Pencil soldering iron

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC SOLDERING IRON COMPRISING A HANDLE HAVING A HOLLOW BORE, A SHEATHED ELECTRICAL HEATER HAVING A PAIR OF TERMINALS PROJECTING FROM ONE END THEREOF, MEANS PROVIDING A SHOULDER ON THE SHEATH OF SAID HEATER ADJACENT SAID TERMINALS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE HEATER IN THE HANDLE AND FOR CONDUCTING ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE HEATER COMPRISING A CONNECTOR DEVICE APERTURED TO RECEIVE THE HEATER TERMINALS, AND A LEAF SPRING EXTENDING AXIALLY ALONG THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE CONNECTOR DEVICE AND HAVING A DETENT AT ITS FREE END WHICH IS URGED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SHOULDER ON THE HEATER UPON INSERTION OF THE CONNECTOR DEVICE WITH THE HEATER ASSEMBLED THERETO INTO THE BORE OF SAID HANDLE, THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BORE FIRMLY ENGAGING SAID LEAF SPRING AND HOLDING IT AGAINST RADIAL MOVEMENT OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO DISENGAGE SAID DETENT FROM SAID SHOULDER, THE ASSEMBLY OF SAID CONNECTOR DEVICE AND SAID HEATER BEING ARRANGED FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT WITHIN SAID BORE AGAINST THE FRICTIONAL FORCE CAUSED BY THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID SPRING WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BORE, WHEREBY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE HEATER AND THE CONNECTOR DEVICE MUST BE MOVED AXIALLY TO DISENGAGE SAID LEAF SPRING FROM RESTRAINING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BORE TO RELEASE SAID DETENT BEFORE THE HEATER CAN BE DISASSEMBLED FROM THE CONNECTOR DEVICE.