GB2277905A

GB2277905A - Sleeve for chalk

Info

Publication number: GB2277905A
Application number: GB9409355A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Joseph Grogan
Original assignee: GROGAN JOHN J
Current assignee: GROGAN JOHN J
Priority date: 1993-05-11
Filing date: 1994-05-11
Publication date: 1994-11-16
Anticipated expiration: 2014-05-11
Also published as: GB9409355D0; IES60700B2; IES940022A2; GB2277905B

Abstract

A slot 5 is provided in the wall of the resilient sleeve 1 so that the sleeve may be opened to accommodate the stick. A stick urging plug 10 has a tab 27 to allow the stick to be moved within the sleeve 1. The tab stem (29, Fig. 2a) is engageable in one of a plurality of stops 12 provided along one side of the slot. <IMAGE>

Description

AN IMPROVED SLEEVE-SHAPED HOLDER The present invention relates to holders for chalk and more particularly to a holder for a stick of chalk as used by school teachers and college lecturers.

The term "chalk" is used in this specification but it should be clearly understood that the holder is not limited to use with chalk but may also be used to hold a crayon, pastel or any other writing, drawing or colouring stick.

A well known disadvantage of using chalk is the amount of dust generated by its use. This dust tends to penetrate machinery, clothes and the respiratory system. Although most of the dust created is generated by use, a significant amount of dust is created by handling chalk.

When handled, chalk dust sticks to the hands of the user and is easily transferred to books, pieces of equipment and clothes. Chalk dust has long been associated with an increased rate of deterioration of clothing.

A known solution to the disadvantages of handling chalk sticks is to provide each teacher with at least one "clutch pencil" type holder. These holders are relatively complex, bulky and expensive. This provides certain disadvantages.

Due to the relative complexity of a clutch type holder it includes a number of intricate parts which makes it expensive. The average school or college is unlikely to supply more than one of these holders to each teacher/lecturer. Many teachers/lecturers use more than one colour chalk and will require more than one holder.

These holders are bulky when compared with a chalk stick and add significantly to the weight carried by the user.

Additionally, as these holders are expensive and intricate they are ready targets for theft.

It is an object of the present invention to seek to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide an improved chalk stick holder which is lightweight and inexpensive.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a holder for a stick of chalk or other writing, drawing or colouring substance, the holder comprising a sleeve having along a portion of its length an internal diameter marginally smaller than the outer diameter of a stick to be held, the sleeve having a first end through which an end of a stick of chalk may protrude for use and a second end remote from the first end, the sleeve having a slot along its longitudinal axis which is open at the first end of the sleeve and extends towards the second end to enable the diameter of the tube to be enlarged to allow the insertion of a stick of chalk into the holder through the first end with the sleeve having a biasing resilience to hold the stick in the holder.

Preferably, a stick urging device is provided within the sleeve, the device having an element which is movable by a user towards the first end of the sleeve.

Conveniently, the element of the urging device comprises a plug engageable with an end of the stick at or towards the second end of the sleeve, the urging device including a tab extending from the plug through the slot in the sleeve so as to allow a user to move the plug.

The second end of the sleeve is open to allow a user exert pressure on the plug with an elongate object.

Advantageously, the tab is engageable in one of a plurality of stops provided along at least one side of the slot.

Preferably, the slot is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

In a preferred embodiment the sleeve has three regions of different internal diameter, the first region at the first end of the sleeve being that portion with an internal diameter marginally smaller than the outer diameter of the stick to be held, the third region having an internal diameter marginally larger than the outer diameter of the stick and the second region comprising a tapered portion between the first and third regions.

Conveniently,, the biasing resilience of the sleeve acts through the first region to hold the stick.

The tapered portion of the second region includes one or more ridges on its inner surface so as to retain the stick urging device in the third region.

A resilient clip is provided at the second end of the sleeve for retaining the holder in a user's pocket.

The holder is preferably made from a polymeric material such as a polypropylene or nylon.

The invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example qnly, one embodiment of holder according to the invention. In the drawings: Figures 1a and 1b are a front elevation and a top plan view of the holder, respectively; Figures 2a and 2b are a plan view and a side elevation of a stick urging device; and Figures 3a and 3b are a plan view and a sectional side elevation of a cap for the holder.

Referring to Figures la and 1b, chalk holder 1 comprises a sleeve having three regions R1,R2,R3 of increasing internal diameter. The first region R1 has an internal diameter which is marginally smaller than the external diameter of a stick of chalk (not shown) to be held and retains the chalk in place. The second region R2 comprises a tapering portion between the first and third regions R1,R3 and the third region R3 has an internal diameter which is marginally greater than the external diameter of the stick of chalk.

