CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING AND PROTECTING THE POINTS OF LEAD PENCILS, AS WELL AS REGULATING THE SAID COVERING, APPLICABLE FOR ARTISTS AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Morrison, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING
AND PROTECTING THE POINTS OF LEAD PENCILS, AS WELL AS REGULATING
THE SAID COVERING, APPLICABLE FOR ARTISTS AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 29th December 1874, and dated the 3rd July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Morrison at the
Office of the Commissioners. of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd July 1874.
I, JOHN MORRISON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COVERING AND PROTECTING THE POINTS OF LEAD PENCILS, AS WELL AS
REGULATING THE SAID COVERING, APPLICABLE FOR ARTISTS AND GENERAL COM-
MERCIAL PURPOSES," to be as follows (that is to say) :—
My Invention consists in the use of a suitable length of metallic
tube (by preference) open-jointed, conically reduced to correspond with
the sharpened end of the pencil, the conical end presenting a small
orifice for the point of the pencil to come through; and in the barrel or
parallel part of the metal tube before-mentioned I form or apply one or

page_text: more oblique deflections so arranged as to press on the periphery of the.
pencil, that by holding the metal tube between the finger and thumb,
and turning the pencil right or left, so the point of the pencil will be
advanced or retired within the metal conical cap, the motion being
regulated according to the obliquity of the deflected part, which makes
a depressed spiral groove on the periphery of the pencil, thus producing
the advancing and retiring action, the tube being open-jointed will be
sufficiently springy to clip and meet any slight inequality in the size
of the pencil over which it is placed. Thus it will be seen, by this
simple contrivance, a common pencil (sharpened for use) may be pro-
tected at the point from injury in the pocket when not in use, imparting
to it the advantages of protruding the point for use, and withdrawing it
for the pocket or otherwise, at pleasure.
In some instances a metallic spiral may be formed from thin tube or
a thin strip of metal bent obliquely into a spiral tube, for the oblique
deflected part of the outer. tube before referred to to work in, thus
effecting the same result.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Morrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MORRISON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Morrison, Her special license that I,
the said John Morrison, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Morrison, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN COVERING
AND PROTECTING THE POINTS OF LEAD PENCILS, AS WELL AS REGULATING THE SAID
.

page_text: COVERING, APPLICABLE FOR ARTISTS AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL PURPOSES,” upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Morrison, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Morrison, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
My Invention consists in the use of a suitable. length of metallic
tube (by preference) open-jointed, conically reduced at one end to:
correspond with the sharpened end of the pencil over which it may be
applied, the said conical end presenting a small orifice for the point of
the lead of the pencil to come through; and in the barrel or cylindrical
part of the metal tube before-mentioned I form or apply one or more
oblique deflections so arranged as to press on the periphery of the pencil,
that by holding the metal tube between the finger and thumb, and
turning the pencil right or left, so the point of the pencil will be
advanced or retired within the metal conical cap, the motion being
regulated according to the obliquity of the deflected part, which makes
a depressed spiral groove on the periphery of the pencil, thus producing
the advancing and retiring action, the tube being open-jointed will be
sufficiently springy to clip and meet any slight irregularity in the size of.
the pencil over which it is placed. Thus it will be seen by this simple
contrivance a common pencil (sharpened for use) may be protected at.
the point from injury in pocket when not in use, imparting to it the.
advantages of protruding the point for use, and withdrawing it for the.
pocket or otherwise, at pleasure.
In some instances a spiral motion may be obtained from deflecting
obliquely the thin tube or by a thin strip of hard metal bent obliquely
into a spiral form for application to the said metal cap or tube, thus,
effecting the same result.
But in order that I may be clearly understood as to the nature and
purpose of my Invention, I will refer unto the Drawings hereunto
:

page_text: annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon (that is to
say) :—
.
Fig. 1 represents an ordinary warehouseman's pocket pencil fitted
with my improved metal cap marked A, which is represented detached
at Fig. 2, and in a flat form at Fig. 3, which shows a piercing as at
a, b, in an angle or slanting direction, as indicated by dotted lines at
c, d, and e, f. The freed tongue 9 has it terminal part cut off and
slightly bent inwards at its edge, defined by the lower dotted line e
and f. The purpose of this slightly deflected edge will hereafter be
referred to. The flat piece of metal thus treated is bent into a
cylindrical form in its parallel portion by bringing the two edges n
and m together. The tapered parts p and q are by means of suitable
tools gathered in in the process of shaping, so as to assume a conical
form, as defined at r, r, Figs. 1 and 2. A metallic cap thus constructed
and placed over the cut or sharpened end of an ordinary lead pencil
has only to be turned from right to left to screw the cap over the pencil
in the position shown at Fig. 1. This is effected by the inclination of
the freed part g, which by its deflected edge works a thread on the
outer wood surface of the pencil, so as to allow the user to worm the
metal cap on or off the pencil, or in other words to expose the sharpened
lead point for use; or by turning the metal cap, from left to right the
pencil with its point will be retired within the cap for protecting it
when out of use, or in the pocket, as at Fig. 6; thus the angle of the
freed spring tongue g defines the pitch of the screwing motion pro-
duced and which may be made with what are technically called quick
or slow threads according to the greater or less angle of this part, but
I believe the angle here shewn to be suitable.
Fig. 4 is simply a repeat of Fig. 3 with the parts forming the conical
terminus divided into three, with one side of each part parallel with
its outer edges, and the other sides made more oblique. I adopt this
form for the reason that in bending these three tapered parts into the
conical finished shape, the form thus given affords a lead to the tools in
imparting the desired shape after the parallel portion has been formed
into a cylinder, as represented at Fig. 5, and in position at Fig. 6,
which may, for definement, be a point-protected pencil suitable for an
artist; an artist's pencil being shown without the cap at Fig. 7.
Fig. 8 mercly represents a metal cylinder with a conical end as
herein-before described, but instead of cutting and piercing a part as

page_text: shown at a, b, and g, Fig. 3 (and also shown in the other Figures), I
have simply caused one, two, or three oblique depressions, as at s, which
will have the effect (by reason of their obliquity) of worming on or off
the metal cap.
Having thus given a description of the means and processes by
which this simple Invention may be carried into effect by artisans
accustomed to the mechanical operations involved in the production of
such articles, I wish it understood that I do not purpose limiting myself
to any description of metal, nor to the exact details described and
exhibited, nor to any process for realising or producing the same (as
the same may be varied without affecting the object of my Invention),
nor do I claim as a novelty the use of metal caps for covering the
points of pencils, as the use of metal caps for this purpose is old, and
has been extensively used as a portable appendage; but what I claim,
and wish to protect by these my in part recited Letters Patent is, the
manufacturing of metal pencil point protectors with a cylindrical body
and conical point, either open or close jointed, the said metal pointed
protectors being so constructed as to possess the quality of being
wormed on or off the parallel part of the pencil, by the means herein
set forth, or their equivalent, by which the lead or points of common
pencils may be exposed for use, or covered for protection, at the will of
the user, as herein described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Morrison, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM H. TAYLOR,
Clerk to J. S. Cockings,
Patent Agent,
Birmingham.
JOHN MORRISON. (L.S.)