Patent GB-812447-A (GB)
Title: Improved retractable ball-point pen
Inventor: SMITH BLANCHARD DRAKE
IPC: B43K24/08
Filed: 1956-09-06
Abstract: 812,447. Reservoir pens. SCRIPTO Inc. Sept. 6, 1956. No. 27379/56. Class 146(3) In a ball-point pen the writing unit is slidable in the barrel so that the writing point is alternatively projected and retracted by successive depressions of a push-button, which depressions cause a latching lever alternately to engage and disengage a latching sleeve disposed over the rear end of the writing unit. The writing unit 18 which is retracted by a spring has its rear end received in the sleeve 38 which is slidable in a push-button member 26 and with its rear end abuts a shoulder 44 in the button 26. The sleeve 38 has a transverse flange 58 spaced from its inner end with a longitudinal slot 60 extending from that end and beyond the flange 58. The angled rear end 50 of a positioning lever 52 is received in the sleeve 38 to the rear of the flange 58, the main part of the lever 52 extending through the slot 60 and along the sleeve. The button 26 has a projection 28 engaging a flange 24 on the barrel to limit its outward movement, and is slotted at 56 from the projection towards its inner end, with a rounded part 54 engaged by the lever 52. A spring 48 within the button 26 and of less strength than the writing unit retracting spring bears against the end 50 of the lever 52 tending to rock the lever outwardly. At the inner end of the slot 60 the sleeve 38 is formed with lips 62 having outwardly flared lower edges 62<SP>1</SP> and beyond the lips is another slot 64 terminating in a second pair of lips 66. Fixed to the barrel part 14 is a bracket 34 apertured to allow the sleeve 38 and unit 18 to pass therethrough and carrying rearwardly-extending strips which engage longitudinal recesses in the button 26 for guiding purposes. Pivoted about the edge of the aperture in the bracket 34 is the latching lever 40 having an inturned lower end 74 and an out-turned upper end 80. To project the pen the button 26 is depressed causing the unit 18 and positioning lever 52 to move downwards together until the end 52<SP>1</SP> of the positioning lever presses against the upper end 80 of the latching lever 40 tending to move the lower end 74 inwardly. Thereafter. further depression of the button 26 causes continued movement of the unit 18, the end 50 of the lever 52 being pushed towards the rear end of the push-button 26 against the force of the spring 48 until the edges 62<SP>1</SP> of the lips 62 engage the end 80 of the latching lever, in which position the latching lever end 74 snaps behind the rear edge of the lips 66 to retain the pen in projected position. Upon release of the button 26 it is urged backwards by the spring 48 and the lever 52 moves laterally away from the latching lever end 80 into the slot 56 in the button, being at the same time urged forwards by the spring 48 so that its front end 52<SP>1</SP> is laterally adjacent to the end 80 of the lever 40. When the button 26 is again depressed, it presses the positioning lever 52, and therefore the end 80 of the latching lever inwardly, causing the lower end 74 of the lever 40 to be released from the lips 66 thus permitting the unit 18 to return to retracted position under the action of the retracting spring.