US2587935A

US2587935A - Retractable pen device

Info

Publication number: US2587935A
Application number: US70011A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank C Wallace
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-01-10
Filing date: 1949-01-10
Publication date: 1952-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1969-03-04

Description

FIG. l.

F. C. WALLACE Filed Jan. 10, 1949 RETRACTABLE PEN DEVICE FIG. 2.

l allll////f/hff March 4, 1952 Y Patented Mar. 4, 1952 Frank c. Wallaoo, North Hollywood, calif.

Application January 10, 1949, Serial No. 70,011

8 Claims. l My present invention has to do with improvements in pens and has as its primary object the 'provision of a pen in which the writing element is automatically protracted and retracted by gravity in response to pointing the barrel either upwardly or downwardly.

Another Objectis to provide a lprotractable and retractable pen of this character in which the writing element isautomatically locked in protracted position by gravity movement of a lockingmember. A

Another object is to provide a protractable and retractable pen which is extremely simple and 4"economical of construction.

A further object is to provide a pen of this character which istso constructed as positively to prevent leakage of ink into a pocket in which the pen is being carried, and therefore requires no separate cover or sealing element for the writing end of the barrel.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I shall now describe a presently preferred ern-` lbodiment of my invention, for which .purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsection showing the writing element in retracted position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the writing element lock-ed in protracted position;

and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections taken on line 3--3 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

The pen has a barrel 5 which may be made of metal or plastic, the barrel being comprised of a lower or inner end portion 5d and an upper or outer end portion 5in-that is, por-tion 5d is the lower portion and 5b is the upper portion, when the writing element is retracted, although when `the writing element is protracted portion 5d` be `cornes the upper portion and portion 5b becomes the lower portion. Said

portions

5a, 5b are detachably secured together by means of sleevelike insert 'I which is force fitted into the open end of portion 5b, the sleeve having a reduced diameter, externally threaded part 'ld` onto which the open end of portion 5a is threaded.

Barrel portion l5b has a pointed outer end, open at 9 to pass the outer pointed end l0 of a writing element such as a ball pen element i l Such elements are of well known construction, comprising an ink tube l5 having a writing ball I6 mounted to freely rotate in its outer end,

Barrel portion 5a has a relatively thickened lower end portion 20 providing yan outwardly rfacing annular shoulder 2l, and a sleeve 25,

1z0-4ans) shaped to conform to the inner shape of the barrel, 'is frictionally ttedinto barrel .portion 5a, providing `an annular shoulder 26 against which the lower end of the writing element engages. A split sleeve 24 resiliently engages the lower end of the tube, the sleeve having an enlarged portion 2l to whieh is secured, as lby a screw 28,

an L-shaped member 30 having a depending arm 30d laterally offset from the axis of the ink tube. The portion 21 is toc large in diameter to pass the shoulder 26 into the reduced diameter porti-on 25a of the sleeve 25.

The inner portion 2 5a of the sleeve provides a cage slidably confining a weighted locking `member 35. The locking member has a cylindrical portion a and a `reduced diameter hemispherical end portion 35o, an annular shoulder 35o being provided at the intersection of portions 35a and 35h.

A carrying clip is secured to the barrel portion 5b as by arivet 4|. x l

The device is shown in Fig. l in inverted or retracted position, which ris the normal `position in which the open is carried in the pocket. In

that position writing element Il drops into the barrel` by gravity, Yits inward movement being arrested by the shoulder 26, and the locking member 35 normally rests against the flanged inner end 31 of the sleeve 25. It will be apparent that when the parts are in that position it is impossible for ink to leak from the pen unit into the Docket in which the pen` -is carried.

When it is desired to write with the pen, the

barrel is reversed end for end from the position of Fig. 1 to thatof Fig.o2, in which latter position lthe open end of the barrel is disposed downwardly. The writing element slides downwardly until the tapered portion of the pointed end of the writing element engages the inner periphery of the opening 9, `in which position the ball I5 is exposed for writing purposes. Simultaneously the locking member 35 slides by gravity in sleeve `25 until the arm 30a 'of element 3E! becomes sandwiched between the `inner surface of the sleeve and the outer surface of the hemispherical portion 35h, the outer end of `the arm 33a abutting against the shoulder 35c.` Thus, inward pressure on the writing element causes the writing element to bear at its inner end against the annular shoulder 26, preventing further inward movement of the writing element until the barrel is again inverted into the position of Fig. 1 or .into such position that the :parts will retract by shoulder 26 so that when the penis again returned to the position of Fig. 1, the arm 30a will readily slide downwardly past the shoulder 26 to permit instant retraction. The hemispherical shape of the portion 35h of the locking member also facilitates this free retractive action since it does not tend to wedge the arm 30a against the inner surface of the sleeve.

It will also be apparent that a pen maybe constructed very economically in accordance with my invention because it requires only a minimum of simple parts and assembly is greatly simplified.

I claim:

1. A pen device comprising a barrel open at its outer end, an elongated writing element mounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity through said open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writing element relative to the barrel, said barrel having an interior outwardlyl facing shoulder between its ends,an arm carried by the inner end of the writing element, said arm being laterally offset from the axis of the writing 'element and projecting therefrom in a direction Y to pointing the outer end of the barrel upwardly.

