GB2294237A - A memorandum device having a paper roll - Google Patents

Abstract

A memorandum device comprises an elongate base 1 having a paper roll 8 received in a holder 3 mounted at one end thereof, and a support area provided by the base and over which a dispensed length of paper 9 is laid, guided and restrained by longitudinal and transverse bars 6, 7 so that the paper can be written on. <IMAGE>

Description

WRITING ACCESSORY DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a writing accessory, especially intended for use on a desk or table top. In this specification the term "writing" is intended to cover not only the manual use of an implement, such as a pen or pencil, for producing an impression on a surface such as paper, but also to embrace the use of other implements, for example, preformed inkable stamps or embossing implements, which also may be used to create an impression on a suitable surface.

The present invention has been conceived from the need to provide means for mounting and storing a roll of a suitable writing surface material and to allow a strip of such material to be dispensed from the roll whilst providing a convenient means for exposing a surface area portion of the material for the writing of notes and other memoranda.

Thus, whilst the present invention will be described below in its currently preferred embodiment of a desk top accessory for mounting and dispensing a strip of paper from a roll, this preferred embodiment is not intended to be taken as limiting the invention or its application to other, wider uses. The concept of this invention is, thus, to be taken as applicable to the mounting and dispensing of any suitable material upon which an impression is to be created by the act of writing as defined above.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a writing accessory comprising a base member, roll holder means mounted on the base member and constructed to receive a roll of a suitable material for writing on and for dispensing material from such roll, guide means on the base member for guiding and restraining a length of material which has been dispensed from the roll in use of the accessory, and a support area which is provided' by the base member and over which the dispensed length of material is laid, guided and restrained by said guide means.

The base member may be of relatively narrow, elongate construction but wide enough to support a roll of a suitable material for writing on and to allow an adequate length thereof to be dispensed from the roll and guided and restrained across the support area in such a way as to enable a user to write on the material overlying the support area.

The guide means preferably defines a slot between the base member and itself, through which dispensed material is receivable. Such guide means may comprise respective pairs of spaced guide bars defining at least part of the support area which may be of any suitable shape, for example, rectangular.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of writing accessory of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the a preferred embodiment of writing accessory shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the preferred embodiment of writing accessory shown in Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view, of the preferred embodiment of writing accessory shown in Figures 1 to 3.

With reference now to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the writing accessory of the present invention comprises a base member 1, typically made of wood. An implement holder 2 for holding a pen or pencil 10 is mounted on the base member 1 in the position shown. Also mounted on the base member 1 is a roll holder comprising a pair of laterally spaced brackets 3 and a removable roll spindle 4. Each bracket 3 is of generally L-shaped form with one limb 3 thereof secured, for example by a pair of screws, to the base member 1, the other vertical limb 3' of the bracket 3 being formed with a vertical, open topped slot 13. The brackets 3 are aligned and secured on the base member 1 to receive and support the spindle 4 such that the latter may readily rotate to enable material to be drawn from a roll 8 when disposed upon the spindle 4.The spindle 4 and slots 13 are dimensioned to form a loose vertical sliding fit so that as the roll of material diminishes in diameter in use, the spindle moves vertically downwards within the slots.

As can be seen from the drawings, the roll holder is disposed at or adjacent one end of the base member 1. Towards the other end of the base member 1 there is provided a support area 12 over which material unrolled from the roll 8, in use thereof, may be laid.

For the purpose of guiding and restraining a length of material unrolled from the roll 8, there is provided on the base member 1 a guide 5 formed by a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending guide bars 6, and a pair of longitudinally spaced, laterally extending guide bars 7. The longitudinal guide bars 6 are secured directly to the upper surface of the base member 1, as may best be seen in Figures 2 and 3, and the lateral guide bars 7 are secured over the longitudinal guide bars 6. Thus, as may best be seen from Figure 3, the guide 5 provides a slot 11 defined between the upper surface of the base member 1 and the under surfaces of the two lateral guide bars 7 through which slot the length of material which has been unrolled from the roll 8 in use of the accessory may be threaded and guided.The inner edges of the longitudinal guide bars 6 act to guide and restrain edges of the length of material which has been threaded through the slot 11. A pad (not shown) of suitable material may be provided on the base member 1 extending over at least part of the support area 12, to facilitate writing on the material unrolled from the roll 9 and overlying the support area.

