MENTS IN PENCIL CASES OR HOLDERS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Maclenahan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th September 1880.
JAMES MACLENAHAN, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland.
MENTS IN PENCIL CASES OR HOLDERS."
" IMPROVE-
My Invention relates to cases or holders for slate and other pencils, and consists
in improved means for retaining or fixing the pencil in the holder. The holder is of
circular form in cross section, and the means for fixing the pencil therein consists of a
spring clip or stop, preferably >>> shaped, and having a nib that engages in a notch
in the pencil, and another or the same nib that abuts against the case or holder to
prevent the spring and pencil being forced inwards by the pressure upon the point
in writing, the spring, whether shaped or simply curved or bowed, also acting
as a sort of elastic wedge, pressing the pencil against the opposite side of the case or
holder, and retaining it firmly therein.
This spring or stop is parallel or of equal width throughout its length, and may
either be contained in an enlargement or recess provided at one side of the case or
holder to receive it, or it may be received in a corresponding slot or opening cut in
the holder, and encircled by a loose ring of oval or other form slipped over the end
of the holder to keep it in place.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side, and Figure 2 an end view of a holder provided with an
enlargement to receive the spring stop; Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the
same with the pencil and stop in place therein, and Figure 4 shows the spring stop
separately; Figure 5 are side views, and Figure 6 an end view of a holder having
a slot to receive the spring stop; Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the same with
the pencil and spring in place therein; Figures 8 and 9 show the spring and the
ring to hold it in place separately. The illustrations are drawn to an enlarged scale,
and the same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the Figures.
a is the holder, b the spring stop, and c the pencil. The holder is a plain tube of
metal (or it may be of vulcanite or other suitable material), except that in Figures
1, 2, and 3, it has at the end in which the pencil is to be fixed an enlargement or
recess a¹ of the form shown, and of a size to receive the spring stop easily, the said
recess being produced either by bending the metal outwards to form the sides
of the recess, and soldering a covering plate onto these turned up sides, as in
Figures 1, 2, 3; or by bending the turned up sides downwards and inwards, as
shown in Figures 1a; 2; or by soldering, brazing, or otherwise fixing a suitably
shaped piece of metal over an opening cut in the side of the tube. The spring
stop b is a parallel strip of spring steel, that is to say, of equal width throughout,
bent or doubled at an acute angle at b¹, and having the extremities bent outwards
at right angles at 62, 63, as shown. The pencil is secured in the holder, as shown in
Figure 3, by cutting a small notch c¹ in the side of the pencil in which the nib b*
of the spring engages, the pencil and spring being pushed together into the holder
until the other nib bª abuts against the end of the holder. The spring is received
within the enlargement a³, as shown, and by being compressed therein from the
original form, shown in Figure 4, to that shown in Figure 3, presses the spring
against the opposite side of the holder, and thus securely retains it in position. As
the recess to receive the spring projects from the side of the holder the circular part
of the holder is left entirely or nearly so for the pencil.

page_text: In Figures 5 to 9 there is merely an opening or slot a² in the side of the holder,
and the spring b is slightly curved or bowed instead of being bent to a V form, as
before, and has only one nib 62, which enters the notch c' in the pencil, and likewise
abuts against the holder at the end of the slot a², as shown in Figure 7, the spring
being retained in place by a loose ring d of oval or circular form slipped over the
end of the holder and embracing the spring, as shown. The spring is alightly com-
pressed with the finger in the act of slipping on the ring, and its elasticity serves
to retain both the ring and pencil in position. The spring may, if preferred, be of
the V form shown in Figure 10, and have two nibs 62, 63, of which the former would
enter the notch in the pencil and the latter abut against the holder, the spring being
retained by a ring, as in the case last described.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The combination of a tubular holder of circular section having a lateral
recess or enlargement at the end and a V shaped spring stop received within said
recess, and formed with a nib or nibs engaging in a notch in the pencil and with
the end of the holder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The parallel sided spring stop provided with a nib or nibs, and applied and
operating in combination with a laterally recessed pencil holder and notched pencil,
substantially as shown and described.
3rd. The combination of a tubular holder of circular section having a slot at the
end, a spring stop provided with a nib or nibs to engage with a notch in the pencil
and with the pencil holder, and a loose ring to retain the spring stop in place,
substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Maclenahan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of March, A.D. 1881.
JAMES MACLENAHAN. (L.S.)