US1900669A

US1900669A - Pencil

Info

Publication number: US1900669A
Application number: US351502A
Authority: US
Inventors: Craig R Sheaffer; William R Cuthbert
Original assignee: WA Sheaffer Pen Co
Current assignee: WA Sheaffer Pen Co
Priority date: 1929-04-01
Filing date: 1929-04-01
Publication date: 1933-03-07
Anticipated expiration: 1950-03-07

Description

Malflh 7, 1933. c. R. SHEAFFER Er AL 1,900,669

PENCIL Filed April 1, 1929 Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE CRAIG n. AND WILLIAM n. cufrniannfr, or FonT'MADIsoN, IoWA, ASSIGN- ons rro W. A. SHEAFIEB. PEN co.,'or roar MADISON, IOWA, A comonA'r'IoN or DELAWARE Application med Aprii i,

This invention relates to a vpencil and has special reference to a pencil having mechani'sm for propelling andrepelling a'lead into and out of writing position relative to the pencil barrel.

-More particularly, this vinvention relates to a pencil having a two-part casing forenclosing a lead propelling and retractinL mechanism, a substantial' portion of the outer ends of the casing being tapered. The two arts of the casing meet 'substantially centrally of the length of the casing or a suiicientdistancefrom either end to afford a good manual grip on either of the two parts.

The ends of the pencil have been tapered to dispense with unnecessary weight thereby relieving. the hand from .writing tension.

Also, the tapered' ends`move the center of -gravity with respect to the location thereof(` in the usual type square-end pencil so that a correct balance is obtained whereby merely guidance of'the pencil is necessary, substan-4 tially minimizing the necessity for lsupport and eli'ort in writing. It is obvious that atop heavy pencil necessitates weight to hold the pencil tothe paper with the result that the fingers are cramped. The present construction eliminates the latter objection.

One member of the two-part casing houses an 'anchoring block in a fixed relation therewith, the other member being iXedly mounted on a portion of the propelling and repelling mechanism rotatably related with thefirst mentioned member of the casing and the anchoring blocli. The tapers on the rotatably related member, in this instance the the casing s ie pencil and the lead operating mechanism tliereoif.

rnNcII;

1929. Serial No. 351,502.

One of the objects ofthis invention is to provide a'pencil of the type above indicated which is distinctively beautiful and embodies a perfect balance.

Another object of this invention is to pro-l vide a pencil of` the character hereinbefore .mentioned Vhaving a two-part casing to` facilitate the'operation-of the mechanical features thereof.

,A still 'furtherobject of Vthis invention is to'provide a' pencil -of the type above referred to wherein substantial gripping surfaces are presented between the operating part of the two-part casing .and the operating mechanism of the pencil. i

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter be more particularly pointed out and for a more complete understanding of the nature, scope' and characteristics of this invention, reference may be had to the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is front elevational view of a pencil embodying the features of this invention. Fig. '2 vis an elevational view similar to' Figurel with one portion of the two-part casing removed from the operating mechanisin of the pencil.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal' section of the pencil with parts of the mechanism in elevation.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the lines 4--41 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the pencil embodying the invention is illustrated therein and 'comprises a twopart casing consisting of

theportions

10 and 11. The writing end or portion 10 of the casing terminates at one of its ends in the conical shape or taperedportion 12. The

operating end portion lvl terminates at one of its ends in a tapered portion 13, the tapers thereo'f being preferably curvilinear when viewed in a longitudinal cross section. The two-part casing is preferably built-up oi. an

inner lshell of metal and an outer shell of a i plastic composition, such for example as is known in the trade as Radite v The tapered portion l2 is provided with a metal tip 14 having an atrial opening 14a lil@ of such contour and size in cross section as to permit the ordinary pencil lead crayon to have .a free reciprocal movementtherethrough. The tip 14 is internally threaded for a portion adjacent the axial lead opening 14a to engage an externally threaded projecting end portion of an anchoring block 15 which is disposed in the tapered end portion 12 of the casing in a fixed relation therewith.

The two-part casing or barrel forms a housing for the reception therein of the pencil lead propelling and retracting mechanism, which is now to be described briefly, it being submitted that this mechanism is clearly shown and described in Patent Number 1,653,151, issued December 20, 1927 and assigned to the assignee of this invention.

The mechanism for propelling and retracting the pencil lead comprises the anchoring block 15, which is preferably made of aluminum in order that the pencil be light in weight. The inner portion of the anchoring block, like the main body of the pencil casing. is cylindrical and extends tor a short distance to terminate in a tapered or conical shape to conform to the inside ofthe tapered or conical portion 12 ot the casing 10. The inner end. of the block has a plurality ot kerfs 1G, which form yieldable or resilient portions of the material therebetween which latter material normally spreads outwardly and yieldably engages the inner wall of the casing 10 thereby securing anchoring block 15 therein.

The block 15 is provided with an inner bore to receive and rigidly hold a screw sleeve 17, which latter is provided with a.

spirally extending slot 17a. Within the sleeve 17 is a lead socket 18 for clutching the inner end of the stick of lead at the outer end of the socket. A plunger 19 extends through the inner bore of the screw sleeve 17 and the lead socket 18 terminating within the socket at the lead receiving end and extending beyond the socket 18 at the other end of the latter. The inner end of the socket 18 is provided with a radially extending finger 20, which engages the spiral ot the screw sleeve 17. The plunger 19 likewise has a radially extending arm 21l for engaging the spiral of the screw sleeve 17. Between the screw sleeve and the lead socket 18 is disposed a guide tube 22 having a longitudinally extending slot 22a through which the finger 2O and arm 21 of the socket and plunger respectively extends. This guide tube 22 prevents rotation ot the plunger 19 and lead socket 18.

