A Machine for Pointing or Sharpening Pencils.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Pointing or Sharpening Pencils.
I, KARL PINTZ, Joiner's Foreman in the works of L. & C. Hardtmuth, of
Budweis, Bohemia, 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 relates to a machine by means of which pencils can be quickly
and easily pointed or sharpened to an accurately conical point.
According to my invention I provide a rotatable sharpening pulley or wheel
against which the pencil to be pointed is constantly pressed the said pencil being
held in a holder which rotates on its longitudinal axis. By reason of the rotation
of the pencil holder the pencil constantly presents different points to the action of
the sharpening wheel whereby an accurate conical point is given to it.
The pencil holder, which is adjustable as regards its height and its position in
respect to the sharpening wheel is constantly pressed towards the said wheel by
means of tension rollers arranged in the path of the baud or chain driving the
holder and which are under the action of springs.
The sharpening wheel is advantageously provided with a removable strip of
sharpening material such as glass paper, emery cloth or the like.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a front view of a machine, for pointing or sharpeuing pencils, made
according to my invention:
Figure 2 is a side view of the same with the pencil holder removed :
Figure 3 is a vertical section of the pencil holder:
Figure 4 is a side view of the clamp for holding the pencil.
a, a are standards in which is mounted the rotatable sharpening wheel b which
is provided with a handle or crank a². The said wheel b is advantageously made
of metal and is covered with a strip or band 6 of sharpening material such as
glass paper, emery cloth or the like which can be removed with facility. This
band is placed around the periphery of the wheel or disc b and its two ends are
passed inwards through a slit in the rim of the wheel and are fastened to a
clamp which is pulled inwards by a spiral spring 6' attached to the boss of the
wheel, the said clamp & being closed by the sliding ring 6. A spring 63 keeps the
band stretched.
The fork-shaped support c of the pencil holder C is carried in a socket c¹ on the
standard a¹ in such a manner that it can be turned, raised or lowered with the said
holder C and can be secured in position by means of a clamping screw c².
The pencil holder C consists as seen in Figure 3, of a cylinder or socket e which
is conically tapered at the front end, provided with a driving pulley e and with an
internal screw-thread for receiving the pencil clamp e². This socket or cylinder e
is rotatably mounted in a bearing d which is pivotally mounted in the fork shaped
support c by means of pins or pivots d' so that the whole forms a kind of universal
joint on which the pencil can turn.
A pulley is mounted on the axle of the sharpening wheel b the said pulley
driving the pulley e² on the socket e by means of a band or chain 11. The driving
chain f! passes over two guide pulleys 9, 9, as shewn in Figure 2, which pulleys
are free to rotate on horizontal pins or pivots g' on a slotted plate g' which is
guided vertically by means of fixed screws g³ which pass through the slot g' in the
aid plates. A spring (or a weight) constantly tends to draw the plate g' and
he guide rollers g, g downwards thereby keeping the driving chain ftaut.

page_text: By means of the pull of the spring h the front end of the socket e of the pencil
holder which carries the pulley e' is constantly pulled downwards on the pivots d'
as a fulcrum so that the pencil i clamped in the same is maintained in contact with
the periphery of the sharpening wheel b.
The bearing d carrying the pivots is provided with an arm d² by means of which
the said bearing d together with the holder e can be turned on the pivots d' and
raised against the action of the spring so that the removal of a pointed pencil
and the insertion of a new pencil to be sharpened are materially facilitated.
The plate is provided to limit the downward movement of the socket e under
the action of the spring h.
As seen clearly in Figures 3 and 4, the pencil clamp e2 is provided with spring
tongues which are forced inwards, by contact with the tapered end of the socket e
so as to clamp the pencil i and cause it to rotate with the said socket e.
The length of the conical point given to the pencil can be regulated by
varying the length of the pencil which projects from the socket e or by altering
the height of the pencil holder.
The machine is operated by turning the crank or handle a². When the pencil is
pointed the arm d2 is pressed downwards whereby the pencil is raised from the
periphery of the sharpening wheel. The clamp e2 is then partly screwed out and
the pencil removed from the holder.
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 machine for pointing or sharpening pencils wherein a rotatable sharpening
wheel is employed against which the pencil to be pointed or sharpened is pressed
the said pencil being held in a holder adapted to be rotated, substantially as
described.
2. In a machine of the kind described in Claim 1 a sharpening wheel the
periphery of which is provided with a layer or strip of sharpening material which
is kept stretched by having its ends passed through a slot in the rim of the wheel
and attached to a spring, substantially as described.
3. In a machine of the kind described in Claim 1 a pencil holder e, e pivoted
by means of a universal joint c, d, d', which holder is rotated by means of the
sharpening wheel b through the medium of a band or chain f passing over
pulleys f,g and e¹ the pulleys g, g being pulled downwards by means of a spring h
or a weight so that the band or chain is kept taut and the pencil i, clamped in
the holder e, e, is kept in contact with the periphery of the sharpening wheel b,
substantially as described.
4. The manufacture and use of the improved machine for sharpening or pointing
pencils herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 23rd day of May 1896.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.