Technical Description Essay : Mechanical Pencil

Edwin Negrete Ramos
City College of New York ENGL 21007 : Writing for Engineering Professor Rodwell
March 28, 2022

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Title Page …………………………………. 1

Outline of Contents ………………………. 2

Introduction ………………………………. 3

Body ……………………………………… 3-7

1.1 Lead, Cone Cap, and Dispenser ……… 3-4

1.2 Dispenser Ring, Spring, and Grip ……. 4-5

1.3 Grip, Sleeve, Eraser and Clip ………… 5-6

2 Innovation …………………………….. 7

Conclusion ………………………………… 7

References ………………………………… 8

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Introduction

Wooden pencils have been used on a daily basis for everyone around the world since 1795. Whether it is for students going to school, adults going to college, or adults going to work, a wooden pencil is a must have before leaving the house. But, in 1822 the first mechanical pencil was invented by a British guy named Sampson Mordan. The mechanical pencil was invented and patented in England. A mechanical pencil is an improved version of a pencil that has a solid pigment called lead that can be replaced and extended. It also shifts the game in terms of authoring tools. As time proceeded, the popularity of the mechanical pencil has risen as it became an innovation in today’s environment. The mechanical pencil consists of five parts and six sub-parts. The five parts being : the lead, the grip, the clip, the sleeve and the eraser. While the sub parts consist of : the cone, the ring, the dispenser, the dispenser ring, the spring, and the shaft.

1.1 Lead, Cone Cap, and Dispenser

From bottom to top, the mechanical pencil contains lead at the bottom. The lead is made of graphite (powder of water and clay) and is the core of the mechanical pencil. In image 1 below, lead is a line of graphite that can be inserted in a mechanical pencil to produce gray or black writing on paper. After the lead, going up comes the cone cap. The cone cap provides an opening where lead can come out from for writing. In image 2 below, the metal (can also be plastic) cone shape which has the purpose to protect the lead coming from the inside of the cone cap. After the cone cap comes the dispenser inside of the cone cap. The function of the dispenser inside the cone cap is to keep the spring, cone cap and dispenser ring all together. The reason this part is crucial to a mechanical pencil is because if the parts get disconnected, the mechanical pencil would not function properly. In image 6, the

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dispenser is a plastic where the lead comes out of the inside. This allows the lead to stay straight and come out of the mechanical pencil straight.

Figure 1 : Lead Figure 2 : Cone Cap

1.2 Dispenser Ring, Spring, and Shaft

After the dispenser is the dispenser ring. The function of the dispenser ring is to close the dispenser when it opens to maintain the additional pieces of lead inside of the pencil. This allows the lead to stay inside of the pencil. Image 6, the dispenser ring is a small metal piece that holds the dispenser, spring, and the shaft tight so that the lead would not fall out. After the dispenser ring comes the spring that is on top of the dispenser. The function of the spring in the mechanical pencil is to allow the lead to come out of the cap cone. The spring allows a person to take out the perfect amount of lead to make writing easier. In image 3 below, the metallic string and its spirals which allows the spring to be pushed together to release the lead from the dispenser. After the spring comes the main part inside the mechanical pencil : the shaft. The purpose of the shaft is to serve as a protector of the lead. The shaft makes sure that all the lead pieces stay in one piece so that it can run smoothly through the spring so that lead

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comes out from the pencil. In image 4 below, the shaft which is a long plastic inside of the mechanical pencil that holds the core of the lead.

Figure 3 : Spring

Figure 4: Shaft

1.3 Grip, Sleeve, Clip and Eraser

On the outside of the mechanical pencil follows up with the grip of the pencil. The rubber-gripping, multi-colored (image 5), is a holding device used to hold the mechanical pencil between the thumb, index finger and middle finger while writing. The rubber grip wraps around the sleeve of the mechanical pencil. It was designed for a comfortable grip

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when a person uses the mechanical pencil for a long period of time. The sleeve is the main part of the mechanical pencil when it comes to the outside of it. Reason being because the sleeve holds all the parts inside of it, including : shaft, spring, dispenser and dispenser ring. In image 5 as well, the long plastic black tube also holds onto the grip to make it more comfortable to hold. On the sleeve as well, it has a clip. The clip is designed to make it easier to carry around. Whether it’s on the t-shirt pocket, jeans pocket, or even on the edge of the notebook, the clip is designed to make it easy to hold onto. In image 5, it shows that the clip is made out of plastic and can come in multiple colors as well. The clip lays on top of the sleeve. Right at the end of the mechanical pencil is the eraser. The function of the eraser is to remove the writing on the paper that was written with the lead to correct or fix the mistakes made. In the same image below, the white rubber at the top of the mechanical pencil and see that it is removable, it also connects to the end of the shaft.

Figure 5

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Innovation

When it comes to a normal wooden pencil and a mechanical pencil, the mechanical pencil is an innovation. A mechanical pencil’s lead is not linked to the outside shell, allowing it to move freely when needed. A spring pushes the lead forward a specific amount when you press down on the eraser at the top; only a bit at a time, so you can easily get the perfect lead length. Not only does mechanical pencils use lead that can be refilled, it can last for a very long time.

Conclusion

The Mechanical Pencil is a simple writing device. It looks like a pen, but the lead is erasable and more convenient to use than a pen. With the wooden pencils, a person has to deal with sharpening a pencil and throwing out the shavings. Once the lead of a wooden pencil is used up, a whole new pencil is needed. The lead in a mechanical pencil is easily refillable while using the same mechanical pencil. A mechanical pencil basically never runs out, as long as it is refilled with lead. This can limit the amount of trees that are being cut down for wooden pencils. Thus, having a mechanical pencil is definitely an innovation. Some mechanical pencils feature an eraser and lead that can be removed and reused. Because mechanical pencils do not have the constraints of traditional lead and wood pencils, they can be reused.

Figure 6 : The Mechanical Pencil

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References

Hubbard, B. (2022, March 11). The best mechanical pencils for writing in 2022. The Architect’s Guide. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.thearchitectsguide.com/articles/best-mechanical-pencil-for-writing

Mechanical pencil replacement tip. Nicholas Hemingway Pens + Pencils. (2021, July 26). Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://nicholashemingway.com/shop/mechanical-pencil-replacement-tip/

Staedtler Mars Micro Carbon Pencil lead – 0.5 mm – HB. JetPens. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.jetpens.com/Staedtler-Mars-Micro-Carbon-Pencil-Lead-0.5-mm-HB/pd/10857

The unbreakable mechanical pencil – cool stuff to buy online. Cool Stuff to Buy Online – The Internet’s Mall of Unique Gifts and Gadgets. (2019, May 15). Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://coolstuffblast.com/gifts/the-unbreakable-mechanical-pencil/?feed_id=6037

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, March 14). Mechanical pencil. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_pencil