US3049096A

US3049096A - Sharpener for pencils

Info

Publication number: US3049096A
Application number: US831182A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh H Hampton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-08-03
Filing date: 1959-08-03
Publication date: 1962-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1979-08-14

Description

Aug. 14, 1962 H. H. HAMPTON 3,049,096

SHARPENER FOR PENCILS Filed Aug. 5. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

Aug. 14, 1962 H. H. HAMPTON 3,049,096

SHARPENER FOR PENCILS Filed Aug. 5. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HUGH H. HAMPTON ATTORNEY rates This invention relates broadly to pencil Sharpeners, and particularly relates to sharpeners for pencils which have a casing from which the lead is mechanically fed from a reservoir stick of lead therein, such pencils being generally termed mechanical pencils.

Among the problems in known Sharpeners for such mechanical pencils are the proper aligning of the lead point with the sharpening blade to prevent breaking the lead point when inserting it into sharpening position; the releasing of a broken piece of lead from the cutting blades in the event that the point `should break in the process of sharpening; the automatic adjustment of the cutting blade to a cutting position; the protection of the conical portion of a mechanical pencil casing during the sharpening operation; and the disposing of the powdered graphite of the lead. It is the object of the present invention to provide means to overcome these problems and to provide an improved sharpener for mechanical pencils simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and efficient in operation.

Briefly stated, the invention herein comprises an elongated tubular housing member open at an end for rotatably receiving ltherein the pointed end of a mechanical pencil, the housing having an elongated resilient cutting blade carrier therein lwhich is loosely mounted and has intermediate its ends a pivotal point on which the cutting blade carrier has limited free lateral play or movement for automatic adjustment of cutting blades in relation to the alignment of a mechanical pencil point, the cutting blade carrier comprising a pair of elongated opposed resilient leaf spring arms connected at a lower end and ex tending from a lower portion of the housing towards the pencil-receiving opening and thereby providing an elongated generally U-shaped member, at least one of the resilient arms having a suitable cutting edge means adjacent to the open end of the casing. Suitable means are provided for bringing the cutting edge or edges into cutting relation with the lead point of a pencil, and releasing such lead point from the cutting edge in the event of the breakage of the lead point.

Preferred forms in which the invention may be exemplilied are described in the following specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings to which reference is made as a part hereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is :a vertical central longitudinal section of one form of the invention, on line 1-1 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section similar to FIG. l, with parts at a different operative position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a cutting blade, viewed from the rear face of the blade.

FIG. 4 is a lateral horizontal section of line 4 4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a modied form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical central longitudinal section on line 6 6 of FIG. 7, with parts at a ditferent operative position.

FIG. 7 is a lateral horizontal section on line 7 7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a vertical central longitudinal section of another modied form of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the apparatus of FIG. 8, viewed from the reverse side of FIG. 8, and with parts in a dilferent operative position.

3,049,096 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 V"lice FIG. 10 is a lateral horizontal section on line 10e-10 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a vertical centra-1 longitudinal section of another moditication of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a lateral horizontal section on line 12,-12 of FIG. 11.

Firstly referring particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, an elongated tubular housing member 15 is provided which is preferably externally cylindrical and may have at a lower portion of its length an axially elongated tube portion 16 which may preferably be substantially rectangular in a horizontal section normal to the axis, the lower end of the rectangular tube portion being of reduced dimension providing a discharge opening 17 having a `shoulder 18. At the opposite or upper end portion of lthe housing member is an internally cylindrical chamber 19. Within the lower rectangular portion 16, footed upon and loosely supported fby the shoulder 18, lthere is a resiliently-operative elongated cutting assembly means generally indicated 20, to be further described.

Within the cylindrical chamber 19 of the housing beyond the preferably rectangular portion and the cutting means 2t?, there is snugly mounted a rotatable and axially slidable pencil-tip guide 21 which is externally cylindrical and has au axial inverted conical bore or socket 22 therethrough convergingly tapered to an opening 22a at the inverted apex adjacent to :the cutting assembly. The cylindrical chamber 19 is of greater axial length than the tip guide 21 for permitting the tip guide to slide axially therein.

At or adjacent to its free terminal end the cylindrical chamber 19 has a fixed annular guide collar 23 sufficiently spaced relative to the tip guide 21 to permit the tip guide to slide axially within the cylindrical chamber, and be retained therein by the guide collar 23.

