Improvements in or relating to Devices for Cutting or Sharpening Pencils, Crayons, or the like, and for Protecting or Shielding the Points or Sharpened Ends thereof.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Devices for Cutting or Sharpening
Pencils, Crayons, or the like, and for Protecting or Shielding
the Points or Sharpened Ends thereof.
1, HENRY BAUMGARTEN of 41 Everton Road, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Rubber Stamp Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a little mechanism to be permanently applied to
the point of the pencil but which can be at once taken off it when required and
applied to another and which can be used to sharpen the pencil whenever required
and also protect the pencil point when in the pocket.
The apparatus consists broadly of two main parts, the knife and the cover. The
knife can consist of the usual conical knife with a slit in the side to allow the
shavings to escape and a cylindrical body which can either be split and grasp the
pencil by its own resilience or be provided with spring clips to catch the pencil.
The cover is preferably made in two parts, a sleeve and a conical cover fitting on
that sleeve. The sleeve slides over the cylindrical portion of the knife and is
preferably pressed forward by a spring so that when in its normal position the cover
will protect a moderately long point. The cover or the knife has a slot and the
other of them has a point working in that slot in the manner of a bayonet joint or
a slot parallel with the axis of the pencil with a branch at right angles at each end.
When therefore the spring propels the cover forward so as to cover the point, by
turning the cover at right angles the point is protected. In the same way if the
cover be forcibly drawn back for writing purposes, if it be turned at right angles
the point is held exposed for the purpose of writing. Whenever the point gets too
short the upper part of the cover is removed and the pencil sharpened by turning
it in the knife and at the same time pressing longitudinally on it. The apparatus
can be worked by simply having a small Hange or ring on the end of the case that
protects the point and moving backwards as the same is pressed upon the paper.
This leaves the lead free for the operator to write with while the force of the
spring closes the cover automatically when it is released from the paper.
Dated this 1st day of September 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Devices for Cutting or Sharpening
Pencils, Crayons, or the like, and for Protecting or Shielding
the Points or Sharpened Ends thereof.
I, HENRY BAUMGARTEN of 41, Everton Road, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Rubber Stamp Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object a little mechanism to be permanently applied to
the point of the pencil but which can be at once taken off it when required and
applied to another, and which can be used to sharpen the pencil whenever required
and also protect the pencil point when in the pocket.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 show one form of my invention, Figure 1 being a longitudinal
section, partly in olevation, aml Figure 2 an elevation taken at right angles to
Figure 1, a part being also broken away.
Figures 3 to 6 inclusive show another form of the device, Figure 3 being an
clevation showing the outward appearance of the parts when the point of the pencil
is protected; Figure 4a similar view to the preceding (part being broken away)
showing the appearance of the parts when the pencil is in use; Figure 5 a part
section on line, Figure 4, and Figure 6 a perspective view showing a detached
part of the device hereinafter more fully described.
Figure 7 is a view illustrating a slight modification of the device and its mode of
application.
The device consists essentially of two parts, the cutting or sharpening part and
the point protecting part.
The cutting part consists of a cylindrical body A surmounted by the usual
conical shaped knife Bhasing a slit for the escape of the shavings provided with
one or two cutting edges b. For sharpening slate pencils or crayons it may be
found desirable to replace the knife edges by one or more files or serrated blades.
The cylindrical body A is adapted to fit over the cylindrical part of the pencil ar
crayon and is provided with one or more spring clips a intended to grip such
cylindrical part and to hold the entire device on the pencil. Or the body A may
be split longitudinally in the manner shown in dotted lines at e, Figure 1, so that,
when pushed on to the pencil, it grips the latter by reason of its elasticity. Or
the split portion of the body may be formed of a separate piece A' fitting the
pencil, as seen in Figure 6. and connected to the conical cutter B through the
medium of other parts of the device, hereinafter fully described with reference to
Figures 3 to 6. The cylindrical body A is usually made large enough to fit over
poncils of slightly different diameters.
The point-protecting part of the device is also preferably made in two parts,
namely, a cylindrical sleeve D and a conical cover E. The sleeve D slides over
the cylindrical body A aforesaid, while the enver E fits on to the sleeve-being
preferably screwed thereon, as seen at 2, Figure 1-or on to the body A aforesaid,
as in Figure 5, in which figure it is shown as being simply slipped on to the said
body and held in position by friction alone.
