Improvements in Pencils.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pencils.
I LEWIS HERMAN SONDHEIM, of 12 Maiden Lane, New York City, United
States of America, Inventor, 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 that class of pencils in which the lead is projected
beyond the casing according as new writing-points are required and in which the
case is not to be cut away but retains its original length, provision being made for
permitting the lead to be pushed back within the case to protect the pencil point
when not required for use.
The object of the invention is to provide an efficient, durable, and easily-
operated pencil of this character.
The invention consists in the novel construction hereinafter particularly described
and defined in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a lead-pencil- embodying this
invention, the lead-actuating devices being in the normal position.
Figure 2 is a like view, with the end cap pressed forward for advancing, the lead
for projecting a new writing-point.
Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional elevation of the feed-tube, lead-
tube, and traveller.
Figure 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the feed-tube and lead-tube,
shewing the guide projection of the one and oblique slot of the other.
Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 but shewing a modified
form of feed-tube, and
Figure 7 is a cross-section on line -x, Figure 6.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
The invention consists of a novel combination of parts, to wit: a feed-tube, a
lead-tube, and a traveller within the feed tube having a spring pawl the tension or
flexure of the spring pawl being in an outward direction to project its free end
through the slot of the lead-tube into engagement with the feed-tube by a
movement from the inside of the feed-tube outward. Two forms of feed-tube are
illustrated, shewing different forms of providing the same with the necessary pawl-
engaging edges. In one case these edges are provided by teeth formed along one
edge of a longitudinal slot in the feed tube, the pawl when not engaged by the
teeth lying in the longitudinal slot mentioned. In the other form, the pawl-
engaging edges are formed without longitudinally slotting the feed tube, a series
of separate recesses being provided instead of teeth. In this latter case the feed
tube is of unbroken peripheral continuity (or practically so) and when the pawl is
not in engagement with the recesses it lies within the bore of the feed-tube.
Referring, first, to Figures 1 to 3, the pencil comprises a casing A made
preferably of wood tapered at its forward end and provided with a ferrule a and
end cap a the end cap being movable longitudinally in or on said ferrule and
suitably held against displacement. In the bore of the casing is fitted a feed-
tube within which is fitted a lead-tube D the latter being slotted longi-
tudinally, as at d and projecting beyond the feed-tube at its lower end and a
short distance from its lower end, the lead-tube is slightly contracted, as at d
to snugly embrace a lead G. The extreme lower end d of the lead-tube D
is flared outward to a diameter about equal to that of the bore of the case A.
Within the lead-tube D is fitted a longitudinally-movable traveller E having

page_text: a spring-pawl E₁ the traveller being in the form of a tube. The shank of
the pawl E is formed with a lateral ear e that rides in the slot d of the lead
tube for steadying the traveller and near the free end the pawl is reduced
as at e¹ to give it the necessary spring action. The engaging head 2 of the pawl
has its front edge extending at right angles to the shank in order to present a
straight surface to the engaging edges of the feed tube and the back e of the
engaging head e² is inclined so as to readily permit it to slip under the pawl-
engaging edges of the feed tube in the backward motion of said tube, while either
one or both of the side edges of said inclined part are rounded off to permit the
engaging head e² to be easily depressed within the feed tube by the rotation of
same around the lead tube. Further at the base of the inclined side e' of the pawl
is a shoulder e³, to contact with the upper edge of the tubular traveller E and
partly relieve the pawl of strain.
The extreme upper end e beyond the head e³, serves as an additional guard
against the pawl being bent upward by a severe strain as it will contact with the
interior of the feed tube and resist the strain in such case.
The spring pawl E¹ is adapted to engage or be engaged by recesses or
openings C of the feed tube, such recesses being of the peculiar form hereinafter
described.
The lead tube D is formed with an oblique slot d³ (Figure 4) and the feed
tube C is formed with a tubular internal projection c which surrounds an aperture e
and projects into said oblique slot and has a movement limited to a longitudinal
play in the slot. The projection c, is formed by first producing an aperture d' in
lead tube D, diametrically opposite the slot ds and forming an aperture 2 in feed
tube C, diametrically opposite the aperture c'. These several apertures permit the
entrance of the necessary tools for upsetting the projection c from the material of
the feed tube C. Any equivalent pin will answer in lieu of projection c, and it is
also readily understood that the oblique slot d³ may be made in the feed tube, and
a piu or projection entering said slot may be fixed to the lead tube to give the same
operative results.
