Mechanical pencil with removable lead feed cover

A mechanical pencil having a removable cover and comprising:

• an elongated tubular housing having first and second ends;
• a sleeve longitudinally displaceably mounted in said housing and projecting from said first end thereof to form a pencil tip, said sleeve including an inner surface portion;
• an elastomeric ring mounted in said sleeve for frictionally slideably holding a lead therein;
• a lead feed tube longitudinally displaceably mounted within said housing, said feed tube including jaws for clamping the lead and a lead container projecting from said second end of said housing, said jaws being positioned within said sleeve;
• first spring means for biasing said feed tube to a retracted position towards said second end of said housing;
• an annular member mounted in said inner surface portion of said sleeve for longitudinally sliding movement to a position in close contact with said jaws for forcibly placing said jaws into a closed position to firmly grasp the lead therein;
• a removable tubular cover capable of being attached to said tubular housing over either of said first or second ends thereof;
• and
• means for, upon mounting said cover over said first end of said housing, moving the lead to extend from said tip by retracting said sleeve inwardly of said housing against the force of said spring means for a first distance, during which said jaws are maintained in position clamping the lead and said sleeve moves relative to the lead and said feed tube, and for a second distance, during which said jaws are unclamped from the lead and said sleeve and the lead move relative to said feed tube, said moving means comprising a button member mounted within said cover coaxially therewith, said button member having a surface contacting said sleeve during retraction thereof, and said surface having therein a slot into which the free end of the lead is extended upon movement of said sleeve relative to the lead.