US2459701A - Mechanical instrument holder - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1949.

E. E. HARPER MECHANI CAL INSTRUMENT HOLDER Filed July 16, 1945 m y I k y INVENTOR- 3 Ema/"5 Harper M deceased 5y Esf/wr/F/Va/pg; a: Tn-x,

' ATTORNE).

Patented Jan. 18, 1949 MECHANICAL INSTRUMENT HOLDER Elmer E. Harper, deceased, late of Monrovia, Calif., by Esther Pardee Harper, executrix,

Monrovia, Calif.

Application July'16, 1945, Serial No. 605,384

1 Claim.

The present invention has reference to mechanical holders for pencil leads, marking instruments or like elements, wherein a holder is provided with mechanical means for projecting or feeding and holding the lead or other element, such as a marking device, tool or the like, in position for use.

One primary object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive construction adapted to fulfill all the requirements as regards firmly holding of the lead orother element against any casual movement and protecting it from breakage, for example; and also for effectively feeding the lead as needed with a positive and certain feeding action which will, moreover, permit retraction within the holder when desired.

For accomplishing such purpose the invention provides a holder member which may be constructed economically from sheet material to provide a lead gripping bore which continuously grips the lead throughout its length, thereby obviating any possibility of casual lateral movement and confining the lead solely to longitudinal movement within said bore. The longitudinal movement required for feeding action is produced by a novel form of propelling device adapted to both feed the lead and also efi'ect an automatic locking action with n the lead passage or channel for preventing any retracting movement except when permitted by a corresponding retraction of said propeller on the part of the user.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a construction of this general character which is readily adapted for manufacture in various different types or designs to conform to somewhat different requirements, such as to accommodate a supply of the lead or other elements. as well as to provide means for attachment of an eraser if desired.

Havin these general objects in view the invention will now be described more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating suitable forms of embodiment of the improved construction, following which the features .and combinations thereof believed to be novel and patentable will be duly set forth and claimed.

2 In the drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of the improved holder device;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views representing sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 4.4 respectively, of Figure 1, but on a larger scale;

Figures 5 and 6 are plan and side views respectively, of a modified form of the holder device; I

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, representing a section taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figures 8 and 9 are plan and side views respectively, of a further modified form of the holder construction; and

- Figure 10 is an enlarged transverse sectional View, representing a section taken on the line l0l0 of Figure 9. 1

The present mechanical holder construction is in some general respects similar to thatillustrated in Patent No. 2,759,133 granted October 14, 1941, in that a tubular bore or channel is pro vided for the lead and a propelling device feeds the lead by abutting one end thereof but without gripping engagement therewith. The structure of the propelling device shown in said patent and the means required for holding the same are not particularly adapted for providing a closefitting bore or channel for the lead; and the'provision of such close-fitting channel structure and at the same time greatly simplifying the construotion and operation of the propeller device itself, constitutes a prime object of the present improvement.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, and in the first instance to Figures 1 to 4, these views illustrate a form of the device which approaches a somewhat rectangular contour in cross-section, as indicated in Figures 3 and 4. This type of construction comprises sections l and 5 of suitable strip material, such as metal, plastic and the like or combinations thereof, which are shaped as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, so that the section 4 provides a fiat face 5 and inturned sides 1 having outturned edges 8; whereas the other section 5 is formed with inturned edges I0 which hook over the edges 8"of the section 4, and its longitudinal central portion is depressed and shaped to provide a longitudinal channel or bore I2 of a size adapted to lightly grip the pencil lead l4 or other elements (such as scribers and the like) to be used therein.

At one end of the channel or bore 12 the parts are turned and swaged into tapered form, whereby the holder sections 4 and 5 are securely locked together, and the usual feed opening I6 is also provided through which the end of the lead is projected.

The channel or bore i2 is closed along its side) with the exception of a longitudinal slot l8 left for operation of the propeller device; but the size of said bore is carefully gaged so that the sides of the channel will, by virtue of the resilient or springy action of the material, exert a light gripping action sufficient to hold the lead in position except when purposely moved by the propeller device or by a definite pressure on the projecting end of the lead.

