Refillable pencil

Claim 1

A mechanical lead pencil comprising a hollow body including a bored lead receiving end, return spring within said body, a sliding tubular lead holding member within said body and having a portion thereof surrounded by said spring, said body and said lead holding member both made of plastic material possessing limited resilience, said lead holding member including at one end a plurality of clamping tongues to clamp the lead and at the opposite end a pushbutton projecting out of the end of said body opposite said lead receiving end to permit the user to move the sliding lead holding member against the action of said return spring, a wedge shaped annular member disposed between said tongues and the inner wall of said hollow body, first and second stop means above and below said annular member, the engagement of said annular member with said second stop means ensuring the clamping of said tongues and simultaneously locking said lead holding member against the action of said spring, the engagement of said annular member with said first stop means ensuring the release of said tongues, braking tongues in said hollow body exerting friction against said lead, the inner wall of said hollow body provided with aN annular rib, the outer wall of said sliding lead holding member also provided with an annular rib so as to keep said sliding member in place against the action of said spring in the absence of a lead in said pencil, said lead holding member being integral with said clamping tongues, said push button also integral with said lead holding member, said lead holding member being of reduced outer diameter near said clamping tongues and including a shoulder separating the reduced diameter portion from the larger portion, said spring having one of its ends abutting said shoulder, the opposite end of said spring abutting said second stop means, whereby, when lead is removed from said sliding member said sliding member and spring may be withdrawn completely from said body by axially pulling said push-button away from said body to force said sliding member rib to pass said body rib.