Abstract: Marker apparatus including a body portion, a marking portion, a retainer portion and a sharpening portion; the body portion including an elongated tubular member, the tubular member including a substantially straight passage therethrough; the marking portion including a substantially straight marking stick formed of soft material, the marking stick having a substantially circular cross section; the retainer portion including mechanism for exerting transverse pressure on the marking stick, the pressure exerting mechanism being disposed adjacent one end of the body portion; the sharpening portion including a clip member disposed on the body portion adjacent the end thereof remote from the end adjacent the retainer portion, the clip member including an arcuate section having substantially the same configuration as a portion of the cross section of the tubular member, flange sections extending inwardly from adjacent the ends of the arcuate section, the flange sections extending through slots in the sidewall of th

Abstract: A writing instrument is disclosed that includes an operating mechanism for propelling and retracting the writing point of the instrument through the use of depressible pads that are located in the barrel of the instrument adjacent to the lower end thereof for convenient access to the forefinger and thumb of the user of the instrument.

Abstract: A mechanical pencil in which the lead is advanced by squeezing a cylindrical depression member provided at the position of the writer's fingers during normal writing operations. The pencil includes a hollow body with front and rear axial sleeves. A chuck is disposed within the pencil body which has a resiliency which urges the chuck to open outwardly at the front end thereof. A slider including a lead holding member for lightly holding the lead is slidably positioned at the tip of the front axial sleeve. Means is provided for transmitting movement from the depression member, which is formed of a resilient material flush with the cylindrical surface of the pencil body, for transmitting movement from the depression member to the chuck. A lead casing means is disposed in the rear axial sleeve which in some embodiments has the dual function of transmitting movement from a push button provided at the rear of the pencil to the chuck for advancing the lead in a conventional manner.

Abstract: Mechanical pencil construction wherein the operational movements to advance the lead are accomplished by providing one or more elastically deformable ribs or spring biased cam members that extend outwardly through axial slots in the pencil body in the normal finger gripping area. The radially inward depression of such ribs or cam members by the writer's fingers is converted to axial motion within the pencil, to thereby effect the necessary lead gripping and advancing operations.

Abstract: A mechanical pencil of the type in which a lead is gripped in a collet clamped about the lead by engagement between cooperating conical faces of a clamping ring and respective movable ends of two elongated collet members which form the collet and pass through the ring. The collet members are connected together at their other ends. The pencil is readily disassembled and assembled because the movable ends, when in the clamping position, are shaped to interfit with the bore of the ring, so as to permit passage of the collet through the ring in one angular position of the collet relative to the ring while preventing such passage except for limited axial movement in another angular position. Cooperating guide elements on the collet and ring hold the collet in the another angular position. A tubular closure member is releasably fastened to the barrel, and in the another position the collet can be axially displaced relative to the ring when the closure member is released.

Abstract: In a push-out type pencil, the lead thereof is extensible by longitudinally sliding the front portion of the pencil relative to the middle portion of the same, said sliding operation being effected in the writing position of hand by retracting said front portion between the extremities of the index and middle fingers to said middle portion clipped fast between the bases of the thumb and index finger adjacent to the web of hand and held stationary against the retracting movement of said front portion.