The form of propeller device which is found most effective for the desired purpose consists of a knob having a shank portion 22 for traversing the aforesaid slot 18 (see Figure 4) and a key or lug portion 22 of somewhat larger diameter than the slot and of sufficient smaller diameter than the bore l2 to permit of limited longitudinal rocking movement therein. To the forward end of the knob 20 is secured a curved wire-like spring 26 of a diameter substantiallyjthe same as the slot i8 and projecting therethrough into position for abut-ting engagement with the inner end of the lead [4, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The propelling device is thus keyed to the channel or bore I! in longitudinal sliding relation thereto, and the spring 26 is so attached to the propeller body as to maintain the latter in normally slightly tilted position (as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2) whereby the ends of the key or lug portion 24 are maintained in clutched or gripping engagement with the interior of said channel. The arrangement and proportions are such that this gripping action is adequate to withstand any counterthrust or back-feeding tendency resulting from any ordinary pressures applied to the tip end of the lead in the average use of the same.

By means of the described construction a holder device is provided whereby the lead or other element I4 is effectively and uniformly held with a light gripping action throughout its entire length so that it can not casually slipiout of the channel or bore I2, and at the same time is subject to any desired feeding or adjusting movement as produced by either the propelling device or a light pressure on the outer end of the lead. Thus the necessity for any special spring or gripping means for holding the lead in place, such as ordinarily characterizes mechanical holders'in this class of devices, is entirely eliminated. Moreover the propeller device provides an extremely effective means or mechanism for not only feeding the lead as required but also rigidly holding the same in any position; at the same time the propeller may be readily disengaged from its clutched or locking engagement with the channel by light thumb pressure on the knob 28, in opposition to the spring action, for effecting a sort of toggle movement which slightly rocks the key portion 24 and thereby releases the propeller for free sliding movement (as represented by the full lines in Figure 2).

The described construction is also adapted for the attachment of a practical eraser assembly comprising an eraser element 30 embraced by a tubular holder 32 which is split longitudinally as indicated at 34 and adapted to be telescoped over the end of one of the holder sections, as for example the section 4 having an extension formed with suitable barbs or burs 35 or the like for adjustable retaining engagement with the eraser. A generous sized eraser block may thus be mounted for convenient adjustment and also for'serving as a stopper for the open end of the chamber comprising the interior of the holder sections, which may obviously be used for storage of spare lead elements, etc.

The remaining views of thedrawi'ng illustrate modified forms of construction making use of but one strip or section of material for the holder shaft.

In Figures 4 to 7, the construction comprises such a single strip or section of material 4 shaped into triangular section form, with the longitudinal edges overlapped as represented at [0 in Figure 7. The formation of the lead bore or channel l2 in symmetrical longitudinally central relation, inside the holder and providing a storage space therein, is the same as before.

In Figures 8 to 10, a flat type of construction is provided by eliminating the triangular portion, together with the storage feature, and simply clamping the side edges of the strip 4" intobead form, as illustrated at ill" in Figure 10.

In both these modifications the structure of the propeller device and other features, and the-operation therof, remain the same.

It will therefore be apparent that the improved device provides a holder construction which embodies not only all the most vital points or features which are regarded as indispensable in mechanical holders of this class but also other new and superior advantages as regards the simplicity of the propelling or feeding means and the uniform holding or clasping of the lead element throughout its entire length. Due to such improved feature the lead is prevented from dropping out for lack of other special gripping means, and can not bend or break inside the holder, and consequently there is no jamming nor any waste of lead from broken sections dropping out. In fact, the improved holder can be charged and operated with a plurality of broken or short lead sections as well and efficiently as with a single length of lead; and moreover the position of the propeller device provides a constant and certain index as to the amount of lead ready for instant use. Again it is to be noted that the improved holder device can be operated entirely and conveniently by the 'use of one hand only; and if desired a suitable clip may of course be provided for pocket use.

Accordingly, while I haveillustrated preferred and entirely practical forms and modificationsof the improved holder construction, I desire to be understood as expressly reserving the right to all such changes or variations in the construction as may be deemed to fall within. the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

Mechanical holder means of the type described comprising, a bodyrnember in pencil form and constructed with a channel portion having a longitudinal slot and providing a longitudinal instrument bore having an end-outlet opening, and a propelling device operative along saidslo't and comprising a knob provided with a spring REFERENCES CITED *The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 561,734 Steele June 9, 1896 613,453 Lippincott Nov. 1, 1898 903,873 Lamson Nov. 17, 1908 1,307,159 Steelreath June 17, 1919 1,679,382 Sjobring Aug. 7, 1928 1,849,914 Delvin Mar. 15, 1932 2,259,133 Harper Oct. 14, 1941 2,306,954 Kattenhorn Dec. 29, 1942 2,314,777 Farrington Mar. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 582,484 Germany Aug. 16, 1933

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