IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PENS AND PENHOLDERS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Josiah Mason, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
METALLIC PENS AND PENHOLDERS."
Scaled the 17th January 1873, and dated the 19th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Josiah Mason at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th September 1872.
I, JOSIAH MASON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PENS AND PENHOLDERS," to be as
follows:-
My improvements in metallic pens have for their object to cause a
uniform or nearly uniform flow of ink to the nibs of the pen, and to
prevent the danger of blotting during writing by the flowing of the ink
from an overcharged pen.
In constructing pens according to my Invention I make on the outer
side of each nib, and at a short distance from the point, an enlargement

page_text: or projection of a semicircular or nearly semicircular figure, and that
portion of the nibs between the enlargements described and the extreme
point of the pen I make either parallel or very slightly inclined to one
another. By this construction the ink is principally retained above the
said expanded part, the said ink being supplied to the point of the pen 5
in the act of writing between the opposed surfaces of the central
slit, and not at all or but very slightly from the external surface of the
nibs.
My improvements in penholders consist in part of an improvement on
an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 1
Twenty-eighth day of December, A.D. 1871, No. 3499. According to
this part of my Invention I make the lower end of the non-metallic
stick of the penholder of small diameter, or I make it taper or of a
conical figure, so that when the said stick is pushed home in the barrel
or tubular part of the penholder its end expands the internal elastic 1
tubular binder, and makes its lips or ears engage firmly with the annular
shoulder or groove in the barrel of the penholder.
I construct that part of the barrel of penholders in which the stick is
inserted with a series of elliptical or other openings for the purpose of
causing the fingers in the act of writing to come in contact with the 2
wood of the stick instead of the surface of the metal of the barrel,
which, when the hand is warm, is very slippery, and prevents or renders
difficult a firm hold of the fingers on the penholder.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Josiah Mason in the Great Seal Patent Office on 2
the 15th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
MASON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Josiah Mason, Her special

page_text: license, that I, the said Josiah Mason, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Josiah Mason,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC PENS AND PENHOLDERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Josiah Mason, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Josiah Mason, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:
My improvements in metallic pens have for their object to cause a
uniform or nearly uniform flow of ink to the nibs of the pen, and to
prevent the danger of blotting during writing by the flowing of the ink
from an overcharged pen.
In constructing pens according to my Invention I make on the outer
side of each nib, and at a short distance from the point, an enlargement,
cheek, or projection, and that portion of the nibs of the pen between the
enlargements described and the extreme point of the pen I make either
parallel or very slightly inclined to one another. By this construction
the ink is principally retained above the said expanded parts, the ink
being supplied to the point of the pen in the act of writing between the
opposed surfaces of the central or other slits, and not at all or but very
slightly from the external surface of the nibs.
My improvements in penholders consist in part of an improvement on
an Invention for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the Twenty-
eighth day of December 1871, No. 3499. According to this part of my
Invention I make the lower end of the non-metallic stick of the pen-
holder of small diameter, or I make it taper or of a conical figure, so

page_text: that when the said stick is pushed home in the barrel or tubular part of
the penholder its end expands the internal clastic binder, and makes its
lips or ears engage firmly with the annular shoulder or groove in the
barrel of the penholder.
I construct that part of the barrels of penholders in which the stick is
inserted with a series of elliptical or other openings for the purpose of
causing the fingers in the act of writing to come in contact with the
wood of the stick instead of the surface of the metal of the barrel,
which, when the hand is warm, is very slippery, and prevents or renders
difficult a firm hold of the fingers on the penholder.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the manner in
which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation and side elevation a slip metallic
pen constructed according to my Invention. b, b, are the enlargements
on the outer side of each of the nibs a, a, and at a short distance from
the point. The said enlargements b, b, may have the semicircular figure
represented, or other figure, and the extreme point of the nibs may either
be parallel or slightly inclined to one another. When the pen is dipped
into ink the ink is principally retained above the enlargements b, b,
and the danger of blotting during writing is prevented.
Figures 14, 18, and 1° represent other pens constructed according to
my Invention. In these pens side cheeks 62, 63, are used in combination
with the side enlargements b, b, of the nibs a, a.
Figure 1º represents another pen in which the side enlargements b, b,
instead of being on the sides of the nibs form a part of the side
cheeks 63, 63, that is, the side cheeks b², 6, are prolonged downwards to
near the point of the pen, as represented.
In Figure 1 the central slit passes beyond the side enlargements b, b.
In Figure 1B a piercing is made at the middle of the side enlarge-
ments b, b, the slit opening into the said piercing. In Figure 1° the
central slit passes into the side enlargements b, b, and cach enlargement
is provided with a piercing. In Figure 1º the side cheeks ¿³, b³, are
pierced, the end parts of the said cheeks nearest the point of the
nibs a, a, being unpierced.

