CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON INKHOLDERS
Year: 1826

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHNSTON, of Caroline Street, Bedford Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Jeweller, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and
twenty-six, in the seventh year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Johnston, His especial
licence that I, the said William Johnston, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said William Johnston, my exors, adñors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON INKHOLDERS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William
Johnston, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Johnston, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention
of certain improvements on inkholders consist in the peculiar construction of
vessels for receiving and retaining the ink, whether the same be adapted
to stationary or portable inkholders, that is, to what are commonly called
inkstands or to fountain pens, the particulars of which will be fully understood
by reference to the Drawings illustrated by the following description: —
Figure 1 is the external representation of a stationary inkstand, in which
the ink is contained and preserved free from the action of the air; Fig. 2 is a
section of the same. By unscrewing the top piece a, ink may be introduced
to the interior, and when the top piece is screwed down the chamber bis
rendered air-tight. c is a cup, communicating with the chamber b by a small
channel d, in which a stop-cock e is inserted. When the ink is required to
be used, the stop-cock e is to be opened by turning the small lever, or by any
other convenient means, which permits the ink to flow from the chamber b
into the cup c.
It will, however, be sometimes necessary in effecting this to
admit air into the chamber before the ink will flow, which may be done by
turuing the rose, head of the upper stop-cock f, until the orifice of a small
channel which passes down the middle of that stop-cock comes opposite to a
small hole in the top piece a, and thereby admits air to the chamber. The air,
however, may be admitted without a stop-cock of this construction by a small
passage, extending a short distance up the top piece and then turning round,
as shewn in the detached Figure 3, where it is only necessary to unscrew the
top piece until the air passage opens under the collar. In order to withdraw
the ink from the cup c, and introduce it again into the chamber 6, the passages
must be opened and the vessel tilted, which will permit the ink to return
through the channel d. The stop-cocks e and f being then closed, the ink is
retained in the chamber and preserved from evaporation or the action of the
air. The ink, however, may be withdrawn from the cup by the employment
of a piston or plunger in the upper part of the chamber, which being fitted
air-tight, the raising of the piston will produce an exhaustion within the
chamber, and thereby cause the ink to flow back, and the depression of the
piston will condense the air and expel the ink into the cup, which contrivance
is shewn in the detached Figure 4. I make this inkstand of any figure or
size, and of any kind of metal or other material that may be found con-
venient or desirable; but in cases where the ink is liable to act chemically
upon the metal or other material of which the vessel is made, I coat the
interior with a glazing or japan, or any other substance which is not likely
to be corroded or acted upon chemically by the ink. Figs. 5 and 6 repre

page_text: sents the external appearance of a fountain pen. in different positions, to which
one of my improved ink holders is adapted. Fig. 7 is a section of the same.
a is the tube in which the ink is contained, closed at the top by a plug b, and
the end of that tube is covered by a cap c. At the lower part of the tube
a pen holder d of the ordinary construction is attached, for the purpose of
receiving a cut quill or other kind of pen nib, which is to be supplied with
ink by the finger of the writer (as occasion shall require) by turning the
small lever of a stop-cock e, the opening of which allows the ink to flow
in small quantities through a narrow channel down to the nib; and in order
to admit a sufficient supply of air to the interior of the tube or chamber a, a
very small hole is made through the cap and the plug, as shewn in Fig. 7.
The stop-cock e is shewn detached at Fig. 8; the plug. at Fig. 9, and tho
cap at Fig. 10. Fig. 11 represents an ink holder of the construction last
described, combined with a pencil or crayon case. Fig. 12 is a section of the
same. a is the ink chamber; b, the channel for conducting the ink to the
nib when the stop-cock c is open, as above described; d is the end cap, which
encloses and preserves the nib when the pen is not in use. This cap is shewn,
in section, removed from the pen at Fig. 13. e is a pin or plug, intended to
pass into the channel b for the purpose of preventing the accidental escape of
the ink, and to prevent the channel from becoming closed by the drying of the
ink. At the reverse end of the ink holder the cylindrical tube or case is
extended to form a pencil holder. f, f, is the outer case; g, the conical point
conductor, similar in construction to other pencil holders already in use;
within the cylindrical case there is a tube h, shewn detached at Fig. 14,
having a long slit extending its whole length; within this there is another
tube i, having a screw formed on its exterior, and also having a slit from end
to end, as shewn in the detached Fig. 15. A steel rod k (see Fig. 16) is
intended to pass down the interior of the tube i, and its turned-up end to
protrude through the long slit of the tube i. This rod is to act as a projector
of the crayon or pencil, which is attached to it by a spring clip, as in some
other well-known pencil holders, different views of which spring clip are
shown in Figs. 17 and 18. On the exterior of the tube i two collars, as
Fig. 19, are to advance and recede by screwing, and which are to embrace
the turned-up end of the projector, as seen in Fig. 12. A small square picce
extending on the side of cach collar protrudes forward for the purpose of
passing into the slit of the tube h, within which the tube i and also the
projector and collars is now to be inserted, as seen in Fig. 12.
On turning
the conical point conductor 9 by the finger and thumb (the outer case
being held stationary), the tube i is carried round, and the screw on the

page_text: external surface of the tube i, working in the collars, cause them to advance
or recede, their square parts sliding in the long slit of the tube h, and by
confining the turned-up end of the projector, cause that, and the crayon or
pencil which is attached to it by the spring clip, as before said, to be moved
backward or forward.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.
WILLIAM (L.S.) JOHNSTON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-third day of
September, in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid William Johnston
came before our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Twenty-third day of September, in the year above
written.