AN IMPROVED DRAUGHTSMAN'S PENCIL OR CRAYON-POINTER
Year: 1884

page_text: I, MICHAEL MARY BROPHY, of 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
London, W.C., Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for AN IMPROVED DRAUGHTSMAN'S PENCIL OR CRAYON-POINTER," to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is the production of an improved instrument for
pointing the pencils and crayons and the like used by draughtsmen and others.
After the wood, in the case of the ordinary pencil has been cut away in the
ordinary way, or, in the case of an ever-pointed pencil after the lead has been
propelled to a proper distance, the practice has always been to perfect the pointing
by the knife, or by rubbing the lead, or crayon, on a file or a piece of rough or
glass paper.
The objection to the above methods has been their want of cleanliness, it being
almost impossible for a draughtsman to use any of them without soiling his
fingers, or scattering more or less dust upon his drawing board or drawing.
My invention obviates the inconveniences and drawbacks of the present methods.
It consists essentially of three parts, the pointer rod, the pointing surface proper,
and the cover.
The pointer rod is made of wood, vulcanite, light metal, or any other suitable
material, and is, in section, an irregular polygon of any convenient number of
sides, one of which is smaller than the others, and cut away into a longitudinal
groove.
I cover the pointer rod with glass paper (or other similar material) of a proper
degree of fineness for the purpose of my invention, preferably by wrapping the
glass paper round the same, and folding the two ends down into the groove where
they are held by a wedge. The pointer rod is of the proper length to produce a
convenient rubbing surface. One end of the pointer rod is continued beyond the
glass paper and expanded into a cap, while the other is produced taperingly.
The cover is made of any suitable material, and consists of a tube rather larger
than the pointer rod, and cut away longitudinally so as to fully expose one or
more facets of the pointer. One end of the tube enters the cap on the end of the
pointer rod, while the other is continued into a handle, a cavity in which receives
the above mentioned tapered end of the pointer rod,

page_text: A block, or two pins, projecting from the under side of the case, form with the
lower edge of the cap, suitable feet, so that the instrument stands steady in any
position upon the drawing desk, while the pencil dust falls into the interior of the
cover which herein serves as a trough. Fresh facets are exposed by turning the
handle. The cover is drawn off for replacing the rubbing material, when the pencil
dust collected therein is thrown away.
It will be obvious that my invention may be used for pointing crayons or
chalks, in which case I make the pointer rod and facets of a suitable size and
surface.

page_text: I, MICHAEL MARY BROPHY, of 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
London, W.C., Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "AN IMPROVED DRAUGHTSMAN'S PENCIL OR CRAYON POINTER, 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 the production of an improved instrument for
pointing the pencils, crayons, and the like, used by draughtsmen and others.
After the wood, in the case of the ordinary pencil, has been cut away, or in the
case of an ever-pointed pencil after the lead has been made to protrude a proper
distance, the practice has always been to perfect the pointing by using a knife, or
by rubbing the lead on a file or on a piece of rough or glass paper. Crayons have
been treated in a similar way.
The objection to the above methods has been their want of clear lines, it being
almost impossible for a draughtsman to use any of them, without soiling his
fingers, or scattering more or less dust upon his drawing board or his drawing.
:
My invention obviates the inconveniences and drawbacks of the present method..
It consists essentially of three parts the pointer rod or body, the pointer surface
proper, and the cover or case.
In order that my invention and the means by which it may be put in succesful
operation may be thoroughly understood, I will proceed to describe the same in
detail referring in so doing to the accompanying figures which are to be taken as
part of this specification and read therewith, and in which like parts are marked
throughout the figures in which they occur with the same reference letter.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of my invention, corresponding with Fig. 2 which is a
front elevation of one modification of my invention.
Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional end elevation taken at the line a b on Fig. 4.
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan taken at the c d on Fig. 2.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are, respectively, end elevation, front elevation, transverse
sectional elevation along the line e f on Fig 6, and sectional plan taken at the
line g h on Fig 6, of a modification of my invention, without an end handle, and
being made larger than the one illustrated in the Figs. 1 to 4, is well adapted for
pointing large crayons and the like.
A is the cover or case, and B the handle. The intermediate ring, B¹, is furnished
with two feet b, b, or their equivalent, which prevent the pointer from rolling
about or being easily tipped over. The end, C', of the body, C, of the pointer
forms a ring of the same diameter as the ring B'. The body, C, is, in section, an
irregular polygon of any convenient number of sides. I find that five equal sides
or faces c, and a narrower one, c¹, are a suitable number for the purpose of my
invention. It springs from the centre of the end, C, producing with the edge, C²,
an annular space, C³, which receives the adjacent end of the case.
D is a strip of glass paper, glass cloth, or other similar material, with a rough
surface capable of cutting or abrading plumbago, or crayons, as long as the sidea, c,
and wide enough to surround the body C and enter the groove c³, where it is held
by a wedge c³..

page_text: "
The body, C, is prolonged into a pin c which enters a corresponding hole in the
hande, B, and which it fits firmly, but not so tightly as to prevent its being turned
therein.
An opening, A¹, is cut in the top of the case, which allows a face, c, to project
above it for a short distance, thus conveniently allowing of the unformed and
exposed point of the pencil or crayon being brought into effective abrading contact
with the glass paper.
The case thus becomes a trough into which the pencil dust falls and from which
it can be emptied by withdrawing the body of the pointer.
As one face is worn away, another is turned up until all are used, when the
fitting a fresh piece of glass paper makes the pointer as efficient as before.
The rings B, C, may of course be made polygonal instead of circular.
The degree of fineness or coarseness of the rubbing surface is decided by the
fineness of the point required; and by forming a second groove, my pointer can be
made duplex i.e., with two sets of pointing faces, one coarse and the other fine.
The pointer illustrated in Figs 5 to 8 is the same as the one described above, but
has no projecting handle, and the ring, B', instead of having feet, is made with a
flat bottom.
The case handle and body of my pointer are conveniently made of wood,
vulcanite, paper or similar material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner, the same is to be performed; I declare that what
I claim is
: 1. The combination of abrading strip; D; pointer body, C, having faces c;
groove c²; and wedge c³; substantially as described with reference to the
accompanying figures.
[
2. The combination of pointer body, C; abrading strip, D; and case A sub-
stantially as described with reference to the accompanying figures.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.