG. 7 with the parts disassembled;

FIG. 9 is a view of the wire saw assembly partially in section and drum reel of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the wire saw assembly taken along the lines 10--10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partial plan view of the wire saw assembly;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the metal cutting saw blade of this invention; and

FIG. 13 is a partial top view along the lines 13--13 of FIG. 12.

Referring to the handle unit of FIG. 1 denoted by the numeral 2 and having side covers 4 and 6, shown in FIG. 2, made of a suitable material having high impact and resilient strength, the handle 2 has a U-shaped channel defined by the side walls 8 and 10 of the handle for housing a knife blade 12 which pivots at pivot 14. Integral with the handle 2 is a drum reel 16 having housing covers 18 and 20. The handle unit supports the drum reel 16 by side plates 8 and 10, shown in FIG. 2.

The pivotal knife blade 12 is secured in the open or usable position by a spring biased lock bar 24, which is pivoted at 26 to handle 2. A leaf spring 28 biases the lock bar latch 30 into engagement with latch receiving notch 32 on the knife blade. To close or house the blade 12 in the handle unit 2, the lock bar 24 is pressed down against the force of spring 28 to pivot the latch 30 out of notch 32, thereby allowing the blade to pivot into the handle. Once in the U-shaped channel of the handle the lock bar latch 30 presses against a protusion 34, best seen in FIG. 6, retaining the blade within the channel.

Handle cover 6 is hollow and will contain various survival support items, such as the combination screw driver and metal saw blade holder 100 and the metal cutting saw blade 104 which are shown in their stored position in FIG. 3 and in their engaged position in FIGS. 12 and 13.

Handle cover 4 is hollow and will contain various survival support and first aid items which are not shown.

Drum reel 16 is comprised of two housing covers 18 and 20 with slot 88 shown in under side area of housing 18 shown in FIGS. 2 and 10. Within cover 20 is a fishing line reel 48 with line 50. Shown is a hand crank 52 for winding the fishing line in, this crank is a folding type, shown in its closed position in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7 and in the open position in FIG. 11. Supporting the reel 48 is a shaft 54 which extends through both covers and also supports wire saw reel 56. The shaft also secures cover 20 to the handle unit 2 by compass threaded end screw 58. Cover 18 is secured by overlapping its concave area, located on the underside of its rim, onto the convex-shaped rim of the side wall 10, best seen in FIG. 8.

One end of wire saw 60 is affixed to reel 56 and the other end is attached to a pull bar 62 at 66, shown in FIG. 9. The pull bar 62 has a hole 63 punched at the end which fits over peg 74, shown in FIG. 9. The reel 56 has a recoil spring 70 which is attached to the inner wall of reel 56 by a rivet 72 and anchored within the slot 73 of shaft 54, shown in FIG. 9.

In use, the pull bar 62 is lifted off peg 74, swiveled around the wire saw blade holding pin 66 into the open position. The pull bar 62 is then grasped and the wire saw 60 is pulled from reel 56 and stops when full length is reached; not shown is a slot located on the surface of drum reel 56, in which the opposite end of the wire saw 60 is secured. With one hand on the pull bar and the other around the handle 2, the saw is operated in a back and forth motion. The coil spring 70 returns the wire saw onto the reel and the pull bar is then swiveled back into its closed position and fitted onto peg 74. Tension by the recoil spring keeps the other end of the pull bar in place. FIG. 10 shows a rear view of the pull bar in its stored position.

Fishing line reel 48 is operated by a folding crank 52 shown in it closed position in FIG. 2 and 3 and shown in its open position in FIG. 11. Referring to FIG. 11, the hand crank folds and unfolds by means of stiff hinges 78 and a swivel ball joint 82. The operating end of the crank is fastened to sleeve 84 by means of welding which is not shown. The screw 76 is screwed into the shaft 54 but is not a tight fit against the crank. This is to allow the crank to rotate the sleeve 84 freely around the shaft 54 and at the same time keep the sleeve from sliding off the shaft. Permanently bonded to the sleeve 84 is the fishing line reel 48.

In use the fishing reel crank is lifted off peg 92 and opened to a suitable angle whereby contact with the holding hand will be avoided, this being accomplished by hinge stop 80. The end of the fishing line is removed from the slotted rubber piece 90 which is fastened to reel cover 20, and the line is payed out as needed. When the user wishes to reel in the line, the end piece of the crank 81 is grasped and the crank is rotated. Rotation of the end piece 81 which is held by the hand is made possible by the swivel ball joint 82. Slot 89, shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 11, allows free passage of the fishing line. When not in use, the fishing line reel crank is returned to its folded position and the end of the crank 81 is fitted over peg 92, seen in FIG. 2. Shown is a hole 53 in FIGS. 3 and 11 which is stamped into the end piece 81.

