Patent GB-646726-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to fountain pens
IPC: B43K5/00
Filed: 1947-11-28
Abstract: 646,726. Reservoir pens. PARKER PEN CO. Nov. 28, 1947, Nos. 31595, 31596 and 31597. Convention dates, March 3, 1947 and Sept. 13, 1947. [Class 146 (iii)] In a fountain pen having a reservoir section and a feed section with a writing element carried at one end of the pen body and a capillary ink filler and reservoir element disposed in said reservoir section defining a capillary ink storage space of sufficient capillarity to draw ink into the storage space by capillary action when the filler and reservoir element is placed in communication with a supply of ink and to retain the ink in the storage space by capillary action when the pen is not in use, and capillary feed means connecting said space in ink feeding relation to said writing element, the said ink storage space extends longitudinally throughout the length of the capillary filler and reservoir element and is of generally spiral cross-sectional shape. The pen body 1, Fig. 1, comprises a forward section 2 and a rear section 3 screwed together by a joint 4, the forward section 2 being formed with an axially extending bore forming an ink reservoir 10 which houses a capillary filler element 35. The element 35 comprises a thinwalled member 36 spirally wrapped into convolute form to provide a capillary space 37. The element 35 may be formed from a sheet of metal or plastic e.g. silver foil, gold foil, or material known under the R.T.M. as " Cellophane ", and may be recessed to accommodate the rear end of a feed bar 30 which may project into the reservoir 10. The feed bar 30 is positioned within a nib 12 of cylindrical shape which is secured to the forward section 2 by a threaded bush 20. The feed bar is provided with feed slots 33 and 34 which supply ink to the slit 16 of the nib 12. An arcuate space 11a provides a storage space for ink fed to the nib from the reservoir 10 along grooves 26 in the bush 20, Fig. 2, and along slots 33 and 34. The reservoir 10 is connected to the atmosphere by a bore 45 and a port 47 in a screwed plug 5 which is unscrewed during filling. In a modification, Fig. 6, a pad 61 of matted or woven fibres may be disposed between the feed bar 60 and the element 35, in which case the feed bar 60 terminates flush with the front end of the reservoir 10. Alternatively, the rear ends of the feed bar 60, bush 20 and the forward end wall of section 2 are provided with grooves of capillary size to place the convolutions of the element 35 in communication with the feed slots in the feed bar 61. In a modification, Fig. 14, a capillary filler element 100 includes a thin walled member 101 and a spacer sheet 102 of woven material which are rolled together into convolute form to provide a capillary space 103. The sheet 102 is woven from threads or filaments 104 and 105 such as glass. The threads 104 may extend beyond the front end of the element 100 so as to form a feed element which is inserted in a groove in the feed bar. In a further modification, the wall forming sheet may be formed with a plurality of corrugations extending longitudinally of the filler element. The corrugations may be replaced by " pimple " shaped projections extending from one or both sides of the sheet and, in order to provide additional venting between the several convolutions, the projections are provided with openings formed by punching, or alternatively the wall may be provided with slits adjacent the projections. In a further modification, Fig. 30, the filler element may comprise a plurality of sheets 195, 199 and 197, the sheets being provided with projections 201c, 201b, 201a of decreasing height so that the capillary spaces formed at the portion furthest from the nib have the highest capillarity. A feed element 203 made of a material similar to that of the pad 61 may be placed inside the convolutions. Alternatively, the filler element may be formed of a plurality of sections having a varying number of convolutions forming capillary spaces of varying capillarity. Specification 634,735 is referred to. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 states also that in place of a sheet rolled into convolute form the filler element may be formed of a number of concentric tubes telescoped one within the other and spaced apart by projections formed in the walls of said tubes. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.