Patent ID: 7651289

Claim:
An adjustable pencil for varying the pressure on a piece of lead, said pencil comprising: an elongated cylindrical barrel having a longitudinal axis and a longitudinal passageway extending through said barrel and said barrel including a forward portion, a tip at a forward end of said forward portion and a rear portion; a rod shaped piece of lead writing material disposed in said passageway and extendable outwardly from said tip; means for advancing and withdrawing said piece of lead along said passageway and outwardly from said tip; said means for advancing and withdrawing said piece of lead writing material includes a gripping member having a tapered internal thread and a tapered screw member having a tapered external thread for engaging and disengaging said gripping member, said gripping member fixing said lead writing material in said passageway with a portion of lead writing material extending outwardly therefrom; and means including a coil spring, a longitudinally extending generally rectangular channel in said cylindrical barrel with a plurality of perpendicular stops and a follower within said channel and extending slightly therefrom for engaging said stops to thereby maintain a pre-selected force on said lead writing material.