IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INKSTANDS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Bain, of Westbourne Park Road, Pad-
dington, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INKSTANDS."
Sealed the 11th July 1856, and dated the 12th January 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Bain at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
January 1856.
I, ALEXANDER BAIN, of Westbourne Park Road, Paddington, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF INKSTANDS to be as
follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to facilitate the filling of the dipping
cup of inkstands with ink, and the withdrawal of the same therefrom, when
the inkstand is not in use, in order to prevent the needless evaporation of the
ink and the deposit of sediment in the ink cup. To this end I form a cylin-
drical or other shaped ink vessel, and mount it on a rolling or rocking fulcrum.
The vessel I divide by a partition into two compartments, the smaller of which
forms the dipping cup and receives its supply of ink from-the larger compart-
ment, the latter being filled in the first instance by pouring the ink into the
dipping cup while in an elevated position. I provide a hinged or sliding cover

page_text: (which may be self-acting or not) for closing the mouth of the dipping cup
when the inkstand is not in use; or the frame which carries the ink vessel
may also form the cover by mounting the vessel loosely therein, and permitting
it to move endwise as the frame is rocked in order to expose or cover, as the
case may be, the mouth of the dipping cup. The rocking or rolling fulcrum I
propose to make hollow, that pens, &c., may be deposited therein.
Another mode of preventing the sedimentary deposit in the dipping cup is,
to attach it to a bent tube that rises from a sliding piston with which the ink
cylinder is provided. The depression of this piston will cause the ink to rise
up the tube and flow into the cup, and the reverse movement of the piston
will effect the withdrawal of the ink. A rack and pinion, or a screw motion,
may be applied to work the piston.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Bain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
BAIN, of Westbourne Park Road, Paddington, in the County of Middlesex,
Mechanical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Bain, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Bain, my
executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Bain, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF INKSTANDS," upon the condition, amongst others, that I,
the said Alexander Bain, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Iuven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
aud immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Bain, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The nature of my Invention, and the manner the same is to be performed,
is explained as follows:-The letters refer respectively to similar parts in all
the Figs.
A is a hollow cylindrical vessel, somewhat in the shape of a mortar, made of
any suitable material, such as glass, porcelain, hard india-rubber, or wood
lined with any substance that will resist acids, such as gutta percha or india-
rubber; E is an opening through which the vessel is to be filled with ink,
and which opening also serves as the dipping cup; C is a lid to cover the
opening E, when the inkstand is not used. The lid C is fixed to a stem F,
which moves freely on a stud at D; this stud is fixed in the vessel A; G is a
small stud fixed in the lid C, and projects downwards in the opening E, and
acts as a stop by coming against the sides of the opening E, and prevents the
lid from moving further than is required when it covers or uncovers the
opening; B is a cylindrical foot or fulcrum fixed to the vessel A, and on which
it can be turned from the position shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, to the position shewn
at Figs. 3 and 4. Figs. 1 and 3 are side views, and Figs. 2 and 4 are front
views. I is a weight fixed to the stem F at D. This weight is heavier than
the lid, and is for the purpose of causing the lid to cover the opening E, when
the inkstand is in the position shown by Figs. 1 and 2, which is when not in
use, and to uncover the opening E, when the inkstand is turned into the
position shown by Figs. 3 and 4, which is the position for use.
stem F, and weight H are all fixed together as one piece; the stud
their centre of motion.
The lid,
II being
The advantage sought to be obtained by this Invention is to keep the sub-
stances of which the ink is composed well mixed by agitating it every time the
inkstand is taken into or put out of use, which is accomplished by turning the
inkstand over from one position to another, because what was the bottom of
the vessel in one position becomes the top in the next. Advantage is taken
of this turn-over action to make the lid self-acting, so that there is no more
trouble to the user of this inkstand than there would be in opening and
shutting the lid of an ordinary one; and the dipping cup, or opening E, is
placed in the very best position for the pen.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I hereby state that I do not confine my

page_text: Invention to the form of apparatus herein shown and described; but what
I claim is, the invention of inkstands constructed so as to turn on fulcrums
or axes placed below the longitudinal centre of such inkstands, so that they
will steadily retain their position, whichever end is uppermost. I also claim
actuating the lids by means of the movements of the ink-holders.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Alexander Bain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,.
W. H. SHIRLEY,
Law Stationer,.
17, Carey St, Lincoln's Inn.
.C.. E. FARINA,
Clerk to Mr. Shirley.
ALEX BAIN. (L.S.)