355,687. Pencil holders. HUDSON, H. H., 184, Westcliff Park Drive, Westcliffon-Sea. May 26, 1930, No. 16135. [Class 146 (iii).] In a pencilholder of the type in which the lead is propelled along a central channel by a screw extending alongside the lead and cooperating with a nut formed with a portion located in the lead channel, the screw is maintained with its axis always parallel to the lead so as not to restrict the length of the lead channel. The body of the pencil-holder preferably consists of two slats of wood formed with three mating grooves 12, 13, 14, Fig. 5, the grooves 13 extending the whole length of the slats, and the grooves 12, 14 terminating short of the pointed end of the holder. The sides of the grooves 12 are cut away, so that, when the slats are united by gluing, the channels formed by the grooves 12, 13 are connected together by a portion of less diameter than the groove 13. The lead slides in the bore formed by the grooves 13 and is engaged by a bulb-shaped offset portion 23, Fig. 3, of a nut 22 or by a pin secured to the portion 23. The nut 22 is formed from sheet material or a tube, and is provided with side indentations 25 adapted to engage the convolutions of a screw 17, Fig. 2, preferably formed by a twisted strip of metal of rectangular cross section, and mounted in the bore formed by the grooves 12. The screw is secured to a tubular operating knob 18 eccentrically mounted with respect to the body of the pencil-holder and formed with a conical bearing portion 19, and, preferably, with an extension 21 acting as a bearing in the bore 12. The portion 19 is engaged by a cap 20 secured on the end of the body of the holder and also supports a plate 28 adapted to cover the end of the bore 14 which serves as a receptacle for refills. The plate 28 is formed with an indentation serving to engage the end of the bore 14 to hold the plate in covering position. The screw 17 and the conical portion 19 are so constructed as to prevent rotation of the screw as a result of pressure on the point of the lead during writing. A spring sleeve 29, which, according to the Provisional Specification, may be provided with pointed projections for retaining it in place, is secured in the point of the holder to prevent the lead from dropping out. In order to enable the lead to be inserted from the rear end, the screw 17 may be extended beyond the end of the body and rotatably mounted in a bracket 30, Fig. 6, secured to a ring 31 on the end of the body. When the nut 22 is retracted, it leaves the bore in the body and turns with the screw, thus leaving the bore 13 open to permit the insertion of the lead. On reversing the rotation of the screw, the nut is engaged by a stop 37 which positions it for entrance into the bores 12, 13. The stop 37 is resilient, so that it will give and permit the passage of the nut in case of overwinding. The end of the screw is normally covered by a cap formed with an internal projection engaging a groove 38 in the ring 31. The screw 17 is preferably formed by twisting it to double the desired pitch, annealing, and then completing the twisting. Alternatively, the screw may be formed in the ordinary way or be constituted by a wire helix. To avoid the eccentricity of the knob 18, it may be formed with teeth engaging with a gear wheel on the end of the screw.