Lever-actuated pen

A method of operating a lever-actuated pen comprising the steps of:

• providing a pen including a lever pivotally mounted exterior an elongated housing operatively connected to an internally housed ink cartridge having a writing tip;
• pivotally rotating the lever about a pivot pin offset from a longitudinal axis of the pen from a lever first position offset generally parallel to the exterior the elongated housing to a lever second position angled relative to the elongated housing, wherein the pivot pin is positioned below a top end cap and a portion of the lever moves through a slotted opening formed in the top end cap;
• and
• effectuating the ink cartridge to move between a projection position and a retracted position.

A lever-actuated pen comprising:

• an ink cartridge having a writing tip;
• an elongated housing having an open end containing the ink cartridge;
• an operating mechanism within the housing for projecting and retracting the writing tip through the open end of the housing;
• a lever pivotally mounted on the exterior of the housing and operatively engageable with the operating mechanism within the housing for actuating the operating mechanism for projecting and retracting the writing tip;
• wherein the operating mechanism includes a first spring biasing the ink cartridge toward the retracted position;
• an actuating rod moveably mounted in the housing and engageable by an internal end of the lever;
• an operating cam operatively coupling the actuating rod with the ink cartridge;
• and a second spring biasing the actuating rod toward the internal end of the lever;
• wherein the elongated housing includes a first tubular section containing the actuation rod and second spring;
• a second tubular section containing the majority of the ink cartridge;
• and a nose section containing the first spring and writing tip;
• and
• wherein the housing includes an end cap attached to an end of the first tubular section;
• and in which the end cap is formed with a slot through which the internal end of the lever extends for engaging the actuation rod.

A lever-actuated pen comprising:

• an elongated housing defining a longitudinally extending bore terminating in an end opening, and the elongated housing extending along a longitudinal axis;
• a top end cap connected with the elongated housing;
• an ink cartridge having a writing tip slidably mounted within the bore and moveable between a projected position wherein the writing tip extends through the end opening of the bore and a retracted position wherein the writing point is withdrawn within the bore;
• an operating mechanism within the housing for projecting and retracting the writing tip through the end opening;
• a pivot pin defining a pivot axis positioned below the top end cap;
• and
• a lever pivotally mounted externally on the housing to pivot about the pivot axis and operatively engageable with the operating mechanism within the housing for moving the ink cartridge between the retracted and projected positions.

A lever-actuated pen comprising:

• an elongated housing defining a longitudinally extending bore terminating in an end opening, and the elongated housing extending along a longitudinal axis;
• an ink cartridge having a writing tip slidably mounted within the bore and moveable between a projected position wherein the writing tip extends through the end opening of the bore and a retracted position wherein the writing point is withdrawn within the bore;
• an operating mechanism within the housing for projecting and retracting the writing tip through the end opening;
• a pivot pin defining a pivot axis that is spaced offset from the longitudinal axis;
• a lever pivotally mounted externally on the housing to pivot about the pivot axis and operatively engageable with the operating mechanism within the housing for moving the ink cartridge between the retracted and projected positions;
• a slotted opening formed in an end cap;
• an interior end on the lever extending through the slotted opening;
• and
• the pivot pin positioned beneath the slotted opening when the pen is oriented with the writing tip facing downwardly, and the pivot pin adapted to allow an end of the lever to pass through the slotted opening into the longitudinally extending bore.