US1939566A - Magazine pencil - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 12, 1933. L. E. MELENDEZ 1,939,566

MAGAZINE PENCIL Original Filed Jan. 11, 1932 Gttomeg Patented Dec. 12, 1933 PATENT orrlcr.

1,939,566 MAGAZINE PENCIL Leandro E. Melendez, New York, N. Y.

I Application 4 Claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in magazine pencils'of the type designed to house a plurality of leads of different or the same colors and to be conveniently operated to 5 project into writing position any selected lead.

It has been heretofore proposed in pencils of this type to provide a plural lead container, the lead channels of which may be selectively arranged with regard to an opening in a disk in 1 the pencil barrel to discharge a particular lead into writing position, the lead container being terminally formed with a series of projections to engage in aseries of notches inthe upper end of the pencil barrel to lock the container in any selected position, while permitting free rotation of the container for lead selection by endwise movement of the container relative to the barrel. This type of construction involves the provision of specific locking means for thelead container on such container and in the barrel, with the result that the external appearance of the pencil is detracted from, liability of breakage or wear of the locking parts is at all times present, and the additional cost of such construction adds to the initial cost of production.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a lead container'mounted for endwise and rotative movementto arrange a selected lead channel in linewith a lead guide into which the selected lead may be delivered for gravital transfer to the writing point of the pencil the lead container being locked with 're-' spect to theguide in selected position through the mediumof a projection on the guide foooperating with the end of one of the lead channels; whereby the'locking means is wholly concealed, completely protected from breakage, does not detract from the appearance of the pencil,

and is of such simplicity as to materially reduce the initial cost of production as compared with the; type of pencil previously identified.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereim- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved pencil. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lead contamer. v

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the guide. Figure 4 is a'transverse enlarged sectional view showing the cooperation of the guide and container. t V

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of pencil.

Figure 6 is abrok'en perspective of the guide.

January 11, 1932, Serial No. 586,025 Renewed ,May 9, 1933 "Figure 7 is a broken perspective of the lead container.

In the preferred form, the improved magazine pencil comprises abarrel 1 of conventional pencil outline terminating in lead clamping jaws 2 at 6 the writing point and the conventional clamping member 3 through which the lead extends for writing purposes, with theclamping member having threaded connection with the barrel to clamp the'jaws onto thelead for holding thelatter in 5 rigid relation to the pencil for Writing; Within the barrel, at a point intermediate the ends there,- of, issecured a lead guide 4, this'guide corresponding in length tothe length of the lead; though obviously capable of reduction in length 7 so long as it preserves the lead guiding function. The guide is formed with a longitudinally ranging channel .5 having a diameter slightly exceeding that of the leads to be used, with the channel at the upper end of the guide of a" radial depth from the periphery of the guide slightly exceeding that of thelead; From the upper end, the channel is of gradually increased depth until at the lower end the bottom of the channel is substantially at the axial'point of the guide. 0

Thus, the lead channelextends downwardly and inwardly toward the center of the barrel lengthwise of the guide; 7 Q Q y 1 .Mounted in the upper end of, the barrel is'a lead container 6, comprising a body having an external diameter snugly fitted within the upper end of the barrel, while permittingcomparatively free longitudinal and .rotative movement of the container; The container body is formed with an, annular series: of longitudinally ranging lead receiving channels 7, these channels extending throughout the full length of thebody. The con-' tainer body 6 is terminally provided with an ornamental sleeve or'cap piece8, the exterior diameter of which corresponds to that of the 5 barrel, and the lower edge 9 of which is designed to bear upon the upperi'edge of the barrel and complete the continuation of the barrel in pencil formation; This'cap piece serves to receive and. H holdthe' usual pencil retaining element 10 if 6 such isusedi V H The upper end of thelead guide is provided, in,

a position ofiset from the channel 5, with a locking and centering pin 11. This pin' has a diameter corresponding tothe diameter of the channel 7 of 65 the container and is so located with respect to the channel 5 thatwhen the end of the pin 11 is engagedin the lower end of one of the lead channels 7 of the container, another of such channels 7 will be in absolute and perfect alignment guide.

