MAKE | Constrained Ball – Concept Line Maker and Measurer

Constrained Ball…

People not only write with pen. Other than writing, often we draw lines with pen. Most time people use ruler to draw a straight line or free hand which results winding line. This invention is regarding a method to draw straight line without using ruler. Normally, ball point pen freely rolls in accordance with a ball that located at the tip of pen. This device is to apply a controlling condition to a ball in order to rolls to only one direction. Letâ€™s draw a straight line with a ball that has restrained with directivity. With added ruling device feature, the length of line will be measurable. Even people can draw an exact length of straight line as desired. The total length of line will be indicated on the product by installed measuring wheel. The mounting area is made with a flexible rubber material to provide the best tightness. This product can draw horizontal and vertical lines in addition to 45 angled lines. By using this product, people can draw under lines, tables and desired length of straight lines.

9 Responses to Constrained Ball – Concept Line Maker and Measurer

Exhibit69 on August 28th, 2010 at 7:40 am said:

Rube Goldberg. A ruler works just fine.

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N3OX on August 28th, 2010 at 8:27 am said:

Tough to draw a really straight line with this, but if you want your wavy line to have constant radius curves in it, this is perfect…

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Kirt on August 28th, 2010 at 9:32 am said:

You just have to look at that thing to understand that it won’t work. Any twist of the pen/pencil axis will lift the wheel from the surface contact. If my hand, wrist and arm was precise and steady enough to use this thing, I wouldn’t need to use this thing.

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Evan on August 28th, 2010 at 10:18 am said:

I’d love to know what that magic orange material is that keeps the device perfectly attached to the pen barrel without slipping. I have a feeling it’d either slip when people rested just a little too hard on the barrel, or it’d be impossible to get on or off.

Oh and it definitely isn’t constrained enough.

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CircuitGizmo on August 28th, 2010 at 11:36 am said:

When I want to make a straight line I run my pencil along the edge of my Occam’s Razor.

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Anne on August 28th, 2010 at 1:39 pm said:

The problem with a ruler is when you’re laying down ink and you get your ruler upside down. Then you get bleed and can wreck a whole page. That’s why chartpak and lettraset made a pile of money selling tape to artists and one of the first things artists turned to digital to do.

I showed this to a comic book artist and his response was “cool! I’d totally try that.” Try everything, adopt what works.

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dj_nme on August 28th, 2010 at 6:29 pm said:

If the attachment had two wheels, then it might work to guide the pen in a straight line.
As it is, a slight roll left or right would make wavy rather than straight lines.

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vrandy.myopenid.com on August 28th, 2010 at 8:16 pm said:

It took me about thirty seconds with some legos and a rubber band to prove to myself that the one-wheeled version wouldn’t work at all. (The two-wheeled version was better, but still unworkable. Imagine trying to draw a straight line with a hotwheels car.)

If I didn’t have legos, I could have made one out of a few pieces of cardboard and some Elmer’s glue.

There also doesn’t appear to be room for a battery for the digital display.

Will this really improve the designer’s portfolio? Won’t potential employers notice that it’s out of touch with reality?

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pete on August 31st, 2010 at 7:59 am said:

Yeah, A two wheeled version would be a bit better but only for drawing straightish lines with no predetermined endpoint location.

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