The screw sleeve 17 is rotatable with respect to the anchoring socket 15. A rotation of the screw sleeve permits the finger 20 and the arm 21 to ride in a longitudinal direction to propel or retract the pencil lead through the opening 14 in the tapered portion 12 ot the casing 10, the plunger 19 operating to eject the lead after the socket 18 has reached the limit oi' its forward movement.

rlhe screw lsleeve 17 is engaged by a rcduced end portion 233 of a rotatable sleeve. 2l.. The rotatable sleeveI is provided at its end of enlarged diameter with raised longitudinally extending portions 24a for providing a frictional engagement between the operating end portion 11 and the sleeve, it being particularly pointed out that the frictional engagement extends over a substantial surface, substantially halt the overall length ofthe pencil. The longitudinally extending raised portions 24a. coact with longitudinally extending raised portions 247/ ot the inner metallic sleeve ot the operating end portion 11 'for preventing relative axial movement between the operating end portion and the rotatable sleeve 24. A disk 25 is disposed within the sleeve 24 at the junction between the enlarged and reduced end portions thereof 'to provide a bottom for a lead well. The eraser 2G provides the top to the well.

It has been recited that the anchoring block 15 is held in a fixed relation with the writing end casing portion 1() and thatv tbc operating end portion 11 is trictionally mounted on the sleeve 2l, which latter is' lixcdly engaged with the screw sleeve 17. The screw sleeve 17 is. yin turn. rotatable in the enlarged bore ot the anchoring block 15 and the guide tube 22, about which the screw sleeve 17 rotates. is held in a fixed relation with the anchoring block 15. 'l`heretorc. when the operating end portion 11 is rotated in one direction the spiral groove of the screw sleeve 17 moves the plunger 1S) and lead socket 1S in a longitudinal direction to force the lead outwardly of the casing or to retract the lead inwardly into the casing.

It will further be noted that the writing end portion and the operating end portion of the two-part casing meet substantially centrally of the length ofthe barrel or they may meet a substantial distance from' either end to afford a good manual grip upon each of the two portions. Heretofore pencils have` been made with operating end portions ot a bell shape or some similar shape. which provides a head that is preferably knurled for affording a good grip surface. In eliminating this head portion and providing a ytapered end portion to effect a correct balance` inventive genius has been employed in devising a means for securing a substantial gripping surface, whereby to operate the portions ot the casing when it is necessary lo make an erasure, to remove the lead troni the lead-well in the upper end of the easing. or to operate the propelling and reti-acting mechanism when necessary.

lVhile but a single embodiment of thisl invention is herein shown and described. it is to be understood that various modilicatiointhereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art'witliout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and therefore the. same is to be limited only by the scope of the prior art and the appendedclaims.

We claim;

1. A pencil comprising a two-part casing and a lead operating mechanism housed therein, said mechanism comprising relatively movable portions, one of said portions including an anchoring block fixed in one of said parts and the other o said portions including an elongated stem extending a substantial distance beyond said last mentioned part and longitudinally slidable but frictionally held against rotation in the other of said parts over the entire extending area' thereof, said parts meeting substantially centrally of the overall length of said pencil.

2. A pencil comprising a two-part casin and a lead operating mechanism house therein, said mechanism comprising relatively movable portions, one of saidportions incliiding an anchoring block fixed in one of said parts and the other of said portions including a tubular member extending a substantial distance beyond said last' mentioned part for housing auxiliary leads and an eraser, the'otlier of said part-s enveloping and frictionally enga ing the outer. surface of said tubular mem ing area thereof, said parts meeting substantially centrally of the overall length of said pencil.

3. A pencil comprising a two-part casing and a lead operating mechanism housed therein, said mechanism comprising relative- 1y movable portions,- one of said portions including an-anchorin block fixed in one of said parts' and the ot er of said portions including a tubularportion extending a substantial distance' beyond saidlast mentioned part and having a partition on the inside thereof at a spaced distance from the end and an eraser for closing the "outer end forming a compartment for auxiliary leads, the other of said parts enveloping and frictionally engaging the outer surface oftsaid tubular portion over the entire extending surface thereof, said parts meetin substantially centrally of the overall length of said pencil.

4. A pencil comprising a two-part casing and a lead operating mechanism housed therein, said mechanism comprising relatively movable portions, one ofl said including an anchorin block tix one of said parts and the ot 'er of said tions including an elongated stem extending into the other of said parte substantially the entire length thereof and being slidable but frictionall .held over the entire extending area thereo against rotation therein, said parts meeting substantially centrally of the overall length of said pencil.

5. A pencil comprising a two-part. casing anda lead operating mechanism housedv r over the entire extendtherein, said mechanism comprising relativei ly movable portions, one of 'said portions including an anchoring block iixed in one of said parts and the other of said portions including an elongated stem extendin into the other of said parts substantially te entire length thereof, said elongated stem and said last mentioned part having complementary longitudinally extending raised portions over substantially the entire areas thereof for preventin relative axial movement therebetween alt ough permitting slidable longitudinal movement, said parts of said casing meeting substantially centrally of the overall length of said encil. l

In witness w ereof, We scribed our names.

CRAIG R. SHEAF FER. WILLIAM R. CUTHBERT.

have hereunto sub-