US2207296A - Refillable typewriter eraser - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1940. A. D. LEE 2,207,296

REFILLABLE TYPEWRITER ERASER Filed March 11, 1940 ALBEET 0. LEE,

Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to refillable typewriter erasers, and its objects are to substitute for the usual movable rubber disc in such erasers, a form of eraser which is firmly held in its holder against movement while it is being used; to provide a better means for holding and feeding the unused portion of the rubber as it is being worn down; readily to adjust and to lock the rubber in various positions within its holder; to guard the unused portions of the rubber from becoming smeared or soiled so as to impair its use; to accomplish the ready and practicable assembly of the rubber and parts of its holder, and the taking apart of the same for replacement of the rubber after becoming worn down, and in general to simplify and render more effective the operation of the several parts.

An important characteristic of my invention is the narrow shafted eraser stick and holder which each is made so slender and elongated as to render 'it possible for ready insertion within a fraction of the space required for the effective operation of the ordinary disc typewriter eraser. By bevelling the end of the eraser stick and by mounting thereon a resilient catch, specially designed for the purpose, I am enabled to install the said stick within its holder with a minimum of time and effort, and at the same time to dispense with the cumbrous bracelet catches'which have been considered necessary in this connection, and to employ means of attachment much more economical and eifective than those heretofore used. In my improved construction. it has been my endeavor also to form the stick of such thinness asto make it feasible solely to erase at one time a single letter or numeral of the imprinted character without disturbing the adjacent matter. While for such purpose, my eraser stick is of the material required for ink erasures, the construction of my invention is such that such stick may readily be removed and a pencil eraser substituted should an eraser of this character be desired. An important feature of my invention of interest to stenographers is that my improved form of construction, being long, narrow and of little thickness, will be of great advantage when erasing mistakes in carbon copies while still in the typewriter, as for example, when a mistake is to be found at the bottom of a page where it is next to impossible in using the usual form of circular disc to prevent rolling the copies so far forward as to force the same out of alignment when returned to typing position. In such case, however, in using my improved device such amount of rolling would not be required, the form of such device being such as to permit its ready insertion for correction of the error without material movement of the copies or disturbing their relative position.

Attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred form of my invention, in which similar numerals of designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of said preferred form, showing all of the parts assembled and in operative position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 2, showing the bevelled end of the rubber .stick and adjacent parts; the resilient catch being shown in normal raised position and in engagement with a pair of stops;

Figure 4 is a somewhat similar view to that illustrated in Figure 3, the bevelled end of the rubber stick being shown depressed to permit the catch to be thrown out of engagement with the stops;

Figure 5 is a lateral section on line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 6 is a side view of the bevelled end of the eraser stick in the act of being inserted within the hollow shank of the holder.

Referring to the drawing. I preferably construct the shank 8 of the holder in the form of an elongated sheath composed of metal, plastic or other suitable material, which sheath is preferably rectangular in cross section, but may be round, square, polygonal, or any desired configuration. Within one end of such shank I provide the socket 9, in which is installed the back III of the brush H, a rivet 12, passing through the opening 13 in the Wall of said socket and through the opening I4 in said back, serving to secure said brush to said shank. Cut through one side of said shank 8, and extending longitudinally thereof is the slot I5, which preferably is of substantial length and is located about the center of the face of the holder, and is provided with the indentations or rectangular shaped openings or stops l6. Encased by the shank 8, and conforming to the bore thereof while being readily slidable therein, is the eraser stick H, which is preferably of rubber but which may be of any elastic or resilient material capable of performing eraser service. Preferaby the end of the shank or holder 8 forming the mouth thereof is constructed with pointed lips l8; the end l9 of the stick I! protruding therefrom being pointed accordingly or becoming such when used by reason of the contour of said lips, which permit and encourage I the top thereof, to form a wedged shaped prow. Firmly afllxed to said bevelled shaped end, is the metallic clip 22 provided with the upwardly extending catch 23 shaped to engage with pairs of the oppositely disposed indentations or stops l5, and to be disengaged therefrom by downward pressure upon the resilient finger-hold 24 of said catch. In order to insure the proper affixation of said clip 22 to the inner end of the stick H, I prefer to extend the lower part 21 of said clip completely through the mass of said stick and to clinch the same upon the opposite side thereof (see Figure 3), preferably taking care to avoid penetrating any of the material constituting the bevelled portion 25.

