Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening Pencils.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 16th May, 1888
Complete Accepted. 22nd June 1883
Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening Pencils.
I, ALFRED WILLIAM MASON of 21 Queen Square in the County of Middlesex
Artist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide a pencil sharpener by means of which
either a flat or chisel shaped point or a circular point may be obtained.
The apparatus is composed of a metal plate having a slot in it through which the
end of a pencil to be sharpened can be made to rise up.
A knife blade is pivotted at one of its ends to the top of the plate on one side of
the slot. The knife passes across the slot and at its opposite end has jointed to it a
small metal plate or handle which can be held between a finger and thumb and by
which the knife can be worked to and fro and made to act as a plane to shear off
so much of the end of a pencil as may be made to project up through the slot.
One end of the plate has a loop of metal projecting downwards from it through
which the pencil to be sharpened is passed-and which serves as a rest for the pencil
to be supported on.
The same end of the plate has also jointed to it a loop of wire which serves as a
handle.
This handle and the pencil to be sharpened are to be held in one hand-the pencil
is passed through the handle and through the loop and its end made to rise up some-
what through the slot in the plate-the pencil inclining upwards at a very slight
angle relatively to the plate. By the other hand the knife is to be worked to and fro
and at cach movement it can be inade to shear off so much of the end of the pencil
as rises above the plate.
If the pencil be turned by the finger and thumb after each cut a circular point will
be obtained but if the cuts are mainly made on two opposite sides of the pencil a
chisel shaped point will be obtained.
DL: 00df August 1987
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant...

page_text: I, ALFRED WILLIAM MASON of 21 Queen Square in the County of Middlesex,
Artist, 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: —
The object of my invention is to provide a pencil sharpener by means of which
either a flat or chisel shaped point or a circular point may be obtained.
The apparatus is composed of a metal plate having a slot in it through which the
end of a pencil to be sharpened can be made to rise up. A knife blade is pivotted at
one of its ends to the top of the plate on one side of the slot. The knife passes
across the slot and at its opposite end has jointed to it a small metal plate or handle
which can be held between a finger and thumb and by which the knife can be worked
to and fro and made to act as a plane to shear off so much of the end of a pencil as
may be made to project up through the slot.
One end of the plate has a loop of metal projecting downwards from it through
which the pencil to be sharpened is passed-and which serves as a rest for the pencil
to be supported on. The same end of the plate has also jointed to it a loop of wire
which serves as a handle.
This handle and the pencil to be sharpened are to be held in one hand. The pencil
is passed through the handle and through the loop and its end made to rise up some-
what through the slot in the plate the pencil inclining upwards at a very slight
angle relatively to the plate. By the other hand the knife is to be worked to and fro
and at each movement it can be made to shear off so much of the end of the pencil
as rises above the plate. If the pencil be turned by the finger and thumb after each
cut a circular point will be obtained but if the cuts are mainly made on two opposite
sides of the pencil a chisel shaped point will be obtained.
The drawing annexed shews various views of a pencil sharpener formed as above
described.
Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure 2 a side edge view and Figure 3 an end edge view.
Figure 4 is a cross section of the knife blade. Figure 5 is a side edge view with a
pencil inserted into it in position to be sharpened.
A is the plate having in it a slot B. (is the knife blade hinged at one end to the
plate at one side of the slot near its inner end-and which at its opposite end has a
small handle D jointed to it. E is the wire handle which is jointed to the end of the
plate and G is the wire loop which is also jointed to this end of the plate and serves
as a rest to support the pencil whilst the end of the pencil is being cut. One advantage
of connecting the loop G to the plate by a hinge joint that the loop is in this way
allowed a certain amount of play which assists in preventing the knife from pressing
too heavily upon and breaking the lead point.
HH are two flanges which project downwards from the side edges of the slot B
and as in holding the end of the pencil in position whilst it is being cut.

page_text: When using the apparatus the handle D should be grasped firmly in the left hand
in such a manner as to leave the thumb and fore finger of this hand at liberty to
from time to time turn the pencil round as successive cuts are made so as to shape
the point.
The way in which the knife blade is turned to and fro on its pivot is
indicated by the dotted lines in figure 1.
The way in which the pencil is placed into the apparatus when its point is to be
sharpened is clearly shown in Figure 5.
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. The combination in apparatus for sharpening pencils of a plate in which is a slot
up through which the end of a pencil can be made to protrude at an acute angle a
rest or support for the pencil on the underside of the plate and a knife blade pivotted
to the top of the plate on one side of the slot so that if the knife be oscillated to and
fro across the slot the portion projecting above the slot may be sliced off.
2. The construction of apparatus for sharpening pencils substantially in the manner
herein before described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
ALFRED W. MASON.