US2753174A - Mail scale - Google Patents

Description

July 3, 1956 G. A. THORSON 2,753,174

MAIL. SCALE Filed Feb. 25, 1952 INVENTOR.

GEORGE 0. 7710250 ATTORNEY United States Patent MAIL SCALE George A. Thorson, El Paso, Tex.

Application February 23, 1952, Serial No. 73,092

3 Claims. (Cl. 265-49) My invention relates in general to mail scales. It relates more in particular to a simple letter scale forming a part of or adapted to form a part of a conventional writing instrument.

Many instances arise in which a person mailing a letter is unable to tell whether one, two, or more stamps will be required. Illustrative of the situation is a traveling business man who wishes to air-mail a letter to his office in the evening for delivery the next day. Usually he finds that the post ofiices have closed and that there is no way in which he can tell whether he should use one or more air-mail stamps.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of a simple mail or letter scale which may readily be carried among ones personal effects in traveling;

Another object is the provision of such a scale incorporated as part of a writing instrument so that it may be carried on ones person;

Still another object is the provision of a scale of the character described which may be produced at such a low cost that it may be given away as a favor, advertising novelty, or the like;

Other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a pencil incorporating my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary partial section;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged end view;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view showing a modification;

Fig. 5 is an end view thereof; and

Fig. 6 shows the modification of Fig. 4 applied to a pencil, the view being partly broken away to illustrate the relationship of the parts.

According to the general principles of my invention, the scale of my invention comprises a shaft with a fulcrum near one end thereof and a groove or slot radially opposite to the fulcrum and spaced longitudinally therefrom, so that an envelope held with its edge in the groove will not raise the tip of the shaft when the device is resting with its fulcrum on a flat surface, unless the envelope and contents Weigh more than a predetermined amount, for example, one ounce.

Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, show the invention as incorporated into a standard type of automatic lead pencil which may be carried in the pocket or handbag and normally used as an ordinary pencil. A shown the device comprises a barrel 10 with tip 11 and lead 12 mechanically fed through the tip in any usual manner. A tubular body 13 similar to the usual retainer for an eraser 14 has a projection 16 shaped to rest on a table top or other flat surface to form a fulcrum about which the pencil may rock in a weighing operation. Spaced radially opposite to the projection 16, so as to be at the top of the pencil when it rests on the projection 16, are a pair of transverse longitudinally-spaced grooves 17 and 18. These grooves are of sufficient width to receive the edge of an envelope and accurately determine the point of application of the weight thereof when the envelope is rested against the hand in an upright position.

For convenience of illustration, I show the tubular body as relatively thick walled, but it may be formed of metal or plastic as determined by the design of the pencil of which it forms an integral part. The grooves are so positioned that groove 17 will support a load up to, for example, one ounce without raising the tip of the pencil; while the groove 18 is designed to support, for example, up to two ounces. When one has a letter to mail which may take, one, two, or three stamps, he can readily determine what is needed while in his hotel room, or wherever he may be.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 to 6 only a cylindrical body 21 is provided, suitably molded of plastic, but adapted to be formed of any proper material. The cylindrical body has a longitudinal slot 22 to give it some slight spring action around a suitable shaft to which it may be attached, such as a pencil or pen 23. Projections 24 on opposite sides of the slot act as a fulcrum, and two transverse grooves 26 and 27 are provided as in the first described embodiment. The device of Fig. 4 may be made to fit a particular known pen or pencil so that when it is fully applied in position as in Fig. 6, the weight distribution will be such as to produce the same functions as described in connection with Fig. 1. It may, however, be made to fit any pencil or similar shaft or stem device in which case its proper position may be obtained by testing with weight of known value, such as envelopes weighing one and two ounces respectively. In general, however, it is preferred that the structure and dimensions of the tubular body and pencil or the like be planned in advance, so that the device will be adapted for use with only a minimum of preparatory work.

I have described my invention in detail so that those skilled in the art may practice the same, but the scope of the invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A scale device of the character described, comprising a generally tubular body longitudinally split to engage frictionally about the end of a shaft such as of a writing instrument, projections on opposite sides of said split forming a fulcrum, and means forming a transverse groove radially opposite to said split, said groove being longitudinally spaced from said projections.

2. A single piece, generally tubular body adapted for application to an end of a writing instrument, said body being of much shorter length than the writing instrument, said tubular body having an integral projection adapted to engage a fiat surface to form a fulcrum and having a groove positioned radially opposite to said projection and being longitudinally spaced therefrom whereby a letter of sufiicient weight positioned in said groove will cause tilting of the body about said fulcrum when said body is applied to a writing instrument.

3. A device as recited in claim 2, said tubular body being longitudinally split whereby said device may frictionally engage the end of the writing instrument.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 93,720 Kepner Aug. 17, 1869 187,936 Thompson Feb. 27, 1877 549,534 Riess Nov. 12, 1895 593,927 Dodge Nov. 16, 1897 1,080,771 Meyer Dec. 9, 1913 1,318,595 Richie Oct. 14, 1919 2,157,807 Westermann May 9, 1939 2,335,693 Osterberg Nov. 30, 1943 2,586,443 Skelley Feb. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,480 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1895 504,103 Germany Dec. 22, 1928

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