The conical cover has a hole e at its apex through which the point (" of the
pencil may protrude when in use. When the peril is not in use, the sleeve D)
(and with it the cover E) is pressed forward by a spring in such manner that
the cover protects the point of the pencil. In the arrangement shown in Figures 1
and 2, the spring is coiled round the cylindrical body A and abuts at one end
against a collar a' thereon and at the opposite end against an internal shoulder d
on the sleeve D. In devicus constructed as in Figures 3 to 6, the spring F
surrounds the split cylindrical body A', being compressed between the collar a²
thereon and the inner end of the body A. In the construction shown in Figure 5,
the sleeve D is provided with an inturned flange for holding the sleeve D and
the parts connected therewith in position, and a similar flange is added to the sleeve
in the form shown in Figure 1, for the purpose of giving a neat appearance to the
device.
A suitable device is provided whereby the cover may be readily adjusted and
held with the pencil point Ceither protected by it, or protruding from it. For
example, the sleeve 1 may have a slot d formed in it, adapted to engage a stud a³,
protruding from the cylindrical body A. Or the slot may be formed in the body A
and engage a stud in the sleeve D. The slot may be an inclined slot after the
manner of the slot of a bayonet joint, or it may be formed, as shown, with a part
running parallel with the axis of the pencil and a branch at each end of said part
and lying at right angles thereto.
The spring propels the cover E forward so as to protect the point C of the
pencil, and the sleeve D is then turned so that the stud a enters the forward
branch of its slot (in the construction shown in Figure 3) or the rearward branch,

page_text: in that shown in Figure 1. The cover is thus prevented from being accidentally
pressed back when in the pocket. In order to expose the point for writing
purposes, the cover and sleeve are drawn back and so turned that the stud a³ enters
the rearward branch of the slot, as in Figure 4, or the forward branch thereof, in
the form shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 to 6,
the cutting part of the device moves forward or backward with the cover E, but
in that shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cutting part is stationary.
As
Instead of constructing the device with a branched slot and pin, as shown, for
holding the cover in its two positions, an automatic arrangement, such as shown in
Figure 7, may be employed for exposing or protecting the pencil point as desired.
Here, a small flange or ring e' surrounds the hole at the apex of the cover.
this ring is pressed upon the paper in the act of writing, the cover is pressed back
and leaves the point of the pencil exposed. The downward pressure usually exerted
in writing, etcetera, is all that is required to expose the pencil point. As soon as
the user lifts the pencil from the paper, the spring propels the cover forward again
and thus automatically protects the point. A pin a' and slot d are also provided
in the cylindrical body A and sleeve D respectively for the purpose of preventing
the parts from becoming detached.
When the pencil point becomes worn down, the cover E may be removed and the
pencil sharpened by turning it round in the conical knife, at the same time pressing
it forward.
The device could if desired be constructed without the cutting part B. The
sides of the hole e in the conical cover also serve to some extent as a support for
the pencil point whilst writing. The entire device can be drawn off one pencil by
the exertion of a slight amount of force, and placed on another one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A device for sharpening pencils, crayons or the like and for protecting the
sharpened ends thereof, the said device being characterised by a hollow cylindrical
body surmounted by a hollow conical cutter both fitting over the pointed end of
the pencil or crayon, and a detachable cylindro-conical cover fitting over said
conical cutter and adapted to be moved forward over the point of the pencil to
protect the same, or to be moved or pressed backward so that the point of the
pencil protrudes through a hole in its apex, the entire device being held by friction
on the pencil so as to be readily detachable therefrom.
2. A detachable protecting device for the sharpened ends of pencils, crayons or
the like, in which a cylindro-conical cover fitting over the pointed end of the pencil
is pressed forward by a spring so as to protect the extreme point of the pencil, but
is adapted to be readily drawn or pressed back so that the said point protrudes for
a short distance through a hole at the apex of the cover.
3. The herein described arrangement of parts forming the device for sharpening
pencils, crayons, or the like and for protecting the sharpened ends thereof, sub-
stantially as described.