Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 20th Apr., 1889
I, LEWIS WOLFF, of Falcon Pencil Works, York Road, Battersea, in the County of
Surrey, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to means or apparatus for sharpening or pointing lead or other
pencils.
The main object of my said invention is to provide a device by means of which
lead or other pencils can be sharpened or pointed for use without being subject to
the liability of breaking the points of the said pencils during the operation, to
which disadvantage devices for sharpening pencils as hitherto constructed are more
or less liable.
My said invention comprises moreover various other improvements hereinafter
set forth.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a tube or socket adapted to
hold the pencil intended to be sharpened. The pencil is preferably retained in posi-
tion by means of a suitable spring attached to the said tube or socket and arranged
to bear against the said pencil. The lower part of this tube or socket is cut away
to a predetermined extent so as to form an aperture in which a portion of the said
pencil is exposed to the action of a knife or blade one extremity of which is pivoted
to a plate attached to the lower part of the said tube or socket.
The other extremity of this-knife-or-blade-is- provided with a suitable handle by
means of which it can be operated so as to cut any predetermined portion from the
extremity of a pencil inserted into the above mentioned tube or socket. By turning
or rotating the pencil by hand in the tube or socket so as to present fresh portions
of the said pencil to the action of the knife or blade equal portions are cut all round
from the extremity of the said pencil so as to form a convenient point or sharpened
portion to the same. In some instances I provide a suitable receptacle or tray to
catch the cuttings, and place in this receptacle a block of wood vulcanite or
some other suitable material upon which the extremity or point of the pencil being
sharpened is adapted to rest. The knife or blade moreover strikes against this block

page_text: at the end of its stroke and is thus prevented from being injured by contact with any
part of the metal. I sometimes moreover provide the knife or blade with a spring
which tends normally to retain the said knife or blade in its highest position, or at the
top of its stroke. A suitable ring or socket is attached to the lower part of the said
receptacle or tray to facilitate holding the device.
In some instances I dispense with the knife or blade hereinbefore described and
attach to a lever by means of a screw or otherwise a disc preferably of steel the
periphery of which is sharpened. One extremity of the said lever is pivoted in a
similar manner to the hereinbefore described knife or blade, and the other extremity
is provided with a suitable handle. The disc is so placed that when the lever is
reciprocated the said disc passes in front of the cut away portion of the tube or socket
and cuts or pares the extremity of the pencil inserted in the said tube or socket in a
similar manner to the knife or blade herein before described. The said lever is more-
over sometimes provided with a suitable spring to retain the same normally at the
top of its stroke. Should one portion of the periphery of the above mentioned disc
become blunted or otherwise injured, the said disc can be turned round so as to afford
a fresh cutting edge.
I sometimes moreover dispense with the hereinbefore described knife, blade, or
disc and provide a tube or socket having a cut away portion, or the said tube or
socket is split and suitable portions of the same are turned over so as to form an
aperture exposing part of the pencil inserted into the said tube or socket the lower
portion of the said tube or socket is provided with a cylindrical piece of wood vulcanite
or other suitable material, attached in any convenient manner to the said lower
portion of the tube or socket so that part of the said cylindrical piece projects into
the cut away portion or aperture above described. In this case the operator must
employ a separate knife to cut or sharpen the pencil, the above described device
merely acting as a guide and serving to ensure the uniformity of the angle of the
point produced. The said device may moreover be employed as a point protector
and may have a piece of India Rubber at one end.
Although I have herein before described convenient and advantageous methods of
carrying my said invention into practice it is obvious that I can somewhat further
modify the construction of my apparatus without however in any way departing from
the nature of my said invention.
Dated thin 01 Jun 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, LEWIS WOLFF, of Falcon Pencil Works, York Road, Battersea, in the County
of Surrey, Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to devices for sharpening or pointing lead or other pencils
and is designed to improve the construction and increase the efficiency of such
devices.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said. invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and
Figure 2 a transverse section on the the line a, a, Figure 1, showing one form of
my improved pencil-sharpener.
Figure 3 is a front elevation and
Figure 4 a transverse section on the line ', ', Figure 3, showing another form
or modification thereof.
Figure 5 is a front elevation, and
Figure 6 a side elevation, showing a further modification of the said pencil-
sharpener.
Figure 7 is a front elevation, and
Figure 8 a side elevation, showing a still further modification thereof.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a pencil to be pointed or sharpened.
a is a tube or socket into which the pencil A is inserted. The said pencil is retained
in position in the said tube or socket by means of a spring b attached to the said
tube or socket a by a screw 6' or by a rivet or in any other suitable manner, and
arranged to bear against the said pencil. At the lower extremity of the tube or
socket a is provided an aperture a through which projects a portion of the said
pencil A, so that it may be subjected to the action of a blade or cutter c. The
blade or cutter c is preferably made in the shape of a concavo-convex plate or disc
and is secured to a lever d by a thumb-screw c¹ or by means of an ordinary screw.
The lever d is pivotted at d¹ to a plate or extension a² either attached to or forming
part of the socket a. The said lever d is provided with a suitable handle d² by means
of which it can be operated so as to shear or pare away portions from the extremity
of the pencil A in the tube or socket a. By turning or rotating the pencil by hand
in the said tube or socket a, fresh portions of the said pencil are presented to the
action of the blade or cutter c, and equal portions are cut or sheared from the extremity
of the said pencil all around the same so as to form a suitable pointed or sharpened
end to the same.

