AN IMPROVED INKSTAND
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED INKSTAND." A communication from abroad by Friedrich
William Klingspor, junior, of Siegen, in the Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th March 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND." [A communication
from abroad by Friedrich William Klingspor, junior, of Siegen, in the Empire of
Germany.]
This Invention relates to an improved inkstand, by means of which the ink is
maintained at a constant level at the place in the inkstand where the pen is to be:
dipped.
Inkstands heretofore constructed with a hollow india-rubber stopper, which has
to be pressed down in order to raise the ink by the compression of the air in the
vessel, has several drawbacks and inconveniences. While the stopper is new and soft
it fits very tight, and does not allow the compressed air to escape, and when pressure
is applied again from time to time it also answers very well; yet sometimes' it
happens that when the temperature is high the enclosed air expands, and causes the
ink at the opening to overflow. Afterwards when the india-rubber stopper has
become hard, or is covered with small crystals or a crust of ink, it will no longer
fit sufficiently air-tight, and the stopper has frequently to be adjusted in order to
maintain the level of the ink at a certain height.
An inkstand constructed according to this Invention is very simple, has none of
the above-named disadvantages, and possesses other advantages herein-after men-
tioned.

page_text: In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a cylindrical vessel of glass,
china, stoneware, or metal, which will not be acted on by the ink, and to which a
cover with an opening is fitted, the edge of which opening inclines downward on
the inside; this opening may be made funnel-shaped. The bottom of the said vessel
is extended upwards inwardly in the centre. In this vessel floats a cork ring, either
cut out of one piece, or made up of several pieces. In the opening of the said cork
ring there is suspended a vessel of tin or other suitable material, and hercin-after
called the interior vessel, the edge of which covers the top of the said cork ring,
and also overlaps a slight distance the outside of the said ring; or instead of
allowing the edge of the said interior vessel to cover the top of the said cork, the
top of the latter may be coated with some other material which is not acted on by
the ink. The separation of the said interior vessel from the edge is of importance,
as provision is thus made whereby it may be easily lowered in the opening of the
cork, thereby the ink level may be regulated as desired. Without this covering on
the top surface of the cork mould would be formed on the cork, because the latter
is not immersed in the ink at this part. The surface of the same is very nearly on
a level with the edge, that is to say, the said ring with the interior vessel floats in
the ink up the edge.
The depth of the said interior vessel is measured by the depth to which the pon
is desired to be dipped.
On the flat bottom of the said interior vessel is a plate of india-rubber, rivetted
or otherwise attached, on which the point of the pen strikes; this protects the latter
from the damage which would be caused by striking it against a hard body. On
the same level with the said india-rubber plate are openings cut on the circum-
ference of the interior vessel. The surfaces of tin thus cut out, generally of a heart
shape, are not completely cut away, but remain connected with the circumference
of the said interior vessel, and are bent horizontally outward.
It is evident that the ink level must always remain the same with regard to the
bottom of the interior vessol, whether there is much or litte ink in the inkstand.
When the ink has been so far used up that the bottom of the interior vessel rests
underneath on the upper portion of the inwardly raised part of the inkstand it will
not then even be necessary to pour in more ink, but the ink level will then be
lowered. If, on the other hand, the inkstand is filled it never can make the ink
level any greater than required, because the interior vessel always floats.
One chief advantage of the said improved inkstands, in addition to their main-
taining a constant depth of ink, is this, namely, that any sediment which may from
time to time settle can be pushed away from the aforesaid india-rubber plate side-
wise through the holes provided in the said interior vessel into the outer vessel or
inkstand, where it can fall to the bottom and settle. The said openings have there-
fore their bottom edges exactly on the same level with the top surface of the said
india-rubber plate. This cleaning out can be effected by means of a brush, or by
taking the said interior vessel out by means of a handle fastened with hooks to the
aforesaid cork ring.
The highest position of the inwardly raised part of the bottom of the inkstand
prevents the said interior vessel from sticking in the dirt which settles at the
bottom of the interior of the inkstand. The raised part just mentioned is always
clean.
These improved inkstands will be found of great advantage for school children,
who often soil their hands with ink by the use of ordinary inkstands; they will
likewise be very convenient for all those who have much writing to do.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
September 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND." A communication
from abroad by Friedrich William Klingspor, junior, of Siegen, in the Empire of
Germany.
This Invention relates to an improved inkstand, by means of which the ink is
maintained at a constant level at the place in the inkstand where the pen is
dipped.