The cutting assembly means generally indicated 20 is mounted in ythe lower elongated rectangular tube portion 16, and comprises a pair of relatively telescoped retroverted resilient elongated leaf spring members which are generally irregularly U-shaped the outer spring member 25 being a cam strip, and the inner spring member 26 being a cutting blade carrier which is telescoped longitudinally and loosely slidable Within the cam spring member 25, so that it may oscillate or have limited lateral and vertical play therein.

The cam spring member 25 is provided with a b-ase crossbar 27 which may seat loosely upon the shoulder 18 and has elongated resilient

opposed spring arms

28, 29 extending upwardly from the opposite ends of the crossbar, the spring tension of the

arms

28, 29 being inwardly relatively toward each other. Arm 29 may be longer than the arm 28, preferably extending to approximately the upper end of the rectangular tube 16, and having intermediate its length a suitalbly formed inwardly extended guide portion 30. The relatively opposite spring arm 28 of member 25 is preferably shorter than spring ann 29 and of lesser length than the rectangular tube 16, `being provided at its free upper end with a cam head 31 which is thereby intermediate the ends of the inner spring member 26.

The inner spring member 26 is a cutting lblade carrier for engaging the lead points of pencils which are to be sharpened, and comprises a base crossbar 32, from each opposite end of which there extends upwardly a spring strip cutter arm, respectively 33, 34, the arm 33 riding in facial contact with the inwardly turned guide portion 30 of arm 29, whereas the arm 34 of the inner spring member has an outwardly formed cam follower portion having a cam follower face 35 vertically inclined outwardly and upwardly whereby it contacts and rides upon the cam head 31 and due to the said loose mounting of the inner member 26, it may rock upon said contacting cam faces aca-anse to provide the above-mentioned limited lateral and vertical play. At the terminal upper end either or both of the

cutter arms

33, 34 may be iianged perpendicularly as at 36 for contacting the lower face of the tip guide 21. Adjacent to the free terminal ends the

cutter arms

33, 34 are preferably bent slightly outwardly to conform with the desired angle of a pencil point, as shown in FIG. 2, and are provided with cutter blades or edegs 37, which are preferably integral with the cutter arms. The cutter blades may comprise longitudinal slits 38 in the terminal end portion of said arms, the opposed edges of such slits being turned slightly inwardly from the plane of the arm to provide the cutting blades 37, the slits of the cutting blades being inclined downwardly and converging toward each other at a proper angle to contact the lead point of a pencil which is engaged thereby, as shown in FlG. 2.

The spring tension of the

cutter arms

33, 34 is expandable outwardly relatively, and the spring tension of the

cam arms

28, 29 of spring member 25 is slightly inward relatively suicient to maintain suitable pressure contact between cam head 31 and cam follower 35. Therefore, the cam head 31 riding against the inclined cam follower face 3S normally urges the

spring arm members

33, 34 of the cutting blade carrier to move upwardly which, in turn, raises the slidable tip guide 21 to a raised position in chamber 19, such upward movement being stopped by guide collar 23, as shown in FIG. l.

ln operation a mechanical pencil, indicated A, may have its conical tip B and protruding lead point C inserted through the guide collar 23 and into the conical bore 22 of the rotatable tip guide, the conical taper and the relatively small opening 22a of the tip guide snugly iitting the conica-l point portion of the pencil casing, with the lead point only protruding through the opening 22a, which thus protects the pencil casing against contact with the cutter blades. By axial pressure upon the pencil, the tip guide 21 is depressed against the flange 36 of the upwardlyurged cutter blade carrier 26, which, in turn, depresses the cutter blade carrier and its

resilient cutter arms

33, 34. Since the

spring arms

33, 34 are loosely supported between the guide portion and cam head 31 and are longitudinally slidable in the spring member 25, such depressing of said carrier causes the cam follower surface 35 to ride to its high point against cam head 31 (as in PEG. 2), thus spreading the

resilient arms

28, 29 of the cam spring member relatively outwardly, and simultaneously compressing the resilient cutter arms 33, 3d relatively inwardly, whereupon the cutter blades 37 are positioned sufficiently closely spaced relative to the opening 22a for engaging the lead of the pencil point, at which position the pencil casing and housing 15 may be relatively rotated because of the rotatable mounting of the tip guide 21.

