GB810719A - Improvements in retractable ball-point pens - Google Patents

Abstract

810,719. Reservoir pens. GASTELL, G. R. FABER-, [trading as FABER-CASTELL, A. W. [Firm of]]. Sept. 25, 1957 [Sept. 25, 1956], No. 30090/57. Class 146(3) In a retractable ballpoint pen the writing unit is mounted within a sleeve which is urged beyond the end of the tubular casing of the pen by a spring, and the ball-point is exposed for writing by pressing the sleeve inwardly of the casing. As shown, a sleeve 3 forming a guide for the writing unit 7 projects beyond the lower part 1 of the casing 1, 2, but can be depressed partially within the casing against the action of a spring 4. A tube 14 frictionally engaging the unit 7 is gripped by a tubular spring 15 the lower end of which is slotted at 16 and formed with lugs 17 which are curved outwardly to lie in a recess 19 of a fixed sleeve 20. A friction ring 21 has limited vertical movements within the sleeve 20. In the upper part 2 of the casing is a cap 30 carrying a pocket clip 31 and a packing 32 of resilient plastic or rubber. When the unit 7 is retracted, the upper end thereof is sealed from the atmosphere . by engagement with the packing 32, and ink leakage is prevented. A return spring 12 engages a flange on the tubular spring 15, and thus acts on the unit 7. When the writing unit 7 is pushed back inside the casing by pressing the ball-point 10 on a surface, the 'lugs 17 of the tubular spring 15 slide until they latch in an annular groove defined by the sleeve 20 and ring 21, and the unit 7 is thus held retracted. The sleeve 3, which is also depressed during this operation, returns to normal so that it projects beyond the ball-point 10. The point 10 is projected for writing by pressing the sleeve 3 on a surface so that the casing 1, 2 moves downwardly over the sleeve. The curved ends of the lugs 17 will then slip out of latching position in the sleeve 20 and, when pressure on the sleeve 3 ceases, the spring 12 causes a forward movement of the unit 7 with the tube 14 so that the point 10 comes into writing position. The device for latching the unit 7 in retracted position may be of known type comprising a ball co-operating with a shaped slot or cavity in a sleeve which is a tight fit on the tube 14. In a further modification, there is no latching device for the unit 7 which is fixed relatively to the casing 1, 2. Normally, the point 10 is within the spring-urged sleeve 3, and writing is accomplished by pressing the sleeve on the writing surface so that it is depressed sufficiently to allow the point 10 to be exposed.