Drawing device having retractable stylus

Abstract

A drawing device adapted to produce line drawings or sketches on a transparent screen on top of a rectangular box-like case partly filled with a powder that adheres slightly to the undersurface of the screen to render it opaque. Disposed within the case is a stylus supported for sliding movement at the intersection of shiftable transverse and longitudinal rods. The extremities of the transverse rods are fastened to a set of parallel branches of a string loop operated by a control knob which when turned causes this rod and the stylus born thereby to move toward either end of the case, depending on the direction of knob rotation. The extremities of the longitudinal rod are fastened to a set of parallel branches of a second string loop operated by a second control knob when turned causes this rod and the stylus born thereby to move toward either side of the box, depending on the direction of knob rotation. The moving stylus normally engages the undersurface of the screen and acts to scrape powder therefrom to create a line whose contour depends on the path taken by the stylus under the control of one or both knobs. In order to produce sketches and drawings having discrete elements, a manually-operated interrupter mechanism is provided which when actuated depresses one of the rods to retract the stylus from the screen without, however, inhibiting shifting thereof, whereby it then becomes possible selectively to break the line drawn thereby.