IMPROVEMENTS IN PENCIL OR CRAYON HOLDERS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PENCIL OR CRAYON HOLDERS (a communication from abroad by Francis
Hardtmuth of Budweis, Austria,) to be as follows:-
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This invention has for its object to provide means by which the lead contained
in the tubular lead-receptacle of pencil holders can be caused to drop out, when
pressure is applied upon the top end of the pencil holder and to be automatically
griped again, as soon as it has fallen out to the length necessary for using it.
The invention consists in the arrangement within an outer tubular case or handle
of two concentric, end wise movable tubes; the inner of which is the lead-receptacle
and is overtopped at both ends by the outer one, which projects outward from the
top and bottom verrels of the handle. Both tubes have two opposite longitudinal
slots, and the slots of the inner tube or lead receptacle are distant 90° of those of
the outer tube; the elastic tongues formed by said slots have the tendency to
remove from each other and their bottom ends are sharpened and bent inward
to adapt them for the oflice of griping jaws.
Each tube is maintained in its position by a coiled spring. The coiled spring
keeping in place the outer tube, surrounds said tube and has its abutments formed
by a ring-shaped cross-partition of the handle and by an outer shoulder or collar of
the tube itself. The inner tube or lead-receptacle is provided with a stud projecting
outward through the slot of the outer tube, and said stud serves as an abutment to
the second coiled spring, which controls the inner tube and has its bottom rest
upon an inner shoulder of the bottom-verrel. The aforesaid ring-shaped cross-
partition of the handle limits the ascending movement of the stud of the inner
tube, while the outer tube is retained by its thickened griping jaws.
The outer slotted tube is provided at its top with an inner shoulder, intended to
carry along the lead-receptacle, after the outer tube's having been forced down in
the casing or handle a certain rate and the bottom end of the lead-receptacle carries
two opposite wedge-shaped wings which project through the slots of the outer tube
and prevent the griping jaws of the receptacle from opening unless said wings have
already come forth from out the bottom verrel.

page_text: In consequence of the described construction of the pencil holder when pressure
is exerted upon the top of the outer slotted tube contained in the casing or handle
the thickened lower end of said tube will first be removed from the verrel and the
griping jaws of said tube will open wide enough to receive the point of the lead
without letting the same slip through.
The downward movement of the outer slotted tube containing its inner shoulder
reaches the top of the lead-receptacle and carries the same along, until the two
sidewise projecting wedge-shaped wings of said receptacle have come forth from out
the bottom-verrel of the handle, thus allowing the griping jaws of the slotted
receptacle-tube to open and to release the lead, which drops down into the opening
between the jaws of the outer tube where the point of said lead partly enters.
The movement however that the pressure upon the top of the outer slotted tube is
released, both tubes are drawn back by their respective coiled springs, the sharp
edges of the griping jaws of the lead-receptacle are forced inward in consequence of
their wedge-shaped wings entering the verrel of the handle and the lead, nipped by
said edges is withdrawn, a small rate which the elastic jaws of the outer slotted
tube open and slide back along the surface of the lead, from which a small portion
is thus maintained outside said jaws.
The upper end of the outer slotted tube is provided with a removable cover in
order to allow the lead to be introduced into the receptacle.
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page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PENCIL OR CRAYON HOLDERS" (a communication from Francis Hardtmuth, Budweis
Austria,) and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The following is the complete specification exactly as supplied to me by my
foreign correspondent.
As is well known a very commonly used species of Crayon holders is constructed
in such a manner that a small sheet metal tube, having its lower end divided by
a number of longitudinal slots, in as many spring tongues which have sharpened
inward bent edges; is held by a coiled spring in a certain position within the hollow
handle, overtopped by the suitably formed end of said tube. When this over-
topping end is pressed down the spring tongues come forth from out the lower end
of the hollow handle and let free the lead which drops down and must be retained
by the other hand, as soon as it has slipped out to the desired length whereupon
pressure is relaxed. The coiled spring then draws back the tube but the diameter
of the bottom end of the same being increased in consequence of the elastic
tongues being held asunder by the lead, it cannot wholly enter the handle and the
sharpened, inward bent edges of the tongues nip the lead.
This invention has for its object to provide means by which the lead dropping
out from a holder of the above description can be held fast automatically as soon
as a portion of the same sufficient for use has come forth. According to the
invention this purpose is accomplised by enclosing the tubular lead receptacle in
a second similar tube, likewise divided into spring tongues and likewise held in
position by a coiled spring, but overtopping the hollow handle by either end.
