US3593856A

US3593856A - Stand for holding writing implements

Info

Publication number: US3593856A
Application number: US872055A
Authority: US
Inventors: Olaf Zander
Original assignee: OLAF ZANDER KG
Current assignee: OLAF ZANDER KG
Priority date: 1968-11-08
Filing date: 1969-10-29
Publication date: 1971-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-20
Also published as: CH497985A; DE1807757B1; GB1266720A; FR2022850A1; NL6915082A

Abstract

The invention relates to a stand made of a ceramic material for holding writing instruments such as pencils or the like. The stand has rows of holes for receiving the instruments and may have a rectangular shape or other shapes. The stand has a large capacity for holding writing instruments despite having a relatively small base area.

Description

D United States Patent 1 1 3,593,856

[72] Inventor Olaf Zander [56' References Cited A l N Wald, Germany UNITED STATES PATENTS P 769,592 9 1904 De Long 211/69.5 [22] Filed Oct. 29, 1969 786,719 4/1905 Berolzhelmer 211/695 [45] Patented July 20, 1971 [73] Assign 0M lander Kommandibcesenschafl 2,354,118 7/1944 Hansen 211/695 Konigstein (Taunus), Germany FOREIGN PATENTS [3 Priority Nov-8,1968 242,365 5/1946 Switzerland 211/695 [331 2:??? l OTHER REFERENCES [3] l AMERICAN INVENTOR PUBLICATION, March 15,

1899 copy in 21 1/695 Primary ExaminerNile C. Byers, Jr. AnorneyWayne B. Easton [54] 2 ES E WRITING IMPLEMENTS ABSTRACT: The invention relates to a stand made of a n ceramic material for holding writing instruments such as pen- [52] US. Cl 211/69.5 cils or the like. The stand has rows of holes for receiving the [51] Int. Cl A471 7/00 instruments and may have a rectangular shape or other [50] Field of Search 21 1/695, shapes. The stand has a-large capacity for holding writing in- 69.1 struments despite having a relatively small base area.

PATENTEU JUL 20 I9?! STAND FOR HOLDING WRITING IMPLEMEN'IS The invention relates to a stand for holding writing instruments such as pencils, ball point pens and pen holders in vertical positions in several holes which are arranged adjacent to each other.

There are known stands having a ball joint and a tulipshaped holder mounted on a base for receiving a writing instrument. There are also similar type stands having two tulipshaped holders mounted on a base. Moreover, there is a known stand having a relatively tall convex-shaped shaped plastic body portion which has a single circular row of holes arranged next to each other for receiving writing instruments. These holes are slightly inclined inwardly so that the center of gravity of each inserted writing instrument is located over a center area of the plastic body portion.

It is a disadvantage of all these stands that they, with reference to the single holding hole, require relatively large base surfaces in order to attain sufiicient stability. For practical reasons, for instance because of the available space on a desk, it is desirable that the size of the base surface is limited. For this reason, the number of receiving holes in prior art stands are relatively few and in some known designs there are as few as a total of four holes.

It is the object of this invention to provide an inexpensive stand for holding writing instruments which has a great number of receiving holes and has a good stability despite having a small base area.

According to the invention, and based on a stand having several holes arranged next to each other, this problem is solved by having the stand made of ceramic material.

Ceramic material is inexpensive and can be easily shaped into the desired form and hardened by burning. Especially important is its heavy weight which allows the center of gravity of the stand to remain almost unchanged after writing instruments are inserted into it. As a result a good stability is attained when the base of the stand is not larger than the materit al needed to form the holes which are arranged next to each other.

It is especially advantageous when at least two rows of holes are arranged next to each other. In this way the stand is very stable and will not tip even if relatively substantial forces are applied to the upper ends of the writing instruments. Moreover, this makes it possible to increase the number of holding holes and both characteristics correspond with each other: the greater the number of receiving holes, the greater the stability. Optimum results are obtained when the number of rows correspond approximately with the number of holes in each row. This provides a substantially square stand which is especially acceptable from the aesthetic standpoint.

In one embodiment of the invention the holes do not go through all the way, but their depth is at least 80 percent of the total height of the stand. This type of stand can be manufactured for example by the pressing of ceramic material. Due to the continuous ceramic base these stands have an especially low center of gravity and, moreover, can be ma'hufactured in one piece.

In another embodiment of the invention the holes go through all the way and are covered below by a common bottom. As a rule, this results in an easier manufacturing process because a ceramic part with through holes can be manufactured as an extruded piece, i.e. a piece cut off from the material extruded by the extruding press. It is normally adequate to use for this purpose the cheapest coarse ceramic because the extrudedpiece can be ground at least on the upper surface to provide a suitable appearance. Due to the separate manufacturing process of the bottom or base portion it can consist either entirely or partially of a material other than ceramic.