As may readily be appreciated from Figure 4 which shows the roll 8 of material in place, a length of material which has been unrolled from the roll and threaded through the slot 11 is suitably guided and restrained by the guide means 5 so that a length 9 thereof overlies the support area 12 afforded on the upper surface of the base member 1. The width and length of the base member 1 is such as to provide a support area 12 on which the length of material 9 is overlayed, this being both convenient and easy for a user of the accessory to use. The exposed area 9 of the material may thus be used as a note or jotter pad and when desired it may be further withdrawn from the accessory by pulling on the exposed free end thereof protruding at the end region of the base member 1 remote from the roll 8.The used piece of material may then, if desired, be cut or torn from the roll and in pulling it through the guide means a fresh length 9 will have been unrolled from the roll 8 and drawn through the guide means to be exposed for use above the underlying support area 12.

The aesthetic appearance of the accessory will be enhanced by choice of suitable materials for the base member 1, implement holder 2, brackets 3 and spindle 4, and guide bars 6, 7. As already mentioned, the base member 1 will typically be of wood and the other elements of the accessory will be of a suitable metallic material, for example, polished brass.

The roll holder means is constructed and arranged to receive and dispense a standard roll of suitable writing material, for example, paper.

The writing accessory of the present invention provides a simple and convenient device for use on a desk or table top in the home or work environment and will be seen to be quick and easy to use in jotting down notes and other memoranda. Its construction enables it to be used single-handedly, thus leaving the other hand of the user free to perform other tasks, for example, hold a telephone handset or shuffle papers. Since the material may be unrolled continuously from the roll thereof to a length required for any particular use, this is an efficient and relatively waste-free means of recording notes and other memoranda, and it will be found that the use of a continuous roll of paper provides a cheaper alternative for the recording of notes and other memoranda than some other devices or means available on the market.

The present invention is not intended to be limited by the above description of the preferred embodiment thereof but is to be taken as embracing all alternative forms which fall within the scope of the broad concept thereof.

For example, the components of the accessory may be preformed from, say wood and/or metal, in which case they can be assembled into the accessory.

Alternatively, if the accessory, and particularly the structure of the base, is moulded from a plastics material, then various components thereof may be integrally moulded together. For instance, the longitudinally extending guide bars 6 may be moulded integrally with the base member 1, whilst the laterally extending guide bars 7 may be moulded as preformed components and then secured to the base member 1 across the longitudinal guide bars 6 to provide the slot(s) 11 between the bars 7 and the base member 1.

Also, the roll holder may be constituted by a housing for accommodating a roll of material therein in a fairly loose manner to enable it to unroll, thereby eliminating the need for the type of roll holder described above with reference to the prefered embodiment. Such a housing may be made from any suitable material, to match that or those of the remainder of the accessory, and may be detachably secured to the base member 1.

Claims (14)

1. A writing accessory comprising a base member, roll holder means mounted on the base member and constructed to receive a roll of a suitable material for writing on and for dispensing the material from such roll, guide means on the base member for guiding and restraining a length of material which has been dispensed from the roll in use of the accessory, and a support area which is provided by the base member and over which the dispensed length of material is laid, guided and restrained by said guide means.

2. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base member is of relatively narrow, elongate construction but wide enough to support a roll of a suitable material for writing on and to allow an adequate length thereof to be dispensed from the roll and guided and restrained across the support area in such a way as to enable a user to write on the material overlying the support area.

3. An accessory as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said guide means defines a slot between the base member and itself, through which dispensed material is receivable.

4. An accessory as claimed claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said guide means comprises respective pairs of spaced guide bars defining at least part of the support area.

5. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support area is rectangular.

6. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the roll holder is disposed at or adjacent one end of the base member.

7. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the support area over which unrolled material is laid, is provided at another end of the base member.

8. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said guide means is provided on the base member and is formed by a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending guide bars and a pair of longitudinally spaced, laterally extending guide bars.

9. An accessory as claimed in claim 8, wherein the longitudinally extending guide bars are secured directly to the upper surface of the base member and the laterally extending guide bars are secured over the longitudinally extending guide bars, thereby providing a slot which is defined between the upper surface of the base member and the undersurfaces of the two laterally extending guide bars and through which unrolled material can be threaded and guided, with the inner edges of the longitudinally extending guide bars guiding and restraining the edges of the unrolled material threaded through the slot.

10. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a pad of suitable material is provided on the base member, extending over at least part of the support area to facilitate writing on the unrolled material overlying the support area.

11. An accessory as claimed in any preceding claim1 wherein said roll holder means comprises a pair of laterally spaced brackets and a removable roll spindle.

12. An accessory as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, wherein said roll holder means comprises a housing for accommodating a roll of material therein in a fairly loose manner to enable it to unroll.

13. An accessory as claimed in claim 12, wherein the roll holder housing is detachably secured to the base member.

14. A writing accessory substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.