An Improved Pencil-sharpener.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Pencil-sharpener.
I, COLIN SOLOMON COHEN, of 24 Great Prescot Street, Minories, in the
County of London, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
my
said
My invention relates to an improved pencil-sharpener. The object of
invention is to construct an improved pencil-sharpener which is as easy to manu-
facture as those which are at present commonly in use, but which is perfected in
such a way that it will not break the lead of the pencil in the manner frequently
experienced with pencil-sharpeners of the kind heretofore generally employed, but
will impart a fine point thereto in a single operation.
According to my invention I construct, of bent metal or otherwise, a tube,
tapered conically at one end so as to leave a central orifice of just sufficient diameter
to permit the point of the pencil to protrude therethrough. I grind one part of
the slant side of the cone so that a slot is formed therein with cutting-edges at the
sides thereof or I form the slot prior to the grinding operation and grind its edges
afterwards; only one of the said two edges is necessary, but both, of course, may
be used. Thus far, a pencil sharpener is produced which resembles the well-known
"Cohen" pencil-sharpeners. This I subject to a further operation in which I
remove a portion of one of the aforesaid cutting-edges near the point of the cone,
together with the contiguous metal of the cone so that the pencil point as it issues
from the sharpener passes through an orifice which may be, for instance, of elliptical
The lead, as it comes through
shape and be at an angle with the axis of the cone.
this orifice is sharpened to the desired fineness by that part of the longer cutting-
edge to which the shorter cutting-edge is not opposed, and owing to the aforesaid
removal of the contiguous metal, the pencil point not being under the influence of
any restraint save that of the longer cutting edge, does not get jammed and broken.
Part of the side of the sharpener may be slotted and bent inward to form a spring
to enable pencils of different diameters to be held in the sharpener without shaking.
The said improved sharpener is tempered as may be necessary.
COL-1002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Pencil-sharpener.
I, COLIN SOLOMON COHEN, of 24 Great Prescot Street, Minories, London,
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 :-
My invention relates to an improved pencil-sharpener.
The object of my invention is to construct a conical pencil-sharpener which,
while being as easy of manufacture as those commonly in use, is so constructed as
not to break the lead of the pencil in the manner frequently experienced with
My improved.
pencil-sharpeners of the kind heretofore generally employed.

page_text: sharpener moreover imparts a fine point to the pencil in a single operation, that is
to say at the same time as the wood of the pencil is being cut.
According to my invention I construct of bent metal or otherwise a tube tapered
conically at one end so as to leave a small central orifice in the apex of the cone,
said orifice is however sufficiently large to permit the sharpened point of the pencil
to protrude therethrough.
grind one part of the slant side of the cone so that a slot is formed therein, the
edges of which form the cutting edges of the sharpener or I may form the slot
prior to the grinding operation and grind its edges afterwards; only one of the said
edges is necessary but of course both may be used.
I then by grinding or otherwise remove a portion of one of the aforesaid edges
near the apex of the cone together with a portion of the contiguous metal of the
cone so that the pencil point as it issues from the sharpener passes through an orifice
which may be for instance of elliptical shape and be at an angle with the axis of
the cone.
The accompanying drawing shews partly in section, a pencil-sharpener, of well-
known construction but having my improvement added thereto according to the
present invention.
▲ is the conical portion of the sharpener, B is the cutting edge parallel to the
slant side of the cone, which cutting edge extends very nearly to the apex. thereof.
A portion of the cone near the apex and opposite the cutting edge B is removed as
shown at C, so that the lead while being sharpened by that portion B¹ of the
cutting edge near the apex, is not entirely surrounded by metal and is therefore not
liable to become fixed or jammed and so broken off as is the case if the metal be
not cut away at C.
I sometimes make a U-shaped slot in the cylindrical part of the sharpener, the
tongue of metal formed being bent in to form a spring as shewn at D. Í am
thereby enabled to hold firmly in the sharpener pencils of different diameters.
The sharpener is tempered as may be necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
―:
1. A. conical pencil-sharpener having a cutting edge extending very nearly to the
apex of the cone and having a portion of the said apex opposite the end of the
aforesaid cutting edge removed, and with or without a second cutting edge, for
the purposes specified.
2. A conical pencil-sharpener constructed substantially as described with reference
to the accompanying drawing, either with or without the spring D, for the purposes
specified.
Dated this 23rd day of July 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.