In this form of construction, the leads to be used, which while more particularly are preferably of different colors may be of thesame'color, or in any selected variation. With the lower end of the lead container resting on the upper end of the lead guide, which is the normal position of the parts, the locking pin 11 will be disposed in one of the channels 7, and another of such channels will be in alignment with the channel 5 of the lead guide. The lead of such aligned channel of the container may thus be moved by gravity, by positioning the pencil in an upright relation, through the channel 5 between the clamping jaws 7, and when permitted to project to a writing position through the clamping member 3, the latter is tightened on the lead and the pencil is ready for writing. When desired to change the lead, particularly for the selection of another color, for example, the clamping member 3 is released, the pencil inverted, and the lead returned to the magazine, the upper end of'thelead moving into the lower end of the channel 5 while guided in the clamping members 2, to thus insure the return of the lead. That. is to say, the relation of the lower end of the channel of the guide is such that'the lead is ordinarily held within the lower end of the channel while L in writing position so that certainty of lead return is insured. If the lead has been used to an extent to. carry the upper end beyond the lower end of the guide, the lead may still be returned by proper manipulation, though under these circum' stances the lead is ordinarily so short that it may be discarded through the writing end of the pencil.

7 If the lead used at the particular moment is to. be returned to'the container, and a lead of a different color or of another type selected, the pencil is inverted and the used lead will obviously be returned to its proper lead channel 7. The container is now moved longitudinally with respect to the barrel by a slight pull on the cap piece 8. This movement is sufiicient to'disengage the locking pin 11 and the lead channel with selected is in a channel aligned with the channel 5 of the lead guide, and of course under these circumstancesan adjacent channel '7 is in line with the pin 11. The container is returned to normal position, whereupon the pin 11 enters the lower 'end of one of the lead channels and the container and guide are locked against relative rotative movement, with the selected channel 7 in line with the guide channel 5. If the rotative adjustment of the container relative to the guide is not absolutely accurate, the container will not seat against the guide and this fact will be evident by the failure of the cap piece to engage the upper end of the barrel. Under these circumstances, the container may be moved slightly in one direction or the other until the pin 11 enters the end of the channel '7, whereupon the container may be moved into contact with the guide and absolute accurate alignment of the lead channel '7 with the guide channel 5 insured. The pencil is then with the upper end of the channel 5 of the lead turned into the upright position and the selected lead gravitates to the writing point for use as described.

In the modified form, the relative positions of the guide channel and lead container are reversed. In this form, the barrel 13 is provided immediately above the writing end of the pencil, which writing end has the usual clamping jaws and clamping member, with a lead container 14 having lead channels 15 in an annular peripheral series, the container in this instance being also formed with a central or axial opening 16. A lead guide 17 is mounted in the upper end of the pencil for rotative and longitudinal movement, the upper end of the guide being provided with a cap piece 18 which cooperates with the upper end of the barrel to complete the pencil appearance and to provide means by which the lead guide may be operated.

The lead guide in this form of construction is provided with longitudinally ranging guide channel 19 having a radial depth exceeding the radius' of the guide, or in other words when the guide is in alignment with the container the bottom of the guide is beyond the center of the axial openr ing 16 of the container. In this form, the looking pin 20 similar to the pin 11 of the preferred form, is carried by the lower end of the guide and arranged for locking cooperation with any one of the lead channels 15 of the container 14.

