Improvements in or relating to Pencil Sharpening Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Pencil Sharpening Machines.
A communication froni HOLMAN K. WHEELER, of 435, Exchange Street, Lynn,
Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 for its object to provide a machine for sharpening pencils,
and in the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of the longitudinal vertical section
of a machine embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 4 shows in perspective the inner
member of the pencil holding chuck. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the cutter holding
shaft referred to hereinafter. Fig. 6 shows a section of the cutter enlarged.
The machine comprises a frame, or body part 2, wherein is a chamber 3, adapted
for receiving the cutter 10 with space above the cutter to be occupied by the
pencil, and a space below the cutter for receiving the chips and lead dust removed
by the sharpening operation. At the bottom of the chamber 3 is a plate 5 held in
place by the ribs 6 whereon the chips are collected and may be removed by the
workman at will.
The sleeve shaft 7, has the flanged cap 8, firmly brazed to one end thereof
(see Fig. 5) and screw threaded at the other end for receiving the screw threaded
shaft 9, and it is designed for rotating the cutter 10. To this end the cutter 10
is placed upon the sleeve 7 in bearing with the inner end face of the cap 8, and
is followed by the collar 12, after which the sheaf 9 is introduced and screwed
forward to firmly clamp the cutter 10, in place between the collar 12 and cap 8,
said collar and cap, being supported for rotation in the bearings formed therefor
in the frame part 2, will in rotating, cause rotation of the cutter 10.
The pencil holding-chuck comprises an inner member 14, an outer member 16,
and a spiral spring member 18, which spring, being contracted between the inner
and outer members, normally operates to force a movement thereof longitudinally
one with relation to the other. The inner member 14 is formed preferably of thin
tubular metal and for a portion of its length is divided into quarters by longitu-
dinal slots 20 whereby are formed the fingers 21 adapted for movement inwardly
when pressed upon. On the finger part 21 are projections 22 which may be
conveniently formed by forcing the metal outwardly and upwardly at such places.
These projections 22 are designed for cooperation with the bevelled inner wall
faces 24 of the outer chuck member 16, all this to the end the longitudinal move-
ment of the inner and outer members affected by the spring 18 will operate the
fingers inwardly for clamping and holding the pencil. Obviously a relative

page_text: movement of the member 14, 16, in the direction which operates the contraction
of the spring 18 will give way for the fingers to move outwardly and allow for the
removal or the introduction and adjustment of the pencil as desired. The outer
chuck-member 16 has the circumferential groove 28, wherein is entered the forked
end of the frame projection, 30 while its foremost end bears normally on the
frame part at the point 32. This arrangement. operates to support the chuck
for movement rotatively and it further allows of longitudinal tilting movements
of the chuck on the forked projection 30 as may be desired for adjusting the pencil,
and feeding it to the cutter. Rotation of the chuck is effected by a belt 34, which
to that end travels from the sheaf 9 over the chuck member 18. This belt pre-
ferably is made to consist of a ring or round band of rubber which is strained over
the parts under a tension which allows it to yield for the desired tilting movement
of the chuck, and it normally operates to hold the chuck from being displaced
during rotation and gradually depresses the foremost end of the chuck as is
required for feeding the pencil to the cutter.
Motion is primarily imparted to the sleeve 7 through the medium of a motor-
shaft 40, which, may be economically formed of two lines of round wire twisted
spirally, one about the other in duplicate as is shown in Fig. 1. Thereby each of
said wires is made to form an inclined rib extending spirally the length of
the shaft. Through the end of cap 8 are bored two inter-sectioned circular holes 42,
43, of a diameter equal to the diameter of said wire. Into the opening thus
made is introduced the said motor shaft, which being held against rotation, is
reciprocated longitudinally the result being to cause revolution of the sleeve 7
and consequently the cutter and pencil holding chuck, first in one direction as
the shaft goes forward and then in a reverse direction as the shaft goes backward.
It remains to describe the cutter which it may be understood is a round block
of tool steel having its peripheral face bevelled towards one end. On this bevelled
circular face are set the cutting members which may be formed by striking up
the surface material as in the art of file cutting. Preferably, the surface is worked
over once with the cutting tool supported at one inclination as indicated by dotted
line Fig. 6 and then worked over a second time with the cutting tool supported
at the obverse inclination as indicated by full lines in Fig. 6. The result is to
form cutting members of different inclinations. These inclined one way operate
in cutting the pencil while the cutter revolves in one direction but a reverse rotation
of the cutter calls into action the cutting members having the reverse inclination,
the result is to effect a cutting of the pencil during each rotation of the cutter
but another result is that, during the reverse movement, the cutter members are
cleared of the chips which may have lodged therein during the forward cutting
movement. The shaft is provided with a handle 60 for convenience in operating
and preferably too it is concealed in part by the shell or housing 62.
The relative arrangement of the cutter and pencil holding chuck is made such
that in the beginning the pencil shall rest upon the face of the cutter, the chuck
being then raised from the bearing 32 against the tension of belt 34 but as the
cutting progresses the belt 34 draws downwardly and continuously feeds the pencil
to the cutter until the chuck member 16 rests upon the bearing 32 at which time
the pencil will have been fully sharpened and pointed, and this bearing 32 will
operate to prevent over working and possibly damaging the perfected point.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A machine for sharpening pencils comprising a cutter adapted for move-
ment in opposite directions and provided with means for cutting in both of said
directions combined with actuating mechanism adapted for moving the cutter
alternately in one and then in the other of said directions, substantially as
described.

