AN IMPROVEMENT OR. IMPROVEMENTS IN INKSTANDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES, THE PACKING OF PISTONS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Danks, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Glass Cutter, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR.
IMPROVEMENTS IN INKSTANDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS MAY
ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES, THE PACKING OF PISTONS, AND
OTHER LIKE PURPOSES."
Sealed the 27th February 1855, and dated the 1st September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Danks at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st September
1854.
I, JAMES DANKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Glass Cutter,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT
OR IMPROVEMENTS IN INKSTANDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO
BE APPLIED TO THE STOPPERS OF BOTTLES, THE PACKING OF PISTONS, AND OTHER LIKE
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention is illustrated by the accompanying Drawing,
which represents in vertical section an inkstand constructed according to my
Invention. a is the reservoir containing the ink; b, the funnel or dipping cup,
into which the ink is raised by the pressure of the air upon the surface of the
ink in the reservoir a. A neck or groove c is formed in the pipe of the funnel b,
and a ring of vulcanized caoutchouc or other elastic material d is placed on the

page_text: said pipe of the funnel, and in the groove c, as represented. The said ring of
caoutchouc d serves as a packing between the pipe of the funnel and the neck
of the reservoir a. By depressing the funnel or dipping cup b, the air in the
reservoir a is compressed, and the ink forced into the said dipping cup. By
making a groove around the stopper of a bottle or other vessel, and placing a
ring of vulcanized caoutchouc in the said groove, the said stopper may be
made air-tight; and the same arrangement of a groove and elastic ring therein
may be used as a packing for pistons, and as a packing generally. When the
inkstand represented is filled with water, and a dise of some porous fabric is
stretched across the top of the funnel b, it forms a label damper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Danks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DANKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Glass Cutter, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said

page_text: James Danks, Her special licence that I, the said James Danks, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Danks, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN INK-
STANDS, WHICH IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED TO THE
STOPPERS OF BOTTLES, THE PACKING OF PISTONS, AND OTHER LIKE PURPOSES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Danks, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Danks, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say):-
My Invention consists of an improvement or improvements in inkstands, the
nature of which is hereafter particularly described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, which improvement or improvements may also be
applied to the other purposes herein-after described. Figures 1, 2, and 3
represent inkstands constructed according to my Invention. The same letters
indicate the same parts in the various Figures. a is the reservoir for contain-
ing the ink; b is a funnel or dipping cup, into which the ink is raised by the
pressure of the air on the surface of the ink in the reservoir a. A neck or
groove c is formed in the pipe of the funnel b, and a ring of vulcanized
caoutchouc or other elastic material d is placed on the said pipe of the funnel b,
and in the groove c, as represented: The said ring of vulcanized caoutchouc d
serves as a packing between the pipe of the funnel and the neck of the
reservoir a. By depressing the funnel or dipping cup b, the air in the reservoir
a is compressed, and the ink forced into the said dipping cup. By raising the
funnel or dipping cup b, the air in the reservoir will be rarified, and the
ink will return from the said dipping cup into the said reservoir. Figure 4
represents my Invention when used as a label damper. The said label damper
exactly resembles the inkstands, Figures 1, 2, and 3, excepting that it has a
disc or layer e, of some porous fabric, stretched over and fixed to the top of the
funnel 6; or the said layer may be made of caoutchouc, with one or two small

page_text: holes made therein. The reservoir is partly filled with water, and by depressing
the funnel the water rises in the said funnel and moistens the disc e. Stamps
or labels may be damped by being laid on the said moistened disc e. My
Invention may be applied to the stoppers of bottles or other vessels by making
a groove or grooves around the said stoppers, and placing a ring of vulcanized
india-rubber in each of the said grooves. My Invention may be used as a
packing for pistons, and as a packing generally; but, as the application of my
said Invention to the packing of pistons and to packing generally resembles
the application of the same to inkstands and stoppers, I do not think it
necessary to give any further description of the same.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as my
Invention the method herein described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing, of constructing inkstands and label dampers, and the application
of the said method of construction to the stoppers of bottles, the packing of
pistons, and other like purposes, that is to say, by the use of a ring or rings of
vulcanized caoutchouc or other elastic substance fixed in a groove or grooves
on the funnels of the said inkstands and label dampers, or on the said stoppers,
pistons, or other such like bodies.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Danks, havo hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT.
JAMES DANKS. (L.S.)