IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCIL SHARPENING MACHINES
Year: 1885

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I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PENCIL SHARPENING MACHINES (a communication from Warren Harrison Lamson
of Lynn, in the county of Essex, United States of America, Professor of Penman-
ship) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This Invention relates to mechanism for pointing pencils and has for its object
to provide means for manipulating the ordinary pencil sharpener so as to sharpen
or point the pencil quickly neatly and without danger of breaking or damaging
the pencil lead. The invention consists in the parts herein after described and
pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one side and
end of the machine. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the pencil sharpener and the
compound flexible carrying shaft the latter being sectioned to better show the
arrangement of parts.
The working parts of the machine are supported by an ornamental frame-work
designated in the drawings by the letter A. At one end of the frame in the
circular plate B attached to the frame by screw d, the plate being allowed to turn
on the screw shank. Said plate B is provided with small holes n of different sizes
to permit the introduction therein of different sizes of pencils and either of said
holes may be successively brought into position to register with the pencil
sharpener by simply turning the plate on its supporting pin or screw d. Said
plate is provided, in its rear face, with a series of cavities (not shown) adapted to
receive the end of a pin (not shown) that projects outward from the machine frame,
said cavities are so arranged in the plate as to register with and receive the end of
said pin at the time when the hole vis in line with the sharpener. The plate B is,
in this line prevented from turning round while the machine is doing its work.
When it is desired to change the position of plate B it may be easily sprung
outward to relieve it from the holding pin and then turned into the new position
to be again held by the holding pin passing into a new cavity. In operation the
pencil to be pointed or sharpened is passed through the plate B and is thus guided

page_text: into the sharpener C. The hand holding the pencil may be allowed to rest on the
plate and frame work at this point and be thereby relieved in its work of holding
and guiding the pencil. The sharpener C is located in a suitable chuck H which is
secured by a flexible sleeve P to the mandrel D. Said mandrel D is provided with
a fixed gear wheel e, that meshes with a larger gear wheel F which is attached
by a suitable pin to the frame A and is provided with a crank S to which power
may be applied the necessary power for driving the machine. It is desirable in
order to prevent breaking or damaging the pencil lead, to have some little lateral
movement in the tool carrying shaft. To this end a flexible sleeve P is employed
composed of rubber or other suitable material. Said sleeve is made to receive in
one end the mandrel D and to carry in its opposite end, the chuck H. This
arrangement brings the end of the chuck and mandrel in close proximity to each
other but without any connection except through the sleeve P. Said sleeve
transmits the necessary movement to the pencil-sharpener-chuck and also the same
to move laterally to accommodate itself to the variations of the pencil. I do not
regard the sleeve P as indispensible but I prefer to use it as in this case the same
degree of call and precision in holding the pencil is not required, I am however
aware that the chuck and mandrel may be constructed in one piece and a machine
so constructed would no doubt be quite useful though not so easy to manipulate.
The sharpener C may be of any ordinary construction the one shown in the
drawings is well known to persons skilled in the art. It differs from the ordinary
construction only in being provided with a conical tang or shank which is designed
to enter a similar bore or hole in the chuck H and is retained therein and
prevented from turning by simple contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1st In a pencil sharpening machine the combination of the holding plate B
provided with openings n for the pencil and the frame A said plate being attached
to the frame by screw d and adapted to be turned thereon and means substantially
as described for locking the plate, as and for the purpose stated.
2nd In a pencil sharpener the combination of the chuck H adapted to hold the
sharpener and the mandrel D secured together by means of a flexible sleeve P
to admit of lateral movement and means to revolve the same, substantially as
described.