IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED INSTRUMENTS FOR DESK PURPOSES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, FRANK LEWIS STOWELL of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of
New York, United States of America, Bunker, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINED INSTRUMENTS FOR DESK PURPOSES,
and 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 combined instruments for desk purposes, and its object
is to furnish an instrument embracing a number of useful implements, and thus
enable any person having occasion to frequently use the pen and pencil, to obtain
several indispensable tools, at comparatively small cost, in one structure.
My invention consists primarily in combining in one structure a pencil-eraser, a
file, and a blade having an erasing edge, a cutting edge and a pencil sharpening
notch. The file-surface and pencil-eraser are adapted to be covered by sheaths for
the purpose bereinafter stated.
The sheet of explanatory drawings herewith appended will enable others to fully
understand my invention and its several modifications.
In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of one form of the instrument, and
Figure 2 a like view showing a sheath for the file-surface, and a construction
whereby the rubber may be concealed within the handle of the instrument, or
exposed when required to be used. Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the
invention showing the blade entirely withdrawn into the handle; Figure 4 is a side
view showing a portion of the blade exposed; Figure 5 is a side view showing
the whole of the blade exposed; Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of
figure 4, and Figure 7 is a detached sectional view of the rubber pencil-eraser.
The form of structure shown in figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 is such that the blade
having the cutting and erasing edges, and sharpening notch and file-surface, may
be entirely withdrawn within the handle; or the erasing edge may be exposed
without exposing the file-surface.
Referring to the drawings, A is the handle which may be made of hard rubber,
wood, metal, or any other suitable material. B is a rubber pencil-eraser and C is
a blade, which latter embraces the cutting edge a, the erasing edge b and the
sharpening notch c, as well as the file-surface d.

page_text: In figure 1 the pencil-eraser B, which is of superior quality of rubber molded of
the requisite size and form, is permanently secured in one end of the bandle A. in
any approved manner. The band or collar D around that end of the handle which
carries the rubber, B, may be of any suitable material, and in finely finished instru-
ments it may be of gold. It will be noticed that one edge of the blade C is unbroken.
It thus affords a cutting edge of considerable capacity. The other edge of said
blade which is specially intended as an eraser, is provided with the pencil sharpening
notch located near the point where the edge of the blade joins the file-surface d.
E is a sheath for the file-surface; it prevents the fingers from becoming soiled
by filings and prevents the latter from falling on and soiling the paper when
using the erasing edge b. In figure 2 the blade C is in every respect the same as
in figure 1, but the pencil eraser B is secured to a tube which fits within the
handle A and which is provided with a stud e which is adapted to be sprung into
any one of the notches f in the slot g of the handle A, and thus hold the rubber B
entirely exposed, partly exposed, or completely withdrawn within the body of
the handle, as will be entirely clear from an inspection of figure 2 of the
drawings.
In figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 the rubber pencil-eraser is secured to the handle A by
means of a screw F extending from the rear end of the handle and surrounded by
a metal band or collar D. By this means provision is made for readily attaching
the rubber B and removing and replacing it when desired. In these views of the
drawings the handle A is hollow for the greater portion of its length. From near
the middle to near the inner or rear end, the hollow portion is square in cross
section and from the middle to the outer or front end, the hollow portion is wider,
and is provided with ways or grooves h, h, on two opposite sides. In these views
the blade is constructed as explained in describing figures 1 and 2. From the
filed the shank i extends rearward, and on its rear end is a square piston j which
fits the square handle. From this piston a spring k extends forward for about one
third the length of the blade, and its free end is provided with a stud or knob Z.
The shank of the knob where it is attached to the spring is round, as shown at m,
and between this point and the head of the knob is a flat straight portion n. In
one side of the handle A is a longitudinal slot o provided with three round
holes o', 02, 0³, one at each end and one about midway between. These round
holes are large enough to engage with the round portion m of the shank of the
knob or stud l.
When the parts are in the position shown in figure 3, the round shank m engages
with the round hole o' (being actuated by the spring ) and holds the blade entirely
within the hollow handle. By pressing down the knob or stud with the thumb,
the shank m is disengaged from the hole and the blade may then be pushed out
from the end of the handle-the flat portion n sliding in the slot o, and the blade
being guided by the piston j sliding in the square portion of the handle and the
edges of the file portion d sliding in the ways or grooves 1 h. By stopping the
motion with the knob and shank at the middle hole o² only the cutting portion of
the blade is exposed, as shown in figure 4, and the file-surface d is concealed within
the handle; and by continuing the motion until the shank engages with the third
hole o³, the entire blade is exposed, so that the file may be used. By this means
the file is exposed only when required for use, and when not required, and the
erasing blade is in use, there is no liability of filings falling from the file-surface
and soiling the paper.
In figure 4 I show the rubber pencil-eraser provided with a sheath H to prevent
the rubber from getting soiled while the instrument is lying on the desk or when
it is carried in the pocket. In figure 7 the general form of the rubber pencil-eraser
is shown, the only peculiarity of this feature of my invention being the small
hole in the end which is to be inserted in the handle A. The purpose of this
hole is to enable the screw to start easily, and to ensure the accurate insertion of
the rubber in the handle. The hole g is formed during the process of molding the
rubber.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is
1st An instrument for desk purposes consisting of a handle, A, provided with
an erasing blade having a sharpening notch formed in one edge only thereof and
a flat file-surface in the rear of said notch, substantially as set forth.
2nd An instrument for desk purposes consisting of a handle, A, provided with
a blade having a continuous cutting edge, and an erasing edge provided with a
sharpening notch, substantially as set forth.
3rd An instrument for desk purposes consisting of a handle, A, carrying a
pencil-eraser B as shown, and provided with an erasing blade having a file-surface
in the rear of its cutting edges, substantially as set forth.
4th The handle, A, provided with the blade C having the file-surface d, in com-
bination with the sheath E for protecting said file-surface, substantially as set
forth.
5th In an instrument for desk purposes, the hollow handle A provided with the
longitudinal slot o and holes o', 03, 03; combined with the sliding blade, provided
with an erasing edge and with a file-surface, and spring k having stud 1, constructed
and operating as and for the purposes set forth.
6th The handle A provided with the screw F combined with the rubber pencil-
eraser B, substantially as set forth.
7th The handle A provided with the rubber pencil-eraser B, combined with the
sheath H, substantially as set forth.
8th The rubber pencil-eraser B formed with a small hole q in one end thereof,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this twelfth day of January 1885.