IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCILS PROVIDED WITH LEAD OR OTHER MARKING POINTS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCILS PROVIDED WITH LEAD OR OTHER MARKING
POINTS." A communication from abroad by Bradley A. Fiske, of Naperville,
Illinois, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th April 1881.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCILS PROVIDED WITH
LEAD OR OTHER MARKING POINTS." A communication from abroad by Bradley
A. Fiske, of Naperville, Illinois, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in pencils containing lead or other marking
material, and has for its object to produce a pencil which is simple and cheap to
manufacture, efficient in service, and important as à marketable commodity; and
the novelty of the said Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of
the parts, as more fully hereinafter set forth. Although I have hereinafter
more particularly referred to lead marking points, it will be understood that I may
substitute therefor marking points or markers formed of other materials.
It is a well-understood fact that in articles of such universal use and demand as
lead-pencils, it is a great desideratum to simplify the construction and reduce the
expense of manufacture. To this end, my Invention consists essentially in a
holder formed preferably of wood, and of such size and conformation as to afford a
convenient handle, and provided upon one end with a socket extending longitudinally
inward a sufficient distance (approximately one half-inch) to receive the butt of
the lead or other marking material. This end of the said lead-holder is adapted to
fit snugly within one end of a metal or other case in such a manner that it will be
held sufficiently firm therein by the friction of the parts, while the other end or
point of the said case is bevelled or cone-shaped, the extreme point being provided
with an aperture through which the lead-point projects or emerges. This case may

page_text: be ornamented in any desirable manner, but for the sake of cheapness I prefer to
employ the ordinary well-known nickel-plate, and it will be observed that both
the conical and cylindrical portions are formed of the same piece of metal.
It will be seen that the butt of the lead is held firmly in the socket of the lead-
holder at one end, while the other end of the lead is similarly held in the point of
the case.
In case it is desirable to use leads of different sizes the front end of the lead-
holder is bevelled or tapered sufficiently to leave a proper space for the longitudinal
socket to be formed, and a diametrical slot or kerf is made through the cone in such
a manner that the parts may be pressed together so as to embrace the lead firmly.
In such construction I employ a conical metal thimble, which fits snugly over
the severed or divided parts, and which when pressed backward forces the said
parts together.
If it is desirable to advance the lead with greater precision and with more
gradual regularity than is obtained by the simple friction between the lead-holder
and the case, I provide the lead-holder for a sufficient distance, or the entire
length of the same, with a quick-screw, and the case with a similar conformation,
so that the male thread of the holder will correspond with the female thread of
the case, and the lead may be advanced or retracted by turning the holder in the
proper direction.
My Invention may be modified by forming a slot in the butt of the case, and
springing it in at that point. The lead or other marking material may if desired
be rigidly inserted in its holder., .
In the accompanying Drawing,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved pencil, and
Figure 2 is a side view partly in section of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view of a modified form of pencil, shewing the butt of the case
slotted, and sprung in upon the holder, and
Figure 4 is a central longitudinal section partly in side view of the same.
Figures 5 and 6 represent in section parts of the said pencils.
A represents the lead-holder having a bevelled point a, and a longitudinal
socket a¹. This socket a¹ is slotted or kerfed diametrically as shewn at a³, to allow
the severed parts of the point a to be pressed together by means of a conical
thimble a³, and to grasp the lead C firmly at that point. B represents the
cylindrical portion of the case, b the conical portion, and 6¹ the point-aperture
through which the lead-point emerges; D represents the male thread upon the
lead-holder, and d the female thread in the case, the said male thread being adapted
to operate within the female thread, as and for the purpose hereinbefore specified.
In Figure 3 D represents the aforesaid slot in the butt of the case.
I am aware that various devices have heretofore been employed to advance
and retract the leads of pencils, but such devices have generally been complicated,
expensive, and otherwise not calculated to meet the wants of the public in
general.
My pencil is designed to obviate the necessity of making wood-encased lead-
pencils, as it is only necessary to form the case and the stock or holder, which are
practically inexpensive, and then to use the leads. The construction is simple and
durable, the only article necessary to be purchased being the lead after one holder
and case has been obtained.
I am also aware that ordinary wood-encased lead-pencils have heretofore been
´provided with metallic tubular holders, which receive the sharpened end when the
pencil is to be carried in the pocket, to protect the point of the lead, and are
reversed when the point is to be used.
I am also aware that an ordinary wood-incased lead-pencil has been inserted in
an inner tube provided with interior pencil-holding projections, and with exterior-
projecting frictional detents in combination with an outer protecting-tube adapted
to slide longitudinally thereon.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my

page_text: foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
First. A pencil consisting of a holder which also serves as a handle, having a
central longitudinal socket to receive a lead or other marking point, a case having
a cylindrical portion, a conical portion, and a lead-point aperture, the holder and
handle operating within the case by friction, all as above set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Second. The holder A, which also serves as a handle, having a bevelled
portion a and a socket al, slotted or kerfed as shewn at a³, in combination with
the case B, b, b¹, and marking point, as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Third. The combination with the holder A, which also serves as a handle, and
which has the quick-screw D, the conical portion a, the socket a', and the kerf or
slot a³ of the case B, having the conical-portion b and the aperture b¹, and provided
with the female thread d and the lead or other marker, all constructed, arranged,
and adapted to operate as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROBT, LAKE. (L.S.)