Patent ID: 6905275

Claim:
An apparatus for a combination writing instrument and information storage device, comprising: a) an elongated barrel having first and second opposing ends, a writing tip being disposed on said first end; b) a cap housing being disposed on said first end of said barrel to protect said writing tip, wherein said cap housing has first and second ends wherein said first end is closed and said second end is open, wherein said cap housing has a pocket clip disposed thereon, wherein said cap housing has a longitudinal slit therein, wherein said slit is disposed in the wall of said cap housing; c) a central spindle having first and second ends being disposed in said cap housing, wherein said spindle has a throughbore therein, wherein said first end of said spindle is oriented toward said first end of said cap housing, wherein said writing tip may be disposed in said throughbore of said central spindle; d) a message spool having first and second ends being rotatably disposed on said spindle, wherein said message spool has a throughbore therein, wherein said spindle is disposed in said throughbore of said message spool, wherein said first end of said message spool is oriented toward said first end of said spindle; e) a message scroll having first and second ends being disposed on said message spool, wherein said message scroll is wound onto said message spool, wherein said second end of said message scroll is fixedly attached to said message spool and said first end of said message scroll passes through said longitudinal slit in said cap, wherein said message scroll is wound onto said message spool in a first position, and wherein said message scroll is extended through said longitudinal slit in a second position; f) wherein said first end of said message scroll is attached to said pocket clip to permit the message scroll to be extended from the message spool by pulling on the pocket clip; g) an end cap being disposed on said second end of said cap housing, wherein said end cap has a throughbore therein, wherein said throughbore of said end cap may receive said writing tip therethrough, wherein said end cap secures said message spool in said cap housing; h) spring means being disposed on said first and second ends of said message spool whereby the message scroll can be rewound to the first position after being extended to the second position; and, i) lock means being disposed on said message scroll whereby the message spool can be locked in the second position and then released from the second position to return to the first position.