AN IMPROVED PENCIL CASE
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert John Chippindall, of No. 39, Rue de la
Rochefocauld, Paris, in the Empire of France, Gentleman, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED PENCIL CASE."
Sealed the 17th April 1855, and dated the 17th October 1854.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Robert John Chippindall
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 17th October 1854, pursuant to the 9th Section of the
Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
JOHN CHIPPINDALL, of No. 39, Rue de la Rochefocauld, Paris, in the Empire
of France, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Robert John Chippindall, have petitioned Her
Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her
Royal Letters Patent for an Invention for "AN IMPROVED PENCIL CASE:"
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert John Chippindall, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say) :-
My improved pencil case is shown in section in the accompanying Drawing,
and consists of four distinct parts, besides the outer case.

page_text: First, a solid metal sheath, extending from the point at a to the transversal
line at b, bored through from end to point, to admit of the passage of a wire
and a cylinder of black lead, both of which must accurately fit the bore.
The black lead is of the usual size and usual length, of an inch.
++
Secondly, a metal tube. This tube is moved up and down in the pencil case
by means of the usual external collar or slide, which is not shewn in the
Drawing to avoid complexity, and never protrudes beyond the extremity of
the pencil case at c, the groove of the outer case preventing the collar or
slide from being pushed too near to the open end.. This metal tube is
made to fit the sheath accurately, so that the sheath may move freely up
and down, and be retained, by the friction of the outside of the sheath and
the inside of the tube, in whatever position it may be placed or at whatever
length inserted, (the same as the lead is retained in the metal point case
or sheath.) This tube is represented in the plan as of an inch in length
and extending from d to c; at f, about 1 of an inch front the end d, a disk
of metal is soldered in, fitting the whole diameter of the bore. This disk is
perforated in the centre, so as to admit of the after-mentioned wire passing
through it; and after the wire has been passed through it, as will be here-
after more fully described, and the spring inserted, as represented thus,
the tube is finally closed by a cap, that may be screwed on or otherwise
firmly fixed, so as to.leave a space between the cap of the tube and the collar
of the wire of of an inch in the clear, or of three-tenths of an inch
between the cap and perforated disk; this allows 1 of an inch for the thick-
ness of the cap of the tube and collar of the wire.
§
Thirdly, a wire and collar fixed on the wire. This wire, as seen in the
plan, is of an inch long; the collar should fit easily the bore of the tube, so
as to move with perfect freedom in the longitudinal direction of the tube.
The wire is passed through the centre of the collar, and extends beyond it at
one side of an inch; and of an inch of the wire, a little more or less,
project from the other side, in which state or position the collar should be
firmly fixed or soldered on the wire, as seen at h.
Fourthly, the spiral spring, which needs no description further than that it
should be attached either to the collar, above mentioned, or to the cap of the
tube, and fit easily inside the tube.
The parts are put together in the following manner:-The metal tube
with the perforated disk at f, soldered in ready to receive the wire and
collar, the long end of the wire is passed through the perforated disk, so
that the collar and short end of the wire are included in the shorter end
or section of the tube; the spiral spring is then placed so that the short

page_text: wire may occupy the centre of the spring, which, if uncompressed, would
extend beyond the extremity of the tube; but the act of screwing on or other-
wise fixing the cap at such extremity partially compresses the spring, and the
spring keeps the collar in close contact with the perforated disk. If this wire
be pushed back at the exposed end, the tube being held by the hand, it will be
found to have a certain play, and admit of being pushed back to of an inch
(such being the space left between the end of the wire and the cap of the
tube). It will be observed that this space so left between the end of the wire
and the cap of the tube regulates the length of the lead to be projected; if
this space is only the 20th of an inch, only a 20th of an inch of lead will be
projected; and if it were of an inch, 1 of an inch of lead would be projected,
the wire being left at liberty, and the spring forcing it back. The wire collar
and spring being now inclosed in the tube, and the end or cap of the tube
being, as above stated, screwed on, the tube is inserted into the pencil case and
pinned to the sliding collar, so that when the sliding collar is pushed as far
towards the open end of the pencil case as the groove will admit, the open end
of the tube will be flush with the open end of the pencil case; in this state
an inch of the wire will be seen projecting beyond the open end of the pencil
case. Now, over this wire so projecting, the metal sheath first described is
passed, or, in other words, this wire is inserted into the bore of the sheath at
the thick end, and the sheath is pushed up into the tube until 3 of an inch
only of the sheath remain exposed, about 1 of an inch or a trifle more of the
sheath being included or inserted into the tube. A groove in this sheath at g
admits of a plug or stop, that prevents the sheath from being withdrawn from
the tube entirely, so as to keep of an inch at the least in the tube; this
groove extends to within an inch of the point, and permits the sheath to be
pushed back into the tube so far as needed; the plug or stop being inserted,
the whole is complete. This plug or stop should be inserted before the tube
is fixed or pinned to the slide.
of
Now, supposing all this done, the machine is complete. The sheath moves
freely up and down in the tube, and the tube can be drawn back by the slide,
so as to enclose the whole apparatus in the case; or it (the tube) may be
pushed in the other direction, until its open end becomes flush with the open
end of the pencil case. Let the slide be pushed along until it is stopped by
the termination of the groove, and taking the sheath by the point, pull it out
until it also is stopped by the termination of its groove; now insert the little
cylinder of black lead at the point, and press with the tip of the finger till it
(the lead) has reached the wire; the whole of the lead is now enclosed in the
sheath; (or a portion of the point may be made to screw off and on, so as to

page_text: admit of the lead being inserted otherwise than at the point.) It is evident
that if the apparatus be held firmly by the sliding collar on the outside of the
pencil case, and pressed gently perpendicularly down upon the point, the metal
sheath with the enclosed wire goes back into the tube, but only so far as the
space between the end of the wire and cap of the tube, before mentioned as
regulating the length of the lead to be protruded, will admit; in this instance,
the sheath wire and lead having been pushed back r' of an inch, the top of
the wire is stopped by the cap of the tube, and the spiral spring at the same
time compressed; now lift up the point from the paper, in other words, remove
the pressure, the metal sheath remains in the position to which it has been
forced; but the spring, acting on the collar of the wire enclosed in the shorter
section of the tube, forces the collar back on to the perforated disk, the wire
of course protruding the lead beyond the sheath the exact tenth of an inch, as
required.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim as of my
Invention, the obtaining the projection of lead required by the action of
pressure on the point and the reaction of the spring, producing by a single
action a double effect, namely, forcing back the sheath, and forcing forward
the lead to the required length, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert John Chippindall, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
ROBERT JOHN CHIPPINDALL. (L.S.)