Clip for writing instruments and the like

Claim 1

A WRITING INSTRUMENT HAVING A TIP-ACTUATED RETRACTABLE WRITING POINT AND A PUSHBUTTON ACTUATED RETRACTABLE CLIP COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A TUBULAR BARREL HAVING UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, A LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE HOOD PROJECTING THROUGH THE LOWER END OF SAID BARREL, A CARTRIDGE UNIT INCLUDING A BALLPOINT, SAID UNIT BEING LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE WITHIN SAID BARREL BETWEEN A POINT PROTRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID BALLPOINT EXTENDS THROUGH SAID HOOD AND A POINT RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID BALLPOINT IS CONCEALED WITHIN SAID HOOD, SAID BARREL PROXIMATE SAID UPPER END BEING FORMED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RECESS, A POCKET CLIP UNIT CARRIED BY SAID BARREL INCLUDING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CLIP PORTION, A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING INTERMEDIATE PORTION INTEGRAL WITH SAID CLIP PORTION, AND AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PUSHBUTTON PORTION INTEGRAL WITH SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION, GUIDE MEANS CARRIED WITHIN SAID BARREL ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID POCKET CLIP UNIT, A HELICAL COIL COMPRESSION SPRING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CLIP UNIT AND SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT, SAID SPRING URGING SAID PUSHBUTTON PORTION TO AN EXTENDED POSITION PROJECTING THROUGH SAID UPPER END OF SAID BARREL WHILE URGING SAID CLIP PORTION TO A RETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID CLIP PORTION IS WITHIN SAID RECESS WHEREBY SAID CLIP PORTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH SAID BARREL, SAID SPRING ALSO URGING SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT TOWARDS SAID POINT PROTRACTED POSITION, AND A RETRACTION-PROTRACTION MECHANISM OPERABLE TO OBTAIN SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT IN A POINT RETRACTED POSITION AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF SAID SPRING UPON PRESSING SAID HOOD AND BALLPOINT INTO CANTACT WITH A RIGID SURFACE AND THEN RELEASING FROM SAID CONTACT, SAID RETRACTION-PROTRACTION MECHANISM BEING OPERABLE TO ALLOW SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT TO BE URGED TO ITS POINT PROTRACTED POSITION BY SAID SPRING UPON A SUBSEQUENT PRESSING OF SAID HOOD AND BALLPOINT INTO CONTACT WITH A RIGID SURFACE AND THEN RELEASING FROM SAID CONTACT, SAID PUSHBUTTON PORTION BEING LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE AGAINST THE URGING OF SAID SPRING INTO SLIDING CONTACT WITH SAID GUIDE MEANS UPON THE APPLICATION OF DOWNWARD FORCE TO SAID PUSHBUTTON PORTION WHEREBY SAID CLIP PORTION IS URGED TO A PROTRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID CLIP PORTION IS PROJECTED FROM SAID RECESS, SAID PUSHBUTTON PORTION BEING MOVED TO SAID EXTENDED POSITION AND SAID CLIP PORTION BEING MOVED TO SAID RETRACTED POSITION BY SAID SPRING UPON THE RELEASE OF SAID DOWNWARD FORCE.