US2533668A - Adjustable eraser for pencils - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1950 C. R, HICKS 2,533,568

ADJUSTABLE ERASER FOR PENCILS Filed Dec. 6, 1948 Fig. 2. Figs.

2lb r/ 734 2 7 Fig-4.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE ERASER FOR PENCILS Charles R. Hicks, Jackson, Miss.

Application December 6, 1948, Serial No. 63,819

(Cl. 1Z0-38) 2 Claims.

In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a mechanical pencil provided with a lower housing having a hollow portion in one end thereof, in combination with means for propeiling an eraser comprising, a rotatable actuating member including two separahle sections threadedly secured together and adapted to rotate as a unit, one of said sections having an internally threaded portion, screw means disposed in said internally threaded portion ior axial movement therein, and a tubular liner/within one of said sections and extending into and with its lower end afxed to and held firmly in the lower housing of the mechanical pencil, whereby rotation of said two sections as a unit axially, and holding in a steady position the lower housing of the mechanical pencil moves said screw means to propel an eraser suitably associated therewith.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description thereof and from the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary iront elevation of a mechanical pencil, partly in section, and embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the actuating sections for propelling the eraser mechanism shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the liner adapted to t within the pencil;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Figure l, in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a view of the washer shown in Figure 1 of the drawing; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 'I'I of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, the numeral IE! generally represents a mechanical pencil including a lower section or housing II provided with a central opening I2, and also including conventional means ior propelling lead I3 from the end of the pencil I6. As the lead propelling means forms no part of the present invention, per se, it has not been shown or described in detail, it being understood that the present invention embraces the use of any conventional lead propelling means known in the art.

The mechanical pencil I also comprises a tubular upper sleeve I 4, which is cut away at the upper part thereof to provide an external shoulder I5. A top piece I6 ts over the tubular rotatable upper section I4, and is provided with a downwardly extending ange I'I, having its end portion resting upon the shoulder I5 of the upper section I4 when the top I6 is in closed position. The top piece I6 is internally cut away as at I8, to provide a recessed portion into which an eraser I 9 may be disposed, when the top piece I6 is in closed position.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, the numeral 2S indicates an internally threaded portion at the lower inner end portion of the section Ill, Section I l is reduced at its lower outer end to provide a shoulder 2Gb and an externally threaded portion 2te.

An intermediate section 28 is positioned between the barrel or upper section I4 and section II. Element 28 is internally cut away at the upper end thereof to provide an internal shoulder 2| below an internal area 2 Ia having a diameter larger than the normal diameter of the tubular section 28 by an amount equal to the width of the internal shoulder 2l. Element 28 is internally threaded at the upper portion 2lb thereof and is adapted to threadedly engage the threaded portion 2th at the lower end of the upper section I4. The threaded section 2 Ib at one end portion of the tubular intermediate sleeve 28, does not extend throughout the full dimensions of the area 2Ia.

As best shown in Figure l of the drawing, a liner 22 is disposed within the intermediate sleeve 28 and extends into and with lower part aixed and held rrnly to the wall of the opening I2 in the upper portion of section I I of mechanical pencil I0. Liner 22 is provided with an enlarged head portion 22a, and a marginal shoulder 22h. The enlarged head portion 22a of liner 22 ts in the area 2| a in the upper portion of rotatable tubular intermediate section 28, with the shoulder 22h resting against the internal shoulder 2| within section 28.

Within the liner 22, there is provided a casing 24 formed integral with or aiiixed in any suitable manner to the liner and which extends longitudinally within said liner 22 substantially throughout the length thereof, and surrounds an oblong screw shaft 25, which extends axially in the casing 24. The casing 24 is substantially oblong so that it will prevent the rotation of the screw 25. The oblong screw shaft 25 ts through the threaded element 20 in the lower portion of the upper section I4, with said oblong shaft 25 being split at the upper end thereof, as indicated by the numeral 26, so as to t within a recessed portion in the lower part of an eraser holding element 2l. The element 21, as shown, has a downwardly extending finger 27a which ts within the recess 26 in the upper portion of the Oblong screw shaft 25 so that the eraser holding element 2l can be readily detached from the screw shaft 2,5, together with eraser I9 to permit the'insertion of a new eraser holding element and a new eraser I9. The eraser I9 is secured to the eraser holding element 2l in any suitable manner, as by inserting the end of the eraser Vin a recess in the cap portion 2lb of eraser holding element 2l, so that the eraser I9 is under tension and cannot be easily removed from element 2l.