A spiral spring F is arranged between the closed upper end of the feed tube C
and a disc f, which is provided at the upper end of the lead tube D.
In operation, it will be seen that as the end cap a¹ is pressed inward the feed-
tube C will respond and move inward and will engage by its recessed portions C¹
with the spring-pawl E¹ of traveller E and advance the traveller and consequently
cause the lead G to project the point of the lead beyond the casing. The spring F
upon being released will in the usual manner return the cap a¹ and the feed-tube to
their normal position, the recessed portions of the feed-tube clicking past the
head of the spring pawl E. The traveller E, it is understood is so fitted in the
lead tube as to have such a frictional contact with the latter as to prevent
accidental retrograde movement of the traveller when the feed-tube is being
retracted.
The pawl-engaging edges in Figures 1 to 3 consist of a straight transversely-
extending rear edge e, an opposite transversely-ranging front edge co, and side
edges cc. The side edge c it is not essential to have straight, as it performs
little or no function and the front edge c³ may be formed otherwise, it being only
necessary that it click over the pawl E. The back edge et is however preferably
straight, since it is to engage the pawl in the forward movement of the feed-tube to
progress the traveller and the lead. The side edge e' is inclined relatively to the
edge for a purpose presently explained. Thus as the feed-tube is advanced in
response to the forward movement of the end cap a² that edge et immediately in the
rear of the pawl E' will strike the straight edge of said pawl and consequently the
pawl and traveller will be advanced and the point of the lead projected. On
the return movement of the feed-tube the forward edge e will strike the inclined
edge of the pawl and depress or force the pawl inward, the several edges c³ thus
successively clicking past the pawl until the feed-tube reaches its normal rearward
position. When it is desired to withdraw the lead within the case A it is explained

page_text: that when the cap a¹ is given a forward movement to the proper extent the guide-
slot and the projection c will have rotated the feed-tube to that extent that the
defining edges of the recesses or openings will have moved entirely clear of, and be
disengaged from, the pawl E this complete disengagement being facilitated by the
inclination of the edges c c and by the inclined back e and rounded side edges of
the pawl head e². The pawl will now lie within the bore of the feed-tube beneath
the material thereof at one side of the pawl-engaging edges and on pressure being
exerted on the point of the lead, the lead and traveller will be caused to move
inward until the lead is entirely within the case A. This inward movement of the
lead may be effected by simply placing the point of the pencil against a desk or
other resisting surface after pressing on the cap a¹. When the lead is used rp,
the point of the traveller will be at the end of, or project beyond, the case and a
new lead may be inserted, the new lead and the traveller being forced inward after
disengaging the pawl in the manner just described above.
It will be seen from the foregoing that the pawl-engaging edges meet at the
point of escape of the pawl or in other words, they are of unbroken continuity at
such point of escape, instead of having an opening at such point (like teeth) and
any such slot or open joint as may be incidental to the manufacture of the tube
will not affect the practical continuity of the pawl-engaging edges as such joint
will not prevent the forcing or compressing of the pawl within the bore of the feed-
tube.
The
In the form shewn in Figures 5, 6, and 7, the case A lead tube D traveller E
and all other parts but the feed-tube C are the same as in Figures 1 to 4.
feed-tube is however different. It is formed with a lengthwise slot (see Figure 7)
along one side of which are formed teeth g¹ producing between them notches g
which receive the acting end of the traveller pawl which is engaged by the teeth.
The feed-tube teeth are preferably shaped with a square or right-angularly-
disposed front edge g³ which engages the traveller-pawl and an oblique or slanting
rear edge g* allowing the teeth to easily slip past the pawl as the latter clicks from
one recess or notch g² to the other during the backward movement of the feed-tube.
With this form, when the cap al is pressed forward it advances the feed tube and
traveller as previously described in order to project the lead, the square or straight
edge g³ engaging the straight edge e³ of the spring pawl in the forward movement
and the slanting edges slipping or riding over the pawl in the return movement.
When the feed tube is rotated relatively to the lead-tube sufficiently to bring the
pawl-head into the longitudinal slot g, the lead and traveller may be readily
pushed inward to protect the lead point within the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a pencil, the combination, with a lead-tube having a longitudinal slot and a
traveller therein having a spring-pawl extending through said slot, of a feed-tube
formed with a series of pawl-engaging edges and capable of rotary movement to
disengage the pawl, substantially as described.
2. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed-tube and a longitudinally-slotted
lead-tube, of a traveller within the lead-tube and provided with a spring-pawl the
tension or flexure of said spring pawl being in an outward direction to project its
free end through the slot of the lead-tube into engagement with the feed tube
from the inside of the latter, substantially as described.
3. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed-tube and a longitudinally-slotted
lead-tube, of a traveller arranged within the lead-tube and provided with a
spring-pawl, the flexible shank of the said spring-pawl lying mainly within
the peripheral plane of the lead-tube and the tension or flexure of said pawl
being in an outward direction to project the free end of the pawl through the
slot of the lead-tube into engagement with the feed-tube, substantially as
described.

page_text: •
4. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed-tube having a longitudinal series
of teeth or shoulders and a longitudinally slotted lead-tube within the feed-tube,
of a traveller arranged within the lead-tube and provided with a spring-pawl,
said spring pawl lying mainly within the peripheral plane of the lead-tube,
its free end projecting through the slot of the said lead-tube to engage with
the teeth or shoulders of the feed tube from the inside of the latter and dis-
engaging by a rotary movement of the feed-tube relatively to the lead-tube,
substantially as described.
5. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed tube having a longitudinal slot or way
and a series of teeth at the side thereof and a longitudinally-slotted lead tube
within the feed tube, of a traveller within the lead-tube and a spring-pawl carried
by the traveller, said spring-pawl lying mainly within the peripheral plane of the
lead-tube and the tension of the said pawl acting in an outward direction to
project the free end thereof through the slot of the lead-tube and into engagement
with the teeth of the feed-tube, the pawl disengaging from the feed-tube by a
rotary movement of the latter relatively to the lead tube, substantially as
described.
6. In a pencil, the combination, with a lead-tube having a longitudinal slot and
a traveller therein having a spring pawl extending through said slot, of a feed-
tube having a series of recesses or openings forming pawl-engaging edges, the
pawl normally being engaged by said recesses but lying within the bore of the
feed tube and beneath the surface of the said tube when the latter is rotated to
the necessary extent substantially as described.
7. In a pencil, the combination of a lead-tube having a longitudinal slot, a
traveller therein having a spring-pawl extending through said slot and a feed tube
having a series of pawl-engaging edges and capable of a rotary movement for
disengaging the pawl, the said pawl-engaging edges of each recess at two adjacent
sides thereof, meeting at an acute angle at the point of escape of the pawl,
substantially as described.
8. In a pencil, the combination of a lead tube having a longitudinal slot, a
traveller therein having a spring-pawl extending through said slot and a feed-tube
capable of rotary-movement and having a series of separated recesses or openings
extending in unbroken continuity at all sides and adapted to engage the pawl,
substantially as described.
9. In a pencil, the combination of a lead-tube having a longitudinal slot, a
traveller therein having a spring-pawl extending through said slot and a feed tube
having recesses or openings, the defining edges of which are adapted to engage
the pawl, the said tube being capable of rotary movement and the defining edges
of the recesses, at one side, contacting with and riding over the pawl to compress
the same within the tube when the latter is rotated, substantially as described.
a
10. In a pencil, the combination with a lead-tube having a longitudinal slot and
a feed tube of practically-unbroken peripheral continuity, of a traveller having
spring pawl extending through the slot of the lead-tube to engage the feed-tube
and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by a rotary movement of the feed-tube
relatively to the lead-tube, substantially as described.
11. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed tube and a longitudinally-slotted
lead-tube of a traveller therein, operated by the feed tube, having a spring pawl,
said pawl having a head projecting through the slot of the lead-tube and engaging
the feed-tube and having also an ear projecting into the slot of the lead-tube for
steadying and guiding the traveller, substantially as described.
12. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed tube and a longitudinally-slotted
lead-tube, of a tubular traveller in the lead-tube formed with a reduced shank at
one end to give it the necessary spring action and formed with an ear projecting
into the slot of the lead-tube for guiding and steadying the traveller and with an
engaging head projecting through the slot of the lead-tube into engagement with
the feed-tube, substantially as described.
3. In a pencil, the combination, with a feed-tube and a longitudinally-slotted

page_text: lead-tube, of a traveller having a spring-pawl which is formed with a head that
projects through the slot of the lead-tube into engagement with the feed tube, said
head being formed with a straight front edge, ranging transversely to the length of
the pencil, for being engaged by the feed-tube, and formed also with an inclined
back edge, substantially as described.
Doul .
1 1003
L. H. SONDHEIM,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
.53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.