Improvements in Pens or Writing Implements.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pens or Writing Implements.
A communication from JOSEPH EDWARD LAUDERS, of 94, Hillman Street, New
Bedford, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of America,
Clerk.
I Alfred GEORGE BROOKES of 55 & 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent 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:-
Pens for writing or marking purposes as now commonly constructed comprise a
body portion shaped at one end to constitute a marking or writing point and provided
at its opposite end with a semicircular or curved shank adapted to be inserted in a
suitable pen holder to permit it to be used.
Pen holders are made of various sizes, and the slots to receive the shanks of the
pens are of various curvatures corresponding to the size of the holder and to the
particular fancy of the purchaser or user, and likewise pens are made of various
sizes, shapes and thicknesses, the curvature and sizes of the shanks correspondingly
varying.
It frequently happens that it is impossible to use a particular pen with the
desired holder, for the reason that the curvature of the shank of the is either
pen
too great or too small to permit it to be inserted in the holding slot of the holder,
owing to the different curvature of the holding slot in the holder.
In the use of rubber pen holders now so generally employed by penmen there is
more or less flexibility of the holder which permits pens having shanks differing in
curvature from the curvature of the slot in the holder to be used, yet the rubber
holders are frequently broken by these attempts to use pens which do not fit and
are not adapted to the particular holder desired.
To overcome these difficulties and to permit various sizes and kinds of pens to
be used with any particular holder, whatever be the size of the latter my corre-
spondent has discovered that by providing the curved shank of the pen with one
or more slits or openings said shank is given a flexibility which though not
necessarily great yet is sufficient to permit it to adapt itself to practically any
curvature of the holding slot in the holder.
In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a pen having a curved slitted shank in
accordance with this invention, and
Fig. 2. a right hand end view of the pen looking at the end of the shank.
Referring to the drawing in the particular form of pen selected to illustrate this
invention, a represents the body portion shaped or formed at one of its ends to
constitute a writing point a¹ and formed at its opposite end to present a usual
semicircular or semicylindrical shank adapted to be entered into a curved slot in
the pen holder of any style or construction.
In accordance with this invention this curved shank a² is slit, or otherwise
perforated to divide it into segments, the shank of the pen shown being provided
with a single central slit as which may be formed by cutting knives or by sawing,
stamping, or in any other suitable or desired manner, the only requirement being
that the opening or openings formed in the shank be such as will permit it to yield
more or less to change its already curved form to thereby adapt itself to varying
curvatures of holding slots in pen holders.
Referring to Fig. 2, the dotted lines illustrate the flexibility of the shank slitted
in accordance with this invention, and show how easily the already curved segments
formed by the slit may adapt themselves to holding slots of varying curvatures.
If the holding slot is of a less radius than the natural curvature of the shank,

page_text: the two segments of the shank may be pressed together, as in dotted lines Fig. 2,
to permit the shank to be entered into the holder.
On the other hand, if the pen is a small one for the holder the segments of the
shank may be spread out to approximate a curve of longer radius to fit the holding
slot in the holder.
This invention is not limited to any particular kind of pen, nor to any particular
size or material of which the curved shank consists, neither is the invention
limited to any particular number, size, or shape of the slits, the gist of the
invention consisting in slitting the previously curved shank to permit it to yield
sufficiently to adapt itself to holders of various sizes, and having curved holding
slots of a curvature differing from the natural curvature of the shank.
The shank of the pen being already a curved shank, it necessarily yields but
slightly to permit the curved segments to adapt themselves to curved slots of
greater or less curvature, the adaptability of the slitted curved shank lying not so
much in the resiliency of the segments as in the absence of rigidity between the
edges or outside points of the curved shank.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A pen or writing implement having a curved or semi-cylindrical holding
shank slitted to permit it to adapt itself to holders of varying curvatures, substan-
tially as described.
2. A pen or writing implement provided with a curved or semi cylindrical
holding shank comprising a plurality of independently yielding curved segments,
substantially as described.
Dated the 7th da
1000
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.