Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of writing instruments in which the ink is
supplied to the pen from a tubular reservoir; and said invention comprises certain
novel means of connecting the pen with the reservoir, of ensuring the free and
facile flow of ink to the pen, and of separating the parts to permit the filling of the
reservoir..
"
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a side view drawn to an enlarged scale of a fountain pen made.
according to my said invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of one part thereof.
Figure 3 is a side view taken at right angles to Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a side view and partial sectional view further illustrating my said
invention.
Figure 5 is a side view of certain parts of the same.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view further illustrating my said invention.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are views of details and further illustrating my said
invention.
Figure 10 is a side view and partial sectional view and
Figure 11 a longitudinal sectional view further illustrating my said invention.
A is the reservoir which consists of a tube closed hermetically at its upper end.
I is a diaphragm adapted to fit easily within the lower open end of the handle
or reservoir A, as shown in the several Figures. This diaphragm I has formed in
it a substantially crescent shaped hole or slit o, in which the pen is inserted, as
hereinafter explained, and which is enlarged at its opposite sides to. provide a
passage at each side of the pen.
From the under side of this diaphragm I a lip C extends down near the back of
the pen B, and reaches to near its point. The said lip C is preferably formed.
integral with the diaphragm, although, if desired it may be made separate and

page_text: .
secured thereto. This lip may, when desired, be arranged at the front of the pen
instead of at the back. The office of the said lip is to assist in feeding the ink
regularly from the reservoir toward the point of the pen, the ink flowing through
the passage between the pen and the lip.
To the opposite or upper side of the diaphragm I is secured what I term a
feeding stem E, the object of which is to conduct the ink from the reservoir down
to the hole o, as it is well known that the ink is liable to be held by the capillary
attraction of the side walls of the reservoir, aided by atmospheric pressure within
the upper end of the reservoir, and more especially so if the reservoir be of small
diameter. This feeding stem may consist of a simple flat strip placed close to one
side of the reservoir to provide a narrow passage between itself and said side.
In order however to render this feeding stem most effective and certain in its
operation, I prefer to make it, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, with a narrow groove e
in one of its edges, as the two walls of this groove by their capillary action, will
cause the ink to flow down the groove with regularity and certainty, so long as
any ink remains in the reservoir. It is obvious that the same result would be
produced if the groove e were cut entirely through the stem, as the two walls
would still be in close proximity and therefore act in the same way, but they
would be more liable to become bent or separated, and hence I prefer the plan
shown.
I also make this stem E of such length as to serve as a stop to limit the distance
that the diaphragm I can be pushed into the open end of the reservoir A, as
represented by the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 10, in which it will be seen that
the upper end of the stem E is in contact with the closed upper end of the
reservoir A. An equivalent method of arranging the stop would be to provide a
projection, preferably in the form of a ring as shown in Figure 4, within the
tube A, and make the stem E of the proper length to abut against it; but I prefer,
especially if the tube A be of small diameter, to have the stem E extend all the
way to the top of the tube, as it ensures the feeding down of the ink which might
otherwise be held in the upper end of the tube by capillary attraction.
The diaphragm I is a short distance within the open end of the reservoir A;
thereby forming an open chamber O within the tube A, below the diaphragm.
This open 'chamber serves as a receptacle for any excess of the ink which may be
forced out of the reservoir by expansion or otherwise, such excess of ink being held
therein by capillary attraction. If the pen be held or set with the point upward,
or even in an inclined position, the excess of the ink will soon pass from this
chamber back within the reservoir, passing through the opening o and being
drawn back by the feeding stem E. This expansion chamber O
may, however, be
dispensed with when desired without affecting my said invention.
It is obvious that the chamber O might be formed by a short tube projecting
from the lower face of the diaphragm and operate in the same manner, in which
case the diaphragm would not need to be pushed up into the reservoir at all; but
the plan shown is simpler, and is therefore preferred.
The special object of using the diaphragm I, instead of the elongated plugs or.
sections formerly used in such pens, is to ensure an easy, uniform and certain
feeding of the ink, which is an absolute necessity in order to secure the best results
in any fountain pen. When a reservoir of this kind, in which the air enters at
the same end at which the ink passes out, is used, it will be understood that the
ink will not flow out except as air enters, and that the air will enter only in pro-
portion as the flowing out of the ink tends to create a vacuum within the reservoir,
and that consequently the air will enter at intervals in the form of small globules
or bubbles. If the channel through which these air bubbles have to pass upward
through the mass of ink flowing downward through the same channel be a long
one, then the flow will be irregular, and at longer intervals, and thus the pen will
at times be supplied with an excess of ink and at other times there will be
deficiency of ink. Now by using this diaphragm instead of a long plug, tube
or similar device, it will be seen that the hole or passage o, through which the air

