Improvements in Pencil or Crayon Holders.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
Improvements in Pencil or Crayon Holders.
A communication by THE AMERICAN LEAD PENCIL Co., of New York, in the
County and State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and 6 Bank Street,
Manchester both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, 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 has reference to improvements in pencil or crayon holders and its
object is to provide a holder in which a marking lead or crayon may be projected
for use or withdrawn into the holder at will, while at the same time the lead is
locked against rearward movement when in use.
A pene or crayon holder constructed in accordance with this invention is
composed esset of a mantle of appropriate design and a carrier movable in
and along the mantlon either direction and receiving the butt end of the lead, the
said carrier being provided with means for locking the lead against rearward
movement during the act of writing, but this carrier is so constructed that the user
may readily move it along the mantle to project or retract the lead as the case
may be.
In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this Specification there are
shown several forms of lead or crayon holders embodying this invention.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the improved lead or crayon holder;
Fig. 2, is a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;
Fig. 3, is a longitudinal section on the line -x of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4, is a cross section on the line y-y Fig. 3;
Fig. 5, is a longitudinal section, upon an enlarged scale, of a portion of a lead or
crayon holder showing another form of the invention; Fig. 6, is a cross section of
the same;
Fig. 7, is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale of still another form of
lead or crayon holder embodying the invention; Fig. 8, is a cross section of the
ame;
Fig. 9, is a longitudinal section, upon an enlarged scale, of still another form of
the invention; Fig. 10, is a cross section of the saine;
Fig. 11, is a cross section, upon an enlarged scale, of a lead or crayon holder
embodying still another form of the invention, and
Fig. 12, is a perspective view, upon the same scale as in Fig. 11, of. the lend
carrier shown therein.
Referring to the drawings, and now more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, there is
shown a lead or crayon holder provided with a cylindrical mantle 1, which in
Figure is shown of approximately the same size and shape as the ordinary
automatic pencils. At the front end the mantle is formed into a nozzle 2, and has
on one side a longitudinal slot 3, extending from a point a short distance to the
rear of the nozzle 2, to the rear end of the mantle. Along one side of this slot,
for the greater portion of its length, the mantle is cut away to form teeth 4, the
shoulders of which are presented toward the front end of the mantle; the slot,

page_text: appear.
however, remains the same width throughout, for a purpose that will presently
Surrounding the mantle there is a short sleeve 5, having near each end a milled
circumferential bead 6, for convenience in grasping the said sleeve. .A. portion of
the sleeve 5, coincident with the slot 3, and between the two beads 6, is cut away
to form an opening 7, one side of which is parallel to the plain side of the slot 3,
and the other side inclined in such manner that this opening is of less width at its
forward end than the slot 3, and at its rear end is of greater width than the
combined width of the slot 3, and depth of the teeth 4.
Within the mantle there is a lead carrier 8 formed of a strip of sheet metal bent
into two concentric sleeves 9, 10, connected on one side by webs 11.
The inner sleeve 9, is of such diameter that it will receive and grasp with
moderate pressure the butt end of a lead or crayon 12, and the extent to which
this lead enters the sleeve is limited by an indentation 13, formed in the said
sleeve. It will be seen that this sleeve 9 is necessarily slightly elastic, and will
grasp the lead with sufficient friction to hold it securely.
The other sleeve 10 is still more elastic, being formed, as shown, as an
incomplete cylinder; from the two juxtaposed edges of the sleeve 10 there are
struck up two tongues 14, 15, respectively, the tongue 14; projecting through and
engaging the smooth or plain edges of the slot 3 in the mantle and of the opening 7.
in the sleeve 5, respectively. The tongue 15 projects through the slot 3, and
engages the inclined edges of the slot 7 or the inclined face of a tooth 4, and is
itself inclined relative to the other tongue 14 so as to conform to the said inclined
face of the slot 7 or tooth 4, as the case may be.
The sleeve 10 is so formed that it tends to expand and engage the inner walls
of the mantle, but such movement is limited by the two tongues 14, 15. The
sleeve 5, can be moved longitudinally with reference to the carrier 8, but this
movement is limited by the length of the opening 7. When the sleeve 5 is moved
rearwardly with reference to the carrier 8, the tongue is forced toward the other
tongue 14, by the inclined side of the opening 7, until the narrowest part of this
opening is reached. The parts are so proportioned that at this point the tongue 15
will escape the teeth 4 if the carrier 8 be moved to the rear, which can be readily
done by moving the sleeve 5 to the rear, and this sleeve engaging the said
tongues 14, 15, will then impel the carrier with it. When, however, the sleeve 5
is moved forward, the tongue 15 is freed from engagement with the inclined face
of the opening 7 and comes into contact with the inclined edge of a tooth 4, and is
held in engagement therewith by the expansion of the sleeve 10. As the sleeve 5
is moved forward, the rear end of the opening 7 comes in contact with the tongue 14,
which latter is made slightly longer than the tongue 15; and on a still further
movement of the sleeve 5, the carrier 8 is moved with it, the tongue 15 being
thereby forced up the inclined edges of the teeth until it snaps over their forward
ends. When the enrrier has been moved far enough forward to project the lead 12,
sufficient distance beyond the nozzle 2 for use in writing, the pressure exerted
during the net of writing will force the carrier back until the tongue 15 engages
a tooth, and so stops all further rearward movement of the carrier 8. When,
however, it is desired to retract the lead, a rearward movement of the sleeve 5
will free the tongue 15 from engagement with the teeth 4 in the manner before
explained.
The sleeve 5 is provided at each end with a rib 16, projecting into the slot 3,
and these ribs serve to guide the sleeve and to prevent it from being turned
around on the mantle.
The rear end of the slot 3, is open, as will be seen from Figure 1. It is so
formed to permit the introduction of the carrier into the mantle after it has been
secured to the sleeve 5, and also to permit the removal of this structure when it is
desired to renew the lead.
The lead or crayon holder is completed by the insertion into the rear end of the
mantle, of a cylindrical block 17, of erasive material.

