An Improved Writing Ink.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Writing Ink.
We, ISAAC LICHTENTAG, Chemist, of 1,356, Constance Street, and ALEXANDER
LICHTENTAG, Teacher, of 1,118, Robin Street, both in the City of New Orleans,
Parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, United States of America, 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:-
Our invention relates to the production of a new article of, manufacture, a
writing ink, intended to take the place of the ordinary writing inks of com-
merce. Writing ink is water, containing in solution some coloring principle.
The writing inks of commerce can be readily removed from paper by acids or
other chemicals. A writing ink, whose coloring principle would be carbon, has
been striven for, as carbon is unaffected by chemicals or the action of time,
and attempts at producing such an ink have been made. Carbon of course is
insoluble in water; neither will it mix with it and remain in suspension. So,
in such attempts, gums have been employed to hold the particles of carbon in
suspension. The writing done with such an ink, however, can be washed from
the paper with water.
It will be seen that in the production of a carbon writing ink there are two
difficulties to overcome; 1st, to keep the particles of carbon in suspension in the
water, and 2nd, to fasten the same to the paper.
Qur
After continued trials and much experimentation, we have discovered that soap
will overcome both these difficulties, provided nothing else be used.
experiments show that the addition of any other material will either precipitate
the carbon or render the ink washable from the paper on which it may be
written.
In the accomplishment of the purposes hereinbefore set forth, and by the
means thus described, we have employed all forms of soap, but have obtained
the best results from ordinary laundry soap. We have also found that the best
means of preparing the ink is to first treat the carbon with the soap and then
place it in the water, rather than dissolve the soap in the water and then add
the carbon. We obtain the best results by intimately mixing in any well known
manner the finely divided carbon (the finest lampblack for example) with an
equal quantity of soap, by weight, thus giving each particle of
carbon
such
scap coating, and then adding
water, stirring the same, when it will be
apparently dissolves, the suspension is so perfect.
two ounces of finely divided carbon (lampblack for example) and two ounces of
soap. We have thus produced a new and superior article of manufacture, which
can be bottled and sold as is done with the ordinary writing inks of commerce.
We have observed that the ink improves with time, working more perfectly after
it has stood a month or two.
a
coated
carbon io
observed that the carbon
For a gallon of water use
We have found that soap has been used as an ingredient in printing-inks,
pencils and crayons, but never in a water writing ink. Consequently we claim

page_text: its use in the manner, and for the purposes for which we apply it, not only as
original with us, but entirely a new discovery and invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is;-
-
1-In the production of writing inks of the class herein described, namely:
those consisting of water, holding in suspension finely divided carbon; the
process of suspending the carbon in the water and of rendering it unwashable
when written on paper, which consists in supplying a substance which dissolves
in the water and holds up the finely divided carbon, and which causes the water
to penetrate into the paper on which it may be written, carrying with it the
carbon and uniting the same to the fibre of the paper, said substance consisting
of soap.
2 The process of making writing ink which consists in intimately mixing
finely divided carbon with soap, thereby giving each particle of carbon a soap
coating, and subsequently adding such coated carbon to water, whereby the
soap is dissolved and the carbon suspended in the solution, substantially as
specified.
3-As a new article of manufacture, a writing fluid composed of carbonacious
matter, soap and a menstruum as water.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1898.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.