page_text: The pens constructed as represented in Figures 1ª, 1B, 1C, and 1"
consist of clastic nibs, with and without side enlargements b, b, the greater
part of the nibs being situated between and supported by the pair of
cheeks b³, b, which cheeks b³, b³, constitute reservoirs for holding the
ink which is fed uniformly to the nibs a, a, in writing. The pens move
with great smoothness over the paper, and they are not liable to drop
the ink or blot or spirtle the paper, as is common to ordinary steel
pens.
These improvements may also be applied to barrel pens.
Figure 2 represents in elevation and section drawn to a large scale a
penholder made according to my Invention. c is the metallic barrel of
the penholder; d is the non-metallic stick; e is the internal elastic
tubular binder (shewn separately in Figure 3), between which and the
barrel c the pen is held, the said tubular binder being fixed in the barrel c
by the expansion of its lips or ears into the annular groove ƒ (or
annular shoulder) in the barrel c. In order to expand the lips e' and
retain them firmly in the groove ƒ (or shoulder). of the barrel c the
inner or lower end d² of the stick d is made taper or conical or of small
diameter. When the said stick d is pushed home in the barrel c the
taper or small end of the stick enters the binder e, or passes between
the ears or lips of the binder. The said ears or lips e³ are thereby
expanded, and made to engage firmly with the annular groove ƒ (or
shoulder) in the barrel c, as illustrated in the section, Figure 2.
The gripping part of the barrel c of the penholder is perforated with
a series of elliptical (or other) openings g, at which said openings the
lower part of the non-metallic stick d when the latter is pushed into the
barrel c is presented. By this means the fingers in the act of writing
come in contact with the wood stick d instead of with the surface of the
metal of the barrel c, and a firm hold of the fingers on the holder is
thereby obtained.
Figure 4 represents a penholder of the same construction as that
represented in Figure 2 drawn of the full size.
Figure 5 represents a penholder in which that part of the barrel in
which the perforations g are made is longer than that represented in
Figures 2 and 4.
Figure 6 represents the metallic barrel of a penholder in which the
perforations are of a different shape from those in the penholders,

page_text: Figures 2, 4, and 5; and Figure 7 represents the barrel fixed on the
stick d. The shape of the perforations g in the barrel, Figures 6 and 7,
give great elasticity to it, so that when placed on the stick & the said
barrel is expanded, and grips the stick firmly.
The improvements described for enabling the fingers to have a
firm hold on the penholder may also be applied to the barrels of barrel
pens.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 represent barrel pens, the barrels of which arc
perforated, as before explained with respect to the metallic barrels of
penholders. The perforated parts of the barrels are marked g.
Instead of using with my improved penholders a wooden stick, a
stick made of cork strengthened by a central metallic rod or core may
be employed. A stick of this kind is represented in Figure 11, where
the stick of cork is marked h, and the central metallic rod or core is
marked i. By the use of a stick of this kind the penholder is very light,
and possesses the required rigidity. These sticks may be applied to pen-
bolders of the ordinary kind.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention; but I claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The improvements in metallic pens, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 1, 1ª, 1³, 1º, and 1º of the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, the combination of the projecting nibs a, a, 2
with the side enlargements b, b, as in Figure 1; also the combination
of the nibs a, a, enlargements b, b, and side checks 63, 6³, as in
Figures 14, 18, and 1º; also the combination of the side cheeks 6º, 63, and
enlargements b, b, as in Figure 1".
Secondly. The improvement in penholders, herein-before described a
and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say, making the inner or lower end of the non-metallic sticks of
penholders taper or conical or of a small diameter for the purpose of
expanding the lips or ears of the tubular binders of penholders into
the annular grooves or shoulders of the barrels of the said pen- 3
holders.

page_text: Thirdly. Making that part of the metallic barrels of penholders and the
barrels of metallic barrel pens in which the non-metallic stick is
inserted with a series of elliptical or other openings for enabling the
fingers to have a firm hold on the penholder or pen, as herein-before
described and illustrated in Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Josiah Mason, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
JOHN SINCOCK.
JOSIAH MASON. (L.S.)