The loose support and mounting of the cutter blade carrier 26 between the inwardly-formed guide 3G and cam head 31 provides a pivot point intermediate the ends of the arms on which the blade carrier may slightly oscillate to provide a small amount of free lateral movement of the cutter blades and thus accomplish an automatic adjustment of the alignment of the cutting blades to Varying types of pencil casings and thicknesses of lead, and automatically corrects any ymisalignment of the axis of a pencil lead in relation to the cutting blades. Having sharpened a point, the retraction and removal of the pencil casing from the conical socket 22 permits the cutter blade carrier 26 to rise responsive to the outward expansive tension of the cam face 35 of member 26 and the inward tension of the spring member 2S, the cam head 31 acting against the follower face 35 to urge the carrier 26 upwardly, which thereby raises the tip guide 21 and spreads the

cutter blade arms

33, 34 relatively for a repeat of operation. If the lead point of the pencil breaks in the sharpening thereof, such spreading of the cutter blade arms immediately drops the broken piece of lead free and clear of the blades and it may drop through the blades and out of the lower opening 17, upon removal of a plug 17a in said opening.

l Manifestly powdered -lead may be disposed of in a similar manner.

In the modilication exemplified in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the elongated cylindrical hollow tubular housing has an elongated lower tube portion 51 axially thereof, being preferably rectangular, and within which is mounted a cutting assembly generally indicated 52 which is longitudinally slidable in the rectangular tube. The tube has an opening 53 at its lower end for discharge of powdered lead or broken pieces thereof, and may have a shoulder 5d to delimit the downward movement of the cutting blade assembly 52.

At its opposite upper end portion beyond the rectangular tube 51 the housing is internally cylindrical providing a cylindrical chamber 55 within which is a tip guide member 56 of lesser length than chamber 55 and axially slidable and rotatable therein, the tip guide member having a conical bore 57 axially therethrough converging toward the blade assembly `and having an end opening 57a for receiving a pencil point therethrough. At its free terminal end said cylindrical chamber houses a fixed annular guide col-lar 53, for holding the tip guide in the cylindrical chamber.

In the cutting `blade assembly 52 in FIGS. 5 to 7 there is a pair of generally U-shaped elongated strip members disposed at 90 degrees relatively and comprising a guide member 59 and a cutter blade carrier 60 interengaged relatively by telescoping the guide member longitudinally into the blade carrier. The cutter blade carrier is of spring strip material, and the guide memlber may, though not necessarily, be also characterized by resiliency. The guide member 59 has a base crossbar 61 which is mounted within the closed end of the U-shaped cutter blade carrier 6). From :the opposite ends of said crossbar of the guide member there are elongated leaf arms 62 which extend lengthwise upwardly from each end of the crossbar 61 and at their upper terminal ends are flanged inwardly toward each other as at 63, said flanges being adapted to be contacted by the adjacent lower end face of the tip guide member 56.

The U-shaped cutter iblade carrier 6'0 likewise has at its closed end a base crossbar 64, the lateral plane of which underlies and is parallel to the lateral plane of crossbar 61 of the guide member 59 with which it is in substantial Contact, said crossbar 64 having at its opposite ends upwardly extending opposed parallel spring arms 65 which are in planes at right ang-les to `the planes of the arms of crossbar 61 and which have cutter blades 66 at the upper terminal end adjacent to and underlying the inturned flanges 63, of the guide member, the cutter blades being substantially similar to the cutter blades described in FIGS. l to 4. The spring tension of the arms 65 is expandingly outward relatively. intermediate the ends of the cutter blade arms 65 each of said arms is provided with an outwardly `formed bend 67 providing upwardly and outwardly inclined cam follower faces 63 which are in loosely slidable contact with suitable cam faces 69, provided by the inner ends of set screws adjustably mounted through the wall of housing 5t) at such position that the cam faces of the screws may contact the inclined cam follower faces 68 of the cutter arms. Thus, by the outward spring action of arms 65 coupled with the cam action the cutter blade assembly is raised and the free ends of the spring arms expand outwardly relatively, simultaneously raising the tip guide '56 in chamber 55.

