Marking instrument

Claim 2

A marking instrument including a casing having a front and rear end, a plurality of identical marking units in the casing, each marking unit having a main body member and marker means connected to and projecting axially from one end of the main body member, and resilient means at the front end of the casing positively cooperating with the main body member of the first of the units partially projecting from the front end of the casing, a stop surface on the main body member of each marking unit intermediate its ends, and said resilient means comprising at least one resilient member on the casing at the front end thereof for engaging the stop surface to prevent the first writing unit from moving back into the casing during use of the instrument.

Claim 3

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body member of each marking unit is cylindrical and has a groove circumscribing the body and located between the ends of the body, said groove defining a stop surface, said resilient means comprising resilient finger members at the front end of said casing defining a bore having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the body of each marking unit, the free ends of each finger member extending inwardly to define an opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the body and substantially equal to the diameter of the groove, the ends of the finger members cooperating with the stop surface, when in the groove, to prevent said first writing unit from moving back into said casing, or from falling out of said casing.

Claim 4

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 2, including an axial, cylindrical projection extending from the one end of said cylindrical body member, said projection having a diameter less than the diameter of the opening defined by the free ends of the fingers, said marking means fixed to the projection to extend axially therefrom.

Claim 5

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 1, including first holding means on each marking unit, second holding means on each marking unit and spaced from said first holding means, the first holding means on each unit cooperating with the second holding means on each following unit to hold said plurality of units in linked relation with a force permitting all the units to be moved in unison toward the front end of the casing when a first unit, partially projecting from the front end of the casing, is withdrawn from the casing.

Claim 6

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first holding means comprises a recess formed in the other end of each main body member opposite the end from which the marker means projects, said recess having a length sufficient to receive the marking means of the following marker unit.

Claim 7

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second holding means on each marking unit includes a cylindrical projection extending from said one end of each marking unit body member, said marking means fixed tO and extending axially from said projection.

Claim 8

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein the projecting member and the recess are cylindrical, the projecting member having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the recess, and slots in each body member of the marking units extending from the other end toward the one end permitting the recess in each body member to enlarge to receive the projecting member of a following unit.

Claim 9

A marking instrument as claimed in claim 7, including means at the rear end of the casing defining a stop which cooperates with the other end of the body member of a marking unit, when its recess is enlarged, to maintain the marking unit within the casing.