A stick of chalk is held in movable engagement with the holder 1 which has a longitudinal slot 5 therein. The slot 5 allows the sleeve to be opened against a biasing force provided by the resilience of the sleeve material. The holder 1 is molded or extruded from a plastics material or a polymeric material such as polypropylene or nylon. A pocket clip 7 is fixed to the upper end of the holder at a collar 9 where the longitudinal slot 5 terminates. A stick urging portion which comprises a plug 10 shown in more detail hereinafter is provided within the sleeve, and a number of stops 12 are included in the construction of the longitudinal slot 5 to retain the plug and consequently a stick of chalk in position in use.

Ridges 15 are provided along the internal wall of the second region R2. The ridges 15 prevent the advancement of the plug 10 into the first region R1. The ridges 15 are shown more clearly in Figure Ib in which the plug 10 is removed for clarity. Two beads 17 of material, one each side of the longitudinal slot 5, are provided at the lowermost end of the first region R1 of the sleeve and are adapted to engage a cap 20.

The plug 10, as shown in Figures 2a and 2b, is slidingly retained within the third region R3 and is engageable in one of the stops 12. The plug 10 comprises a substantially cylindrical body 22 having an outer diameter approximately equal to that of the inner diameter of the third region R3 of the sleeve. A number of longitudinal grooves 23 are cut or formed along the body 22 so that frictional forces between the body 22 and the sleeve are not excessive and so that chalk dust does not accumulate. A safety breathing hole 25 is formed through the cylindrical body 22 so that if the plug 10 is swallowed choking does not occur. The plug 10 also comprises a tab 27 which is held apart from the cylindrical body 22 by a support 29 which is adapted to slide along the longitudinal slot 5 in the sleeve and also to engage the stops 12.

The cap 20 which is shown in Figures 3a and 3b is adapted to engage the first end of a holder over the first and second regions R1,R2 and has an internal rim 32 which is adapted to engage the beads 17 on the sleeve. A breathing hole 35 is also provided in the lid 20 to prevent choking if swallowed.

A stick of chalk is inserted into the holder by easing apart the edges of the slot 5 so that the diameter of the first region R1 is slightly increased. The plug 10 is retained against the collar 9 as shown in Figure 1a and the chalk is slid into place. The cap 20 is placed over the first or writing end of the holder for storage or for carrying in a pocket. In use, the cap 20 is removed and the chalk is forced forward by a thumb or finger action on the tab 27 of the plug 10. Once a sufficient length of chalk protrudes from the end of the first region R1, the tab 27 is rotated with respect to the holder so that the support 29 of the plug 10 engages a first stop 12. As the chalk is used the amount of chalk protruding from the holder decreases until a further amount is required. The user then urges the tab 27 forward again and engages the support 29 in a second stop. The stops 12 prevent the chalk withdrawing into the holder when in use.

The holder is easily manufactured by conventional moulding techniques and provides a relatively inexpensive chalk holder. It is envisaged that the holders will be supplied with boxes of chalk sticks and that a teacher or lecturer may have one holder for each colour of chalk to be used.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A holder for a stick of chalk or other writing, drawing or colouring substance, the holder comprising a sleeve having along a portion of its length an internal diameter marginally smaller than the outer diameter of a stick to be held, the sleeve having a first end through which an end of a stick of chalk may protrude for use and a second end remote from the first end, the sleeve having a slot along its longitudinal axis which is open at the first end of the sleeve and extends towards the second end to enable the diameter of the tube to be enlarged to allow the insertion of a stick of chalk into the holder through the first end and the sleeve having a biasing resilience to hold the stick in the holder.

2. A holder according to claim 1 in which a stick urging device is provided within the sleeve, the device having an element which is movable by a user towards the first end of the sleeve.

3. A holder according to claim 2, in which the element of the urging device comprises a plug engageable with an end of the stick at or towards the second end of the sleeve, the urging device including a tab extending from the plug through the slot in the sleeve so as to allow a user to move the plug.

4. A holder according to claim 3, in which the second end of the sleeve is open to allow a user exert pressure on the plug with an elongate object.

5. A holder according to claim 3 or 4, in which the tab is engageable in one of a plurality of stops provided along at least one side of the slot.

6. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims in which the slot is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve.

7. A holder according to any one of claims'2 to 6, in which the sleeve has three regions of different internal diameter, the first region at the first end of the sleeve being that portion with an internal diameter marginally smaller than the outer diameter of the stick to be held, the third region having an internal diameter marginally larger than the outer diameter of the stick and the second region comprising a tapered portion between the first and third regions.

8. A holder according to claim 7, in which the biasing resilience of the sleeve acts through the first region to hold the stick.

9. A holder according to either claim 7 or claim 8, in which the tapered portion of the second region includes one or more ridges on its inner surface so as to retain the stick urging device in the third region.

10. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims in which a resilient clip is provided at the second end of the sleeve for retaining the holder in a pocket.

11. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims made from a polymeric material such as a polypropylene or nylon.

12. A holder substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.