Patent Publication Number: US-6698100-B2

Title: Contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener mounting device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In a principal aspect the present invention comprises to a device designed to retain a contractors pencil sharpener properly positioned for use on a tool belt or the like. 
     Contractors typically use a specially configured carpenter&#39;s pencil which is flat-sided and in the form of a plate. The pencil includes a broad, thick center lead section or portion which enables the contractor or user of the pencil to scribe a heavy line on items which are to be aligned, cut or otherwise require a visible mark to enable the contractor to perform a job. Such pencils must be constantly sharpened. A pencil sharpener is available that is designed especially for the sharpening of contractor&#39;s pencils. Such pencil sharpeners are of a type which include a main body member that holds a sharpening blade adjacent a passage through the body member. A pencil holder is rotatably mounted on the top of the body member and aligns a pencil in the holder appropriately with respect to the blade so that upon insertion of the pencil through the holder and into the body member, rotation of the pencil and the holder, will impinge the pencil tip against the blade retained in the body member thereby sharpening the point of the pencil. Such sharpeners are usually kept by the contractor or worker in a pocket and removed from the pocket when it is necessary to sharpen the point or tip of the pencil. 
     A problem that arises is obtaining easy and quick access to the sharpener. Another problem is loss of the sharpener since it is constantly being put into and removed from a pocket, tool case or the like. Thus, there has developed the problem of ease of access and retention of a contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the invention comprises a retainer for mounting a contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener and retaining the sharpener on a tool belt or the like. The retainer is utilized in combination with a pencil sharpener of the type having a body member with a lower end flange and which further includes a pencil holder portion rotatably mounted on the body member so that a pencil may be inserted into the holder and extend axially therethrough for rotation about the axis while positioning the axis or tip against a blade retained by the body member. The retainer or mounting device for the sharpener includes a circumferential loop which holds and retains the body member of the sharpener. Further, a cantilever spring clip or spring member is provided to fit over, engage and hold the flange of the pencil sharpener body member. The retainer or mounting device loop and spring member are both mounted on a triangular support plate which may be fastened to a tool belt or the like so that the sharpener and the retainer for the sharpener may be appropriately retained in an accessible position oriented for ease of use. 
     Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener and retainer which may be easily incorporated or attached to a tool belt, tool case or the like. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, yet rugged and durable retainer or mounting device for a contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a retainer or mounting device for receiving a contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener wherein the retainer is designed to permit attachment of the sharpener thereto as well as removal therefrom for replacement of the sharpener. 
     These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     In the detailed description which follows reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the component parts of the combination pencil sharpener and retainer including a view of a typical contractor&#39;s or carpenter&#39;s pencil which may be sharpened thereby; and 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a second embodiment of the retainer used in combination with a pencil sharpener wherein the retainer has been attached to a tool belt. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate alternative embodiments of the invention. The invention relates to the retainer  10  depicted in FIG. 1 or  100  depicted in FIG. 2 in combination with a contractor&#39;s pencil sharpener  12  in the figures. The contractors pencil sharpener  12  is designed for sharpening of a contractor&#39;s pencil  14  in FIG.  1 . The contractor&#39;s pencil  14  is in the form of a flat plate with an outer, typically wooden case  16  and an inner lead  18  sharpened to form a point  20  for scribing a line. 
     The sharpener  12  includes a body member  22  having an access passage opening  24  which provides access to a vertical access passage  36 . The body member  22  further includes a lower end  26  with an arcuate flange  28  projecting laterally from the lower end and thereby defining the bottom of the lower end  26 . The body member  22  has a pencil holder  30  with a center line or axial opening  32  shaped to receive pencil  14 . The opening or passage  32  extends through the pencil holder  30  and into the passage or interior  24  of the body member  22 . As shown in FIG. 2, the body member  22  includes a blade  34  adjacent the interior passage  36  so that when a contractor&#39;s pencil is inserted through the pencil holder  30  and rotated, the tip  20  will engage against the blade  34  and be sharpened. Note that the passage  32  for the pencil  14  in the pencil holder  30  is configured to receive pencil configurations of various shape including the pencil or contractor&#39;s pencil  14  as depicted in FIG. 1 as well as a pencil which is made up of a generally cylindrical lead incorporated in a regular polygonal wood cladding or housing. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 depict alternative embodiments of the invention. In FIG. 2, like parts have like numbers and different component parts are assigned distinct numbers. 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, the retainer includes a back or mounting plate  50  which is generally triangular in shape and which includes attachment rivets  52  located at each apex  53 ,  55 ,  57  of the generally rectangular plate  50 . Mounted on the plate  50  is a circumferential ring or loop  54 . The loop  54  in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is a circumferential loop with a gap  56  to provide some flexibility to accommodate sharpeners  12  having various dimensions and/or shapes associated with the body member  22 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the retainer includes a loop  154  which is a closed loop attached to plate  50  and is designed to accommodate a fixed shape body holder as depicted in FIG.  2 . The outer boundary of body member  22  is thus generally congruent with the inside of the ring or loop  154 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, the retainer includes a spring metal cantilever spring catch member  60  having an upper axial end  61  attached to the plate  50  adjacent the loop  54  or  154 . The axis of the retainer is generally the center axis of loop  54  when loop  54  has a cylindrical shape. The spring member  60  projects axially downwardly and includes a lower U-shaped clip  62  formed at its lower end. The clip  62  is formed to engage over the lip formed by the flange  28  of the sharpener  12 . The U-shaped end  62  thus includes an upwardly and inwardly extending run  64 . The end or U-shaped end  62  further includes an outwardly and upwardly extending guide run or section  66  which is provided to engage against the flange  28  as the sharpener  12  is inserted into the loop  54  or  154  to ensure that the cantilever  60  and more particularly the U-shape in  62  will be biased outwardly and then snap back and inwardly to properly engage with flange  28 . The U-shaped end  62  thus defines a detent retention member or feature for retaining the sharpener  12  (i.e., flange  28 ) within the retainer assembly. The U-shaped end  62  of the cantilever spring member  60  is appropriately spaced axially downwardly from the loop  54  or  154  to ensure that the body member  22  is retained. The pencil holder section  30  must, however, remain rotatable within the loop  54  or  154  or projecting above the loop  54  or  154 . 
     The retainer is typically attached by means of the rivets  52  as shown in FIG. 2 to a tool belt, tool case, or the like. Thus the sharpener  12  may be easily accessed by a worker, carpenter, contractor, or the like. The sharpener  12  may also be easily replaced and removed for repair. The combination of the sharpener and mounting device enables the contractor to have easy access to the sharpener without constantly attempting to search pockets, a tool case or the like. 
     It is noted that various alternative constructions may be utilized and various materials may be utilized for the manufacture of the retainer. In a preferred embodiment the retainer is made from metal components that are welded or otherwise fastened together. However, the device may be made from various molded plastic materials. Additionally the loop  54  or  154  may be configured in various ways and may be an open loop  54  or a closed loop  154 . The spring member  60  may be shortened and attached toward the lower end of the plate  10 . Various other modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The invention is therefore limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.