# US 10,766,296 B2 · Method for lacquering pencils, and lacquering apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,296 B2 - Document ID: US10766296B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/946,903 - Filed: 2018-04-06 - Published: 2018-11-15 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-10-06 - Assignees: Schwan-STABILO Cosmetics GmbH & Co. KG - Applicants: Reicolor Chemie-GmbH Chemische—Und Lackfabrik; Schwan-Stabilo Cosmetics GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Juergen Reitenspies - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766296B2 ## CPC - B43K 19/16: Making non-propelling pencils (making slate-pencil writing-cores B28D) - B05B 13/0207: {the work being an elongated body, e.g. wire or pipe (B05B13/0436, B05B13/0463 take precedence)} - B43K 19/14: Sheathings - B05B 13/0214: {the liquid or other fluent material being applied to the whole periphery of the cross section of the elongated body} - B43K: IMPLEMENTS FOR WRITING OR DRAWING (containers, casings or accessories for cosmetic substances, e.g. shaving soap, lipstick, make-up A45D34/00, A45D40/00) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract In a method for lacquering pencils by the push-through method, a respective pencil is guided through a lacquering chamber in order to apply a lacquer coat. After exiting the lacquering chamber, successive pencils butt against one another and are held against one another at their end sides such at a plurality of pencils form a stable strand which is guided, subsequent to the lacquering chamber, through a drying section, with the result that a respective pencil is held in a hovering manner on leaving the lacquering chamber. It is hereby in particular also made possible to use UV-curing lacquers, with the overall result that a very short total lacquering time for lacquering pencils, in particular cosmetic pencils, is achieved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for lacquering pencils via a push-through method, which comprises the steps of: guiding a respective pencil horizontally through a lacquering chamber for applying lacquer thus forming a lacquer coat, after exiting the lacquering chamber, successive ones of the pencils butt against one another and are held against one another at their end sides such that a plurality of the pencils form a horizontal strand, the respective pencil being held exclusively by the holding forces at the end sides between a preceding pencil and a following pencil of the strand; and guiding the strand, downstream of the lacquering chamber, horizontally through a drying section, with a result that the respective pencil is held horizontally in a hovering manner on leaving the lacquering chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein two successive ones of the pencils are held against one another by the lacquer applied. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the strand is enveloped by a continuous, interruption-free lacquer coat. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, which further comprises pressing the strand against an abutment such that the pencils are pressed against one another at the end sides. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, which further comprises disposing a UV lamp in the drying section and the lacquer used is a UV-curing lacquer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, which further comprises forming the drying section as a drying chamber filled with protective gas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the drying section provided with the UV lamp is spaced by a number of centimeters from an outlet of the lacquering chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the drying section has a length which is larger than a pencil length. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein an outlet of the lacquering chamber has a first guide point for the pencil, and the drying section has, at a spacing from the lacquering chamber, a second guide point for the pencil, wherein no further guide point is disposed between the first and second guide points. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, which further comprises disposing a mechanical separator for separating the strand into the individual pencils subsequent to the drying section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lacquering chamber and the drying section form a lacquering stage, and in that a plurality of lacquering stages are formed directly in succession and form a lacquering section, in such a way that the pencil is completely lacquered after a single pass through the lacquering section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the lacquering chamber and the drying section form a first lacquering stage, and wherein the method further includes the steps of: applying a clear lacquer in the first lacquering stage; and applying a pigmented lacquer in a subsequent lacquering stage formed by another lacquering chamber and drying section. ### Claim 13 A method for lacquering pencils via a push-through method, which comprises the steps of: guiding a respective pencil horizontally through a lacquering chamber for applying lacquer thus forming a lacquer coat, after exiting the lacquering chamber, successive ones of the pencils butt against one another and are held against one another at their end sides such that a plurality of the pencils form a horizontal strand, the respective pencil being held exclusively by the holding forces at the end sides between a preceding and a following pencil; and guiding the strand, downstream of the lacquering chamber, horizontally through a drying section, with a result that the respective pencil is held horizontally in the strand in a hovering manner without a supporting point on a circumference of the respective pencil on leaving the lacquering chamber.