Improvements in Pencil Sharpeners.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 29th Apr., 1893:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pencil Sharpeners.
I, GEORGE DIEZ, of Santa Clara, in the County of Santa Clara, and State of
California, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention aud 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 improvements in pencil-sharpeners; the objects in view
being to provide a cheap, simple, and convenient hand-device for rapidly sharpening
pencils and reducing them to a uniform point or bevel.
With these general objects in view, the invention consists in certain features of
construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pencil sharpener constructed in accordance
with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view.
Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the body of the sharpener.
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the blade.
Fig. 5 is a similar view of the clip for binding the blade to the body.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
The body of the sharpener is preferably formed of hard wood, but if desired, the
same may be formed of metal; and it consists of the oblong piece 1, which at one
end is undercut or beveled, as indicated at 2, and immediately in rear of the same
and adjacent thereto, the body is provided with a transverse slot 3, whose front
edge is undercut in contradistinction to that of the end of the body.
4 designates a steel blade; and the same has its upper front edge beveled to form
a cutting edge 5.. The blade is applied to the under side of the body-portion, and
by means of a rectangular clip 6, that embraces the blade and the body-portion,
and which is secured in position by a thumb-screw 7, which is passed through a
threaded perforation in the upper side of the clip, said blade is secured at any
desired point upon the body-portion, and when in proper position the front or
cutting edge of the blade is directly over the openings or transverse slot in said
body-portion.
This completes the construction of the device and the operation thereof is as
follows: The pencil is taken in one hand of the operator, the forefinger being
placed under and designed to support the point as the same is formed, while the
used much after the
device is grasped by the remaining hand of the operator, and
fashion of a plane, with the exception that it is tilted so that its front end performs
a cutting operation. By the inclination of the device with relation to the pencil
the length or bevel of point may be readily determined, as will be obvious, that is
to say, by holding the device nearly flat, the bevel given the pencil will be much
greater than if the device is held more at an angle to the pencil.
As the wood and lead are reduced the pencil is slowly turned by the operator so
that all points of its circumference are brought under the action of the cutter, and
the result is that in an exceedingly short time a uniform and desired bevel is pro-
duced upon the end of the pencil. The wood shaved from the pencil passes out
through the slot in the body-portion, much after the fashion of the shavings of an
ordinary plane.
It will be seen that the blade may be readily taken from the body-portion and
sharpened after the manner of a chisel, and as the same is worn away by
sharpening may be readily adjusted through the medium of the binding clip and its
screw.

page_text: 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. The hereindescribed pencil-sharpener, consisting of the oblong body-portion,
having its front end undercut or beveled and immediately in rear of the same pro-
vided with a transverse slot, the blade located upon the under side of and lying flat
against said body-portion and having its front end beveled in a direction opposite
to that of the body-portion and terminating opposite the slot therein, and devices
for securing the blade upon the body-portion, substantially as specified.
2. The hereindescribed pencil-sharpener, consisting of the oblong body-portion
having its front end undercut or beveled and immediately in rear of the same pro-
vided with a transverse slot, the blade located upon the under side of and lying flat
against said body-portion and having its front end beveled in a direction opposite to
that of the body-portion and terminating opposite the slot therein, and means
for adjustably securing said blade upon the body-portion substantially as
specified.
3. The hereindescribed pencil-sharpener, the same consisting of the oblong body-
portion formed of hard-wood having its front end undercut, and in rear of the same
and contiguous thereto provided with a transverse slot whose front edge is undercut
in a direction opposite to that of the front end of the body-portion, the blade located
upon the underside of the body-portion and having its front end terminating under
the slot therein and beveled in a direction opposite to that of the front end of the
body-portion, the rectangular clip embracing the blade and body-portion and having
its upper side provided with a threaded perforation, and the thumb-screw passed
through the clip and bearing on the body-portion, substantially as specified.
Dated this 27th day of March 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.