Coating implements with material supply – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-21
2001-09-18
Eloshway, Charles R. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
Combined
C401S117000, C101S333000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290419
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a writing instrument with a housing for receiving, in a housing section positioned opposite a writing utensil, a stamping device with an ink pad and a stamp plate which is supported by a stamp bracket slidable relative to the housing section, for rotation about a transverse axis between an operating position pivoted transversely outwardly relative to the stamp bracket and an idle position pivoted inwardly against the stamp bracket in which the stamp plate engages the ink pad.
2. The Prior Art
In order to combine a stamping device with a ball point pen to form a structural unit, it is known (U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,665) to insert a stamp bracket into the housing of the ball point pen, the stamp bracket supporting a stamp plate on the one hand and an ink pad on the other. Whereas the stamp plate is mounted at its longitudinal center for rotation about a transverse axis on the stamp bracket and is pivotable from an idle position in which it engages the stamp bracket to an operating position extending transversely of the housing, the ink pad is linked to one end of the stamp bracket set back by half the length of the stamp plate relative to the stamp plate connection, so that the ink pad, when the stamp plate is pivoted inwardly to its idle position against the stamp bracket, may be pivoted inwardly from its spread out position against the stamp plate in order to ink the image face of the stamp plate for the next stamping operation. In this position, the stamp device may be secured by a cap-like housing section pushed over it and which must be pulled off for using the stamping device. As this cap-like housing section is pulled off the ink pad is spread away from the stamp bracket by an appropriate spring force and the stamp plate is thus released which may then pivot into its operating position under the force of gravity. A major disadvantage of this known writing instrument is that the ink pad, which must be spread outwardly to release the stamp plate, interferes with the working of the stamping device, and that soiling is likely to result if the ink pad is touched while the stamping device is being used.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is the task of the invention structurally to design a writing instrument of the kind referred to supra such that its operation is simplified while reducing the possibility of soiling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, the task is accomplished by the stamp bracket in the housing section and the ink pad in a housing insert being mounted for sliding movement limited by an abutment, and independent of each other, in the direction of the axis of the housing and by the housing insert being transversely displaceable of the ink pad in the housing section and liftable from the stamp bracket against the force of a spring.
These measures result in the ink pad being associated with a housing insert separate from the stamp bracket, and the stamp bracket can thus be mounted for sliding axial movement in a housing section integral with the housing so that it may be pushed along guides sufficiently far out of the housing section to allow the stamp plate which is pivotally mounted on the stamp bracket to pivot from its idle position in engagement with the stamp bracket into its operating position. During a stamping operation the ink pad stays within the housing section so that operating the stamping device is not adversely affected by an outwardly spread ink pad. For moving the stamp plate when pivoted against the stamp bracket without interference by the ink pad when the stamp bracket is sliding along the housing section and for pressing the ink pad against the stamp plate for inking is image face, the housing insert receiving the ink pad may be displaced in the housing section transversely of the ink pad and may be lifted off the stamp bracket against the force of a spring. When the housing insert and the ink pad are lifted off the stamp bracket against the spring force, the stamp bracket is rendered freely slideable relative to the housing insert and may be displaced from its inserted idle position to its extended operating position. Advantageously, this takes place under its own weight. In its inserted idle position the ink pad is pressed against the stamp plate by the bias of the spring of the housing insert in which it is received. This advantageously facilitates inking of the image face. While there is no need for a stamping operation axially to displace the ink pad relative to the housing insert, the ink pad is nevertheless mounted for axial movement in the housing insert so that stamp ink may be fed to the ink pad. To this end, the ink pad need only be withdrawn through the front end of the housing section along the slide guide in the housing insert. As the stamp bracket then stays within the housing section, the withdrawn ink pad is freely accessible for refilling of stamp ink.
The stamp bracket may be axially latched in its inserted idle position, as well as in its extended operating position, relative to the housing section in which it is supported. Latching may be accomplished simply by an appropriate latching abutment or catch formed in the housing insert. Due to the lateral displacement of the housing insert and its spring bias, the housing insert fulfills all requirements for such a catch. The stamp bracket need merely form a corresponding counter catch which is released by the latching abutment as the housing insert is lifted off the stamp bracket, so that the stamp bracket may be displaced in the housing section along its slide guide. In the terminal positions of the stamp bracket as defined by the abutments, the latching abutment of the housing insert, acting under the bias of the spring, moves behind the counter abutment of the stamp bracket. For displacing the housing insert to unlatch the stamp bracket, the housing insert may be manually moved against the spring bias by an actuator extending through an opening in the housing.
While the stamp plate is longitudinally slideable within the housing section when it is pivoted against the stamp bracket, it will be structurally arrested, when in its outwardly pivoted position, relative to the stamp bracket which is also slidably mounted within the housing section. This facilitates the inking of the image face mounted on the stamp plate when the ink pad is pressed against the stamp support.
In order to be able not only to feed stamp ink to the ink pad but also to replace the ink pad, as required, the ink pad may be removably inserted into the slide guide of the housing insert which, due to the existing slide guide of the ink pad in the housing section, requires no additional structural means.
REFERENCES:
patent: 300440 (1884-06-01), Blitz
patent: 317853 (1885-05-01), Richford
patent: 334008 (1886-01-01), Emerson
patent: 396233 (1889-01-01), Reynolds
patent: 1085143 (1914-01-01), Malsch
patent: 2627227 (1953-02-01), Claggett et al.
patent: 4606665 (1986-08-01), Schleif et al.
patent: 5118212 (1992-06-01), Shao
patent: 6120204 (2000-09-01), Rigoni
patent: 2827542 (1980-01-01), None
patent: 8700113 U (1988-05-01), None
patent: 2519584 (1983-07-01), None
patent: 2672246 (1992-08-01), None
Eloshway Charles R.
Hormann Karl
Trodat GmbH
LandOfFree
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