The advantages of such bevelled portions as combine with said catch, will become apparent upon inspection of Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6. As will be observed in Figure 6, the stick I! may be inclined so as readily to permit the insertion of the inner end of the stick between the lips l8 and into the mouth of the shank 8; the face of the bevelled portion 25 engaging with the lower inner wall of said shank and allowing the fingerhold 24 of the catch 22 to clear the upper inner wall of said shank. Such engagement having been effected, a slight further thrust is all that is required to cause the catch to engage with the slot l5 and upon proceeding further to engage with the first pair of stops l6, or by constantly depressing the said catch by downward pressure upon said finger hold 24, to advance the stick until completely installed and engagement made by the catch with the last pair of stops. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the bevelling 25 readily permits the inner end of the stick to afford a yielding contact of the catch with all parts of the adjacent shank it may touch, whether it be the wall of the bore of the shank or the slot IE or stops i6. At the same time, upon pressure upon'the finger-hold 24 being released, the clasticity of the stick and the resiliency of the catch is such that contact with a pair of stops once being effective, the parts will remain in operative position until manual readjustment is made.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments, as above set forth and described, are therefore to be considered as illustrative and as not restrictive, the scope of my invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refillable eraser, the combination of a holder having ahollow shank, a slot in said shank provided with stops, an eraser stick shaped to engage with the bore of said shank and to slide therein and'having one end protruding therefrom, the enclosed end of said eraser stick being reduced in size and being yieldably free within said bore to move away from said slot, and a catch mounted upon said reduced end and constructed to move therewith and to facilitate the ready insertion of said stick within the bore of said shank and to make releasable contact with said stops.

2. In a refillable eraser, the combination of a holder having a hollow shank, said shank having a slot therein provided with stops, an eraser stick shaped to engage with the bore of said shank and to slide therein and having one end protruding therefrom, the enclosed end of said eraser stick being bevelled to form a wedge-shaped prow in proximity with said slot, said prow being yieldingly free within said bore to move away from said slot, and a resilient catch mounted upon said bevelled end, and constructed to move therewith and to make releasable contact with said stops.

3. In a refillable eraser, the combination of a holder with an elongated hollow shank, said shank having an elongated slot and the edge of said shank adjacent thereto being provided with indentations forming stops, an elongated shaped eraser slidably engaging with the bore of said shank and having a bevelled inner end, said end being yieldingly free within said bore to move away from said slot, a catch mounted upon said eraser in connection with said bevelled end, located adjacent to said slot and constructed to cooperate with said end to move therewith and to make contact with said stops.

4. In a refillable typewriter eraser, the combination of a holder with an elongated rectangular hollow shank, said shank having an elongated slot and the edges of said shank forming said slot being provided with pairs of oppositely opposed indentations forming stops, an elongated rectangularly shaped eraser slidably engaging with the bore ofsaid shank and having a bevelled inner end, said end being yieldingly free within said bore to move away from said slot, a catch mounted upon said eraser in connection with said bevelled end, said catch being located adjacent to said slot and constructed to cooperate with said end to move therewith and to make contact with one of the pairs of said stops.

5. In a refillable typewriter eraser, the combination of a holder with an elongated rectangular hollow shank, said shank having an elongated slot the edges of which in said shank are provided with pairs of oppositely opposed indentations forming stops, an elongated eraser shaped to slidably engage with the bore of said shank and to protrude from the mouth thereof, and having a uniformly bevelled inner end which is yieldingly free within said bore to move away from said slot, a catch permanently mounted upon said eraser in connection with said bevelled end, said catch being located adjacent to said slot and constructed to co-operate with said end and to move therewith and to make contact with one of the pairs of said stops.

6. In a refillable eraser, the combination of a holder with a hollow shank, said shank being provided on one side thereof with stops, an eraser stick shaped to engage with the bore of said shank and to slide therein and to have one end protruding therefrom, the enclosed end of said eraser stick being flat on the side adjacent to said ALBERT 1). LEE.

Images