The present invention relates to an implement for dressing a game carcass. The butchery - or dressing - of a game carcass comprises four desirable operations: the first is to split the hide of the carcass; the second is to flay the carcass; the third is to split the belly of the carcass; and the fourth is to remove the offal from the carcass. Specially designed, separate implements are employed today for carrying out each one of these four desired operations.

The primary object of the present invention is to realize a single combination implement for carrying out all four of these operations.

This primary object according to the present invention has been realized by designing the implement in accordance with the disclosures of the appended Claims.

The nature of the present invention and its aspects will be more readily understood from the following brief description of the accompanying drawings, and discussion of one embodiment of the present invention relating thereto.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig 1 illustrates a game carcass, in which broken lines indicate the placing of incisions during the dressing operation; and

Fig 2 illustrates an implement according to the present invention for carrying out incisions during this type of dressing operation.

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The implement according to the present invention has a body or shaft I. A cutting member is fixedly disposed at each end of the shaft 1. In Fig 2, the cutting member secured to the righthand end of the shaft 1 is designed as a second knife 2 shown in a position protecting the edge of the knife 2. In the left-hand end of the shaft 1, the cutting member is designed as a first knife 10. This first knife 10 is illustrated projecting from a protected position in a cassette 14 in the shaft to assume an outer cutting position. The first knife 10 is also protractable to an inner cutting position in which only a part of its cutting edge in the re-entrant section of the first knife 10 protrudes beyond the shaft.

The second knife 2 is protractable in a first position 3 for belly-splitting and a second position 4 for flaying and trimming.

Both the first knife 10 and the second knife 2 are lock¬ able in their protected positions by a locking device 11 and 8, respectively. The second knife 2 is also lockable in its protracted positions 3 and 4 by the locking device 8.

The first knife 10 is also lockable in its two protracted positions.

The first knife 10 is disposed for hide splitting by cooperation with the body of the shaft 1. For this reason, the first knife 10 is hooked and is provided with a cutting edge solely in the one edge 13 of the re-entrant section of the knife 10.

The edge of the second knife 2 is arcuate. The second knife 2 is openable in two positions 3 and 4. In its fully opened position 3, the knife is ready for belly-opening. In the second position 4 of the two positions 3 and 4, the knife 2 is ready for flaying and trimming.

In its position 3 for belly-opening, the second knife 2 is lockable by means of its locking device 8 with the arcuate cutting edge projecting from the right-hand end of the shaft 1.

As a result, the section of the second knife 2 projecting between the edge of the second knife 2 and the shaft 1 will, in its position 3 for belly-opening, be of restrict¬ ed protraction, such that the inner organs in the abdomen of the carcass will be protected when the belly is opened.

The underside of the shaft 1 will prevent damage to the internal organs of the carcass when the belly is opened.

In its position 4 for flaying and trimming, the second knife 2 is disposed to be lockable by means of the locking device 8 such that the second knife 2 is located, with its arcuate cutting edge, wholly outside the shaft 1.

In its position 4 for flaying and trimming, the second knife 2 protrudes out towards the adjacent right-hand end of the shaft 1 in fig 2 from a portion of the shaft 1 which is located a distance less than the length of this second knife 2 from the adjacent right-hand end of the shaft 1. In this position 4 for flaying and trimming, the second knife 2 is laterally guided, during the flaying operation, by the outer sides of the shaft 1.

The first knife 10 is retractable into a cassette 14 in the shaft 1. The section of the cassette 14 located towards the surface of the shaft 1 is provided with a straight guide groove 18 for a locking pin 11, this locking pin 11 protruding up through the guide groove 18 from the first knife 10.

The locking device of the first knife 10 essentially comprises this locking pin 11 which, on its outside, is designed as a pushbutton. This pushbutton is depressable against the action of a spring on the under face of a fitting 15 on the surface of the shaft 1. In the depressed position, the locking pin 11 is displaceable, with its pushbutton, in the guide groove 18, in that a spring- loaded portion of the locking pin 11 of the pushbutton adjacent the cap section of the pushbutton is, in this position, insertable in the guide groove 18. This guide groove 18 is provided with three hole-like recesses 17. When the locking pin 11 is sprung in the innermost recess 17 counting from the adjacent end of the shaft 1, the first knife 10 is wholly retracted in the shaft. When the locking pin 11 is sprung into the intermediate recess 17, the first knife 10 is protracted from the body of the shaft solely with its re-entrant portion 13. When the locking pin 11 is sprung in the outhermost recess 17, the first knife 10 is wholly protracted, as shown in fig 2.

The guide groove 18 is disposed in the fitting 15 which is anchored to the shaft 1 above the cassette 14 of the first knife 10 in the shaft 1.

A tubular rivet 12 is disposed in the shaft 1 adjacent this cassette 14 for securing a lanyard and for hanging up the implement.

The locking device of the second knife 2 consists of a locking pawl 8 for locking the second knife 2. The locking pawl 8 is actuated by a coiled spring 9. The locking pawl

8 is provided with a governor shaft which protrudes from the shaft 1 and is provided with an operating button 7.

The locking pawl 8 is disposed to snap into a recess 6 on the second knife 2. The recess 6 is disposed on the edge of the second knife 2 adjacent the pivot shaft 5 of the second knife 2, this shaft being provided with a screw for retaining the knife 2.

When the locking pawl 8 snaps into this recess 6, the second knife 2 is locked in its position 4 for flaying and trimming.

In the position 3 of the second knife 2 for belly-opening, the locking pawl 8 is operative to snap into a second recess 19 disposed adjacent the first recess 6.

When the second knife 2 is wholly retracted in the shaft 1, the locking pawl 8 is operative to snap into a third recess 16 in the edge of the second knife 2. This third recess 16 is disposed adjacent the pivot axis 5 of the second knife 2 on the opposite side of the knife 2 in relation to the first recess 6 and the second recess 19.

The locking pawl 8 is guided with its governor shaft in a groove in a cylindrical casing 20 in which the locking pawl 8 may be shifted against the action of the coiled spring 9 which is disposed in the cylindrical casing 20.

A screw 21 is inserted in the bottom of this cylindrical casing 20. When this screw 21 is fully tightened, the screw 21 prevents protraction of the locking pawl 8 from its position locking the second knife 2 by displacement of the operating button 7 when the second knife 2 is retract¬ ed in the shaft, or when the knife 2 is in position 3 for belly-opening or in position 4 for flaying and trimming.

In the employment of the implement according to the present invention as disclosed in the foregoing, the first cutting member 10 will function as a hide splitter and the second cutting member will, in a first position, function as a belly-splitter and, in a second position, facilitate a hide stripping operation by flaying and also removal of the internal organs of the carcass.

The shaft 1 of the implement is made of a form-milled material of wood or plastic. The shaft 1 is designed with a longitudinal groove. This provides room for the second knife 2 in its retracted and protracted position. The edges of the groove also constitute guide means for this second knife 2 in its protracted positions 3 and 4.

Suitably, the first knife 10 is designed at both ends with a knife hook provided with one blade edge at one edge 13 of the re-entrant section of this knife hook.