page_text: 2. A machine for sharpening pencils comprising a cutter adapted for move-
ment in opposite directions and provided with means for cutting in both of said
directions, combined with means for moving the cutter alternately in one, and
then in the other of said directions and means for holding and means for feeding
the pencil to the cutter, substantially as described.
3. A pencil sharpening machine, comprising a cutter adapted for movement in
opposite directions, and having provisions for cutting in both of said directions,
combined with means for holding the pencil, and means for rotating and feeding
the pencil to the cutter and means for moving the cutter alternately in one and
then in the other of said directions, substantially as described.
4. A machine for sharpening pencils, comprising a cutter adapted for movement
rotatively in opposite directions and the cutter having provision for cutting in
both of said directions combined with means for holding and means for feeding
the pencil to the cutter and means for moving the cutter alternately in one
and then in the other of said directions, substantially as described.
5., A machine for sharpening pencils, comprising a cutter adapted for move-
ment rotatively in opposite directions and the cutter having provision for cutting
in both of said directions combined with means for holding and means for feeding
the pencil to the cutter and means for moving the cutter alternately in one and
then in the other of said directions, and means for simultaneously rotating the
pencil, substantially as described.
6. A machine for sharpening pencils comprising a cutter a shaft and means to
rotate the shaft a pencil holding chuck and a connection between the said shaft
and chuck wherethrough motion is transmitted for rotating the chuck said con-
nection operating also for feeding the pencil to the cutter, substantially as
described.
7. A machine for sharpening pencils, comprising a cutter, a shaft, and means
for rotating the shaft a pencil holding chuck and a belt connection between the
shaft and chuck composed of rubber or a similarly elastic material wherethrough
motion is transmitted for rotating the chuck said connection operating also for
feeding the pencil to the cutter, substantially as described.
8. A machine for sharpening pencils, comprising, a shaft, a cutter supported
for movement with the shaft and means for rotating the shaft said means operating
normally to rotate the shaft alternately in one and then in the opposite direction
combined with a pencil holding chuck, and a connection between the shaft and
chuck wherethrough motion is transmitted for rotating the chuck and means
for feeding the pencil to the cutter, substantially as described.
9. A machine for sharpening pencils, comprising, a shaft, a cutter supported
for movement with the shaft and means for rotating the shaft said means operating
normally to rotate the shaft alternately in one and then in the opposite direction
and said cutter having provision for cutting the pencil in both of said directions
combined with a pencil holding chuck and means for rotating the chuck and
feeding the pencil to the cutter, substantially as described.
10. A machine for sharpening pencils, consisting of the frame part 2, the
shaft 7 supported for rotation in the frame part and carrying the cutter 10,
and means for moving the shaft, the pencil holding chuck supported for rotation
on a projection of the frame part, and further adapted for longitudinal tilting
movement thereon whereby to carry the pencil towards and from the cutter com-
bined with the elastic belt connection wherethrough motion is transmitted from
the shaft to the chuck and the pencil actuated towards the cutter all substantially
as described.
11. A machine for sharpening pencils comprising a rotatable cutter combined
with an endwise movable motor shoft and means wherethrough movements of the
shaft in one direction causes rotation of the cutter in one direction and movement
of the shaft in the other direction operates to rotate the cutter in the reverse
direction, substantially as described.

page_text: 12. A pencil sharpening machine, comprising the metallic cutter 10 provided
with cutting members raised at obverse inclinations on the surface thereof whereby
it is adapted for cutting in opposite directions, substantially as described.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.