US824863A - Penholder and other finger-held tool. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OAR-L HOLBO RN, OF GGTTINGEN, GERMANY.

PENHOLDER AND OTHER FINGER-HELD TOOL.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed December 15, 1905'. Serial No. 291 890.

To a w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL HOLBORN, a subj ect of the German Emperor, residin at Gottingen, in the Empire of Germany, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Penholders and other Finger-Held Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to penholders, pencil-holders, artists brushes, engraving-tools, knitting-needles, crochet-hooks, and other finger-held tools or instruments.

The purpose of the invention is to construct them in a novel manner, so as to provide the operative finger of the user with a support which insures steadiness and accuracy in working and which is adapted to prevent the unintentional movements, contractions, and twitchings of the fingers to which nervous people and those sufl'ering from Writers cramp or the like are subject when using the tools or instruments in question.

The invention is also useful for instructing children in the manner in which penholders should be held durin writing.

The invention is iflustrated in the annexed drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a penholder, partly in section, constructed with the improved finger attachment. Fig. 2 represents the two annular parts forming the finger attachment.

As shown in the drawings, the penholder or similar instrument is made in se arable parts and comprises the two rings a, orming the finger attachment. These are of different diameters, corresponding to the shape of the finger to be inserted thereinto. The said rings can be made of vulcanite aluminium with india-rubber lining or other suitable material and are fixable to the penholder in such a manner that when the users forefinger has been inserted into the said rings the penholder is firmly connected with the said finger. There is therefore no necessity for the writer to exert the tight grip or hold which is usually the cause of writers cramp and of bad unsteady handwriting.

For the purpose of fixing the rings to the penholder the said rings are provided with perforated lugs 0, adapted to be engaged between a center piece d, which forms part of the said holder, and the end parts I) of the latter screwed to the center piece. The center piece (1 is exchangeable the length thereof, being selected according to the length of the users finger. If desired, small perforated disks or distance-pieces can be added to regulate the distance between the two rings. The arrangement described can be modified by fixing the two rings in juxtaposition at that end of the center piece (1 which is nearest to the nib, the said two rings serving for the reception of the forefinger and thumb, respectively. These two rings can be of substantially e ual size, owing to the similarity between t e thickness of those parts of the thumb and forefinger which are inserted into said rings. This arrangement allows of holding the pen with great steadiness without exerting any pressure whatever.

As has already been indicated, the improved finger attachment described can also be used in connection with pencils, brushes, engraving-tools, knitting-needles, crochethooks, and the like and in all cases reduces to a minimum the strain on the muscles of the hand holding the tool or instrument in question, so that the said tool or instrument can be controlled with great steadiness and accuracy. The fact that the rings forming the finger attachment are angularly or rotarily adjustable allows of using a penholder provided with said attachment for various styles of handwritingfor instance, for writing with a backward slant or in Gothic characters. For this purpose the rings are so adjusted that when the finger has been inserted thereinto in the normal manner the position of the penholder is suitable for the style of writing required. It is obvious that rings for the forefinger and thumb can be used separately or together, so that the improved finger attachment can, for instance, be used by persons who have lost or injured either the forefinger or thumb of the hand required for holding the tool.

Annular finger attachments for penholders and pencils are not in themselves novel. The novelty of the resent invention lies in the arrangement w ch allows of fixing rings of any desired size to a penholder or other tool by means of a detachable center piece which forms part of the said tool, the rings being engaged between the said center and end pieces in such a manner that they are rotarily adjustable and that the distance between them can be altered by altering the length of the center pieces or by using distance-pieces in combination with the latter.

I claim as my inventionlnzajlholder' lfor finger-operated tools the combination of a center piece and two 'end In witness whereof I have signed this speciieces, screws axiallypositioned in said pieces fication in the presence of two Witnesses. for attachment thereof to one another and CARL HOLBORN two rings having eachan eye adapted to en- 5 circle said screws and to be clamped thereby Witnesses:

intermediate of said center and end pieces FLORENCE FULLER, substantially as set forth. LOUISE SHRODER.