When the cutter blade assembly and tip guide are at raised position the casing of a mechanical pencil may be inserted through guide collar 58 with the conical tip of the pencil casing engaged in conical bore socket 57 and its lead point extending through opening 57a, as shown in FIG. 5, to which position the cutter assembly and tip guide are moved responsive to the upward spring-actuated movement of the inclined cam followers 68 against the cam faces 69. Upon pressure axially upon the pencil casing, the tip guide 56 is depressed and thereby depresses the guide member 59 and its arms 62; and since the crossbar 61 thereof overlies the crossbar 64 of the cutter blade carrier, the latter is likewise depressed, which draws the inclined cam follower faces 68 across the cam faces 69 and thereby moves the cutter arms engaged thereby toward each other, as in FIG. 6, to engage the cutter blade with the lead point of the pencil tip which extends through the conical bore opening 57a, the pencil being rotated in tip guide 58 in the sharpening operation. Upon retraction of the pencil tip from the conical bore the entire cutter assembly 52 rebounds resiliently upwardly responsive to the expanding pressure of cam follower faces 68 against the cam faces 69, thereby lifting the guide strip member 59 because the base crossbar 61 of the guide strip overlies the base crossbar 64 of the cutter blade carrier, thus again raising the tip guide 56 to its initial position for repeat operation. As previously described, the loosely free seating and support of the cutting blade carrier on the cams 69 intermediate the ends of the arms of the cutter blade carrier permits sufiicient rocking play or free lateral movement of the cutting blades for automatically ladjusting them in relation to alignment of the lead point of the pencil. Any portion of the lead broken in the sharpening operation is dropped from the cutting blades by the relative spreading thereof upon withdrawal of the pencil and spreading of the cutting blades by the upward movement of the assembly 52. Any powderedlead may also drop through opening 53.

In FIGS. 8 to l0, a further modification is disclosed in which mechanical means are provided for rotating the housing and cutting blades relative to a pencil, this modiiication being especially adapted for employment in a base stand such as a desk set or the like.

An externally cylindrical tubular housing 80 is provided having at its upper end a fixed annular guide collar 81 for receiving therethrough the tip portion of a mechanical pencil casing whereby the conical tip of the pencil casing may be inserted in the conical socket bore 82 and small end opening 82a of a tip guide 83, the latter being rotatably and slidably mounted in a cylindrical chamber portion 84 next adjacent to collar 81, the chamber being of greater length than the tip guide to permit the latter to slide axially therein. Below the cylindrical chamber there is an elongated tubular portion 85 in the housing, which is preferably rectangular, as previously described. Mounted in the rectangular tube portion is a retroverted irregularly U-shaped integral cutter-blade carrier 86 provided with relatively retroverted

elongated spring arms

87 and 88 which are preferably of fiat spring strip material and are relatively spaced in opposed generally parallel planes with expanding tension outwardly relative to each other. The arm 87 has a flange 89 at its free terminal end for contact with the lower adjacent face of the tip guide 83. The other spring arm 88 has a portion intermediate its ends bent outwardly providing a cam follower face 90 which rides in axial slidable contact with a cam face 91 of an adjustable set screw 92 mounted through the housing, the cutter-blade member having a relatively small amount of lateral play or free rocking movement by being .freely mounted and supported intermediate its ends on the cam for self-adjusting alignment of its cutting blades 93 relative to the lead of the pencil, as shown in FIG. 9.

As in other exemplications of the invention, the upper terminal end portions of the

spring arms

87, 88 which are adjacent to tip guide 83 mount the cutter blades 93. The normal position of the tip guide 83 is at raised position (FIG. 8) and depressing of the tip guide by insertion therein and slight pressure of the conical tip of a mechanical pencil casing, thereupon depresses the blade carrier 86, whereby the cam follower 90, acting upon the cam 91, brings the cutting blades into close relative proximity for engaging the lead point of the pencil which extends through the opening 82a of a conical socket bore 82. Upon withdrawal of the pressure of the pencil from the socket 82 the cam follower and cam again raise the spring member 86 and the tip guide 83 to an initial position for repeat operation, such raising of the

spring arms

87, 88 spreading the blades to remove therefrom any broken portion of the lead point.

