US2988054A - Writing instruments - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1961 s. G. YATEs 2,988,054

WRITING INSTRUMENTS Filed May 22. 1953 FIG. 4

uiiggl Il INVENTOR/ STEVEN @.YATEs BY .Aww-#1%- ATTORNEY United States -Patent O 2,988,054 WRITING INSTRUMENTS Steven G. Yates, Lake Hiawatha, NJ., assignor to David JKahn, Inc., North Bergen, NJ., a corporation of New ersey Filed May 22, 1953, Ser. No. 356,718 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42.03)

The present invention relates to a writing instrument and more particularly to a writing instrument having novel means for retracting and protracting or projecting the writing unit or cartridge provided with a writing element.

One object of the present invention is to provide a Writing unit having a writing element as, for example, a ball pointed pen, which is simple to operate and which can be economically manufactured.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument having a minimum number of operating parts for reciprocally or Slidably moving the writing unit into protracted or retracted position.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a Writing instrument which includes a novel actuating means for projecting and retracting the writing unit upon manual operation of the actuating means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument of the ball-point type having a novel actuating means for projecting and retracting the writing unit, said actuating means including a finger-operated lever or arm which is adapted to be actuated to protract or project the writing unit forwardly. f

A further object of the present invention is to provide actuating means for advancing the writing unit into projected position, said means including a lever Vor arm projeeting through a slot in the upper portion of a tubular casing or barrel, said lever being swingable at least in one direction through said slot, the lever or arm being provided with an enlarged head or portion adapted to be disposed interiorly of the upper casing or barrel portion, said head having at least a portion of its surface in engagement with the interior bearing surface, said writing instrument having means interposed between said writing unit and said enlarged head member which isactuated by swinging movement of the lever or arm in atleast one direction through the slot to advance the unit and releasably retain it in projected writing position.

A feature of the present invention resides in the simple construction of the actuating means including the lever or arm and its enlargedl head, said head being freely mounted without a pivot. The head in the retracted position of the writing unit is in snug engagement with the casing bearing surface and is held there for pivotless turning movement on actuation of the lever or arm. In other words, in prior writing instruments where a lever was employed, Vthe actuating head was rotatably mounted on a pivot. As stated, in accordance with the present invention, the pivot member is dispensed with. Y

Another object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument with a unique toggle and bearing arrangement operable by a simple finger or hand motion to protract the writing instrument to a writing'position and retract said writing unit to a non-writing position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel writing unit casing or barrel. t

, Another object of the present invention is to provide anovelintermediate operating element which is mounted` on the upperrend of the writing unit as, for example, on the upper end of the cartridge unit and/ or cartridge which is provided with ya reservoir for holding ink which is fed to the writing ball.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent fromthe v,

following description.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the application, and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of the writing instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the lever or arm member in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the tubular casing constituting a barrel, the writing unit comprising a ball and cartridge unit, being in its retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken through the writing instrument and showing the position of the parts when the writing unit is in its projected or propelled position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the upper operating mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view through the closure member or cap;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken the actuating lever or arm and head element;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the bushing or bearing member, said bushing being adapted to be mounted on the top end of the writing unit;

FIG. 7 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the bushing shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of certain of the operating mechanisms and shows the position of the parts when the writing unit is in a retracted or non-writing position; FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but shows the position of certain of the operating mechanism when the writing unit is in its projected position; and FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified form of the invention.

. Referring to the drawing, the barrel or tubular casing through v 10 is at its forward end provided with an opening 11.

Slidably or reciprocally mounted in the barrel 10 is an elongated writing unit or ball and cartridge unit 12 which is usually provided with an ink reservoir adapted to feed a writing element as, for example, a ball point; -The writing unit 12 is provided with a shoulder 14 intermediate its ends but preferably closer to the lower end of the 'writing unit, `anti a coil spring 15 is circumposed on the lower portion of the unit below said shoulder and one end of the spring abuts against the shoulder 14. The coil spring 15 serves to normally urge the writing unit which has a lower portion 16 carrying a ball member, into its retracted position, as shown in FIG. l.

