US1032401A - Pen or pencil holder. - Google Patents

Description

U. P. HAGBR.

PEN 0R PENCIL HOLDER. APPLICATION P'ILED 001'. 27, 1910.

1,032,401, Patented July 16, 1912.

I/vrE/v-ron.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH (IO-,WASNINUTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PEN 0R PENCIL HOLDER.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES F. HAGER, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pen or Pencil Holders, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in pen or pencil holders adapted to be worn upon the forefinger to maintain the pen or pencil in hand ready for use when needed.

It is well known that after prolonged or continued writing, as for example, copying testimony in court work, reporting lectures and similar occupations, the muscles or cords controlling the operation of the index finger and thumb between which the pencil is usually gripped, become cramped rigid or numb to such an extent as to preclude further operation without relaxation. These conditions may be obviated to a considerable degree by frequently changing the positions of the finger and thumb upon or along the pen or pencil or rather by working the pen or pencil back and forth between the thumb and still keeping the same firmly in hand. When the strain is excessive or beyond further endurance, it is customary to lay the pen or pencil down to afford free relaxation of the hand and fingers at least momentarily and in many instances it is inconvenient to do this owing to the rapidity with which it is necessary to act in obtaining a complete and connected copy of dictation and therefore many devices have been conceived for temporarily holding the pen or pencil in position for use while the muscles are permitted to relax. In all of these devices,however, with which I am familiar, the pen or pencil is held more or less rigidly to the finger thereby retarding or preventing the desired relaxation of the muscles.

The main object of my invention is to provide a holder which will allow a wide range of movement of the finger and pencil relatively to each other so that the joints of the finger may be readily flexed and the pencil moved back and forth as easily and quickly as though no holder were present and at the same time affording means for holding the pen or pencil in position to be firmly gripped between the fingers when necessary. In other words, I have sought to provide a holder in which the finger and pencil clamps are flexibly connected in such manner that Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 27, 1910.

Patented July 16, 1912. Serial No. 589,378.

either may be moved in any direction relatively to the other without liability of disconnecting them, thus permitting a free nat ural flexing movement of the fingers for relaxing the muscles and still keeping the pencil in position to be readily gripped between the finger and thumb when necessary.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawingsFigure -1- is a perspective view of one form of my improved pen or pencil holder in operative position upon a hand. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a perspective view and a front elevation, partly in section, of the same holder. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of holder. Fig. 5 is a front elevation partly in section of a still further modified form of holder.

The holder shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a resilient split finger ring 1 and a similar resilient but somewhat smaller pencil receiving ring -2- which is flexibly connected by a spring -3 to the finger ring -1. The spring -3 is provided with a coil -4 having one end swivel connected to the pencil ring -2- and its other end offset laterally forming an arm -5 which is slidable in an apertured swivel head -6 011 the finger ring 1-. 5- is provided with limiting stops -7 and -T8 spaced some distance apart at opposite sides of the swivel head -6 for limiting the endwise sliding movement of the bar -5 and at the same time permitting a limited relative movement of the rings 1 and 2- toward and from each other. The head -6- which is swivel connected to the finger ring --1 also permits a free rotary movement of the rings 1 and -2 relatively to each other, that is, the finger ring -1- is free to revolve on the head -6- while the pencil ring -2- is free to revolve on the adjacent end of the coil spring -4 and together with said spring and arm 5- is free to swing laterally relatively to the finger ring. The spring -3- is made of comparatively thin wire and while it serves to support the pencil ring 2- from the finger ring lit is easily flexible vertically, laterally and rotarily in all directions to allow a free shifting movement of the pencil between the fingers or a free movement of the fingers relatively to the pencil so that the operator may readily change the position of the fingers or relax The arm the muscles entirely free from the pencil Without liability of the latter becoming displaced from operative position ready to be regripped between the fingers when neces-' sary, the spring coil -4. being sufiicient to support the weight of the pencil. The

ring -1- is split or divided at 9 through one side to allow the ring to be ad justed to varying sizes of fingers and at the same time is sufiiciently resilient to frictionally retain itself upon the fore-finger and still be able to turn thereon. This form of ring is preferable because it is free from projections and conforms more readily to the contour of the finger and it may be used with the split side either at the inside or the outside of the finger. In like manner the pencil ring 2 is split or divided at 10- preferably through the lower side to allow it to be adjusted to varying sizes of pen holders or pencils and to frictionally retain such pen holder or pencil against ac cidental displacement and yet permitting it to be readily moved by the fingers endwise therein when desired.

In Fig. -4 is shown a split finger ring -11 divided preferably through its lower side and having its meeting edges lapping one upon the other, one end being formed with a slot -12 and the other end with a tongue 13 passed through the slot and adapted to be engaged by hand to permit the ring to be readily opened when it is desired to move it from the finger, said ring being tensioned to frictionally retain itself in place. Associated with the ring 11- is a split pencil ring 2 similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that it is rigidly connected to one end of a coiled spring 1% having its opposite end similarly connected by soldering or otherwise to the finger ring 11. The coil l4 is also made of fine spring wire and the helices are normally spaced apart so as to afford flexing endwise action in either direction as well as permitting relative movement of the rings 11 and 2 in any direction and is the full equivalent of the spring connection shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in that it permits a. free relative movement of the pencil and fingers in all directions and still serves to hold the pen or pencil in position for use.

The construction shown in Fig. 5 is somewhat similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that the coiled spring 4: is made separately and pivotally attached at one end to a laterally projecting bar 5 said bar having a reduced portion which is guided in the swivel head -6, the bar -5 having stop shoulders 7 and -8- for the same'purpose as the stops 'I and 8 previously described.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner offatents,

In operation the finger ring is slipped upon the finger and held in place by its own tension and the pencil ring is then adjusted between the finger and thumb, after which the .pen or pencil may be inserted therein and frictionally held in place by the spring tension of the ring. It is now evident that the pencil may be rocked by the fingers in any direction or may be entirely released from the grip of the fingers at any time to relax the muscles and cords and permit as much freedom of movement of the fingers as though the pencil were not present and at the same time such pencil is also in position ready for use when necessary.

What I claim is:

1. A pen or pencil holder comprising a finger clamp, a pencil clamp, and connections including a coiled spring between said clamps and compressible and extensible in the direction of its axis.

2. A pen or pencil holder comprising a finger clamp, a pencil clamp, and flexible connections between said clamps including a coiled spring extensible and compressible in the direction of its axis.

3. A pen or pencil holder comprising a finger clamp, a pencil clamp, and extensible connections between said clamps including a coiled spring extensible and compressible in the direction of its axis.

43A pen or pencil holder comprising a finger clamp, an apertured member on said finger clamp, an arm slidable in the aperture of said member, a pencil clamp, and flexible connections between said arm and pencil clamp.

, 5. A pen or pencil'holder comprising a finger clamp, an arm mounted upon and ad justable relatively to the finger clamp, a coiled spring suspended from said arm, and a flexible clamp suspended by the spring.

6. A pen or pencil holder comprising a finger clamp, a swivel head on the clamp, an arm mounted upon and adjustable endwise relatively to the head, a coiled spring suspended from the arm, and a flexible clamp suspended by the coiled spring.

7. A pen or pencil holder comprising a spring ring divided through one side, a swivel head on the ring provided with an aperture, an arm slidable endwise in said aperture and provided with a stop shoulder at one end, a coiledspring supported by the opposite end of the arm, and a flexible clamp attached to the spring.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES F. HAGER.

Witnesses H. E. CHAsE, E. F. SPEARING.

Washington, D. C.

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