The barrel 13 is preferably sufiiciently transparent torender visible the leads in the channels 15 and also to render visible the lower end of the guide 17. In the use of the pencil, the lead guide is moved longitudinally by manipu-. 3,1!) lation of the cap piece to remove the pin 20 from the lead channel 15 with which it cooperates. The' lead guide is then rotated within the barrel until the guide channel 19 is in line with the selected lead, following which the guide is returned to normal position, causing the pin 20- to interlock in the end of an adjacent lead channel 15 and thus absolutely insure the alignment of the selected lead channel 15 and the guide channel 19. Following this locking co operation, the pencil is inverted, the lead from the selected v lead channel 15 is delivered by-gravity into the guide channel 19, and on moving the pencil to a substantially horizontal position this lead reaches the bottom of the guide channel 19' and is thus positioned in line with the axial opening 16 of the container. On turning the pencil in an upright position, the selected lead moves through the axial opening 16 of the con-. tainer into Writing position.

While preferring that the lead at the operative end of the pencil may be secured in any desired manner,.it is preferred that the clamping jaws be formed as the split terminals of a sleeve 21 having a diameter corresponding to:the axial openings 16 of the lead container 14 of the modified form or corresponding to the opening at the lower end of the guide channel 5 of the guide 4 of the preferredform Thus thelead in all positions is maintained in alignment with the channels 5 and 16 of the respectiveforms for convenient return to the container when desired. Under these circumstances, the clamping member 3 may, as indicated at21a, have threaded cooperation with the exterior of the sleeve 21, or of a thickened portion thereof, for'clamping adjustment, the clamping member overlying'and cooperating with a' reduced portion of the barrel to complete the pencil appearance.

In both forms of the invention, it is to be particularly noted that the locking means by which the selected lead channel may be so aligned with the guide channel as to insure absolute accuracy for convenient and unobstructed lead delivery involves merely the use of a locking pin carried by the lead guide, and that advantage is taken of the lead channels of the container as a cooperating locking element. Thus, the locking means between the container and guide, one of which at least must be arranged for longitudinal and rotative movement, is entirely within the barrel of the pencil and avoids any marring of the appearance of the pencil or any interference with desired. ornamentation of the exterior of the pencil; is arranged to avoid any possibility of breakage or marring; and is reduced to extreme simplicity to insure minimum cost as to this detail in production. Furthermore, this locking means utilizes as an element one of the lead carrying channels of the container, and thus so long as these channels are properly formed, absolute certainty of aligned relation between the selected lead channel of the container and that of the guide is insured.

I claim:-

1. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead container'in the barrel and formed with a plurality of lead receiving channels, a lead guide in the barrel formed with a lead guide channel, said container and guide being arranged in the barrel for relative rotary and longitudinal movements, with one of said parts fixed with respect to the barrel, and locking means against rotary movement for maintaining said parts in any one of a plurality of selected cooperative relations, the lead receiving channels of the container forming one element of the locking means.

2. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead container in the barrel and formed with a plurality of lead receiving channels, a lead guide in the barrel formed with a lead guide channel, said container and guide being arranged in the bar rel for relative rotary and longitudinal movements, with one of said parts fixed with respect to the barrel, and a locking pin carried by the guide and arranged for selective interlocking with one of the channels of the container to align another of said channels of the container with the channel of the guide.

3. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead guide formed with a channel fixed in the barrel, a lead container formed with an annular series of peripherally disposed lead receiving channels arranged in the barrel above the lead guide, a cap piece forming a terminal for the barrel and connected to the container, said container being mounted for longitudinal and rotative movement in the channel, and a locking pin carried by and projecting above the guideto engage and interlock with one of the channels of the container in the operative relation of the parts, to thereby align another of the channels of the container with the channel of the lead guide.

4. A magazine pencil including a barrel, a lead container fixed in the barrel and formed with a peripheral, annular series of lead receiving channels, said container being formed with an axial opening, a lead guide mounted in the barrel for. longitudinal and rotary movement above the container, said lead guide being formed with a longitudinally ranging channel capable of endwise alignment with any of the channels of the container and having a radial dimension to permit alignment with the axial opening of the container, means whereby the guide may be given a longitudinal and rotative movement with respect to the barrel, and a locking pin projecting from the guide and adapted to cooperate with any one channel of the container to align a selected channel of the container with the channel of the guide.

LEANDRO E. MELE INDEZ.

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