US697323A - Pencil-sharpener. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 8, I902.

E. BURKE.

PENCIL SHABPENER.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1901.

(No Model.)

IN V E N 70/? lzyzzzeflrze W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS U TTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE BURKE, OF IJAKEVIEVV, OREGON.

PENClL-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 697,323, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed August 16,1901. Serial No. 72,254. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE BURKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lakeview, in the county of Lake and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Pencil-Sharpen er, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention provides novel details of construction for a small pocket-knife which greatly facilitates its use for sharpening the ends of wooden-bodied lead-pencils and also enables the safe employment of the knife as an ink-eraser, if desired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafterdescribed,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved pencil-sharpener, partly in section, showing the same applied for cutting away the body of the pencil into tapered form. Fig. 2 is a like view of the device, showing a changed adjustment of parts and the pencil engaged therewith to taper its point. Fig. 3 is a back edge View of the knife-handle, its open blade, and a rockable arm, which is a main feature of the invention. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View substantially on the line 4 4c in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached side view of details of theinvention, the blade being broken away to show features of construction. Fig. 6 is an end view of parts seen in the direction of the arrow to in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the features of invention, showing their application for finishing the point of a lead-pencil.

The handle 8 of the instrument may be that of a pocket-knife that at one end may be provided with one or more blades adapted for folding and opening, as usual, or, if preferred, the small blades may be dispensed with.

At the opposite end of the handle 8 the peculiarly-formed blade 10 is pivoted between its side walls, as at a. The blade 10 is flat on one side, as indicated at b in Figs. 4 and O, and beveled on the opposite side I) from the cutting edge 0 toward the back cl of the blade. The back edge at and cutting edge 0 of the blade 10 are preferably rendered parallel with each other from the heel of the blade to where there is a slightly-convex slope 6 formed thereon, which extends to the free end or point of the blade, that is produced by the junction of the back edge (Z with the slope e. The heel portion of the blade 10 is slotted longitudinally, as indicated at h in Fig. 5.

An arm 11, preferably shaped as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, has its heel portion h of reduced thickness to adapt it to occupythe slot hin the heel of the blade 10, and said part h is pivoted within the blade-slot by the pivot a, that secures the blade 10 loosely within the handle 8. It will be seen in Fig. 5 that the rocking movement of the arm 11 on the pivot or toward and from the sharp edge of the blade 10 may be limited by a transverse pin 2', held in the walls of the slotted heel of the blade, a shoulder t" on the end of the heel portion it having contact with the pin 2' when the free end of the arm is diverged a proper degree from the sharp edge of the knife-blade 10. As shown, the arm 11 is in the form of a flattened arc, having its free end m curved abruptly in the direction of the blade edge '0, so that this end or foot portion may nearly contact with the cutting edge of the knife-blade it is opposite when the blade and arm are in folded adjustment toward each other, as best shown in Fig. 5.

In the upright wall of the foot portion m on the arm 11 a concave groove n is preferably formed, and in the upper edge of said end portion a plurality of indentations 0 are formed therein. Another series of spaced indentations p is formed in the upper edge of the rockable arm 11 intermediately of its foot m and heel h. The arm 11 is so proportioned in thickness that it extends laterally a proper degree outside of the sides of the blade 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

To adapt the improved pencil-sharpener for use by persons who are left-handed, the sloped side of theknife-blade 10 must be produced on the side opposite from that shown in the drawings, wherein the device is represented as suited for the use of a right-handed person.

