Hobbyist-useable apparatus and method for fabricating decoratively-shaped writing instruments

A hobbyist-useable apparatus for fabricating decoratively shaped writing instruments having a casing, said apparatus comprising:

• a platform having an elongated slot,
• an interior mold insert having an interior shaping surface, said interior mold insert being attachable to said platform
• an exterior mold assembly attachable to said platform and manually moveable by a user in said elongated slot;
• an exterior shaping surface coupled to said exterior mold assembly;
• the exterior mold assembly including a lever arm portion having a lever arm, said lever arm being manually moveable between a raised position wherein said exterior shaping surface is moved away from said interior shaping surface, and a lowered position wherein said exterior shaping surface is moved towards said interior shaping surface.

An apparatus for fabricating decoratively shaped writing instruments having a casing, said apparatus comprising:

• a heater unit comprising
• a heat source, and
• a heating compartment having an opening for inserting and removing the casing, said heat source providing heat to said heating compartment;
• and
• a shaper unit comprising
• a platform having an elongated slot,
• an exterior mold assembly attachable to said platform and moveable in said elongated slot;
• an exterior shaping surface coupled to said exterior mold assembly;
• and
• an interior mold insert having an interior shaping surface, said interior mold insert being attachable to said platform such that the movement of said exterior mold assembly in said elongated slot moves said exterior shaping surface towards and away from said interior shaping surface;
• the exterior mold assembly including
• a lever arm portion having a lever arm, said lever arm being moveable between a raised position wherein said exterior shaping surface is moved away from said interior shaping surface, and a lowered position wherein said exterior shaping surface is moved towards said interior shaping surface,
• a locking portion and
• a moveable portion, said locking portion including an assembly lock mechanism, wherein said assembly lock mechanism locks said locking portion in place on said platform, said lever arm portion connects said locking portion to said moveable portion, and said exterior shaping surface is coupled to said moveable portion
• a rear foot member and
• a rear pivot member, said rear pivot member coupling said rear foot assembly to said lever arm portion, and said rear foot assembly and said rear pivot member being part of said locking portion of said exterior mold assembly, the rear foot member further including a vertically extending rear trunk member, a laterally extending rear lower flange extending from said rear trunk member near the bottom of said rear trunk member, a laterally extending upper flange extending from said rear trunk member above said rear lower flange, said laterally extending rear upper and lower flanges defining a rear platform engaging slot, wherein said rear platform engaging slot couples said rear foot member to said platform,
• wherein the casing is heated in said heating compartment, then the heated casing is placed on said platform and is compressed between said interior shaping surface and said exterior shaping surface by movement of said exterior mold assembly in said elongated slot, then the casing is allowed to cool.

An apparatus for fabricating decoratively shaped writing instruments having a casing, said apparatus comprising:

• a heater unit comprising
• a heating tube having a distal opening;
• a heat source providing heat to said heating tube;
• a tubular sleeve having a distal opening inserted in the interior of said heating tube and extending through said distal opening of said heating tube,
• a cover surrounding said heating tube to protect against touching of said heating tube and heat source,
• a distal end cap having a cover opening attached to said cover, the distal opening of said tubular sleeve being coupled to said cover opening such that a writing instrument casing can be inserted and removed from said heating tube through said cover opening;
• a gauge assembly comprising,
• a gauge cover attached to said cover of said heater unit, and
• a ruler member slideable in said gauge cover to measure the length of the casing inserted in said heater unit;
• and
• a shaper unit comprising
• a platform having a plurality of elongated slots and a mold receiving well having side walls,
• an interior mold insert having a interior shaping surface, said interior mold removably insertable in said mold receiving well of said platform;
• a plurality of exterior mold assemblies, each of said plurality of exterior mold assemblies being attachable to any one of said plurality of elongated slots of said platform, each of said plurality of exterior mold assemblies comprising a rear foot member lockable to said platform, a lever arm, a rear pivot member connecting said lever arm to said rear foot member, a pivot plate, a middle pivot member connecting said lever arm member to said pivot plate, a front foot member, a front pivot member connecting said front foot member to said pivot plate and an exterior shaping surface coupled to said front foot member, said front foot member being moveable in said one of said plurality of elongated slots to which said exterior mold assembly is attached, wherein said lever arm is moveable between a raised position wherein said front foot member and said coupled exterior shaping surface is moved away from said interior shaping surface, and a lowered position wherein said foot member and said coupled exterior shaping surface is moved towards said interior shaping surface;
• wherein the writing utensil casing is heated in said heater unit, then the heated casing is placed on said platform and is compressed between said interior shaping surface and said exterior shaping surface by movement of said plurality of exterior mold assemblies in said plurality of said elongated slots.

A hobbyist-useable apparatus for fabricating decoratively shaped writing instruments having a casing, said apparatus comprising:

• a platform having a first and second elongated slot,
• an interior mold insert attachable to and fixedly positionable relative to the platform, the mold insert having an interior shaping surface,
• a first and a second exterior mold assembly attachable to said platform and manually moveable by a user in the respective first and second elongated slots,
• a first and second exterior shaping surface coupled to the respective first and second said exterior mold assemblies,
• wherein the first and second exterior mold assemblies are manually movable relative to the interior mold insert to enable the first and second exterior shaping surfaces to engage a casing placed between the interior shaping surface and the first and second exterior shaping surfaces.