Improvements in Fountain Pens.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Fountain Pens.
(A communication by, BYRON BENJAMIN GOLDSMITH, of 19, East 74th Street, New
York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
Chemist.)
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester,'
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this 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 has reference to improvements in fountain pens, the object being
to overcome the imperfections of pens of this general class and at the same time
cheapen its production without sacrificing any of the meritorious features inherent
in high-priced pens of this character.
The feed-plug, which constitutes the most essential and unavoidable elements of
fountain pens, is, in accordance with the invention, so constructed that it constitutes
a subsidiary ink reservoir, bringing and holding a comparatively considerable
quantity of ink within a very short distance from the pen, and feeding the ink to
the latter by an open slot, as distinguished from a groove or channel. The
advantage secured by this construction is, that the ink feed is never obstructed and
is never too free, as is often the case with the constructions heretofore employed.
Another feature of the invention is, that the holder or mantle is made of a com-
paratively considerable thickness of wood or other poor conductor of heat, by
reason of which the separate ink reservoir proper may be made of thin but strong
material, and even of metal, without danger of unduly heating the reservoir by
conduction from the hand of the user, and thereby cause an excessive flow of ink.
These and other characteristics of this improved fountain pen will more fully
appear from the following detail description with reference to the accompanying
drawing, in which
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of the complete fountain pen ;
Figure 2, is a plan view of one form of feed plug;
Figure 3, a plan view of a modified form of feed plug;
.
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section of the modified form of feed plug, and,
Figure 5, shows a section on lines x-x of Fig. 2, 3 and 4.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts.
The cylindrical mantle 1, is formed with a central bore 2, open at the front end
and extending to near the other end of the mantle. Each end of the mantle is
reduced in diameter, as usual, to receive the cap 3, shown in dotted lines, and the
exterior of the mantle may be furnished in any desired ornamental manner, say, in.
imitation of hard rubber.
The mantle is made of a material that is a poor conductor of heat, and by

page_text: preference of wood, which is not only a very poor conductor of heat, but is also
light, cheap, and easily worked and ornamented in imitation of more costly materials.
The walls of the mantle are made comparatively thick and this necessitates that the
diameter of the axial bore 2, be comparatively small, and that, consequently, the
ink reservoir be made of rather thin imaterial, so that it may still afford sufficient
storage room for the ink.
This ink reservoir 4, consists of a tube of thin metal, stiff paper, celluloid, or
other like material suitable for the formation of tubes which have the requisite
stiffness and toughness. The reservoir tube extends and is glued or cemented or
otherwise securely held within the mantle; it projects beyond the front end of the
mantle for the reception of the feed plug and writing point or pen proper, while
the rear end of the reservoir is closed by a plug 5, of cork or rubber.
Since the projecting portion of the ink reservoir must receive the feed-plug and
the pen, must hold them by friction, and must withstand the pressure exerted upon
it in the act of writing; the material of which it is made should be stiff and tough.
It has been found that, with a thick wooden mantle which prevents the conduction
of heat from the hand to the reservoir, the latter may be made of quite thin
material such as still paper or celluloid, but preferably of metal.
The high
conductivity for heat possessed by metal is no detriment, when a thick walled
wooden mantle is used.
When the ink reservoir is made of paper, it must be impregnated, lined or coated
with a substance that renders it waterproof and also proof against weak acids, and
such other ingredients that are used in the manufacture of writing inks.
The impregnation or coating of the paper tube with shellac or other suitable
varnish, accomplishes this purpose.
:
When, however, the ink reservoir is made of metal, which is the preferred
construction, its interior must be lined or coated with a substance that is not
attacked by ink, both for the protection of the reservoir, and for the protection of
the ink, but particularly for the latter purpose; that is to say for the prevention of
decomposition of the ink by the corrosion of the metal.
This may be accomplished by lining the interior of the ink reservoir with
varnished paper, or by coating or lining it with japan; and such construction is
indicated in Fig. 1, at 41 by a heavy black line. In order to apply such lining or
coating of japan to the interior of the reservoir tube the latter is primarily made
with both ends open; is then dipped into japan, and after the latter has
been baked, the rear end of the reservoir is closed by the cork or rubber plug,
as shown.
To the front end of the mantle is fitted a cap-shaped ferrule 6, and a sleeve 7,
fitted over the projecting portion of the reservoir tube, fits into the outer opening
of the ferrule and abuts against the end of the mantle, and is held in place by
having the outer edge of the reservoir tube spun over, as indicated at 8.
The feed plug 9, is constructed as follows:
The main body of the plug is cylindrical, with its forward portion 9' reduced and
shaped as indicated, and turned practically to a point 10. A rectilinear V-shaped
groove 11, is formed in the body of the feed plug, and this groove extends through-
out the greater portion of the length of the plug, but terminates within a short
distance from the point 10. This groove 11, is made, as far as practicable of even
depth and width; but by reason of the fact that it is ordinarily made by a rotary
V-shaped cutter it becomes shallower and narrower toward the point where it
terminates. All this is sufficiently well illustrated in the drawing.
From this groove extends a slot 12, opening forwardly near or at the pointed
end of the plug. This slot 12, extends backwards into the deep and wide portion
of the groove 11, so that the ink, coming from the reservoir, flows through the
portion of the groove that is practically of even depth and width and then through
the slot 12; to the inner face of the pen.
The slot 12, may be a rectilinear extension of the groove 11, as shown in Figs. 1
and 2, or it may be at angle to the line of that groove, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

