Writing instrument having advance-retract mechanism
AssigneeThe Gillette Company
InventorWilliam E. Tucker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A writing instrument includes an advance-retract mechanism for projecting the writing tip from within the barrel for employment of the writing instrument, and retracting the tip to a point within the barrel, when the writing instrument is not in use. A plunger assembly includes a rotatable knob which is disposed at the top of the barrel and is interconnected to a finger which contacts the cam surface of a slidable actuator. Rotation of the knob in one direction advances the writing tip from within the barrel and opposite rotation of the knob is effective to retract the writing tip into the barrel.
Claims21
A writing instrument comprising
- a cylindrical barrel member having a front opening and a rear wall with an opening formed therein
- an elongated writing assembly having a writing tip at the forward end thereof adjacent said front opening in said barrel;
- a plunger assembly having
- a rotatable knob disposed adjacent the outer surface of said rear wall of said barrel and an elongated drive portion extending into said barrel, said elongated drive portion including a circular groove formed on the outer surface thereof;
- a ring disposed on said elongated drive portion adjacent the inner surface of said rear wall and retained against axial movement along said drive portion, said ring having a forwardly facing surface rotatable through rotation of said rotatable knob and an inner surface formed for interfitting engagement within said drive portion groove;
- a slidable actuator element disposed within said barrel having a forward facing surface contacting said writing assembly and a rearwardly facing surface contacting said ring rotatable surface whereby rotation of said knob is effective to move said actuator element axially and thereby move said writing tip axially relative to said barrel front opening.
A writing instrument comprising
- a cylindrical barrel member having a front opening and a rear wall with an opening formed therein
- an elongated writing assembly having a writing tip at the forward end thereof adjacent said front opening in said barrel;
- a plunger assembly having
- a rotatable knob disposed adjacent the outer surface of said rear wall of said barrel and an elongated drive portion extending into said barrel and having an axially disposed keyway formed on the outer surface thereof;
- a ring disposed on said elongated drive portion adjacent the inner surface of said rear wall and retained against axial movement along said drive portion, said ring having a finger with a forwardly facing surface rotatable through rotation of said rotatable knob, said finger having an inwardly projecting key surface formed thereon, said key surface being disposed in said keyway thereby to inhibit rotation of said finger relative to said elongated drive portion during rotation of said drive portion;
- a slidable actuator element disposed within said barrel having a forward facing surface contacting said writing assembly and a rearwardly facing surface contacting said ring rotatable surface whereby rotation of said knob is effective to move said actuator element axially and thereby move said writing tip axially relative to said barrel front opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.