As best shown in Figure 5 of the drawing, lead storage is provided so that extra pencil leads 5l)` are placed within the liner 22 between the inner wall of the liner 22 and the outer wall of the casing 22. A washer 3I, as best shown in Figure 6 of the drawing, is placed in position, as shown in Figure 1, between the upper portion 32 of the enlarged head 2Ia of the liner 22 and the shoulder 33 which surrounds the internally threaded portion 29 of the upper section I@ of the mechanical pencil IU. The washer SI prevents the leads 39 from accidentally slipping out of the lead storage chambers which I have generally indicated by the numeral 34.

It is to be noted that the section I4 is separable from section 28 by merely unscrewing one section from the other. The oblong screw shaft 25, which is held within the threaded portion in the lower part of section I2, may be placed in its position within the casing 24, and the two sections id and 28 may be united after disposing washer 3| in place.

In operation, it is to be noted that if the sections v25 and I4 are rotated as a unit, holding section II and consequently liner 22 in a steady position the oblong shaft 25 moves axially within the vthreaded element 2D to propel the eraser holding element 2l and the eraser I9 outwardly. A reversal of the rotation of sections I4 and 28, holding section II in steady position, will retract the eraser within the central bore of the upper section I4.

After the eraser I9 has been practically used up, a new eraser holding element 21 and a new eraser I9 can be inserted.

Various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof, and it is therefore desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. For use with a writing implement having a lower housing provided with a hollow portion in the upper end thereof, an improved adjustable eraser comprising, an upper section provided at one end with a reduced externally threaded end portion and an internally threaded portion, an intermediate sleeve provided with an internallythreaded end portion adapted to threadedly engage the externally threaded end portion of said upper section, a substantially oblong screw shaft disposed in the internally threaded portion of said upper section for axial movements therein, an eraser supporting member at one end of said oblong screw shaft for axial movement therewith, a tubular liner within said intermediate sleeve, a portion of said liner being adapted to be disposed in and aflixed rmly to the inner wall of the hollow portion of said lower housing of the writing implement, two parallel walls fixed within said liner and extending from one side of said liner to the other side thereof and encasing said screw shaft, whereby rotation of said upper section and said intermediate sleeve as a unit axially moves said screw shaft and said eraser supporting member, portions of said walls being spaced from the inner wall of said liner to provide a storage space for pencil leads, and

a washer disposed between said upper section and said liner for closing the open end of said storage sp-ace.

2. For use with a writing implement having a lower housing provided with a hollow portion in the upper end thereof, an improved adjustable eraser comprising, an upper section adapted to be rotated with respect to said writing implement provided at one end with an internally threaded portion, an intermediate sleeve attached to said upper section for rotation therewith, a substantially oblong screw shaft disposed in the internally threaded portion of upper section for axial movements therein, an eraser supporting member at one end of said oblong screw shaft for axial movement therewith, a liner within said intermediate sleeve and having a portion adapted to be disposed in and affixed rmly to the inner wall of the hollow portion of said lower housing of the writing implement, two substantially parallel walls fixed within said liner and extending from one side of said liner to the other.

side thereof and encasing said screw shaft, whereby rotation of said upper section and said intermediate sleeve as a unit axially moves said screw shaft and said eraser supporting member, portions cf said walls being spaced from the inner wall of said liner to provide a storage space for pencil leads, and a closure disposed between said upper section and said liner for closing the open end of said storage space.

CHARLES R. HICKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,671,393 Zantow May 29, 1928 2,274,311 Wehn Feb. 24, 1942 2,356,474 Savoie Aug. 22, 1944

Images