Means are provided for mechanically rotating the assembly of housing 80, spring member 86, and cutting blades 93, with relation to the tip guide 83 and a pencil tip engaged in the socket thereof. Such a means may comprise an elongated helical strip 94 having one end secured in a spider block 95 fixedly mounted in the lower end of the housing 80 and having openings therethrough for disposition of powdered and broken lead. The opposite end of the helical blade passes `slidably through a slot 96 of a cross strip 97 mounted laterally transversely through a tubular cylindrical guide member or casing 98 into which the housing 80 is snugly slidable axially, the latter being supported vertically by any suitable base member 98a. A helical coil spring 99 in the guide casing may provide expansive tension and compression against which the housing 80 may be resiliently reciprocated in the tubular member 98, causing the helical blade to slide through the slot 96 and thereby rotate the cylindrical housing 80 as well as the spring arms 86 and blades 93, with relation to the lead of a pencil point and a pencil tip engaged in the tip guide 83, the tip guide and housing 80 having relative rotation therebetween. Since the purpose of the coil spring is to provide a resilient action to vertical reciprocation of the pencil sharpening mechanism, the spring 99 should have an expansive tension value sufficient to maintain the resilient cutter blades in cutting-contact with a pencil point during the reciprocation of the tubular housing 80 in the tube 98.

In FIGS. 11 and 12 a simplified form of the invention is disclosed in which there is a cylindrical tubular casing 100 having therein an elongated longitudinal tube 101, which is preferably rectangular in lateral section in a lower major portion of its length. The opposite upper portion of the tubular casing has a cylindrical chamber 102 and within the outer end portion of which is mounted a fixed annular pencil guide collar 103. Between the guide collar and the adjacent end of the rectangular tube, there is rota-tively mounted in the cylindrical chamber 102 a pencil tip guide 104 having an inverted conical tapered socket bore 105 converging downwardly to an opening 105a therethrough. In this modification it is not necessary for the tip guide to slide axially in chamber 102 and its inner end may rest freely for rotation on a shoulder 102a which is formed at the juncture between the rectangular and cylindrical portions of the tube 101. Adjacent to the opposite or lower end of the tubular casing there is moun-ted through the wall thereof -a pin 106 of relatively small diameter, below which there is an opening 107 through which powdered or broken pieces of lead may drop out of the casing. Within the rectangular tube 101, and having its lower end seated loosely on the pin 106, there is a cutter blade carrier generally indicated 108, comprising an integral spring s-trip retroverted upon itself to provide a generally U-shaped member having at its closed end a crossbar 109 loosely supported on pin 106 with sufficient freedom to permit a limited rocking movement of the blade carrier on its mounting, as previously described. From each of the opposite ends of the crossbar 109, there extends upwardly a spring arm y110, 111, said arms being in generally parallel spaced planes, and tensioned or spring-biased outwardly relatively. The opposite upper ends of the arms are free and terminate at substantially the upper end of the rectangular tube 101, in closely spaced relation relative to opening 105a of the conical bore 105. Adjacent said upper free terminal end each arm is provided at the respective` opposed faces with the cutting blades 112 which may be formed in the spring arms 110, 111 similarly as described in FIGS. l to 4. Normally these arms and cutter blades thereof are relatively spaced at said free end of the arms responsive to the expansively outward spring tension of the arms. Means are provided for manually bringing the cutter blades into close relative proximity suthciently to engage therebetween the lead point of a pencil extending through opening ltliSa, such means comprising a pair of oppositely spaced manually operable plunger buttons il@ having extended shanks which are mounted in and extend loosely slidable through opposite openings lll through the housing wall intermediate the ends of the rectangular tube portion. The shanks of the buttons are not lixedly connected to the spring arms, but have their respective inner ends bearing by a free facial pressure only upon a longitudinally central portion intermediate the ends of the spring arms H0, lll which tension or spring-bias the plungerlbuttons outwardly so that the opposite ends of the spring arms have a limited amount of lateral play by rocking oscillation of the spring arms on the inner contacting ends of the button Shanks.

