US411173A - Combined pencil-sharpener and paper-weight - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

7 A. THUBBER. COMBINED PENCIL SHARPENER AND PAPER WEIGHT.

Patented Sept. 17; 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED THURBER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED PENClL-SHARPENER AND PAPER-WEIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,173, dated September 17, 1889.

Application filed anuary 3, 1889. Serial No, 295 ,341. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED THURBER, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Combined Pencil-Sharpener and Paper- WVeight; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a device which I call a combined pencil-sharpener and paperweight.

It consists of an exterior case of any suitable size and shape, open at the top and having slotted sides, and in connection therewith of a block fitted to close therein, and having a knob by which it may be handled for the purpose of a paper-weight, and trunnions sliding in the slotted sides of the case, so that it may be turned and reversed within the case to expose the pencil-sharpening mechanism, which consists of a knife and file fixed to a lever fulcrumed at one side of the block, so that the knife and file may be moved over a slot through which the point of the pencil projects and sharpen the pencil with a drawing cut.

'It also consists in the peculiar construction of the knife and in certain details of construction, all of which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective View showing my device as a paper-weight. Fig. 2 shows the block turned in its case ready to be used as a pencil-sharpener. Fig. 3 is a section on the dotted line a: .5c,-Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section of the cutting-blade.

A is a case made of any suitable shape and size, and has a block B fitting snugly into the top with a handle 0, so that when closed up the device may serve as apaper-weight. The block B has upon each side the projecting pins D, which pass through slots E in the sides of the bOXA. These pins are situated sufficiently near to one end of the block B, so that the latter may turn about them and be reversed, bringing the bottom or under side upward, and the pins are caused to slide alongt-he sides of the case A until they reach the depressions F at the ends of the slots, where they will drop in and be held so as to prevent the block from sliding forward or back.

The bottom of the block B is preferably shod with a smooth metal face, and upon one side of the block is fulcruined a lever G by means of a pin or screw H, which passes through one end and enters the block B. In practice I prefer to make the leverG with an angle bent upward at the fulcrum end, as shown in the drawings, and the knife or cutter 1 is secured to the lower side of the leverarm B by bolts or otherwise, with its edge approximately parallel with the side of the lever G. By reason of the fulcrum-pin H being upon the bent end of the lever, when the lever is moved about this pin, the edge of the knife will move with a drawing out. The knife is bent at the edge, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, so as to turn downward, and the under side of the blade is also slightly beveled, as shown in the drawings.

The lever-arm G is slightly thicker where it projects beyond the fulcrum-pin H, and it is also made a little thicker beyond the opposite end of the cutting-blade, so that when the fulcrum pin or screw H is screwed down closely it draws the edge of the blade down to within a short distance of the surface over which it is to move. A short file J is fixed in the end of the lever G opposite to the ful crum-pin H and beyond the end of the knife I, as shown.

A hole K is made in the end of the block B,

through the face of the block B in the form of an elongated slot, and when a pencil is introduced into the hole K the end will project through this elongated slot L, just beneath the lever G, and in such a relative position that when this lever is moved about its fulcrum the knife will pass over the end of the pencil, which projects through the slot, with a drawing out, thus shaving off the wood of the pencil so as to make a cone of any desired length, depending on the angular position of the hole K in the block. As the knife is drawn back after each cut, the pencil is turned slightly, so that each succeeding cut takes off a shaving, until the wood of the pencil has been shaved away into the form of a cone, the load projecting beyond the edge of the cone. By changing the angle of the hole K when it opens into the slot L it makes a support for the projecting lead and for the conical part of the wood when the knife passes over it.

By reason of the peculiar shape of the edge of the knife bent down, as above described, and having the slight bevel on the under surface, it acts, when drawn over the pencil, to cut the wood clean, as no portion of the knife except the edge comes in contact with the wood.

It is manifest that by continuing the draw ing cut of the knife the lead may also be pointed at the same time; but on account of the tendency of the lead to break, and for other reasons, I have found it preferable, after the wood has been properly shaped, to move the lever G a little farther in its are of a circle, which brings the file J in contact with the lead, and the latter may then be pointed as desired by moving the file back and forth over it. The two ends of the lever project slightly lower than the surface of the file and the edge of the knife, so that they will rest upon the surface through which the pencil projects, and when the fulcrumpin H is screwed into place it draws the lever down, so that its outer end rests and travels firmly in contact with the plate, whilethe file and the edge of the blade are just barely clear of the plate and only act upon the pencil when the latter'is'pushed through the opening, as above described. All the chips and dust of the pencil will fall into the box A, where they may remain until a convenient occasion for emptying them, and when the block B is again reversed, so that the knob is upward,

the device is closed up and serves its former purpose of paper-weight.

By reason of the peculiar bend and bevel of the edge of the knife no portion of the knife except the extreme edge touches the pencil, and it therefore makes a clean drawing cut when the lever is moved about its fulcrum and an even and symmetrical point to the pencil.

Then the block B is reversed, so as to expose the pencil-sharpening device for use, the

pins or trunnions are slipped forward in the slots E until they drop into the depressions or notches F, and they thus steady the block and prevent its moving while the pencil is being sharpened.

If desired, the pencil-sharpener may be attached to a permanently-inclined block either by itself or in connection with other fixtures of a writing-desk; but the closed case is preferable on account of cleanliness.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The exterior case and the reversible block fitting into the top of the case and provided with a pencil-sharpening knife or cutter upon its lower side, substantially as described.

2. A pencil-sharpening knife or cutter fixed to a block so as to reciprocate over a surface which is adapted to hold a pencil while being sharpened, in combination with avbox or case to which said block is connected so as to be reversed into the case, substantially as described. Y

3. The block having an inclined hole made in one end, terminating in a slot upon the face of the block through which the point of the pencil may protrude, and a knife or cutter swiveled orfulcrumed to the face of the block, so as to be reciprocated across the point of the pencil, in combination with a box or case having slots in the sides, and trunnion-pins passing through said slots and attached to the block, so that the latter may be closed into the box or reversed for use, substantially as described.

4. The block having an inclined hole made in one end and terminating in a slot upon one of the faces of the block, in combination with an arm or lever having one end fulcrumed to the block at one side of the slot, and a knife or cutter and a file fixed to the lower side of the lever so as to pass over the slot through which the pencil protrudes with a drawing out when the lever is moved, substantially as described.

5. The lever having the cutter and file fixed to its lower surface, having each of its ends projecting so as to rest upon the surface of the block over which the lever moves and prevent the knife or file from touching said sur face, and having a fulcrum pin passing through the lever at a point between the projecting ends, substantially as described.

6. The knife or cutter fixed to the swinging lever, having its edge bent or inclined toward the surface to which the lever is fulcrumed, and having the lower edge beveled, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

7. The block having the inclined hole made in one end and terminating in an elongated slot upon its face, through which the point of the pencil may be protruded, in combination with a leverfulcrumed at one side and slightly behind the slot, and having a knife and file section fixed to its lower surface, so that the wood and lead of the pencil may be cut away, respectively, by the knife and file making a drawing out over the point, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALFRED THURBER.

WVitnesses:

S. H. Nounsn, H. 0. LEE.

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