Improvements in Pen and Pencil Cases.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug:, 1895.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pen and Pencil Cases.
1, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of London
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by The Eagle Pencil Company of 73 Franklin
Street in the City County and State of New York, United States of America).
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 that class of extensible pen and pencil cases, having
what is called a "magic movement" whereby when one of the sections of which.
the case is composed is pulled out or pushed in, another section will be caused to-
correspondingly move.
The invention consists of a novel arrangement and combination of parts which I
will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a mechanical pencil embodying the
invention with the parts in the position they occupy when the sections of the pencil
case are closed together.
Figure 2 is a like section with the parts in extended position.
Figure 3 is a view of the three parts of the magic movement separated from one
another.
Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 Figure 1.
A is the main portion of the sheath or case. A' is a sheet metal open ended
tube which is intended to fit within and in this instance to be a fixture in the
sheath A. At or near the rear end of the tube A' is journalled upon a cross pin or
axle a' a pinion a. The front section consists of a pencil B having a propeller
movement for advancing the lead. This pencil fits snugly within and can slide
back and forth in the tube A' and has attached to it a rearwardly extending
rack b which is made of sheet metal curved crosswise to fit snugly against the
inner wall of the tube A and along its longitudinal centre depressed or flattened as
seen in Figure 4. In this flattened portion are made the holes by which the rack
is formed.
The rear section consists of a tube C (of the same diameter as tube A) provided
at its rear end with a suitable head C' and adapted to slide back and forth in the
sheath A. in which it fits. To the front end of the section C is secured a rack.c of
the same general construction as the rack b. Kack c at its rear end fits within and
is attached to the section C. At its front end it enters the tube A' and engages
the pinion a for which purpose it passes between the inner wall of that tube and
the pinion on the side of the latter diametrically opposite the other rack b.
Similarly the rear end of the front rack enters and is housed in the tubular rear
section C when the pencil is closed as seen in Figure 1.
To prevent the rear section from being pulled out too far, a detent or lock is
provided. The rear end of the rack 6 which is made of spring metal is given an
inward set as shewn at Figure 1 and near its extreme end its side edges 6* are
notched as shewn at 6. The rack b is also cut away at 6' to make the rear end
more elastic and yielding. When the front section is moved outwardly the edges b
of the inwardly spring set portion 3 ride upon the axle a', and thus hold the rack
out away from the pinion a far enough to allow the teeth of the latter as it
revolves to clear the rack. But when the notches or recesses ³ come opposite
the axle a' then this portion of the rack is free to spring inward or towards.
the pinion.

page_text: The pinion itself is of peculiar construction in that the recesses which bound one
of its teeth are considerably deeper than the rest, as indicated more plainly in
Figure 2 the tooth being shown at 1 and the recesses at 2. The adjustment of the
parts is such that when the tooth I meets the end perforation or hole in the rack b
the notches 63 will be directly over the axle a'. The deep recesses 2 on each side
of the tooth 1, permit the tongue 6' to spring inwardly far enough to cause the
axle a to enter the notches 63. Thus the front section is locked from further
outward movement with the effect of course of preventing further cutward
movement of the rear section since that movement is dependent upon the rotation
of the pinion which at this time and under these conditions will be held by the
front section from rotating in a direction to permit the rear section to be pulled
out further.
To close the pencil, the rear section is pushed in. The first effect of the rotation
of the pinion caused by this movement of the rear section will be to bring the
shorter tooth and shallower recess adjoining the parts 1 and 2, into play, with the
result of pressing outwardly the tongue 1 far enough to raise its notches 63 out of
engagement with the axle a', after which the pencil can readily be closed.
In the present case the front section is made the locking agent in conjunction
with the pinion for the reason that in the particular structure shown in the
drawing, to give the inward set to the rack bar of the rear section necessary to
enable that rack bar to do the locking, would cause the bar to interfere with the
propeller pencil B carried by the front section. But the rear section can be used
for that purpose by simply modifying the structural details of the pencil or pen-
case. It may also be remarked that the pin or projection to be engaged by the
notches 6³ need not necessarily be the axle of the pinion and it is to be understood
as including any such obvious modification in the claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a pen or pencil case in which front and rear sections are provided with
rack bars engaging an intermediate pinion as described, a rack bar carried by one
of the sections having its inner end formed as a tongue spring set inward or
towards the pinion which it engages and provided with locking notches to engage
the axle of the pinion, in combination with a pinion formed as described to permit
the inward movement of the tongue of the rack bar at the time the locking notches
in the said tongue are opposite the axle of the pinion substantially as hereinbefore
described.
C
2. The combination and arrangement of the tube A¹ and its pinion a the
section B, C provided with racks be engaging the pinion, and the detent or lock
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 11th day of July 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.