US 4,966,478 AGranted

Mechanically controlled-writing apparatus with presharpened pencil lead elements

OwnerChun-Liang Kuoinventor

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Abstract

A mechanically controlled writing apparatus with presharpened pencil lead elements generally comprises of an inner cylinder and a pen-holder. The inner cylinder is a straight hollow tube, having two elongated piercing grooves vertically made at the bottom to permit the bottom end be slightly expanded for passing therethrough of pencil lead elements, and a plurality of wedge-like projections made on the outer wall surface at the bottom end and respectively reducing upward, which wedge-like projections may be squeezed inward by the inner wall surface of the outer pen-holder to firmly retain the bottom pencil lead element for smooth writing. The pen-holder comprises a reduced bottom end having a hook means integrally made thereon to alternatively insert through the two elongated piercing grooves into the inner cylinder, which hook means may be controlled to displace outward through a lever motion effect. When inner cylinder is pressed down, the hook means is pushed aside to further insert through the top surface of the bottom piece of pencil lead element so as to let the bottom piece of pencil lead element protrude beyond the pencil lead outlet for writing when the inner cylinder is pushed upward to original position.

A writing implement comprising an elongated annular outer casing (10), an inner tube (20) slidably mounted within said outer casing, and a plurality of sharpened writing elements (30) stacked in axial alignment within said tube;

said outer casing comprising an elongated annular member having first and second end sections;
said first end section being configured as a tapered frusto-conical wall section (15);
a first essentially V-shaped slit (271) extending through said tapered wall section to form an axially elongated resilient leg (12) integral with the tapered wall section;
said resilient leg having a cantelever connection with the associated wall section, a free end spaced a short distance axially from the end edge of the tapered wall section, and a hook section (13) extending generally radially inwardly from the free end of said leg (12), said hook section being integral with the leg;
said first resilient leg having a normal unstressed position wherein its outer side surface lies in the outer surface plane of the tapered wall section;
said resilient leg having a stressed position wherein its outer side surface projects outwardly beyond the outer surface plane of the tapered wall section;
said outer casing having a second essentially V-shaped slit (271) spaced axially from said first V-shaped slit to define a second resilient leg;
the apex portions of the two Vs facing in opposite directions, with the wall areas circumscribed by the two V-shaped slits being integrally connected, such that inward manual pressure on the second leg produces an outward deflection of the first leg from its normal unstressed position;
said tube having a radially enlarged element gripper end section (28) adapted to move between a retracted position extending a relatively short distance out of the tapered wall section, and an extended position projecting a relatively great distance beyond said tapered wall section;
two diammetrically spaced slots (23 and 24) formed in said tube end section so that said end section forms a gripper mechanism for the writing elements;
said tube being oriented within said casing so that the hook section of the first leg normally extends into the second slot when said gripper end section is in its retracted position whereby said hook section is then located between the projecting writing element and the remaining writing elements within the tube.

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Abstract

Claims5