The barrel member may be made in one piece or in two pieces. In one form of the invention, the barrel member is made in two pieces and there is detachably mounted on the upper end of the barrel 10, a cap 18 functioning as a closure member for the upper portion of the barrel or casing 10. The closure or cap 18 includes an interiorly threaded portion 19 adapted to threadably engage the reduced diameter portion 17 on the upper portion of the barrel 10. The cap 18 is further provided with an interior curved bearing face or portion 20 and a transversely extending slot or cut-out member 21 communicates with said bearing surface. This cut-out slot 21 may extend completely across the upper end of the closure member 18 and downwardly for a short distance on opposed circumferential portions of the casing or barrel so that the lever may be thrown in either direction, as shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the cut-out portion may extend for a portion of the topmost surface of the barrel or casing and downwardly on one circumferential surface of the upper barrel portion so that the lever can be thrown only in one direction.

It is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide a structure wherein the operating lever member can be thrown only in one direction as, for example,Y

3 as shown in FIG. 2, or can be thrown in both directions, as shown in FIG. 3.

The operating mechanism for the writing instrument includes a bushing or bearing member 22 which is mounted for reciprocation preferably although not necessarily having a downwardly extending cylindrical portion 23 which is provided with a hollow bore or interior 24 for receiving therein the upper end of the cartridge unit 12. Extending from the cylindrical portion 23 is an annular flange 24 provided with a pair of diarnetricallyl opposed tlattened portions 25, as shown in FIG. 7-, for preventing rotation'of the bushing 12 in the barrel member if Va unitary barrel member is used, or in the closure or cap if a two-piece barrel member is used. Other means may be employed for preventing rotation of the bushing or bearing member 22 in the barrel. I The bushing 22 has an end portion 27 provided 'with opposed rcarn surfaces 27a, as shown in FIG. 6. Y

For manually projecting the writing portion 16, a body or toggle member 28 is provided, the latterincludingV an enlarged portion or head 29' preferably, although not necessarily, semi-spherical in shape, said section lbeing provided with a hollow interior space 31. The bushing 22 is preferably, although not necessarily, provided with ar recessed portion 26 in which the enlarged portion 29 seats olf center. When thisV enlarged portion 29 seats off center, as shown in FIG.` 9, the toggle member holds the writing unit immobile in its projected position. Thel lrecessed portion 26 may exert some influence in this locking action', although obviously it is very minor. Extending from theA enlarged spherical section 29` and formed integrally therewith or secured thereto'is a finger-engaging lever or arm 30 slidably extending through theslot 21 in the upper portionl of the barrel member, said slot being preferably formed in the detachably mounted closureor cap 18. The lever 30preferably, although not necessarily, extends axially through the slot 21. The writing instrument is preferably provided with a pocket clip 32 which may be securedY to the'V barrel 10 by any suitable means. Preferably, although not necessarily, an ornamental band 33 is mounted on the upper portion of thebarrel.

The writing instrumentv of the present invention i11- cludes a novel mechanism for retractingl and projecting the writing unit which'desirably may be a ball and car-- tridge unit. In FIG.` lv parts are shown with the writing unit 12 retracted into the barrel, and in FIG. Zthe writing unit is shown in its projected position. In order to move the parts from the position shown in FIG. l to the posif tion shown in FIG. 2.,4 it is only necessary to hold the barrel in one hand and with a finger ofv that same hand manually actuate the lever or arm 30 so as to move the lever through the slot 21 from the position shown in FIG.V 8 to the position shown in FIG. 9. It will be seenthat with the lever or arm 30 and the body or togglev member 28 in the position shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9, aportionv of the engaging section 29 which is preferably curvedas, for example, spherically shaped, is wedged between the curved interior bearing section of the cap 18 and the upper portion of the bushing 22, the body member 28V being maintained immobile in its locked olf center position by spring pressure exerted by the spring 15, As