It is especially recommended the lower side of the bottom base portion have a protective layer such as felt, fabric, fiber flakes or plastic. The edges of the bottom cover can also be pulled up on the side surfaces of the stand, for instance like a Sm-ink" foil. Such a bottom cover has good adhesion, can be used for decorative purposes and offers edges of the stand on the bottom side.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the stand has the form of a punched plate with the top and bottom surfaces thereof being parallel to each other. This is desirable for aesthetic as well as manufacturing reasons. However, the upper surface may also be inclined without greater difficulty by obliquely cutting the extruded piece.

It is especially advantageous when the holes have an approximately rectangular cross section and are arranged next to each other in straight and parallel rows. In this way the distances between the holes are small so that a writing instrument will hit a receiving hole with greatest certainty when it is inserted.

A similar effect is achieved when the holes have an approximately rectangular cross section and are arranged next to each other in circular, concentric rows.

It is also advantageous when the stand is glazed, at least on the upper side. This glaze not only improves the aesthetic appearance of the stand, made for instance from coarse ceramic, but it also allows the writing instruments to slide easily into a receiving hole, even when their tips hit the space between the holes. This is not only the effect of the smooth surface but also the slight curvature of the glaze between the holes.

The invention is explained below on the basis of the embodiments thereof shown in the drawing:

FIG. I is a perspective view ofa first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of another embodiment of the invention;

protection for the FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of a third embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of a cut through the glazed upper side of the area between two holes; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another embodiment of the inven- U011.

The stand I in FIG. 1 is used to hold instruments for writing, such as pencils 2 and ball point pens 3. It consists of a ceramic body which has rectangular receiving holes 5. There are seven holes 5 in each of the rows 6 and there is a total of six such rows 6 arranged next to each other. This results in an approximately square base surface of the stand 1. In spite of the 42 possibilities to receive writing instruments the base surface of the stand is very small. Each hole requires a base surface of only about 2.5 cm. and in spite of this fact the stability is excellent.

Between the holes 5 there are cross pieces 7 and longitudinally extending pieces 8. Due to the rectangular shape of the holes 5 the remaining portion of the upper surface 9 of the stand I is very small so that a writing instrument will hit a hole with great probability when it is inserted.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the stand which consists of a one piece body 10 and in which the parts between the holes II are connected with each other by a bottom 12. Therefore, the holes 13 do not go through all the way. Such a stand can be shaped in a press from ceramic material and then burned. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the body of the stand 114 is an extruded piece whose walls I5 between the holes and the holes 16 are already present in the extruded material when it leaves the extruder. The individual plateshaped bodies 14 are cut off from this extruded material and a relatively coarse ceramic material may be used for this purpose. The upper surface ll7 can subsequently be ground. An imperforate base 18, which may be a thick layer of felt, is cemented to the bottom of body 14. Base I8 closes the holes 16 and is alsoieffective in providing a protective layer. The base 18 can also be a combination of various other materials.

FIG. t shows such a combined bottom or base 19. It consists of a ceramic plate 20 and a plastic shrink" foil 21 whose edges 22 are pulled up on the side surfaces of the body 14. This results in a protective edge 23, good adhesion of the ceramic plate 20 to the body 14 and sometimes also in a desired aesthetic effect.

FIG. shows the upper side of a wall 15 between the holes which is covered with a glaze. This glaze forms a hill 26 on the upper side of said wall between the holes. Consequently, a writing instrument which hits the upper side of this hill with its tip slides automatically along the inclined surfaces 27 into the nearest hole 16. Moreover, the glaze can result in an aesthetic improvement of the appearance and can cover the exposed grain of a coarse ceramic material.

F IG. 6 shows a plan view of a stand 28 designed in accordance with the inventive principle having holes 29 which also have approximately rectangular cross sections. Each row of holes 30 is arranged in a semicircle. Although two rows 30 are shown, a single row 30 would also provide great stability. In the two row embodiment show it is seen that the walls 31 between the rectangular holes 29 require only a very small portion of the total plan view surface of the stand 28.

Many variations of the disclosed embodiments are possible without departure from the basic idea of the invention. For instance, the holes may have round or any other suitable cross sections. Hexagonal cross sections would result in similarly small walls like those shown in the specifically disclosed embodiments of the invention. When the stand is dipped into a glaze bath, first from the top and then from the bottom, an aesthetic color impression can be attained. The side surfaces can be decorated also in other ways such as with glued-on or burned-in pictures or with advertising matter or the owner's name.

The stands can be manufactured by casting into a mold, for instance a plaster mold. In this manner stands having very smooth surfaces can be manufactured.

lclaim:

l. A stand for holding writing instruments comprising a body portion of a coarse ceramic material, said body portion having a rectangular shape with four exterior walls and inter secting interior walls forming a plurality of holes extending vertically entirely through said body, a layer of feltlike material attached to the bottom of said body, and the upper portion of said body being glazed to provide smooth and rounded upper edges on said walls.

Claims

1. A stand for holding writing instruments comprising a body portion of a coarse ceramic material, said body portion having a rectangular shape with four exterior walls and intersecting interior walls forming a plurality of holes extending vertically entirely through said body, a layer of feltlike material attached to the bottom of said body, and the upper portion of said body being glazed to provide smooth and rounded upper edges on said walls.