US3639069A

US3639069A - Combined pen or pencil and compartment

Info

Publication number: US3639069A
Application number: US3885A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph S Gordon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-19
Filing date: 1970-01-19
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

An attachment or container for use with a pen or pencil. The container comprises a housing disposed atop the pen and it actuates the pushbutton of said pen when the container is depressed. The container is also provided with a secret compartment for holding pills, coins, tokens, a perfume bottle, or the like.

Description

United States Paten Gordon 1 Feb. 1, 1972 [54] COMBINED PEN OR PENCIL AND 2,577,078 12/1951 Fried ..40l/243 X COMPARTMENT 2,865,533 12/1958 Taylor ADI/52 X [72] Inventor: Ralph S. Gordon, 24 W. 57th St., New FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Y k, NY. 10022 or 446,118 3/1968 Switzerland ..40l/l17 [22] Filed: Jan. 19, 1970 Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles [2] 1 Appl' 3885 Attorneywilliam T. Hough and Lafores't S. Saulsbury [52] [1.8. CI ..40l/l95, 401/99 [57] ABSTRACT An attachment or container for use with a pen or pencil. The 401/1 243 46/334 container comprises a housing disposed 310p the pen and it actuates the pushbutton of said pen when the container is depressed. The container is also provided with a secret com- [56] References cued partment for holding pills, coins, tokens, a perfume bottle, or

UNITED STATES PATENTS the like- 1,222,555 4/1917 McArthur ..401/243 X 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED rte H972 F/GJ RALPH S. GORDON COMBINED PEN OR PENCIL AND COMPARTMENT BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE INVENTION Combined pencils or pens and compartment cases are not new but heretofore such items which were primarily adopted for pocket use or personal wear were complexion design and required numerous elements and intricate parts. Some of the more simple devices, however, were for retaining extra lead, etc., but such structures invariably contained an inner compartment within the pencil housing for holding the spare leads. Other special designs provided compartments for pills or the like but such designs did not lend themselves to being adapted to the conventional pen or pencil which is mass marketed by the industry.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a pen compartment which may be fitted over the end of a conventional pencil or pen and which is capable of containing a plurality of pills or tokens, a perfume bottle, and like articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compartment housing which is readily fitted over and telescopingly associated with the upper portion of a conventional pen.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combined pen and compartment which is relatively simple in construction and one which can be readily manufactured economically.

SUMMARY According to the present invention, there is provided in combination with a writing pen having a pushbutton protruding from the top thereof, a container for holding small items comprising a housing having openings at both ends, one opening telescopingly fitted over the upper portion of said pen and having centrally disposed therein means for engaging said pushbutton, the other opening comprising a chamber or compartment for said items, and a cover cap for closing the top opening of said chamber or compartment whereby the pen is actuated by depressing said housing which, in turn, depresses said pushbutton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the combined pen and compartment;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGSv 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment of the invention wherein FIG. 3 shows the device in section and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the pen attachment;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a further embodiment of the invention wherein a flower design is employed; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, partly in elevational, taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a writing instrument 10, such as a pen. As shown therein, the pen 10 is of conventional construction and comprises a lower half 12, an upper half 14, a tip 16(ballpoint type as shown in FIG. 1).

Disposed about the upper portion 14 of the pen 10 is an attachment or container device 20 of the invention. As best shown in FIG. 2, the container 20 comprises, preferably a housing 22 having respectively therein lower and

upper bores

24 and 26. These bores are disposed or located at opposite ends of the housing 22. Suitably, the housing 22 is provided with a pocket clip 18.

The lower bore 24 is adapted to be telescopingly or slideably fitted over the upper portion 14. Within the base of the lower bore 24 is means for engaging 28 the pushbutton 30 of the pen 10. Such means 28 preferably comprises a small aperture having means, such as tits (not shown) adapted to snap-fit about the upper portion of the pushbutton 30. It is at this point which transmits the necessary force to depress the pushbutton so as to actuate the ballpoint pen. The housing 22 may also be secured to the pushbutton 30 by other suitable means, such as by an adhesion.

The upper bore 26 is suitably fitted with a cover cap 32. The 5 cover cap 32 may be of such a type which is threaded to the housing, snap-fitted to the housing and the like. A plurality of items 34 (8 shown), in this case pills, are illustrated as being stacked one on top of the other in the upper bore 26. In such a particular embodiment of the invention, it is preferable to employ indicia, such as numerical markings, along the outside periphery adjacent the top opening of the bore 26. Associated therewith is a marker 36 located on the cover cap 32. Such indicia may be designed so as to indicate the hour of the day in which the next pill should be taken or it can be arranged so that the number of items remaining in the bore is visible without having to open the cover cap and count the units remaining.

In the case of tokens, for example, the indicia may serve as the means for counting the remaining tokens. Of course, the housing 22 may suitably be provided with a window in the form of a slot (not show) so that one can visually observe the remaining items in the bore.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, another modification of the invention is shown. In these figures, there is illustrated a housing 38 having a lower bore 40, an upper bore 42, and a cover cap 44. The means for engaging the pushbutton 46 is shown at 48 and within the upper bore 42 a plurality of items 50 are arranged. FIG. 3 more clearly shows the arrangement whereby four items are disposed adjacent each other. The cover cap 44 is provided with a centrally disposed knob 52 which facilitates grasping the cover cap. Such a container as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may suitably hold a perfume bottle, coins, or any other small item.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, another housing 54 is illustrated. In this particular modification, the housing and associated cover cap 56 is in the form of a flower, such as a rose. The petals 58 are clearly illustrated along the sides of the housing 54 and also about the cover cap 56. The lower bore and means for engaging the pushbutton 60 are respectively shown at 62 and 64. The upper bore 66 is shown as holding or retaining a perfume bottle 68.

It should also be noted that the invention is also applicable to a housing having upper and lower bores analogous to the housing described hereinabove except. that within the upper bore is disposed a container having a cover cap (not shown). Such a container would simply reside within the upper bore by means of a frictional fit; hence, the upper bore need not neces sarily have a cover cap where a container is fitted within said bore and said container is provided with its own cover cap element.

While, in the foregoing specification, a detailed description of the invention has been set down for the purpose of explanation, many variations in the specific details herein given may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

I. In combination with a writing pen having a pusbutton protruding from the top thereof, a container for holding small items comprising a housing having bores at opposite ends, one bore being telescopingly fitted over the upper portion of said pen and having centrally disposed therein means for engaging said pushbutton, the other bore comprising a chamber or compartment for said items, and a cover cap for closing said chamber or compartment whereby said pushbutton of said pen is actuated by depressing said housing.

2. The combination according to claim I, wherein said housing is snap-fitted to said pushbutton.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said compartment is adapted to contain a plurality of disclike objects.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said housing is provided with numerical indicia along the outside periphery adjacent said other bore and said cover cap is provided with a reference mark.

s n A M 5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein the upper portion of said housing is in the form of a flower.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said flower is a rose, and said cover cap is provided with simulated roselike pedals.

7. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said cover cap is snap-fitted about said other bore.

8. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said cover cap is threadably secured to said housing about said other bore.

9. In combination with a writing pen having a pushbutton protruding from the top thereof, a housing having bores at opthln--