US 6,782,632 B2Granted

Writing instrument-caliper system and method

OwnerMartin L. Mayseinventor

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Abstract

Described is a writing instrument-caliper system composed of a fully functional writing instrument and a separate caliper device. The writing instrument and caliper device are of such construction that the caliper device can be inserted snugly into the open-ended hollow barrel of the writing instrument for safe storage. With the caliper device in its storage location, the writing instrument-caliper system is of similar outer physical dimensions to the writing instrument alone, and can be carried safely in a shirt pocket without risk of injury to the user or it can be employed as a fully functional writing instrument. With the caliper device removed from its storage location, the writing instrument and caliper device can be employed in parallel, allowing the user to make written notations while simultaneously making measurements with the caliper device. This writing instrument-caliper system overcomes many of the problems encountered by prior art devices.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A combined pen and caliper system comprising:

a pen device having a pen barrel, an elongated pen refill, a pen tip, and a nib,
wherein the pen barrel is hollow and has a fore end which holds the pen tip and an aft end which is open and houses the elongated pen refill, and
the pen tip secures the nib through which ink is delivered from the pen to the writing surface,
a caliper device having a support element and a first and second caliper arm
wherein each of the first and second caliper arms has a pointed tip end and a pivot end,
the first and second caliper arms are rotatably joined to the support element at their pivot ends, and
the caliper device has a closed position wherein the pointed tip ends of the first and second caliper arms are substantially touching,
wherein the caliper device in the closed position fits snugly and removably with the pointed tip ends of the caliper device facing into the pen barrel in the hollow portion of the aft end of the pen barrel adjacent to the pen refill for temporary removable storage so that the caliper device is completely removable from the aft end of the pen barrel and the writing instrument and the caliper device can be employed in parallel, allowing the user to make written notations with the writing instrument while simultaneously making measurements with the caliper device.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.