2. A pen device comprising a barrel open at its outer end, an elongated writing element nounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity through said open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writing element relative to the barrel, said barrel having an interior outwardly 4'facing shoulder between its ends, an arm carried `by the inner end of the writing element, said arm being laterally offset from the axis of the writing4 element and projecting therefrom in a ,direction towards the inner end of the barrel, a weight member mounted in the inner end portion of the barrel to move axially thereof by gravity, said weight member having a hemispherical outer end portion engageable against the arm to urge the arm against the inner surface of the barrel Yat a point outwardly from the shoulder when the outer end of the barrel is pointed downwardly, and being disengageable therefrom in response to pointing the outer end of the barrel upwardly.

3. A pen device comprising a barrel open at its outer end, an elongated writing element mounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity through said open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writing element relative to the barrel, said barrel having a bevelled interior outwardly facing shoulder between its ends, an arm carried by the inner end of the writing element, said arm being laterally offset from the axis of the writing element and projecting therefrom in a direction towards the inner end of the barrel,

a weight member mounted in the inner end porv f its outer end, an elongated writing element mounted in the barrel to move axially by gravity through said open outer end, means limiting axial movement of the writing element relative to the barrel, said barrel having a bevelled interior outwardly facing shoulder between its ends, an arm carried by the inner end of the writing element, said arm being laterally offset from the axis of the writing element and projecting therefrom in a direction towards the inner end of the barrel, a weight member mounted in the inner end portion of the barrel to move axially thereof by gravity, `said weight member having a hemispherical outer end portion engageable against the arm to urge the arm against the inner surface of the barrel at a point outwardly from the shoulder when the outer end of the barrel is pointed downwardly, and being disengageable therefrom in response to pointing the outer end of the barrel upwardly.

-5. A pen device comprising a barrel tapering towards and having an open outer end, a sleeve mounted in the barrel at a point spaced inwardly from its outer end, the sleeve having a reduced diameter portion providing an outwardly facing bevelled annular shoulder, a writing element having a tapered outer end portion and mounted to move by gravity axially in the barrel between a position in which its innervend engages said shoulder and a position in which its outer end engages the inner periphery of the opening in the outer end ofthe barrel, an arm carried by the inner end portion of the writing element, the arm being offset from the axis of the writing element and projecting therefrom in a direction towards the inner end of the barrel, a weight member mounted in the sleeve to move axially thereof by gravity, the weight member having a reduced upper end portion engageable against a side surface of the arm'to urge the arm against the inner surface of the sleeve at a point out- ,wardly from the shoulder when the outer end of the barrel is pointed downwardly and being movable by gravity out of said arm engaging position when the outer end of the barrel is pointed upwardly.

6. A pen device comprising a barrel tapering towards and having an open outer end, a sleeve mounted in the barrel at a point spaced inwardly from its outer end, the sleeve having a reduced diameter portion providing an outwardly facing bevelled annular shoulder, an ink tube having a tapered outer end carrying a writing ball, a sleeve fitting over the inner end of the tube, an arm carried by the latter sleeve, the arm being laterally odset from the axis of the tube and projecting from the sleeve in a direction 'towards the inner end of the barrel, and a cylindrical weight member mounted to move by gravity axially in the barrel toward and away from said annular shoulder, the weight member having a reduced diameter upper end portion engageable with a side surface of the arm to urge the arm against the inner surface of the rst mentioned sleeve when the barrel is disposed with its outer end pointed downwardly, and when the inner end of said arm is against lsaid annular shoulder.

7. A writing device comprising a barrel open at its outer end and presenting an interior outwardly facing annular shoulder, an elongated writing element having a writing implement on its outer end and an axially oifset projection extending beyond its inner end, said element being mounted in the barrel to move axially thereof through the open end of the barrel, and gravity movable means in the barrel operable when the barrel has its open end pointed downwardly to hold said projection against said shoulder, said means comprising a weighted spherical member mounted to move axially of the inner end portion of the barrel.

8. A gravity actuated, retractable point writing instrument comprising: a tubular cartridge for writing fluid, said cartridge being connected to a conical Writing head carrying a freely rotatable ball; an outer barrel provided with a writing port and a cartridge chamber in communication therewith, the inner surfaces of the chamber adjacent the port being adapted to form a seat for the writing head when in writing position; a recess in the barrel opposite said writing port and adapted to selectively receive the end of the tubular cartridge; a shoulder between the recess and the chamber. said shoulder being spaced from and facing the Writing port and engageable with the end of the cartridge when the writing head thereof is in writing position in the port;

and a weighted member slidably posmoned in the recess, cooperating means on said. member and said cartridge mutually engageable when said member is moved to the end of said recess nearest said shoulder. to cause the end of said cartridge to engage said shoulder, said cooperating means being completely disengaged when said member is moved in said recess away from said shoulder.

FRANK C. WALLACE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,408,256 Florman Sept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 52,733 Germany Aug. 6, 1890