page_text: In the first case the slot opens exactly at the foremost point 10 of the plug, and in
the second case it opens a short distance behind that point.
The slot 12, is considerably narrower than the groove 11, so that the former
accumulates a considerable body of ink in immediate communication with the latter,
and thus serves as a subsidiary reservoir for the slot and the pen very close to the
latter. This insures a free flow of ink to the pen at all times, and at the same
time prevents an excessive flow of ink.
While in the drawing only a single slot 12, has been shown extending from or
near the foremost point of the feed plug into the groove 11, which constitutes the
channel through which the ink flows from the reservoir and which at the same time
constitutes a subsidiary reservoir; it is understood that two or more such slots
would be the equivalent of a single slot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion 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 :—
1. A fountain pen provided with an ink reservoir of thin rigid material, and a
mantle surrounding the same composed of a material and inade of such thickness
as to shield the reservoir from the effects of the heat of the hand of the user,
substantially as described.
2. A fountain pen provided with an ink reservoir and a wooden mantle
'surrounding the same, substantially as described.
3. A fountain pen provided with a metal ink reservoir and a mantle surrounding
the same, composed of a material that is a poor conductor of heat, substantially as
described.
4. A fountain pen provided with a metal ink reservoir and a wooden mantle
surrounding the same, substantially as described.
5. A fountain pen provided with a metal ink reservoir lined on the interior with
a material unaffected by ink, and a mantle surrounding the ink reservoir and
composed of a material that is a poor conductor of heat, substantially as described.
6. A fountain pen composed of a mantle, and an ink reservoir seated therein
consisting of a tube closed at the inner end and at the outer end receiving the pen
and feed plug substantially as described.
7. A fountain pen composed of a mantle, and an ink reservoir seated therein
consisting of a metal tube closed at the inner end and at the outer end receiving
the pen and feed plug, substantially as described.
8. A fountain pen having a wooden mantle and a metal ink reservoir seated
therein and lined internally with a material unaffected by ink, substantially as
described.
9. A fountain pen provided with a wooden mantle, having a central bore
extending through the greater part of its length, an ink reservoir seated in the
mantle, and consisting of a metal tube lined internally with a material unaffected
by ink and provided with a stopper at its inner end, and a pen and feed plug
inserted in and carried by the front end of the ink reservoir, substantially as
described.
10. A fountain pen provided with a tubular ink reservoir closed at one end,
and, at the other end, carrying a pen and feed plug held therein by friction,
substantially as described.
11. A fountain pen provided with a tubular ink reservoir closed at one end by
a stopper and, at the other end, carrying a pen and feed plug held therein
by friction, substantially as described.
12. A feed plug for fountain pens, consisting of a block provided with an ink
duct extending longitudinally on one side of the block from its rear end to near
the front end, and a narrow slot at the front end of the block, for conveying the
ink from the ink duct to the pen nibs, extending rearwardly and opening into the
ink duct, substantially as described.
13. A feed plug for fountain pens, consisting of a block with ink duct of such

page_text: size as to constitute a subsidiary ink reservoir and communicating directly with the
main ink reservoir, and a narrow slot in the front of the block opening into the
ink duct and arranged for conveying ink therefrom to the pen nibs, substantially
as described.
"
14. A feed plug for fountain pens, consisting of a block provided with a V-shaped
ink duct and extending longitudinally on one side of the block from its rear end
to near the front end and a narrow slot at the front end of the block, for
conveying ink from the ink duct to the pen nibs, extending rearwardly and opening
into the ink duct, substantially as described.
15. A feed plug for fountain pens, consisting of a block with a longitudinal ink
duct extending longitudinally on one side of the block from its rear end to near
the front end, and a narrow slot for conveying ink from the duct to the pen nibs,
extending rearwardly at an angle to the ink duct and opening into the latter,
substantially as described.