Year: 1886

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication from
Warren H. Lamson of Lynn Massachusetts United States of America) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to pencil sharpeners and the nature thereof is fully
described hereinafter and specifically pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the pencil sharpener
and its handle the two being represented as detached but the manner of combining
the two is indicated in this view by dotted lines. Figure 2 is a vertical cross-
section of the sharpener made on dotted line xx. Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal
section of the sharpener and illustrates the operation of sharpening the pencil.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the sharpener and illustrates the operation of
discharging a broken lead therefrom.
The exterior formation of the pencil sharpener A is fully illustrated in figure 1 of
the drawings said sharpener case A is composed of metal or other suitable material
and is provided with an end bore or chamber made conical in form or similar to
the shape intended to be given to the pointed pencil. Said case is further provided
with a knife a (Figures 2, 3 and 4) which is fixed in the chamber of the case in
the usual way and which operates to trim the pencil while the case is being
revolved. The chip removed by the knife escapes outward through a suitable slot
or throat in the case A as fully illustrated in Figure 3.
At the rear end of said chamber is a stop e which is represented as made integral
with the case A but it may if desired be a distinct piece of metal fixed into the
case A at this point.
In the operation of pointing a pencil the pencil is pushed into the chamber in the
case until the end of the sharpened lead comes against this stope as in Figure 3.
I am aware that a stop to arrest the inward progress of a pencil is not broadly new
in a pencil sharpener. But the stop e in this sharpener is formed so as to leave a
part of the end face of pencil lead exposed in order that it may be reached by the
ID 11

page_text: end of a pointer H and pushed backward as illustrated in Figure 4. To this end
the stop may be formed with one flat side or it may have a very small central
hole through which the pointer may be introduced to the end of the lead. The
case A in rear of the stop e is solid and conical or tapering in form thus forming a
suitable tang to fit a corresponding bore in the handle c. The case A is also
provided with a small hole h extending from the inner end of the pencil chamber
outward to the rear side of the case. This opening h allows the lead scrapings
taken off the pencil to escape outward and thus the sharpener is kept from
clogging.
In close proximity to the hole h is an inclined hole f the inner end of which leads
to that point on the end of the pencil lead not covered by the stop e so that a
pointer pressed into this hole will be guided directly to the end of the pencil lead
and thus facilitate the operation of dislodging a broken lead from the chamber.
I am aware that the pointer may be operated down through the hole h but not so
easily as through the hole f. For convenience and neatness in operation the
sharpener may be connected with a handle c or it may be inserted into the end of
a revolving shaft and operated by a suitable crank. In most cases the friction
between the walls of the shaft and the tang of the pencil sharpener will be sufficient
to hold the sharpener from turning. In some cases it might be found to slip
however, and to obviate this the sharpener is provided with a pin n which is
fixed into the tang of the sharpener and is adapted to pass into the slot P in the
handle as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The slot P being curved prevents
the sharpener from moving longitudinally outwards.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1. A pencil sharpener consisting of a case having an inner conical bore, a cutting
knife secured therein an exit passage for the chips or shavings a stop e arranged
at the rear of the conical bore and an exit opening leading from said conical
bore substantially as described.
2. A pencil sharpener consisting of a case A having an inner conical bore a
cutting knife secured therein, an exit passage for the chips or shavings a stop e
arranged at the rear of the conical bore, a vertical exit opening for the lead filings,
and an inclined passage f substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. In a pencil sharpener of substantially the construction described the case A
having the described longitudinal bore to receive the pencil end and an exit
passage with inclined passage f the rear end of said sharpener being formed into
a conical tang and provided with pin n in combination with a suitable handle c
having slot P to receive the pin n and a chamber to receive the tang of the
sharpener substantially as described.
Dated this 25th day of January 1886.