Inkstands heretofore constructed with a hollow india-rubber stopper, which has
to be pressed down in order to raise the ink by the compression of the air in the
vessel, are inconvenient and disadvantageous in various respects. While the stopper
is new and soft it fits very tight, and does not allow the compressed air to escape,
and when pressure is applied again from time to time it answers very well; yet
sometimes it happens that when the temperature is bigh the enclosed air expands,
and causes the ink at the opening to overflow. Subsequently, when the india-rubber
stopper has become hard, or is covered with small crystals or a crust of ink, it will
no longer fit sufficiently air-tight, and the stopper has frequently to be adjusted to
maintain the level of the ink at the proper height.
An inkstand constructed according to this Invention is very simple, has none
of the above-named disadvantages, and possesses other advantages herein-after
specified.
This improved inkstand is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in
which,
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the said inkstand on the line A, B, Figure 2.
Figure 2 is an outside elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line a, b, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line c, d, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a vertical section, showing slight modifications in the construction of
the said inkstand.
E is a cylindrical vessel of glass, china, stoneware, or metal, which will not be
acted on by the ink; F is a cover fitting closely, and provided with an opening ƒ,
the edge of which is turned downwards slightly on the inside; this opening may
be made funnel-shaped. The bottom of the vessel is extended upward inwardly
in the centre. In this vessel floats a cork ring G, G, either cut from one piece, or
made up of several pieces. In the opening of the said cork ring there is suspended
a tin vessel H, H, the edge h, h, of which covers the top of the cork ring, and also
overlaps slightly the outside of the said ring.
Instead of letting the edge h, h, of the vessel H, H, cover the top of the cork, the
top of the latter may be coated with some other material which is not acted on by
the ink. The separation of the vessel H, H, from the edge is of importance, as
provision is thus made whereby the said vessel may be easily lowered in the opening
of the cork, so that the ink level may be regulated as desired. Without this covering
h on the top surface of the cork mould would be formed on the cork, because the
latter is not immersed in the ink at this part. The surface of the same is very nearly
on a level with the edge h, that is to say, the said ring with the interior vessel й
floats in the ink up the edge.
The depth of the said interior vessel H is measured by the depth to which the
pen is desired to be dipped.
On the flat bottom of the said interior vessel H is a plate of india-rubber / rivetted
or otherwise attached, and on which the point of the pen strikes; this protects the
latter from the injury which would be caused by striking against a hard body. On
the same level as the said india rubber plate are openings i, i, cut in the circum-

page_text: ference of the interior vessel H. The surfaces of tin thus cut out, generally of a
heart shape, are not completely cut away, but remain connected with the circum-
ference of the vessel H, and are bent-horizontally outwards, as shown at i¹ in
Figure 1.
It will be obvious that the ink level a must always remain the same with regard
to the bottom of the vessel H, whether there is much or little ink in the inkstand
or vessel E. When the ink has been so far used that the bottom of the interior
vessel rests upon the raised part 2, it will not then be necessary to pour in more
ink, but the ink level will then be lowered. If, on the other hand, the inkstand is
filled, the ink can never be higher than its proper level, because the interior vossel H
always floats.
One important advantage of this improved inkstand, in addition to that of its
maintaining a constant depth of ink, is that any sediment which may from time to
time accumulate can be pushed away from the india-rubber plate & laterally through
the holes i, i, into the outer vessel E, where it can fall to the bottom, and settle at
m, m. The openings i, i, have therefore their bottom edges exactly on the
same level as the top surface of the said india-rubber plate. This cleaning out can
be effected by means of a brush, or by taking the vessel Hout by means of a handle
fastened with hooks to the aforesaid cork ring.
The inwardly raised part 2 prevents the vessel H from sticking in the dirt which
settles at the bottom of the vessel E; the raised part is always clean.
These improved inkstands will be found of great advantage in schools, where the
pupils often soil their hands with ink when using ordinary inkstands; they will
likewise be very convenient for all persons who have much writing. The facility
for cleaning the india-rubber plate, on which the point of the pen strikes, is also a
great advantage.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I. wish it understood
that I claim,
First. An inkstand formed of any suitable material, and in which a cork ring
floating in the ink is covered with metal on the whole of its surface at that part
thereof which stands above the ink, in the inside opening of which ring is a vessel
with a flat bottom, whereon is secured a ring of india-rubber or other soft material,
the said vessel being provided with openings in the side, through which the ink
enters the same, and the outside vessel or inkstand being provided underneath with
a projection flat on the top, and with a cover which has on the inside a cylindrical
or conical projection as above described, and represented in the Drawing and for the
purpose specified.
Second. The above-described construction, wherein the interior vessel may
be separated from the edge, so that the vessel in the opening of the cork can be
more or less depressed or lowered, and the modification of this construction, wherein
instead of extending the edge h, h, over the top surface of the cork the same may be
covered with any suitable substance which will not be acted on by the ink, and
which will protect the cork from mould, as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
TYTH
TAR
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