Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-08-03
ORIGIN OF & I'D PENS.
THE FIRST ONES WERE MADE IN ENG
LAND AND WERE FAILURES.

LAND AND WERE FAILURES.
Then an American Citizen Discovered
That Iridium Could he Used Fol-
Protecting the Points, and the Per.
feet Pen Resulted.
To an American is due the credi,
fer having made the fountain pen the
useful article it has come to be, fol
without the gold pen point. which can
not corrode. the fountain pen would be
useless.
The manufacture of gold pens was
commenced in the United States In 1885,
by matchmaker Of Detroit Attempts
had been made In England to make
gold pens prior to that time, but they
met with little success. Alleged gold
Is too soft to make a durable point. and
this circumstance made it necessary
to protect the pen points with dia-
monds or rubies until John Isaac Haw-
kins, citizen of the United States, but
residing In England while the expert
ments In Nae manufacturing of gold
pens were In progress there, accidental
~ -O1SSONCkCo IiAaL IhC AaltfC duOy VI
iridium and osmium ore, one of the
hardest and most refractory of all me-
tallic alloys, could be used for protect
ing the points to much better advan-
tage and more cheaply.
Hawkins rights were purchased by a
clergyman Of Detroit, who induced the
matchmaker above mentioned to manu-
facture gold pens. The first pens made
by him we're poor substitutes for the
quill then in use. In 1870 his plant
{ was taken to New York, where the
business was enlarged.
Quite an improvement was added to
the plant by the machines for the max
Ing aud tempering of the pens, invent
ed by John Rendell, one Of the en-
ployees Of the establishment. This es-
adjustment soon produced gold pen
SO perfect that it combined the elias
ITCHY Of the quill with the permanency
Of the metal. About 1850 it was dis.
covered that by Embedding the iridium
points In the gold instead Of soldering
them on the corrosive influence Of the
Ink on the two metals, the solder and
the gold, was avoided and firlner
hold in the pen was given to the points.
The gold pen has been brought to its
present degree Of perfection by the
American manufacturer, and the in
dustry from its inception has been
characterized by the use of American
methods. For the production of the
gold pen high degree Of skill is neces-
sary, and only experts are employed
In the different plants.
The gold used in the making Of the
pens Is obtained from the United
States assay Office. II is then melted
and alleged about sixteen carats fine
and rolled into long, narrow ribbon,
from which pen blanks or fat plates
In the shape Of pen. but considerably
thicker than the finished pen, are cut
BY means OF lever press or die and
punch. The blunt nib Of the blank is
notched or recessed at the end to re-
ceiye the iridium that forms the ex-
ceedingly hard point which all good
pens possess
The iridium Ia coated with cream
Of borax ground In water and laid In
the notch formed In the end Of the
blink. 1t is then secured by process
OF sweating, which is nothing more or
less than melting the gold Of which the
pen is formed so that 1t unites solidly
with the iridium. The blank is then
passed bet cen rollers Of peculiar
form to give gradually diminishing
thickness from the point backward.
The rolls have small cavity In which
the extreme end OF the iridium pointed
NIB is placed to prevent injury to the.
iridium. After rolling the nib OF every
Pen ID stiffened and rendered spongy
by hammering.
This ID the most important process
In the manufacture of the pen, as the
elasticity OF the pen depends entirely
upon this operation. The pen is then
trimmed by a press similar to that
which Is used for cutting out the
blanks or by automatic machinery
) When the blank has been trimmed the
mime Of the manufacturer and the
number Of the pen are stamped on 1t
by means Of II screw press
= NJ HcAAs ID SiSs-A 5itb SOuySA5t SuEIA(se5
also by means Of screw press, the
blank being pressed between concave
die beneath. and Il convex one above
Quite q little force Is necessary to
bring the pen to the required convex
ity. and when this operation Is COM,
pleted two Jaws approach the blank
and press It up on opposite edges. thus
giving the pen Ifs Anal shape.
s The next step Is to cut the Iridium
Into two points by holding 1t on the
edge Of a thin copper disk which L.
charged with fine emery and oil and
reyolves at a high speed. The nib 10
then slit by nlachiiMe and the slit
cleared By means Of q fine circular
saw After Sitting, the nibs are
brought together BY hammering, and
the pen Is FURNISHED on the inside by a
eoncaye form ana on the outside by a
convex FORM This Il necessary to give
the pen 4 mi FORM surface and greater
elasticity
These nibs are then set BY the fingers
alone, after which operation the pen 10
around BY 4 lathe with a thin steel
Slisk ana q copper cylinder. both charg-
"a nth llne emery and OIL The slit
A A then ground By q tine disk, and the