Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
I, WILLIAM WASIDINGTON STEWART, of 117, Montague Street, City of New York
(Borough of Brooklyn), County of Kings and State of New York, United States
of America, Fountain Pen Manufacturer, 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;
My invention relates to means for maintaining the caps of fountain pens and
like devices properly secured friction tight to their holders and for compensating
for any looseness that may exist between the cap and holder.
Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced in providing caps for fountain
pens or like devices which would fit friction tight upon their holders. It has
been found almost impossible to make any two caps of exactly the same dimen-
sions. Thus the same drill used in finishing the interior of the caps often pro-
duces openings of sufficiently different dimensions to enable one cap to be main-
tained friction tight upon a holder, while another cap cannot be maintained in
place. This is due to the fact that in some cases the pressure exerted in the act
of turning or drilling the cap is greater than at other times, and again the drill
quickly becomes dull, which results in a change in the dimensions of the cap.
It has also been found that the use of different grades of vulcanite in the manu-
facture of caps would in itself result in holes of different proportions being
formed in the caps. It is likewise customary in the manufacture of fountain
pens to impress different numerals or characters upon the cap receiving head of
the holder, as indicated at z of the drawing, for the purpose, among others, of
indicating the character of the pen. The pressing of these numerals usually left
slight burrs raised on the periphery of the cap receiving head, which rendered it
necessary to force the cap in place thereon. This caused an enlargement of the
cap and it could not afterwards be maintained friction tight upon the nozzle end
of the holder.
The object of my invention is to overcome these and other disadvantages pre-
sent in fountain pens heretofore made and to provide at little additional expense
simple and efficient means for compensating for any differences in dimensions
between the cap of the fountain pen and the part or parts of the holder with
which the said cap co-operates.
To these ends my invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination
of parts hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters represent corresponding
parts in the different views
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fountain pen embodying my invention, the
cap being shown in section;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2-2, Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of a fountain pen corresponding to the represen-
tation shown in Figure 1 and illustrates a modified form of construction embody-
ing my invention;

page_text: Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 1-4 of Figure 3.
In the drawing A represents a holder or reservoir of a fountain pen or other
similar device, which may be of any desired or preferred construction, and which
is shown as provided with a cap receiving portion a at the nozzle end of
B repre-
the pan and a cap receiving portion b at the head of the pen.
sents a pen protecting cap which may be of any desired construction, and
is shown in the present instance as provided with a set screw c which is preferably
carried by a portion of the holder where the stock is thickened, as indicated at d
for the purpose of giving a better bearing or support for the screw.
The screw
is adapted to pass entirely through the cap and to be brought into contact with
the cap receiving portion a, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. It is obvious that
when the cap is withdrawn from the nozzle end of the pen that the same screw c
will contact with the cap receiving head or portion & in the same manner that it
does at the nozzle end of the pen.
In Figures 3 and 4 a modified construction is illustrated, wherein set
screws care carried by the cap supporting portions of the holder at the nozzle
and cap receiving head respectively. These set screws are adapted to abrade
against the inner face of the cap and to maintain a frictional contact between the
cap and the holder.
It will be observed that by my invention I provide adjustable means for regu-
lating the frictional contact between the cap and the cap supporting portions of
the holder, and in practice I find it desirable to make the seat of the cap slightly
larger than the cap receiving portions of the holder, so that the cap may without
difficulty be placed upon the cap receiving portions of the holder and will provide
a small air space, as indicated at .r, between the inner wall of the cap and the
cap supporting portion a of the holder.
It has been customary heretofore to make small vent holes in the caps of foun-
tain pens in order to allow the free passage of air from the interior of the holder
or reservoir when the pen is carried in the pocket of the user; the heat from the
These holes are likewise
body causing the expansion of air in the reservoir.
provided in some pens to prevent ink from being drawn from the holder when
the cap is quickly withdrawn from the nozzle, as would be the case with a closed
cap because of the partial vacuum formed in the cap.
It will be observed that by my invention these vent holes may be dispensed
with, because sufficient space can be provided between the holder and the cap to
allow the free passage of air.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap adapted to be retained in place thereon by frictional contact, and supple-
mental means for maintaining frictional contact between said cap and holder.
2. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap adapted to be retained in place thereon by frictional contact, and supple-
mental adjustable means for regulating the frictional contact between said cap
and holder.
3. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap adapted to be retained in place thereon by frictional contact and adjustable
means carried by said cap and adapted to bear upon the cap receiving portion or
portions of the holder.
4. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap adapted to be retained in place thereon by frictional contact, and an adjust-
able screw carried by said cap and adapted to bear upon the cap receiving portion
or portions of the holder.
5. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap having a seat of larger dimensions than the cap receiving portions of said

page_text: holder so as to provide an air space between said parts to admit air to the pen,
and means for maintaining the cap in frictional contact with the cap receiving
portions of the holder.
'
6. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap having a seat of larger dimensions than the cap receiving portions of said
holder so as to provide an air space between said parts to admit air to the pen,
and adjustable means independent of said cap and holder for maintaining the
cap in frictional contact with the cap receiving portions of the holder.
7. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap having a seat of larger dimensions than the cap receiving portions of said
holder so as to provide an air space between said parts to admit air to the pen,
and an adjustable screw for maintaining the cap in frictional contact with the
cap receiving portions of the holder.
8. In a fountain pen, the combination of a holder, a removable pen protecting
cap having a seat of larger dimensions than the cap receiving portions of said
holder so as to provide an air space between said parts to admit air to the pen,
and an adjustable screw carried by the cap and adapted to bear upon the cap
receiving portions of the holder.
:
A. M. & WM, CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London,