shown in FIG. 3 the lever or arm 30 can be thrown to either circumferential Vside of the cap 18 through theslot 2 1 to project the unit 12 and its tip portion k16`car1'ying a writing element, and after the body member 28 is moved past its dead center position to the position shown in. FIG. 9, the writing unit or cartridge,12 willbe positively. locked in its projected position so that it cannot be `acci. dentally Iretracted during use thereof.. As previously, stated, the upper barrel portion or the detachable cap. when the latter is used, may be slotted at its top end and only on one circumferential side. To retract thewriting@ unit 12it isy only necessary to hold the barrel. 10V with one hand and with a linger of the same Yhandhmo've'theflev'er or andV its enlarged portion 28, herein 4texrrtevdyit,

. 4. body member, from the position shown in FIG. 9 and in FIG. 2, past the dead center position, whereupon the spring 15 will cause the writing unit 12 and the bushing member carried thereby, to slide upwardly in the barrel 10. With the parts in the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 8, the opposed camming surfaces 27f=L of the bushing 22 partially lit within the hollow spring 31 of the enlarged headV section 29.

There has been provided in accordance with the present invention a writing instrument comprising a tubular casing having a lower extremity and an open upper end portion, a writing unit being reciprocally mounted within said casing, said writing unit having a writing element at its forward end adapted to be projected and retracted through the lower extremity of the casing. The upper end portion of the casing is provided with an interior bearing surface 20, which is preferably arcuate in shape, and an exterior transverse slotV communicates with said bearing surface. Means are providedor normally urging said unit into retracted position, and actuating means is also provided for advancing the unit into a projected position, including a lever or arm 30 projecting through the slot 31 in the upper casing portion and swingable at least in one directionthrough said slot or in two directions when the slot is entirely cut through the upper portion of the barrel member, as shown in FIG, 3.

The lever or arm is provided with an enlarged portion or head disposed interiorly of the upper casing portion, said head having at least a portion of its surface in engagement with the interior bearing surface, said head in the'retractedposition of the writing unit being in fairly snug engagement withthe casing bearing, and held through spring pressure for pivotless turning movement on actuation of the lever or arm. It will be seen that there is no part for the member 2,8'to turn upon. Means are interposed between the writing unit and the enlarged. head member, said means being actuated by swingingl move, ment of Vsaid lever in at least one direction'through said slot to advance the writingunit and releasably retainV it in projected writingposition.

In the preferred form of the invention, the upper curved surface ofthe enlarged head member 28 preferably con,- formsto the curvature of the interior bearing surface 20. The member 28 may be described as having oppositely disposed downwardly depending portions, as least one of. which, when the writing unit is in its projected position, engages one portion of the bearing surface 20, as shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 9. When the lever or arm 30 and head 29 are adapted tobe thrown in thereverse position, as shown in FIG. 3, then the other depending portion of the head 29 engages an oppositely disposed portion 2Q of the barrel. The upper surface of the enlarged head portion may be described as providing opposed outwardly and downwardly depending cam surfaces adapted for engagement with the bearing surface 20 and adapted for engagement with the cooperating cam surfaces 27"'.

As will be evident, particularly by comparing the head positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3V or FIGS. 8 and 9, the

' the head 29 spans a greater distance in one directionV (the longitudinal direction Vof FIGS. 2, and 9) than vit does in another direction, e.g. the longitudinal directionin FIGS.