page_text: By employing a circular cutter, I am enabled to very readily adjust the same when
one part of its edge becomes worn, so as to bring a sharp portion of the said edge
into operative position.
e is a receptacle or tray to catch the cuttings or parings. f is a block of wood,
vulcanite or other suitable material upon which the extremity or point of the pencil A
rests whilst the said pencil is being sharpened, and against which the blade or cutter c
strikes at the end of its stroke thus preventing injury to its cutting edge through
contact with metal. By suitably manipulating the pencil A, either a flat or a round
point may be produced as may be desired.
Figures 3 and 4 show a modification wherein the socket a, plate or extension a²,
and receptacle or tray e are formed of one piece of metal cut or stamped out in any
suitable manner. g is a bent plate rivetted or otherwise secured to the under-
side of the tray e and intended to form a finger-rest to facilitate holding the device.
Figures 5 and 6 show a further slight modification, in which the lever dis
provided with a spring which tends normally to retain the said lever in its highest
position or at the top of its stroke. i is a stud or projection upon the lever d, which
stud or projection engages with a circular or arc-shaped flange or guide a³ forming
part of, or firmly attached to the socket or tube a. This guide supports the said
leverd whilst the cut or shear is being made and prevents any lateral movement
thereof.
In Figures 7 and 8, I have illustrated a further slight modification of my apparatus.
In this case, the tray or receptacle e is formed separately and is rivetted or other-
wise secured to the lower extremity of the tube or socket a. The lever d is, more-
over, provided with an extension 3 adapted to engage with the rear portion of the
circular or arc-shaped flange or guide a³ and thus support the said lever during its
movement in the manner hereinbefore described. j is a rest or handle pivoted at j¹
to the tray e and intended to facilitate the holding of the device.
I sometimes employ, instead of the hereinbefore described cutter or disc, an
ordinary knife or blade either suitably attached to, or forming part of the lever d.
In some instances, I provide two or more holes for the pivot of the lever, so that,
when one part of the blade becomes worn or blunt, the said blade can be shifted to
bring a fresh portion of the cutting edge into operative position.
In a further modification of my said invention, I dispense with the pivoted lever
carrying the knife, blade, cutter or disc, and provide a tube or socket having a cut
away portion, or the said tube or socket may be split and suitable portions of the
same turned over, so as to form an aperture adapted to expose part of a pencil
inserted into the said tube or socket, in such a manner that the said exposed portion
of the said pencil may be cut away by means of an ordinary knife. The lower
portion of the said tube or socket provided with a cylindrical piece of wood,
vulcanite or other suitable material attached in any convenient manner to the said
tube or socket so that part of the said cylindrical piece projects into the cut away
portion or aperture above described and forms a rest for the point of the pencil. In
this case the operator employs a separate knife to cut or sharpen the pencil, the
above described device merely acting as a guide and serving to ensure the uniformity
of the angle of the point produced. The said device may, moreover, be employed
as a point-protector and is sometimes provided with a piece of India-rubber at its
lower extremity for erasing pencil-marks from paper.
Although I have herein before described convenient and advantageous methods of
carrying my said invention into practice, it is obvious that I can somewhat further
modify the construction of my apparatus without departing from the nature of my
said invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it understood that I
claim
First A pencil-sharpener comprising a tube or socket for a pencil, provided
with a spring adanted to bear against the said pencil and with an aperture through

page_text: which projects the part of the pencil to be cut, with or without a block of wood or
other material for supporting the end or point of the pencil, as, and for the
purposes, above specified.
Second A pencil-sharpener comprising a tube or socket for a pencil and a
lever pivoted to the said tube or socket and provided with a blade or cutter,
with or without a suitable tray to receive the cuttings or parings, and with or
without a block of wood, vulcanite or other suitable material to support the end or
point of the pencil.
Third The improved device constructed substantially as described with reference
to either of the forms or modifications illustrated in the accompanying drawings, for
the purpose specified.