US1202325A - Pencil-sharpening device. - Google Patents

Description

R. C. SIMMONS.

PENCIL SHARPENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25. 1913.

hmmm@ P11-rented ont. 24,1916.

RALPH C. SIMMONS, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

PENC1LSHARPENING DEVIUJE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Unt. 24, 1F13.

Application led August 25, 1913. Serial No. 786,397.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that lf, RALPH C. SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Beverly, in the county of Essex and Statepf Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Pencil-Sharpening Devices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to sharpening devices and is herein shown as embodied in a device especially designed and adapted for sharpening lead pencils.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple, eiiicient and inexpensive sharpening device for the purpose specified. To this end, a stationary tapering cutter is located within a box or case provided with a rotary cover carrying one or more guides for the pencil. Provision is made for securing the cover to the box or case against accii dental removal without interfering with the rotation thereof, whereby the sharpening device may be secured to a vertical wall or support without danger of the cover falling od'. The guide for the pencil is preferably made as will be described, whereby it aords a firm backing or support for the pencil while being sharpened, and 'also acts as a stop to limit the downward feed of the pencil. |The guide referred to is preferably made adjustable with relation to the tapering cutter, so as to compensate for the reduction in the size or diameter of the cutter caused by grinding or re-sharpening of the same, thereby enabling the cutter to be frequently sharpened and obtain therewith points of the same fineness or size on the pencils. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of pencil Sharpener embodying this invention, the box or case being broken away. Fig. 2, a plan of the Sharpener shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 2. Fig. 4, a detail in section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3, looking up. Fig. 5, details of the holding device for the cover. Fig. 6 and 7, details of the guide shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 8, a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a tapering cutter provided on its circumference with longitudinally extended blades or cutting edges b, which are preferably inclined or vsubstantially helical in form. The cutter a is located within a box or casing c and is stationary therein, and in the present instance, the cutter is provided on its lower surface with an externally threaded hub d, which engages an internally threaded hollow boss e, extended from the bottom of the box or casing c, and against which the lower surface of the cutter abuts as shown in Fig. 3. The box or casing o is provided with an opening 10 in its outer or upper surface, which is of smaller, diameter than the box and is normally closed by a cover 12, which is provlded at its center with a hub or projection 14, which bears against the upper surface of the stationary cutter a and rotates thereon. rlFhe cover 12 has secured to it a pin or stud 15, which enters the bore of the stationary cutter and carries at its lower end a holding device for securing the cover to the box or casing a against accidental removal, without interfering with the rotation of the cover. ln the present instance, the holding device is shown as a dog or'lever 16 pivoted in a slot 17 in the lower end of the studor pin 15 and provided with a finger 18, which is designed to extend under the stationary cutter a, as shown in Fig. 3. The holding dog 16 has coperating with it a pointed or beveled pin 20 on a threaded stud or plug 21, which engages the threaded hollow boss e and is riveted, as herein shown, to a base plate 22, which is designed to be secured to a vertical or horizontal support (not shown) by screws 23 or otherwise.

rllhe box or casing c before it is applied to the threaded stud 21 has the cutter a screwed into its position with its bottom resting on the threaded hollow post e, and the cover is then applied to the box or casing Ac with its center pin 15 extended through and having a bearing in the cutter. rfhe locking dog 16 assumes the position shown in Fig. 5. The combined box and cover is then screwed upon the stud 21, and when the pointed end of the stud 20 engages the beveled surface 25 of the dog or lever 16, the latter is forced outwardly and the finger 18 thereof is brought under the stationary cover, thereby locking the pin 15 and the cover 12 to the casing or box c. When the box c has been screwed to its seat upon the base plate 22, the pointed end of the pin 2O 'the present instance, the cover) is'shown as carrying-two guides of like construction except as to size, and each consisting of a cylindrical upper portion 27, provided wlth external screw-threads 28 and havmg a cutaway lower portion 29 extendedfrom said threaded portion. The cylindrlcal upper portion of the guide. engages a threaded opening in the cover 12, and is secured m its adjusted position by a nut 30. The up-- per portion ofthe guide is provided with al cylindrical bore 31 and the lower' portion witha conical bore 32, and said lower portion is cut away to leave a tapering straight face 33, having a tapering slot 34 (see Fig. 6), through which the pencil is exposed to the cutting action of the blades of the stationary cutter. The taper of the straight face 33 is madeon substantially the same angle as the taper of the vstationary cutter,