3 and 8, Moreover, in either position, the head v,29 is in-` terposedbetween the internal bearing surface 20 and the writing unit, and 'more specifically is4 interposed between the interior bearing surface and the reciprocally mounted means 22. Accordingly, if the head position shown` in FIGS. 3 and 8 (the retracted position) is designated as a first position, swinging movement of the. arm,3 0 into the angularly displaced, position of FIGS. 2 and 9 will rotate. the head 29` into asecond position (the protractedposition). In the iirst position, the shorter span of the head 29 -isinterposed between the bearing surfaceY and the writing unit and the spring 15 can force thev writing unit into retractedV position. Upon rotation of the head. 29into 76 thesecond position of FIGS. 2 and 9,l thergreater'spanofi '5 the head 29 is interposed betwe'en the bearing surface and the writing unitV is forced into a protracted position. Y

The form .of the invention shown in FIG. is substantially identical with the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 9, inclusive, with the exception that the lever or arm 30 and head member 29 is swingable in only one direction through the slot 21. As shown in FIG. 10, the closure member 18' is providedwith threads 19' which threadably engagek the reduced portion 17 on the barrel 10. The ,cap 18 is provided with an interior curved bearing surface 20'. The slot 21 extends transversely through only one circumferential segmental portion of the closure or cap 18'. The oppositely` disposed curved or segmental portion of the cap is continuous. In other words, as shown in FIG. 10, the left-hand portion of the cap is provided with a continuous surface from the threaded portion to the top of the cap, the slot extending across a portion of the cap, but not entirely across the upper end of the cap'. The slot is provided with a vertical wall vZ1EL at the'end of the slot to limit: the movement of the lever from the position shown in FIG. 10 to an upright position which is preferably axial, as shown by the dotted line position of the arm 30. In this form of the invention the upper surface of the bushing on which the enlarged portion 29 seats is not recessed, but is a substantially plane surface.

Other forms of the basic inventive concept contemplate the substitution of equivalents and as many embodiments may be made of this invention, and as various modiications may be incorporated in the inventive concepts herein shown and described, itis to 4be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A writing instrument comprising a tubular casing having an open forward extremity, a writing unit reciprocally mounted within said casing and having a writing element at its forward end, said casing being provided with an upper end portion constituting an interior bearing surface, said upper end portion of said casing having an exterior slot extending through said casing and communicating with said bearing surface, said slot extending at least between the upper end of said casing and a point on the side of said casing beneath the lower end of said bearing surface, resilient means normally urging said unit into retracted position, and means for protracting said unit to an exposed writing position in which said writing element projects from the open forward extremity of said casing comprising a freely mounted head confined within said upper end portion of said casing with a portion of the exterior of said head engaging said bearing surface, said head spanning a greater distance in a iirst direction than in a second direction, reciprocally mounted means interposed between the lower end of said head and the upper end of said unit, said head being provided with a central recess at the lower end thereof for reception of the upper portion of said reciprocally mounted means, an arm connected to said head and projecting from the exterior thereof through said slot for swinging movement therein between a iirst position axial of said Writing instrument and parallel with the length of said writing instrument in which said head is positioned so that the reduced span corresponding to said second direction is interposed between said writing unit and said `bearing surface, said iirst position permitting said resilient means to force said unit into retracted position, and a second position at least approximately 90 displaced from said first position, said head being positioned in said second position so that the greater span corresponding to said iirst direction is interposed between said writing unit and said bearing surface to force said writing unit into protracted position.

2. A writing instrument as recited in claim 1 in which the upper end of said reciprocally mounted means is generally truste-conical in shape and in which the upper extremity of the frusto-conical portion is recessed.

