US3085554A - Writing instrument for producing lines of varied width - Google Patents

Description

A. CAPLAN 3,085,554

WRITING INSTRUMENT FOR PRODUCING LINES OF VARIED WIDTH April 16, 1963 Filed July 28, 1961 INVENTOR.

Anhur Caplan ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,085,554 WRITING INSTRUMENT FOR PRODUCING LINES 0F VARIED WIDTH Arthur Caplan, 52 Broadway, New York 4, N.Y. Filed July 28, 1961, Ser. No. 127,591 4 Claims. (Cl. 12042.2)

This invention relates to writing instruments, and more particularly concerns a writing device which may be manipulated to produce lines of a desired width.

Ball point pens can produce lines of but a single thickness. Individuals may have a preference as to the thickness of line produced by a writing instrument but such preference can only be fulfilled by selecting the point of such an instrument of the more conventional type.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an instrument for forming lines having a variation in width; the width of the line being controlled by the user of the instrument through manipulation of the instrument in the hand of the user.

A further object of this invention is to provide a writing instrument having a movable ink applying tip of a configuration which is capable of producing lines of varied thickness, the tip having combined rotational and angular movement to insure movement of the tip in any position of the instrument so that ink will be passed to the tip at all times.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a writing instrument embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the writing tip thereof;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the movable writing element in one position thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, showing the writing element in another position thereof Essentially, the writing instrument of the instant invention comprises a barrel open at one end for receiving therein a movable nib having a cylindrical ink receiving and ink applying surface which is in ink receiving relation to ink feeding means within the barrel. Since the writing surface of the nib is cylindrical, if the instrument is held in a manner while writing to have the longitudinal axis of the nib coincident with the direction of movement of the instrument, then the line produced will be of minimal thickness.

Hovever, if the instrument is held in a manner to locate the longitudinal axis of the nib at an angle to the direction of movement of the instrument, then the width or thickness of the line produced will be varied and increased up to a maximum equal to the length of the cylindrical Writing surface.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a writing instrument embodying the invention. The same comprises a tubular holder 11 with a rectangular bore 12 for receiving therein a barrel member 13. Barrel member 13 holds a supply of ink 14 such as normally used in ball point pens, which is fed to the lower end of member 13 by way of a passage 15.

The lower end portions of holder 11 and member 13 have a slight corresponding taper to locate member 13 relative to holder 11 so that the bottom end 16 of member 13 projects somewhat below the bottom end 17 of holder 11.

A writing nib or tip 18 is movably mounted in the lower end portion of member 13. Tip 1'8 is generally cylindrical with hemispherical ends 19. Tip 18 is mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis and also for limited angular movement about an axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of member 13. To this end, the lower portion 20 of member 13 is formed with a generally rectangular opening 21 which is defined at its opposite ends by grooves 22 of arcuate section for receiving the hemispherical ends 19 of tip 18..

The grooves 22 which act as bearings for the opposite ends of tip 1 8 terminate at their opposite ends at the side edges 23 of opening 21. As indicated in FIG. 2, grooves 22 are of a configuration and disposition to locate the longitudinal axis of tip 18 as at XX, at a horizontal level slightly above the bottom end 16 of member 13, thus retaining tip 18 in place while the same is free to rotate about axis XX and further, to have angular displacement as indicated in FIG. 4.

It is understood that barrel member 13 is non-turnable in holder 11, and holder 11 may be held in the hand of the writer in various positions to vary the thickness of the line formed by tip 18 as the same is supplied with ink 14 over the surface portion indicated between lines A, B. Thus, with device 10 held in a position to make axis XX of tip 18 coincident with the direction of movement of said device, then the line formed will be of minimum thickness.

If device 10 is turned in the writers hand to locate axis XX of tip 1 8 at an angle to the direction of movement of said device, then the line inscribed will vary in thickness accordingly. The line so inscribed will have maximum thickness when the axis XX of tip 18 is at right angles to the direction of movement of device, such thickness being measured by the distance between lines A, B. When tip 18 is angularly related to the direction of movement of device 10, tip 18 will rotate about its axis XX to allow feed of ink 14 through channel 15, thereto.

When device is held to form a line of minimum thickness, tip 18 will still have limited angular movement in grooves 22, allowing for a rotational component thereof to permit feed of ink to the tip. The minim-a1 thickness of such an inscribed line is indicated at W in FIG. 4. The grooved portion 20 of member 13 may be formed by a swaging or other suitable metal working operation to provide the inwardly turned portions of grooves 22 whereby to hold tip 18 therein while allowing the same to rotate and to have angular deviation as Well.

It will be apparent that the device 10 may be held in a manner to produce inscribed lines of varying thickness and further, when held in a position to produce lines of minimal thickness, the tip 18 is adapted to orient itself in bearing grooves 22 with a rotational component of the translating force which moves the device 10 as a whole.

As various changes might be made in the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A writing instrument comprising a tubular ink containing member having elongated opening at one end thereof, a cylindrical writing tip movably mounted in the open end of said member, the opposite end wall portions of said member at the opening thereof being formed with bearing grooves to receive the opposite ends of said tip therein, each of said bearing grooves being elongated and having an extent between the opposite ends thereof substantially greater than the diameter of the bearing ends of said cylindrical tip to allow angular movement of said tip, in displacement of its longitudinal axis, relative to the longitudinal axis of said opening while permitting rotational movement thereof.

2. A writing instrument as in claim 1 wherein the opposite ends of said tip are of hemispherical shape and said bearing grooves are of arcuate section to receive the hemispherical end portions of the tip therein.

3. A Writing instrument comprising a barrel with an elongated opening at one end thereof, ink feeding means in said barrel communicating with said opening, a cylindrical nib having a cylindrical writing surface, elongated bearing means at the opposite ends of said opening for receiving the opposite ends of said nib, said opening having a width at the opposite ends thereof greater than the diameter of said nib and each of said bearing means having an extent between the opposite ends thereof substantially greater than the diameter of the bearing ends of References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Oct. 29, 1951 France Nov. 21, 1951

Claims (1)

1. A WRITING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A TUBULAR INK CONTAINING MEMBER HAVING ELONGATED OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF, A CYLINDRICAL WRITING TIP MOVABLY MOUNTED IN THE OPEN END OF SAID MEMBER, THE OPPOSITE END WALL PORTIONS OF SAID MEMBER AT THE OPENING THEREOF BEING FORMED WITH BEARING GROOVES TO RECEIVE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TIP THEREIN, EACH OF SAID BEARING GROOVES BEING ELONGATED AND HAVING AN EXTENT BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BEARING ENDS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL TIP TO ALLOW ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID TIP, IN DISPLACEMENT OF ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, RELATIVE TO THE LONGITUDIANL AXIS OF SAID OPENING WHILE PERMITTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREOF.

Images