IMPROVED MEANS OR APPLIANCES FOR FACILITATING THE HOLDING AND GUIDING OF PENHOLDERS AND PENCILS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
" IMPROVED MEANS OR APPLIANCES FOR FACILITATING THE HOLDING AND
GUIDING OF PENHOLDERS AND PENCILS."-A communication from abroad
by Nöel Benoit Galland, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 15th December 1873.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OR APPLIANCES FOR FACILITATING THE HOLDING
AND GUIDING OF PENHOLDERS AND PENCILS," a communication to me from
abroad by Nöel Benoit Galland, of Paris, in the Republic of France, to
be as follows:-

page_text: beginners, the actual grasp or compression of the fingers and thumb on
the penholder or pencil being entirely obviated, whilst its proper position
between the fingers and thumb is effectually insured.
According to this Invention it is proposed to adapt to a penholder or
pencil one or more rings for the reception of the tip of the first finger
only, or for the first and second fingers, or for the first and second fingers
and thumb, the said rings being made to project laterally from the
holder or pencil, and to be readily adjustable thereon, whether as regards
their position round the holder or pencil or along its length, so as to
adapt them to the most easy position of the fingers and thumb.
If desired, the first finger may be inserted through two of such rings,
the one receiving the tip of the finger and the other being so placed as
to encircle the same finger just above the second joint. These rings,
as well as the socket or portion thereof which embraces the holder or
pencil, should be made of thin elastic metal or other suitable material,
preferring however india-rubber, vulcanized or otherwise, so that they
may embrace the fingers and thumb with an elastic pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
37th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
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

page_text: Secondly. The necessity for the effort or force which the fingers have
to exert in the ordinary system so as to prevent longitudinal slipping
from the upper to the lower end, and vice versa, along the penholder or
pencil is also obviated.
Thirdly. Facility is afforded for the fingers being placed in the most
suitable position by means of the radial and longitudinal adjustability of
the rings on the penholder or pencil, which adjustability is one of the
essential features of this Invention.
Penholders and pencils with these appliances are especially adapted
for the use of aged and infirm persons, or those whose fingers are thin
and who have a dry skin, or who have frequent occasion to use a pen or
pencil.
In some cases it may be found desirable or preferable to employ only
some or even one only of the rings. Those not required may then be
removed as desired.
This system is also applicable in schools, and generally for accustoming
children to properly hold their pen.
The result of this Invention therefore is to obviate the necessity for
the force or effort which the hand is ordinarily required to exert in order
to hold and guide the penholder or pencil, which result is obtained by
inserting the fingers and the thumb in the rings in the manner herein-
after described.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a penholder provided with
rings in accordance with this Invention, and of the mode of using the
same.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a penholder provided with four rings,
and Figure 3 is a transverse section of same taken at the pen end of the
holder.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of a penholder provided with three rings,
and Figure 5 is a transverse section of same.

page_text: Figure 1 SHOW ang detached.
And Figure 11 shews a modified construction of ring..
It will be seen on reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 that the improved
penholders are composed of the following parts, videlicet:-
First. An ordinary straight cylindrical holder A.
:-
And, Secondly. Four rings B, C, D, E, of different diameters, and
adapted to the various purposes for which they are intended to be used.
The ring B receives the second or middle finger, which is retained
therein, and directly encircled near the first joint. The rings C and D
receive the forefinger, the former directly encircling it near the first
joint and maintaining it in all directions, and the latter being fitted
above the second joint. The ring E encircles the thumb near the first
joint. The rings B and C directly encircle the second or middle and
forefinger respectively without exerting any painful pressure, by which
means they are maintained_perfectly firm and steady, and the necessity
for the force or effort ordinarily required to be exerted in order to
prevent them from turning round or slipping along the holder is
obviated. The fingers have therefore simply to move and press slightly
upon the paper. The holder would however have a tendency to descend
by the weight of its upper end, and an unsteadiness affecting the cor-
rectness of the writing would result therefrom. This defect is remedied
by means of the ring D, which retains the holder, prevents it from
shaking, and fixes it against the forefinger. The holder being thus
perfectly retained and fixed by the rings B and C, it is still necessary
that the thumb should be attached to the holder, and that it should
grasp the holder'more or less tightly in order to assist in its motion. In
the ordinary system if the thumb has a dry skin or is thin there; is a
tendency for it to turn around or slip along the holder; this defect; is
obviated by the use of the ring E..
91
It is obvious that some or even one only of the rings may be employed
•17
Samud

page_text: The rings, two examples of which are respectively shewn in Figures 10
and 11, may be manufactured from strips of elastic metal. The metal
strip is welded or clenched and bent round, so as to be capable of
'embracing the cylindrical portion of the holder whilst retaining a certain
amount of elasticity, which admits of the socket or the portion which
fits on to the holder being maintained sufficiently firm, and at the same
time of its turning on its own centre and sliding along the holder, so as
to render it capable of being adjusted into any required position. In
the examples shewn on the Drawings very thin steel strips are employed,
and the socket portion, which fits on to the holder, is made of a depth
of about 1, but the dimensions may be varied, as may also the
respective diameters of the rings, to suit the size of the fingers of the
persons for whom the holder is intended.
in.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 11 the metal strip is not welded,
but simply bent into an S shape, so as to form two elastic eyes, one of
which is fitted on to the holder and the other on to the finger.
It is obvious however that the mode of constructing and applying the
rings and sockets and their number may be varied as found desirable, as
may also the description of metal of which they are composed, as, for
instance, bronze may be used instead of steel. Other substances than
metal may also be employed, such, for example, as horn, bone, ivory,
vulcanized or other india-rubber, and the like. India-rubber is however
particularly suitable for the purpose, as its elasticity would admit of the
rings readily adapting themselves to various sized fingers, and of the
.holder being held in as perfect a manner as possible.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to
be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application to penholders and pencils of moveable or
adjustable metal rings for the purpose of facilitating the holding and
guiding of such penholders and pencils, substantially in the manner
herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. Forming the rings for penholders and pencils of clastic
metals, such, for example, as steel or bronze, or of other elastic or

page_text: flexible substances, such, for example, as ordinary or vulcanized india-
rubber, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twelfth day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.s.)