as represented in Fig. 3, which results in the straight face of the guide being substantially parallel with the blades of the cutter, and by reason of the fact that the guide is vertically adjustable in the cover, it can be lowered or moved into the box or casing c so as to compensate for the reduction in size or diameter of the cutter, caused by grinding or re-sharpening the same, and maintain the straight face of the guide at the same \or uniform distance from the blades of the cutter irrespective of its diameter within limits. The uncut or solidv portion 29 of the lower part of the guide forms a solid backing for the pencil being sharpened, and the conical bore of the same acts as a stop'to limit the downward movement or feed of the pencil, with the result that the sharpened pencils are provided with points of substantially uniform length and ineness.

In Fig. 3, the cover 12 is shown as provided with two ides of diferent sizes, whereby pencils of different thickness may be sharpened, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect.

In operation, the pencil to be sharpened is inserted intothe guide tube and pressed down by the operator, who uses the pencil as a crank or handle to turn the cover and carry the pencil around the stationary cutter, which removes the portion of the lower end which projects throu h the tapering slot 34, and as the lower en of the pencil is reduced insize and converted Vfrom a cylindrical into a tapering or conical form, the pencilis fed downwardly in the conical bore of the guide, until the oint projects through the apex of the conica bore 32 and engages the cutter, as represented by the larger pencil in Fig. 3. The cover is turned in-the act of sharpening the pencil, so that any tendency of the cutter to be turned by the pencil, will be in such direction, as to screw the cutter into the threaded boss e and thus maintain lthe bottom of the cutter in contact with the said boss. When it is desired to remove the chips from the box or casing c, the latter is turned so as to unscrew it from the stationary stud 21, which releases the holding pawl 16 and permits it to be turned so as to remove its finger 18 from engagement with the stationary cutter, and thereby unlocks the cover, so that the latter canI be removed to uncover the openin 10 in the box or casing. The conical bore o the guide 'tube prevents a too ra id feed of the pencil. By making the gui e adjustable so that it can be moved in the direction of its length, a liner or coarser cut may be obtained as desired; that is to say, if it is' desired to remove in one revolution a larger amount of wood, the guide is adjusted into the box so as to allow more of the pencil to come into contact with the cutters, whereas,

-if it is desired to obtain a fine cut, the guide is adjusted out of the box or is moved longitudlnally in the opposite direction.

Claims. A

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a box or casing provided with an opening and with a threaded hollow vboss opposite said opening, a stationary tapering cutter located in said casing and havin a bore, and a threaded hub to engage said threaded hollow boss, a rotatable cover for said opening, a pin secured to said cover and extended into the bore of said cutter, said pin having a slot in it, a locking lever pivoted in said slot and having a finger to engage said cutter, means coperating with the said lever to engage the finger of the latter with said cutter, and a guide for the pencil carried by said cover,

substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a box or casing, a

removable, substantially conical cutter located therein substantially lat the center thereofand having a fixed relation thereto, a rotatable cover for said box or casing, and a guide for the pencils adjustably secured to said cover and provided with a portion within thesaid casing having a substantially straight face provided with a tapering slot extended substantially parallel with the outer surface of the cutter, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a box or casin a conical cutter located therein and secured in xedrelation thereto substantially at the mennen m center thereof, a rotatable cover tor said casing, and a guide for the pencil carried by said cover and extended into said casing and adjustable in the direction of its length to vary its position Within said casing, the portion of said guide-Within the box having a substantially strai 'ht tace provided with a tapering slot exten ed substantially paral- 1e1 with and in close proximity to the enter surface et the conical cutter, substantially tb as described.

][n testimony whereof, have signed my name to this specieation in the presence et two subscribing Witnesses.

.RALPH C. SUM/IUFM,

Witnesses: s

des. H. Cnmnonnmn, J. t/tnnrnrr.

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