IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCIL CASES OR HOLDERS
Year: 1882

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 PENCIL CASES OR HOLDERS." A communication from
abroad by Alonzo T. Cross, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of
America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCIL CASES OR HOLDERS."
A communication from abroad by Alonzo T. Cross, of Providence, Rhode Island,
United States of America.
This invention relates to that class of pencil cases or holders in which a short
tubular carrier is employed, for progressively feeding the lead or crayon from the
point of the pencil-case until the last piece of the said lead or crayon is expelled,
by means of a forcer arranged within the bore of the said carrier.
The said invention comprises the improved construction of the hollow screw for
operating the carrier, the slotted tube arranged within the bore of the said screw,
and the interior tubular carrier, whereby the unused piece of a lead or crayon is
expelled from the carrier, and a fresh lead or crayon inserted therein for continued
use.
In the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1, is an elevation of a pencil-case constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2, is a central longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3, is an elevation of the slotted tube, within which the lead or crayon
carrier is made to move by means of a hollow screw.
Figure 4, is an elevation of the hollow screw,
Figure 5, is an elevation of the forcer for ejecting the lead or crayon from the
carrier.
Figure 6, is an elevation of the tubular carrier.
Figure 7, is an elevation of the carrier with a lead or crayon inserted therein.

page_text: Figure 8 is an elevation of the several parts of the screw mechanism as arranged
preparatory to the attachment of the outer case.
Figure 9, is an elevation of the split tube which serves to hold the lead at the
point of the pencil case.
Figure 10, is a central longitudinal section of the lower end of the screw on the
line X, X, Figure 4.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a slotted tube A, upon
which the screw E is made to revolve; the said tube is provided at the lower end
of the slot a with the lateral notch b; the side of the slot a below the notch b is
cut away, leaving a projecting spur c below the said notch; at the end of the
tube A is soldered or otherwise secured, the collar d, Figure 3.
The carrier for the reception of the lead or crayon is composed of a tube B,
formed at its upper portion with a slot e, and enclosing a cylindrical forcer C,
having at its upper end a spring D, the outer end of which is bent at a right angle
to the said spring and is made to project slightly from the slot e of the carrier, to
form the pin k, upon which the spiral grooves of the screw E may act, so as to
move the lead or crayon F, with the carrier, to and fro within the tube A.
In the bore of the upper end of the carrier-tube B is fixed a short plug f, to
which is secured the stud g, of a diameter equal to the width of the slot in the
tube A. The upper end of the tube B is also provided with transverse slits h h,
extending laterally from the slot e, and forming narrow wings i, i, at the sides of
the said tube; when the said wings are bent outwardly then form a very slight
compression-spring, within the bore of the slotted tube A and thus serve to prevent
the carrier B from moving with too much freedom within the box of the said
tube A. The movement of the forcer C within the carrier is limited at its proper
end, as shown in Figure 7 by the lower end of the plug f; the lead or crayon F,
serves to press the forcer C back within the carrier-tube. The groove at the
lower end of the hollow screw E, is provided with a shoulder j, which serves, in
conjunction with the spring-pin k, to form a stop to the movement of the screw,
when the carrier is at the lower limit of its traverse within the tube A.
Upon the lower end of the hollow screw E, is secured the collar; this collar
serves to attach the screw-mechanism to the case or handle G, by means of its
frictional contact with the bore of the said case; leaving thus an annular chamber m
between the internal surface of the case and the external surface of the screw.
The conical or tapering point-tube H, is firmly secured to the slotted tube A,
by means of the fixed collar d, and is provided internally at its lower end with the
split tube I, whereby the bore at the point of the tube H may be adjusted to fit
leads or crayons of varying sizes.
The split tube I, being first properly secured within the lower end of the
tapering point-tube H, and the point tube firmly secured to the slotted tube A, as
shown and described, the hollow screw E is passed loosely over the tube A, so
that the lower end of the screw will abut against the upper end of the fixed
collar d, as shown in Figure 2. The carrier B with its forcer C is inserted at the
upper end of the tube A, so that the spring-pink will enter the spiral groove of
the screw, and the guiding stud g which is made shorter and larger than the pin k,
will enter the slot a of the said tube; the stud is made short enough to pass
along the slot a, and within the bore of the hollow screw, as shown in the section
Figure 2. The screw E may then be held in position, by soldering or otherwise
securing a collar o to the upper end of the tube A, so that the said hollow screw,
will be allowed to turn freely upon the said tube between the fixed collars o and d.
The handle or case G is forced upon the collar l, in order to firmly connect the
said handle to the screw-mechanism, so that by holding the point-tube H with one
hand, and turning the handle G with the other, the carrier B may be caused to
move to and fro within the bore of the tube A as desired. By forcing the lead or
crayon F, into the lower end of the carrier B, (which is split to receive leads of
different sizes) so as to abut against the end of the forcer C, the pencil-case will be
ready for use. When the lead or crayon F has worn away, the carrier B is brought

page_text: down towards the point of the pencil-case by the above described manipulation of
the handle G, and point tube H, until the stud g is forced into the notch b, by the
lateral thrust of the groove of the screw against the side of the pink which will
cause the carrier B to stop in its downward movement; the further movement of
the screw will cause the forcer C to move forward, and eject the remaining unused
piece of the lead or crayon, from the carrier B, and from the point of the tube H.
Upon turning the screw still further in the same direction, the spring-pink will
be brought against the stop shoulder j, where it will be held in front of the
bevelled under-cut edge p of the end of the screw, shown in Figure 10. By
applying a fresh lead or crayon to the end of the forcer, which will have reached
the extreme lower end of the tube H, and pressing backward on the same, the
spring-pink which may be slightly rounded at its rearward corner, will be forced
inward by the incline p, so as to pass under the inner surface of the screw, thus
allowing the forcer C to be pushed back to its upward limit within the carrier B;
the carrier being held in position against the action of the lead or crayon by the
notch b, and stud g.
After the lead or crayon has been thus inserted in the end of the carrier, the
screw E should be turned in the required direction to draw the lead or crayon
within the bore of the tube; the initial movement of the screw in that direction
will allow the pin k to again engage with the spiral groove of the screw, and then
cause the stud g, to pass out of the notch b, to the straight side of the slot a,
thereby allowing the carrier to be brought by the further action of the screw to its
upper limit of movement for use as before.
The elongated notch made below the spur c, in the slot of the tube A, provides
for the lateral movement of the stud g into the side notch b, without obstruction
from the pin k, which partakes of the same movement. The spur c at the side of
the slot a may be dispensed with, if the lower end of the carrier B is provided
with a proper downward stop within the bore of the point-tube H.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim, in a pencil case or holder :-
First, The combination of the slotted carrier provided with a guiding stud, and
the forcer provided with a spring-pin, with a slotted tube provided at one side of
the slot with a notch serving to support the carrier when in its lower position,
against the forcible insertion of the lead or crayon, substantially as described.
Second. The combination of the slotted carrier provided with a guiding stud, the
forcer provided with a spring-pin, the slotted tube provided at one side with a
notch serving to support the carrier, when in its lower position, against the forcible
insertion of the lead or crayon, and the screw provided at its lower end with a
bevelled under-cut edge whereby the spring pin may be forced from the groove to
within the bore of the screw for subsequent re-engagement with the said groove,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twenty ninth day of August in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.