page_text: Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the carrier 8 is shown as composed of a strip
of metal bent to a U-form of such width as to slide within the mantle 1, with one
leg, 18, coincident with the slot 3, and the other leg, 19, resting against the inner
face of the mantle opposite the said slot. The leg 19 is longer than the leg 18,..
and terminates in a socket 91, concentric with the mantle, and receiving the butt
end of the lead or crayon 12, which latter is therely held concentric with the said
mantle. The leg 18, has formed on it or secured thereto a blade 20, which projects.
through the slot 3 and thereby constitutes a thumb piece, the function of which.
will presently appear. Beyond this thumb piece 20, the end of the leg 18 is bent,
to one side and formed with a toe 21, arranged to enter any one of a series of
perforations 22, at one side of the slot 3, and replacing the teeth 4 of the structure
shown in Figure 1. It will be understood that, owing to its peculiar construction
the carrier is sufficiently elastic to permit the leg 18, to be pressed toward the
leg 19, by the pressure of the thumb of the user upon the thumb-piece 20.
When this is done, the leg 18, is forced downward until the toe 21 is free from
a hole 22, and the carrier may be moved to any point within the mantle, the-
pressure upon the thumb-piece being maintained during this movement. When
the pressure upon the thumb piece is removed the resiliency of the leg 18 will
cause the toe 21 to enter any hole 22 with which it may at that time coincide.
It will be at once evident that with this structure the marking lead or crayon
may be projected in position for use or retracted within the mantle at will, and.
that, when in use, the lead will be effectually locked against rearward movement.
All this is equally applicable to the structure shown in Figures 7 to 10 inclusive,
which are similar in operation but differ somewhat in the details of structure from.
that shown in Figure 5.
In the structure shown in Figures 7 and 8, the carrier 8 is constructed of a piece-
of sheet metal of approximately U-shape, with one leg 18 provided with a thumb-
piece 20 projecting through the slot 3 in the mantle, and having at its end a toe 21,.
engaging into auy one of a series of perforations 22, all as in the structure shown
in Figure 5.
The leg 19, has its forward end so bent and formed as to constitute a sleeve 9,.
concentric with the mantle 1, for receiving and holding the lead 12, the rear end
of which abuts against the loop which joins the two legs 18, 19. The portion 23,.
of the leg 19, below the sleeve 91, is so formed as to rest upon the inner surface of
the mantle 1 as shown.
In the structure shown in Figures 9 and 10, the carrier 8 is composed of a piece
of spring wire of approximately U-shape, and formed into a coil at the bend, with
the leg 18 soldered to a flat plate 24, one edge of which projects beyond the
mantle through the alot 3, and the other edge of which is formed into two
sleeves 91, 9, in line with each other for receiving and holding the lead or
crayon 12. The extreme end of the leg 18 is bent to form a toe 21 adapted to the-
perforations 22 similar to the structure in Figure 5. The free end of the leg 19,.
is bent slightly upward to prevent it from being caught by the inner face of the
mantle as the carrier is moved along.
The operation of this structure is the same as that of the structure shown in
Figures 5 and 7, and will be understood without further explanation.
In the structure shown in Figures 11 and 12, the carrier 8 consists simply of a.
piece of sheet metal, folded as shown, so as to form two identical clamping jaws,
joined along one edge as indicated at 25. The free ends of this strip are brought
together and constitute a thumb-piece 20, which projects through the slot 3, and
beyond the mantle 1. In this structure the carrier is held at any point to which it
may be moved by friction between the walls of the slot 3, and the sides of the
thumb-piece 20, which friction may be sufficient to resist the back thrust of the
lead during the act of writing, but which may be easily overcome by the finger of
the writer against the thumb-piece 20, so that the lead may be projected into
position for use or retracted within the mantle at the will of the user.
It will be understood that in the structure shown in Figures 5 to 12, inclusive,.

page_text: the mantle may be formed like that shown in Figure 1, with a nozzle 2, and may
receive at the rear end a block 17 of erasive material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
ine by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A pencil or crayon holder, constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.
2. A pencil or crayon holder constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 5 and 6.
3. A pencil or crayon holder constructed substantially as set forth with
reference to Figures 7 and 8.
4. A pencil or crayon holder constructed substantially as set forth with reference
to Figures 9 and 10."
5. A pencil or crayon holder constructed substantially as set forth with reference
to Figures 11 and 12.
Dated this 6th day of February 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents: