Tubular Nib Writing Implement With An Interchangeable Nib

Abstract

A tubular nib writing implement has a head piece, whose lower end is adapted for the screwing in of a nib provided with a collar with a nut profile and the upper end of the head piece can be inserted with its upper end, which serves for receiving an ink cartridge, into a holding shank. The shank is provided with a spanner recess corresponding to the nut profile of the nib. The spanner recess lies in the substantially cylindrical side wall of the holder shank.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field to Which Invention Relates

The invention relates to tubular nib writing implements, and more particularly with a head piece, whose lower end is adapted for the screwing in of a nib provided with a collar with a nut profile and the upper end of the head piece can be inserted with its upper end, which serves for receiving a ink cartridge, into a holding shank, more particularly by screw means, and the shank is provided with a spanner recess corresponding to the nut profile of the nib.

2. The Prior Art

In the case of such previously proposed tubular nib writing elements with an interchangeable nib, which make it possible to vary the line thickness in the case of writing or drawing by the use of a writing nib with a different tube diameter, on the nut profile, for example provided with flats, a suitably shaped spanner is provided of small size in order to be able to screw in and unscrew the writing nib from the head piece. This prior art arrangement with a separate actuating spanner, however, offers the disadvantage that frequently the actuating spanner constituting a separate part is mislaid or lost so that when the user intends to change the nib the spanner is not immediately available.

Furthermore, there has been another prior proposal (see for example in this respect the German Gebrauchsmuster Specification No. 7,016,989) to provide the spanner recess in the circular covering face at the upper end of the substantially cylindrical holder shank so that the holder shank removed from the head piece can be simultaneously used as an actuating spanner for the detachable writing nib.

However, in the case of such an arrangement the short lever arm, corresponding to half the diameter of the holding shank, only makes it possible to exert a relatively small torque on unscrewing a writing nib, something which frequently leads to substantial difficulties in the case of writing nibs which are jammed by encrusted ink residue and this difficulty is made worse by the fact that the fingers are frequently moist.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a tubular nib writing element with an interchangeable nib in the case of which the holding shank used as a wrench which cannot be lost makes possible a particularly effortless actuation of the writing nib even when the screw threads are jammed or blocked with dried ink.

In order to achieve this object there is provided in a tubular nib writing implement of the above-mentioned type that the wrench recess lies in the substantially cylindrical side wall of the holder shank. Owing to the arrangement of the wrench recesses in the side wall of the holder shank there is the advantage that on placing the wrench recess on the nut collar of the writing nib the holding shank axis lies perpendicular in relation to the axis of rotation of the writing nib so that the length of the holding shank acts as a lever arm.

It is advantageous if the wrench recess in the holding shank lies opposite a diametrally placed preferably similarly shaped opening, through which on placing the holding shank in position as an actuating wrench extends onto the nib at its front end.

The construction of this through-hole for the front end of the writing nib as a recess similar to that of the wrench recess has the advantage that the holding shank can be placed as desired on one or the other side as a wrench, which also has the advantage that in the case of any damage or splitting of one of the wrench recesses a further wrench recess is available for use.

The wrench recess can be arranged in the lower part of the holding shank, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, into which the ink cartridge extends so that there is not only a large lever arm but there is also the possibility of examining the state of filling of the ink cartridge from the outside without any difficulty.

Owing to the provision of several axially spaced wrench recesses in the holding shank, which if required can have different shapes so that they can be used for actuating nibs with differently shaped collars, there is the possiblity that one of the recesses can be arranged adjacent to the top end while the other is arranged adjacent to the lower end of the ink cartridge so that the ink supply in the cartridge can be observed all the time.

For this purpose it can be an advantage when the wrench recess and/or the opening placed diametrically opposite it is constructed as an axially extending slot, which extends substantially over the whole length of the ink cartridge.

It should be pointed out at this juncture that the wrench or key recess corresponding to the nut collar of the nib should not be taken only to include such recesses as whose peripheries exactly correspond to the periphery of the collar, but includes all forms of recesses which on placing on the nut collar can act as a key or wrench.

It is an especial advantage if in accordance with the invention a wrench or key recess is arranged in the upper part of the holder shank, above the inwardly extending ink cartridge so that for removal of the writing nib of one implement another similar tubular nib writing implement can be used, that is, the holding shank of the one implement does not need to be removed at all. In order simultaneously to allow checking the level of the ink in the ink cartridge from the outside it is possible for the arrangement to be such that several wrench or key openings are provided with axial spacing between them, at least one opening being arranged adjacent to the inwardly extending cartridge and at least one being arranged above the space in the holding shank occupied by the ink cartridge.

In order to avoid any scratching of the outer surface of the holding shank produced by injection molding during the course of removal from the mold, which could occur due to the formation of flash at the mold recesses for the wrench recesses, an injection molded part comprising the wrench recess and the oppositely placed openings can be injection molded in the holder shaft which is preferably of a different color. This injection molded part or these injection molded parts in the case of the provision of several such parts, are placed before injection molding of the holding shank in the corresponding mold.

The difference in color of the injection molded part and the holder shank offers simultaneously the possibility of color marking of different tubular nib writing implements in accordance with the line thickness of their nibs while the color of the injection molded part is preferably the same as the corresponding color of the writing nib.

The holding shank can advantageously be a sleeve which is substantially cylindrical and is open at both ends, since owing to the arrangement of the wrench or key recess in its side wall a covering surface is not absolutely necessary.

LIST OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS

Further advantages, features and details of the invention will be gathered from the following description of an embodiment referring to the figures of the drawing.

FIG. 1 is a view of a tubular nib writing element, partly in section.

FIG. 2 shows the holding shank mounted as a wrench or key on the writing nib and partly broken away.

FIG. 3 is a part view looking in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the grip member or head piece 1 provided at its lower end with an internal screw thread a writing or drawing nib 2 can be screwed in, while at the upper end, into which an ink cartridge 3 can be inserted, a screw section 4 is provided, with whose help the head piece 1 can be screwed into a holding shank or cap 5.

In the lower part of the holding shank 5, into which in the assembled condition the ink cartridge 3 extends which is provided with a transparent wall, two axially spaced hexagonal recesses or openings 6 and 7 are arranged which in shape and size correspond to a hexagonal nut collar 8 serving as a wrench or key engaging surface.

The recesses or openings 6 and 7 are opposite to correspondingly shaped recesses or openings 9 and 10, through which the writing nib 11 can extend to the outside when the holding shank is mounted on the nib 2 for use as an actuating key.

Reference numeral 12 indicates the tip of a conventional cleaning wire, which is connected with a loading weight which can move to a limited extent inside the writing nib.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. Thus it is possible not only to have a different number, arrangement, and shape of the wrench or key recesses and the passage openings arranged opposite them for the lower end of the writing nib, but also to provide a force fit of the holding shank on a correspondingly shaped fitting surface at the upper end of the head piece instead of screwing it on as is shown.

Finally, it would also be possible, in the case of the production of the holding shank, more particularly by injection molding, to make the key recess somewhat oversize and to mount in it an insert part, of a different color so that it cannot rotate, for example owing to a gripping action.

Claims

We claim:

1. A tubular nib writing instrument, said instrument comprising in combination:

a tubular grip member open at both ends for inserting an ink supply cartridge into one of the ends of the grip member, said one end of the grip member having fastening means for removably retaining one end of a closure cap, the other end of the grip member being threaded;

a tubular writing nib having at one end a threaded wall portion screwable upon the threaded grip member end, the other end of the nib constituting a writing end thereof, said nib mounting intermediate its ends a collar having an unround peripheral outline; and

a tubular closure cap for covering an ink supply cartridge inserted into the grip member, said cap being removably fittable upon said fastening means on the grip member, and including in its side wall an opening having a peripheral outline matching the unround peripheral outline of the collar on the nib, whereby said cover cap constitutes a key for tightening or loosening said nib when the side wall opening thereof is fitted upon said collar.

2. The writing instrument according to claim 1 wherein said nib collar and said side wall opening each have a hexagonal peripheral outline.

3. The writing instrument according to claim 1 wherein the side wall of the cover cap includes a second opening diametrically opposite to the first opening, said second opening constituting a passage opening for the writing end of the nib.

4. The writing instrument according to claim 1 wherein said fastening means on the grip member comprise screw threads, and wherein said cover cap end receivable in the grip member comprises screw threads insertable upon the grip member threads.

5. The writing instrument according to claim 1 and comprising an elongate ink supply cartridge inserted with one end into the grip member and extending through part of the length of the closure cap.

6. The writing instrument according to claim 5 wherein said side wall opening is disposed in juxtaposition with a cartridge part extending within the cover cap for checking the ink supply in the cartridge through said opening.

7. The writing instrument according to claim 6 wherein said side wall of the cover cap includes a second opening, said second opening being axially spaced from the first opening and disposed in a cover cap portion free of said cartridge part extending within the cover cap.