page_text: and ink pass, is a very short one, only equal in length to the thickness of the
diaphragm, and that consequently the air bubbles will pass through this short
passage very quickly and with more uniformity than through the long tubes or
passages generally used. The instant a bubble passes through the opening or
hole o, it rises through the ink in the reservoir to the upper end thereof, relieving
the partial vacuum and permitting the escape of a corresponding quantity of ink,
and, as this process is constantly recurring, the feeding of the ink is thereby
rendered uniform and certain.
The ink having passed to the lower side of the diaphragm I is conducted down
to the point of the pen, which is thus kept uniformly supplied.
As it is desirable, for the reason above stated, to make the diaphragm as thin as
is practicable, and as the pen B is held entirely by the diaphragm, I provide the
pen B with lateral shoulders n, as shown in figure 7, so that when the end of the
pen B is forced into the curved slit in the diaphragm, these shoulders n will bear
firmly against its under side and thus aid to secure it more firmly in place and
prevent any displacement or improper movement of the same when in use.
.
In order to enable the reservoir to be filled without taking the feeding stem
entirely out and laying it down, which would be liable to smear the desk or papers
with ink, I so construct it that it shall have sufficient friction against the inner
walls of the reservoir to hold it in position when the diaphragm I is drawn out, as
shown in Figure 6. This may be done in various ways for instance by simply
giving it a curved form, as shown in Figures 6 and 11, or by attaching to it a
cross-piece, as shown in Figure 5, the ends of which would serve to hold it in place
by contact with the walls of the reservoir.
While I prefer to construct the several parts as shown, it is obvious that they
may be slightly modified without changing the principle or operation of the pen.
For instance, the stem. E and the lip C may be in one piece, and made to project
through a hole in the diaphragm, down by the side of the pen B, and on either its
front or back side, preferably the latter, as shown in Figure 10. The ink will be
drawn by the capillary attraction of the adjoining:surface of the pen and lip into
the narrow space between them as soon as it has passed through the diaphragm,
whether it be delivered at the front or rear side of the pen. When preferred the
diaphragm I, lip C and stem E may all be made in one piece. So too, instead of
the single crescent shaped opening o, there may be used in addition a hole r,
which may be provided for the air inlet. If this separate air hole ŕ be used it
will be filled with ink so that the air will have to pass up through it, the same in
effect as when but a single hole is used. The reservoir, may, if desired, be made
in two or more parts tightly joined together by screw joints or otherwise.
In the modification represented in Figure 11-the lip C is dispensed with, and
the slit of the pen is extended up into the opening o, in such manner that the said
slit forms the channel to conduct the ink from the opening o to the point of the
pen. In this modification the pen, adjacent to the slit, should be of somewhat
more than the ordinary thickness in order that the conducting surfaces may be
proportionally increased.
By means of my invention I can make fountain pens very much smaller in
diameter than usual, thus specially adapting them to the requirements of ladies
and children.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination, in a fountain pen, of a tubular reservoir closed at its
upper end, and a diaphragm I provided with an opening o and constructed and
arranged to retain a pen in due relation with said reservoir, substantially as, and
for the purpose, herein set forth.
Second. The combination in a fountain pen, of the tubular reservior A closed
at its upper end, with the diaphragm I provided with the lip C and pen B, said

page_text: diaphragm having an opening for the passage of air and ink and being constructed
and adapted to be inserted in the lower end of the tube A, substantially as shown
and described.
Third. The combination in a fountain pen, of the tubular reservoir A closed at
its upper end, and the diaphragm provided with the lip C and pen B, said
diaphragm having a passage for ink from the interior to the channel which
conducts the ink to the point of the pen, and an opening r for the admission of air
to the reservoir, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination, in a fountain pen, of a diaphragm I constructed with
a suitable opening to receive and retain a writing pen and having an air passage
or opening o, and a feeding stem located within said reservoir and extending from
the diaphragm I upward to or near the upper end of said reservoir, all substantially
as, and for the purpose, herein set forth.
Fifth. In a fountain pen, the feeding stem E provided with the groove e or
equivalent slit located within the ink reservoir and extending from the diaphragm I
upward to or near the upper end of said reservoir, said groove or slit terminating
at the diaphragm for the purpose of conducting the ink from the upper portion of
the reservoir down to the diaphragm, substantially as shown and described.
Sixth. In combination with the reservoir A, the diaphragm I arranged to slide
up into the open end of the reservoir, and the feeding stem E arranged to act as a
stop by having its upper end strike against the closed end of the reservoir, or
against a projection therein and thus hold the diaphragm at the desired point
within the reservoir, substantially as shown and described.
Seventh. In a fountain pen, the combination with the reservoir A, of the.
diaphragm I, or section to which the pen is secured, and a feeding stem E bent or
otherwise provided with means for supporting it by frictional contact with the
walls of the reservoir when the diaphram is drawn out, substantially as, and for
the purpose, herein set forth.
Eighth. In combination with the diaphragm I provided with a slit for the
insertion of the upper end of the pen, the pen B provided with the right angled
shoulders n arranged to bear against the diaphragm I, substantially as, and for the
purpose, herein set forth.
1
C