This outer tube is adapted to carry along the inner tube, when it is forced down,
then the freed lead falls upon the closed, inward bent edges of the outer tube's
tongues, and when pressure ceases, the tongues of the lead receptacle which are
prevented from withdrawing as before stated, nip the lead; while the outer tube is
drawn up by its coiled spring, so that its elastic tongues open when sliding back
along the lead or crayon whose end is thus naked.
The annexed drawing shows two slightly modified forms of the improved crayon
holder, the only difference between both lying in the means employed for causing
the outer tube to carry along the inner one.
Figures 1 to 4 show a pencil holder in which the carrying along of the inner
tube is obtained by pins or flaps radially projecting from the inner tube and
passing through slots formed in the outer tube, and more especially
Figure 1. is a longitudiual section of the holder having its lead withdrawn.
Figure 2. is an analogous view of the same with the lead having dropped down
upon the inward bent edges of the outer tube's tongues.
Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation of of the pencil holder ready for use.
Figure 4. is a cross section on line y y figures 1 and 3.
Figure 5 to 8 show the modified form of the pencil holder, having a shoulder
formed near the top-end of the inside of the outer tube, in order to cause the inner
tube to be carried along by said shoulder when the outer tube is forced down; of
these figures:
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the pencil holder out of use.
Figure 6 is a similar view of the holder, but having both tubes pressed down and
the lead dropped out.
Figure 7 is a cross section on line xx, Figure 5.
Figure 8 is a cross section on line z Kigure 6.

page_text: The outer tube D, which after the lead's A having been filled in is closed by
a button with springy projections, is held up by the coiled spring whose
abutments are formed by a ring shaped cross partition F of the hollow handle C
and by a shoulder formed on the outside of tube D, while the bellied ends-d 1. d 1
of the elastic tongues d d limit the upward movement of the tube, when abutting
on the bottom ferrule c of the handle C. As clearly visible in the drawing the
spring abutment or shoulder on the outside of tubé D is formed by a short
concentric tubular piece E, enclosing said tube and being guided in the upper
ferrule e of the handle C.
The inner tube B, containing the lead A is constantly held upward by a coiled
springf, bearing on a shoulder formed by the bottom ferrule of the handle and
on one or more pins 1, radially projecting from tube B, or on small flaps 1
punched out from the sides of the tube and bent outward. In order to uniformly
distribute the pressure of spring f, on said pins or flaps h 1, the upper end of the
spring carries a ring or a sort of washer h, and as spring f1 is wound round the
outer tube D, the pins or flaps h 1 project through slots d 2 formed in said tube.
In the pencil holder shown by Figure 1 to 4, the carrying along of the inner
tube or lead receptacle B by the outer tube D is caused by the upper ends of
slots d 2 formed in said outer tube and abutting on the projecting pins or flaps / 1
of the inner tube B, as clearly shown by dotte lines in Figure 1.
In the modified form of the holder, that show Figure 5 to 8, said carrying along
is obtained by means of an inner shoulder formned in the top end of the outer or
inclosing tube D, said shoulder consisting of a short tube E¹ soldered into tube D.
It has been stated above, that after the lead's having dropped down and when
pressure upon the top end of the holder is relaxed, the lead receptacle is prevented
from withdrawing by the fact of its elastic tongues being held asunder by the
lead between them. In order to more securely obtain this wedging of the lead
receptacle B, its elastic tongues bbare bellied out in their bottom portions 61 61,
Fig: 2 or wedge shaped projectious b1 61, Figure 5 to 8, are soldered to said
bottom portions. Obviously, each bellied portion or wedge shaped wing 1 must
be placed under a slot formed in the outer tube D, through which slot said bellied
portion or wing freely projects when the elastic tongues are forced asunder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,―
First. In a pencil or crayon holder, the combination with an enclosing case or
sheath of two concentric endwise movable tubes, the outer tube overtopping by
both its ends the enclosing case and being adapted to carry along the inner one
after having descended a certain rate, and the lower ends of both tubes being
divided into inward curved spring tongues, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Second. In a pencil or crayon holder of the kind herein referred to, as a means
for surely causing the inner tube to nip the lead after this latter's having fallen out
from the same, strongly bellied out portions at the lower ends of the spring tongues
of said tube, or wedge-shaped wings, fixed to said spring tongues, these bellied
out portions or wings projecting through corresponding slots of the outer tube,
substantially as described.