In manipulation of the improved instrument for sharpening a lead-pencil the operator, if right-handed, holds the pencil-body in ICO the left hand and the handle 8 in the right hand, the blade 10 having been opened, so as to extend it, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. It will be seen that the sloped face of the blade 10 is the side nearest to the body of the user, which is essential for the proper action of the device. To commence pointing a new pencil A, the arm 11 may with advantage be given its extreme range of divergence from the sharp edge of the knife -blade 10, and, as shown in Fig. 1, this adjustment of parts will incline the arm toward the hand that grasps the handle 8. The operator now seats the blunt end of the pencil-body A upon the arm ll between its heel and outer end and so inclines the pencil with regard to the fiat side b of the blade 10 as to cause the sharp edge 0 of said blade to engage the wood of the pencil at a proper distance from the adjacent end thereof and at a proper angle, considered laterally. A firm grasp is had upon the handle 8, and the thumb of the operator is pressed forcibly against the back of the arm 11, so as to rock said arm toward the edge 0 of the blade 10. In order to edect a shearing cut,

the pencil-body may be inclined forwardly aswell as laterally, which will enable the smooth and easy shaving of the wood at a proper taper. The cutting away of the wooden body of the pencil is continued by pressing its end upon the arm 11, so as to again rock it away from the blade 10, and at the same time the pencil is turned axially, so as to bring another portion of the body into engagement with the cutting edge of the blade, which is cut away by a repetition of the rocking movement of the arm toward the blade, and obviously the wood of the pencil byasuccession of sloping cuts may be truly removed to form a proper taper thereon.

The taper of the Wood portion of the pencil-body A need not include the correct tapering of the lead core A, which may be completed by placing the extremity of the lead in one of the indentations 0 and so inclining the pencil-point while vibrating the arm 11 as to shave the lead to a point, it being understood that the pencil is rotatably moved during the operation.

Where it is desired to render the pencilpoint quite sharp, as is essential in drawingpencils, the operator can effect this result by pressing the arm 11 closely toward the sharp edge 0 of the blade 10 and then present the pencil-point to the convex edge portion e of the blade, resting said lead-point in the groove n, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, the shaving manipulation of the blade and turning of the pencil efiecting a completion of the pointing operation in an obvious manner.

If the lead-pencil has been pointed once and is blunted by use, the renewal of its point may be readily effected by one operation, the point of the pencil in this case being held in an appropriate indentation p in the top edge of the arm 11, as clearly represented in Fig. 1.

It will be evident that the peculiar formation of the convex cutting edge at and near the point of the blade 10 affords an excellent ink-eraser, which is rendered efficient and safe in use by first folding the arm 11 close to the cutting edge of the blade, whereby the arm forms a guard for the cutting edge of the blade, so that it will not injure the paper while it is removing ink-marks therefrom. The heel of the arm 11 can be used to smooth the paper roughened by the employment of the blade 10 as an ink-eraser.

Slight changes in form and proportion of parts may be resorted to within the scope of myinvention. HenceIclaimallsuch changes or modifications as are well within the scope of the claims. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A pencil-sharpener,comprising a handle, a blade pivoted upon the handle near one end thereof, and an arm pivoted by one end on the pivot of the blade, and rockable toward the sharp edge of said blade for support of the end of a pencil to be sharpened by said edge of the blade.

2. Apencil-sharpener,comprisingahandle, a blade sharp on one edge, and pivoted by one end at an end of the handle, said blade having a longitudinal slot in its heel, and a bent arm pivoted in the slot of the blade-heel 011 the blade-pivot, which adapts the arm to rock toward and from the sharp edge of the blade for support of a pencil end to be cut by the blade.

3. A pencil-sharpener, comprising a supported blade, having a slot in its heel, a bent arm pivoted at its heel in the slotted heel of the blade, and means to limit the rockable movement of the arm on its pivot.

4:. Apencil-sharpener,comprisingahandle, a blade pivoted at one end in an end of the handle, said blade having a beveled side and a straight side, and a bent arm pivoted with the blade in the handle.

5. Apencil-sharpener,comprisingahandle, a blade having a beveled side and a straight side, the sharp edge of the blade sloping convexly toward the point, and a bent arm pivoted to fold with the blade and receive adjustment toward and from the sharp edge of the blade.

6. In a pencil-sharpener of the character described, the bevel-faced blade having its cutting edge convexly sloped toward the point of the blade, and the rockable arm bent to provide a foot at its free end, the end wall of said foot being grooved, and the edge of the arm adjacent to the edge of the blade having a plurality of indentations therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE BURKE.

Witnesses:

F. P. LIGHT, J. M. MILLER.

ICC

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