In operation of Ithe modification of FIGS. l1 and l2, When a mechanical pencil is inserted through the collar 103 with the conical tip of the pencil casing seated in the conical socket bore 105, `the lead point of the pencil extends through the opening ltla and the lead point is positioned between the cutting blades 112, whereupon the plunger buttons 113 may be manually pressed to bring the cutting blades into contact with the lead point. The loose mounting of the crossbar lil@ of the spring arms on the pin 106, and the spring-pressure engagement of the arms intermediate their ends by the end of the shank of respective plunger buttons 113 permits the cutting blades sufficient play or freedom of oscillation on the pivot point of the inner ends of the Shanks of the plunger buttons to automatically adjust the cutting blades to the alignment of the axis of conical bore 16M, ltlSa and the pencil point, the tip guide 194 protecting the conical tip of the pencil casing. Any broken portions of lead point may be dropped clear of the cutting blades upon release of pressure on 4the plunger buttons.

Obviously the sharpening operation in all of the described devices contemplates a rotation of the pencil and cutting blades relative to each other when the cutting blades are in cutting relation.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and patentable is:

l. Apparatus for sharpening pencils, including a tubular housing having therein a cylindrical chamber adjacent to one end portion, a pencil tip guide rotatable and axially slidable in said cylindrical chamber and having an inverted conical axial bore therethrough providing an opening at the inverted apex of the bore, a resilient cutter blade assembly mounted in the opposite end portion of the housing, said cutter blade assembly including a pair of elongated substantially U-shaped members one of which is telescoped in the other, and one of said U-shaped members being a cutter blade carrier having a pair of spring arms tensioned outward relatively and having free terminal ends adjacently spaced from the tip guide, at least one of said arms having a cutter blade at the free terminal end thereof, and means responsive to the axial reciprocation of the tip guide for resiliently urging said free terminal ends of the arms toward each other adjacently to the said opening of the conical bore of the tip guide whereby the lead point of a pencil extending through the said inverted opening of the tip guide may be engaged between said free terminal ends and the cutter blade carried thereby.

2. A Sharpener device for pencils las set forth in claim 1, the said cutter blade carrier being mounted loosely in the housing for oscillation and being axially slidable therein, said carrier having a cam follower portion intermediate the ends thereof, and including cam means engaging said cam follower portion and urging the cutter blade carrier axially of the tubular housing toward the slidable tip guide.

Cit

3. A pencil sharpening device of the character described as set forth in claim l, and including means engaging the cutter blade carrier intermediate the opposite ends thereof and providing a pivot point about which the cutter blade may oscillate.

4. A Sharpener device for pencils as set forth in claim l, said cutter blade carrier being axially slidable longitudinally of the housing and having an upwardly and outwardly inclined cam follower portion intermediate the ends thereof, and cam means engaging said cam follower portion and adapted for urging the cutter blade carrier in one axial direction towards the slidable tip guide and urging the cutter blade arms toward each other when the tip guide depresses the cutter blade carrier in an opposite direction.

5. Apparatus for sharpening pencils as set forth in claim 1, the said cam means loosely engaging the cutter blade carrier intermediate the opposite ends thereof and providing a pivot point about which the cutter blade carrier may oscillate.

6. A Sharpener device for pencils comprising a tubular housing having therein a cylindrical chamber adjacent one end portion, a pencil tip guide rotatable and axially slidable in said cylindrical chamber and having an inverted conical axial bore therethrough, said bore having a smaller opening at one end portion of the chamber, an elongated cutter blade carrier mounted axially in the opposite end portion of the housing, said cutter blade carrier including a Spring strip retroverted upon itself to provide an elongated generally U-shaped member having a closed end and a pair of spring arms extending from Said closed end toward said tip guide, said arms being tensioned outwardly relatively and having cutter blade means at the free end thereof adjacent to the tip guide, a cam follower portion intermediate the ends of at least one of said arms, and cam means engaging said cam follower portion, said cam and cam follower portion being actuated by axially sliding of the tip guide for cooperating in one direction to urge the cutter blade carrier toward the tip guide and thereby spreading its arms outward relatively and cooperating in the opposite direction to urge the cutter blades toward each other whereby the cutter blade means is positioned in alignment with the opening of the conical bore.

7. Apparatus for sharpening pencils as set forth in claim 6, the said cam means comprising a substantially U-shaped spring strip member retroverted upon itself and having arms tensioned relatively inwardly, said cutter blade carrier being longitudinally telescoped into said cam strip member, the spring cam strip member having a cam portion loosely bearing against the cam follower portion of the cutter blade carrier.

