Retraction-protraction mechanism for writing instruments

Claim 1

A WRITING INSTRUMENT HAVING A RETRACTABLE WRITING POINT COMPRISING: A BARREL HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END; A HOOD CARRIED BY SAID BARREL HAVING AN OUTER END NORMALLY EXTENDING PAST SAID LOWER END OF SAID BARREL, SAID OUTER END OF SAID HOOD BEING INWARDLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID BARREL; A CARTRIDGE UNIT INCLUDING A POINT, SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT BEING LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE WITHIN SAID BARREL BETWEEN A POINT-PROTRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID POINT EXTENDS THROUGH THE OUTER END OF SAID HOOD AND A POINTRETRACTED POSITION WHEREIN SAID POINT IS CONCEALED WITHIN SAID HOOD; A FIRST COMPRESSION SPRING URGING SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT INWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID BARREL; A LATCH RECEIVER HAVING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FIRST AND SECOND ABUTMENTS RESPECTIVELY DEFINING POINT-RETRACTED AND POINT-PROTRACTED POSITIONS; A LATCH SELECTIVELY ABUTTINGLY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND ABUTMENTS OF SAID LATCH RECEIVER; A LATCH ACTUATOR LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID LATCH RECEIVER AND SAID LATCH BUT NON-ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO SAID LATCH RECEIVER, SAID LATCH ACTUATOR ABUTTING SAID LATCH; SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT HAVING AN UPPER END ABUTTING ONE OF SAID LATCH ACTUATOR AND SAID LATCH RECEIVER, AND A SECOND COMPRESSION SPRING, STRONGER THAN SAID FIRST SPRING, HAVING AN END SEATING AGAINST SAID LATCH AND URGING SAID LATCH INTO ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LATCH ACTUATOR AND SAID LATCH RECEIVER; SAID LATCH ACTUATOR BEING ADAPTED TO ALTERNATINGLY DIRECT SAID LATCH INTO ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND ABUTMENTS UPON SUCCEEDING SEQUENCES OF LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT OBTAINED BY PRESSING SAID POINT AND SAID HOOD OUTER END INTO CONTACT WITH A RIGID SURFACE TO MOVE SAID POINT AND HOOD OUTER END INWARDLY RELATIVE TO SAID BARREL AND THEN RELEASING SAID POINT AND SAID HOOD OUTER END FROM SAID CONTACT, SAID LATCH WHEN ABUTTINGLY ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST ABUTMENT BEING OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID SECOND SPRING IN A COMPRESSED POSITION WHEREBY SAID FIRST SPRING WILL URGE SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT TO ITS RETRACTED POSITION, SAID LATCH WHEN ABUTTINGLY ENGAGED WITH SAID SECOND ABUTMENT BEING OPERABLE TO ALLOW SAID SECOND SPRING TO EXPAND WHEREBY SAID CARTRIDGE UNIT IS FORCED TO A PROTRACTED POSITION AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF SAID FIRST SPRING.