“Wheel” mechanisms aren’t unheard of:
There are the Listo, the Ohto Super Promecha, the Slencil or that one flat Kanoe one;
Almost all (read the replies for an example) have in common that their wheel is mounted coaxially to the pencil.
How the Ritepoint Wheel pencil works
The Ritepoint, no model name, however, has a wheel whose center axis is perpendicular to the pencil.
The wheel, as described in the 1955 patent US2833251, is made up of a pulley, around which a long coiled spring (“spiral propelling spring”) runs. Inside the spring there is a strong metal wire that is bent around the pulley.
So when you push the coil around the wheel, the wheel turns with it, the metal wire stays in place and the coil “flows” around it. That’s how the coil never loses grip of the pulley.
In comparison to other multipencils, a lead almost half the length of the pencil is impressive.
I haven’t checked all multipencils yet, but it is a contender for the longest single lead in a multipencil.
It suffered the fate of being no more than an advertisement pencil. So let’s give it the love it deserved.
The Japanese wheel pencil
Possibly the smallest multipencil is a japanese version of this mechanism.
Noted “Japan Pat. 190058 Whisper”, it still requires research.
The unrelated(?) older German patent
DE1608148 uses a pulley mechanism, in 1948, before the Ritepoint. It is unknown if it was ever manufactured.
Hope you found it interesting!