The combination screw driver and metal cutting saw blade holding tool 100, shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, is used as follows: The metal cutting saw blade 104 is fitted into the slot 101 of the combination tool 100 shown in FIG. 3, and a threaded nut is screwed down on top of the saw blade, thus anchoring the blade in place. Partially shown in FIG. 12 is the notched end of the saw blade which further accomplishes a secure anchor. In use, the hand grasps the screw driver 100 with the fingers being placed on either side. The saw is then operated in a conventional fashion. When the screw driver portion is to be used, the nut is loosened, the saw balde is moved further through the slot until it has reached its center, at which time the nut is re-tightened. The screw driver is then used by application of force on the saw blade in a "T" handle fashion.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 8 show compass cover 106 which is secured to the handle unit 2 by threaded end screw 58, which also secures cover 18 to handle unit 2. In use, compass cover 106 is opened on hinge 108 to expose compass 110 (opening operation not shown). This compass may be of a forest ranger or military type which has sight bearing capabilities.

The handle covers 4 and 6 will be fastened to handle unit 2 by means of attachment to the pivot pin 26. Handle cover 4 is partially shown in its attached position in FIG. 5. The handle covers will be made of such a material that will have sufficient strength and resilient qualities, and will be molded into such a concave shape (not shown) that when fastened to the pivot pin 26 the covers will form a snug fit against side plates 8 and 10. Shown in FIG. 3 are protrusions 27 molded onto the front and rear edges of the handle covers, the rear protrusions being of shorter height (not shown) which, when pressed against the side plates, will fit into cut-outs (not shown) stamped into the side plates 8 and 10. FIG. 3 shows cavity 7 of handle 6. FIG. 4 shows a view partially in section taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2.

When access to the contents of the handle covers is required, the user will lift the front end of the respective handle cover and rotate said cover about the pivot pin 26 until said cover is rotated to a position above the handle unit 2, best seen in FIG. 2, which shows handle cover 6 in open position. Reverse procedure is followed for returning the handle cover to its original position against the side plate.

The foregoing is considered illustrative only of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction described, and accordingly suitable modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is covered as claimed.

Claims

I claim:

1. A survival kit comprising a handle portion having a knife receiving channel, a knife means pivoted to said handle, a locking means on said handle for locking said knife means in open or closed positions; a first handle cover means removably attached to said handle portion, a compartment within said first handle cover means forming a recessed area when attached to said handle portion; a combination screw driver and metal cutting saw, housed within the recessed area of said handle; a first and second reel means, attached to said handle portion for rotation, said first reel means having a wire saw means and means to pay said wire saw means into and out of said first reel means, and said second reel means having a handle to pay out and wind in a fishing line.

2. A survival kit as in claim 1, wherein, said locking means is a spring biased bar means having a latch, a notch in said knife blade means for receiving said latch and retaining said knife blade means in an open position, and a protrusion on said knife blade means for pressing against said latch means to retain said knife blade means in a closed position.

3. A survival kit as in claim 1, wherein said metal cutting saw blade is attached to a rod having screw driver configurations at its remote ends, said rod also functioning as a handle to operate said saw.

4. A survival kit as in claim 1 wherein, said first and second reels are housed within first and second covers, and said covers having slots for paying out said wire saw means and said fishing line.

5. A survival kit as in claim 1 wherein, said wire saw means is attached to a folding pull bar means for paying said wire saw means from said first reel, said reel being equipped with a coil spring for automatic retracting.

6. A survival kit as in claim 5 wherein said pull bar means is removably attached to said first cover means.

7. A survival kit as in claim 1 wherein, said first and second reel means are attached to said handle portion for rotation.

8. A survival kit as in claim 1 wherein, said handle portion has an integral support means for attaching said first and second reel means.

9. A survival kit as in claim 1 wherein, said fishing line reel is equipped with a folding winding crank having a swivel ball joint, stiff hinges and a hinge with a stop extension for effecting an angle of wind operation whereby contact with the holding hand will be avoided.

10. A survival kit as in claim 1, wherein, said fishing line reel is attached to a sleeve which turns freely around the drum reel shaft and which is equipped with a center screw, said screw preventing the sleeve from sliding off the shaft and a folding winding crank attached to the outer diameter of the sleeve and rotating the sleeve which in turn rotates the fishing line reel, said reel being permanently bonded to the sleeve.