3.` 5A writing instrument as recited in claim 1 in which means are provided to prevent.ro'tation of said reciprocally mounted means with respect to said casing. vv4. A writing instrument comprising a tubular casing having an open'forward extremity, a writing unit reciprocally mounted within said casing and having a Writing element at its forward end, said writing unit being subject to great pressure when said writing unit vis in use, said pressure tending to force said Writing unit rearward within said casing, said casing being provided with an upper end portion constituting a generally hemispherical interior bearing surface, said upper end portion of said ,casing havingl an exterior slot extending through said casing and communicating with said bearing surface, said slot extending at least between the upper end of said casing at a point on the side of said casing beneath the lower end o'f said bearingV surface, resilient means normally urging said unit into retracted position, and meanskfor protracting said unit 'to an exposed writing position in which said -writing element projects from the open forward extremity of said casing comprising a freely mounted generally hemispherical head conned within said upper end portion of said casing and nested therewithin with the exterior of said head in snug frictional engagement with said bearing surface for frictional turning movement with respect thereto, said head spanning a greater distance in a first direction than in a second direction, reciprocally mounted means interposed between the lower end of said head and the upper end of said unit, said head -being provided with a central recess at the :lower end thereof `for reception of the upper portion of said reciprocally mounted means, the upper end of said reciprocally mounted means being gener-ally rusto-conical in shape with a recess in the upper extremity of said frusto-conical portion, said reciprocally mounted means being formed with a forward extremity of reduced external diameter to provide said member with an annular flange, said forward extremity being recessed, the upper end of said writing unit positioned in said recess, said reciprocally mounted means being provided with attened side portions to prevent ro'tation of said reciprocally mounted means with respect to said casing, an arm connected to said head and projecting from the exterior thereof through said slot for swinging movement therein between a first position axial of said writing instrument and parallel with the length of said writing instrument in which said head is po'sitioned so that the reduced span corresponding to said second direction is interposed between said reciprocally mounted means and said bearing surface, said first position permitting said resilient means to force said unit into retracted position, and a second position in Which said arm is angularly disposed at least approximately with respect to the length of said writing instrument to rotate said head into a position in which the greater span corresponding to said iirst direction is interposed between said reciprocally mounted means and said bearing surface to force said writing unit into protracted position and to maintain said writing unit in said protracted position against the great Iback pressure tending to vforce the writing unit into the retracted position, said back pressure resulting from the pressure applied to the writing element during writing with the instrument.

5. A writing instrument comprising a tubular casing having `an open forward extremity, a Writing unit reciprocally mounted within said casing and having a writing element at its yforward end, said casing being provided with an upper end portion constituting an interior bearing surface, said upper end portion of said casing having an exterior slot extending through said casing and communicating with said bearing surface, said slot extending at least between the upper end of said casing and a point on the side of said casing beneath the lower end of said bearing sur-face, resilient means normally urging said unit into retracted position, means for protracting said unit to an exposed writing position in which said writing cle- 7 ment projects from the openforward extremity of said casing comprising a ,freely mounted head coniined within said upper end portion of said casing with a portion of the exterior'of said head engaging said bearing surface, said head spanning Ia greater distance in a iirst direction thany in a second direction, an arm connected to said head and projecting from the exterior -thereof through said slot for swinging movement therein between a rst position in which said head is positioned so vthat the reduced span corresponding to said second direction is interposed between said writing unit yand said bearing surface, Said fu'st position permitting said resilient'means to force said unit into retracted position, and a second position at least approximately `90 displaced fromtsaid rst position, said head being positioned in said seco'nd -position so that the greater span lcorresponding to said irst `direction is interposed between said writing unit and said bearing surface to force said writing unit into protracted positio'n, and -a reciprocally mounted means interposed between the lower end of said head and the upper end of saidunit, said ,head being pmvided with :a rena-a1 re: cess lat the lower end thereof for reception of the upper portion of said reciprocally mounted means. y v

References VCtedin the le o'f this'patentA UNTTED STATES PATENTS 1,717,057 Mener June '11, 1929 2,295,577 Hammerly Sept. 15, 1942 2,427,068 Randolph Sept. '9, 1947v 2,432,647 Batcheller Dec. 176, 1947 2,500,439 Tursky Mar. 14, 1950 2,645,204 Bross July 14, 19573 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,017 Great Britain 1890Y 8,010 Great Britain 1914 551,219 Germanyu May 27, 1932 677,376 Great Britain Aug. 13, 1952

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