8. A pencil sharpening device of the character described as set forth in claim 6, and in which the cam member loosely supports the cutter blade carrier intermediate the opposite ends thereof whereby the free terminal ends of the cutter blade carrier may loosely oscillate for adjusting the cutter blade in alignment with the axis of the conical bore.

9. In a Sharpener device for pencils, having a tubular housing, a pencil tip guide rotatably mounted in one end portion of the tubular housing, said tip guide having an inverted conical bore axially therethrough, a cutter blade carrier mounted in the housing including a spring strip retroverted upon itself to provide an elongated generally U-shaped member having a closed end mounted in the end portion of the housing opposite to the tip guide, the said U-shaped member having a pair of spring arms extending from said closed end and spring-tensioned outwardly relatively whereby the free ends thereof are normally spaced apart, the free ends of said arms terminating adjacently to the tip guide, at least one of said arms having a cutter blade at the free end portion thereof adjacent to the tip guide, and means for selectively urging said normally spaced free ends of the arms toward each other adjacently to the conical bore of the tip guide whereby the lead point of a pencil in the tip guide may be positioned between said spaced free ends of the arms in contact with the cutter blade, the combination therewith of means for axially rotating the tubular housing and cutter blade carrier relative to the tip guide, comprising a tubular guide casing into which one end portion of the tubular housing is snugly rotatable and slidable axially, a helical coil spring supported longitudinally within the guide casing, a helical blade xedly connected to the end portion of the tubular housing and rotatably extending longitudinally through the coil spring, and slotted means within the guide casing slidably receiving the helical blade therethrough for rotating said blade on its axis whereby the said tubular housing and cutter blade carriers may be axially rotated when the tubular housing and the guide casing are relatively reciprocated.

l0. A Sharpener device for pencils comprising an elongated tubular housing, a pencil tip guide member rotatably mounted in one end portion of the tubular housing, said tip guide having an inverted conical bore axially therethrough for receiving a pointed end of a pencil, an elongated cutter blade carrier longitudinally mounted loosely in the housing between said tip guide and the opposite end of the housing, said loose mounting providing for limited amount of lateral movement at the opposite ends of the blade carrier, said carrier comprising a spring strip retroverted upon itself as an elongated generally U-shaped member having a closed end loosely mounted in the end portion of the housing opposite the tip guide, the said U-shaped blade carrier having a pair of elongated spring arms extending from said loosely mounted closed end portion, and the opposite free ends of said arms terminating adjacently to the tip guide, at least one of said arms having a cutter blade at the free end portion thereof adjacent to the tip guide, the said arms being spring-tensioned oppositely relatively whereby said arms and the free end portions thereof at the cutter blade are normally spaced apart, and means at the exterior of the housing spring-biased outwardly by engagement with the spring arms, and being manually operable inwardly against said spring arms for urging said normally spaced free end portions of the spring arms toward each other at said blade portion of the arms, said last mentioned means having free facial Contact bearing against the spring arms centrally intermediate the ends of said arms, whereby the spring arms may rockingly oscillate on said facial contact bearing for aligning the loosely mounted blade portion of the blade carrier with the axis of the conical bore of the tip guide.

ll. A sharpening device for pencils, as set forth in claim l0, and in which said means manually operable at the exterior of the housing for manually urging the normally spaced free end portions of the spring arms toward each other, comprises a pair of plunger buttons relatively opposed, respectively, exterior of the housing and each having an extended shank extending slidably inwardly through the wall of the housing, the inner end of the respective Shanks having free facial bearing contact against an adjacent one of said spring arms, whereby said buttons are spring-biased outwardly and manually operable inwardly against said spring arms, said free facial bearing contact being in centrally spaced relation intermediate the ends of the arms whereby said opposite ends of the spring arms `may rockingly oscillate on said facial bearing Contact for aligning the `blade bearing end of the blade carrier with the axis of the conical bore of the tip guide member, the said spring arms being substantially parallelly spaced relatively and integral throughout the length thereof, the said arms being connected integrally at the end thereof opposite the blade-mounting end, whereby said arms are spring biased outwardly in the centrally intermediate portion thereof upon which said inner ends of the button Shanks have free facial bearing contact.

Anderson Sept. 6, 191() Boye Apr. 23, l9l8