CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AND SUPPLYING INK AND OTHER FLUIDS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHRISTOPHER
DAIN, late of Edgbaston, but now of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West.
minster, the Second day of June, in the third year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give 'and grant unto me, the said Christopher
Dain, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Christopher Dain, my exors, adiñors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said Christopher Dain, my exors,
adiiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VESSELS FOR CONTAINING AND SUPPLYING
INK AND OTHER FLUIDS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso that I, the said Christopher Dain, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand. and seal, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court within six calendar month's next imme-

page_text: diately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Christopher Dain, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the man-
ner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
wherein Figure 1 exhibits an elevation of my improved inkstand; Figure 2 is
a longitudinal and vertical section of the same, and Figure 3 a plan. The
other Figures introduced into the Drawing represent separate views of the
parts shown in the former Figures in their combined state, each part in all
the Figures being indicated by the same letters of reference. At a is
reservoir of a glass vessel, having a tubular neck b, communicating with a
small cistern c, which contains the ink required for immediate use, and into
which the pen is to be dipped. About midway in the neck there is formed
an aperture d, which is provided with a valve or stopcock for regulating the
supply from the reservoir to the cistern, which valve or stopcock I denominate
the "ink valve," in contra-distinction to another little valve e, which I call
the "air valve,-as-its office is to admit or shut out the atmosphere, as the
occasion may require. At f. is a stand of metal or other material, on to
which I cement, by putty or other suitable composition, the glass vessel a, b, c;
and further to secure this vessel firmly in its position, I employ a metallic
saddle piece g (shown separately at Figures 4 and 5), the arch of which h
serves to hold down the neck of the glass vessel which it bestrides, and is
connected thereto as well as fixed by means of screws that pass through a
plate of a collar i, i, and are tapped into the stand. From the centre of the
arch of the saddle there springs an arched bracket j, having at its upper
*extrémity a-circular collar k, bored out in the centre, through which works
a screw plug 1, having at its lower extremity a piece of cork m. nis a
cap piece, containing within it a revolving piece o, having a square at its
upper extremity, over which fits a key p, so that by turning the key in one
direction the screw plug is lifted to admit air, and by turning it in the other
direction the screw plug 'forces the piece of cork 'm against the orifice in
the glass, and shuts off the communication with the air. The construction
of the "ink valve" is as follows:-At q is a piece of cork, fitted into the
hole d, d, of the neck b. Affixed to the cork is a brass plug x, square at
its lower end, and having at its upper end a six threaded screw, which
screw works in a socket r, squared at the top to fit the orifice of the key p,

page_text: by turning which key the cork plug may be elevated or depressed, and thus
open or shut off the communication between the reservoir a and dipping
cistern c. The socket is held in its place by the collar s at top and
the collar i at the bottom, and the plug g is prevented from turning round
by its square part working in the square hole of the collar i; hence by turning
the key fitted on to the square head of the socked r, the elevation or depression
of the plug is effected.
.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-To charge the ink reservoir,
the air valve is to be removed, and the funnel w being taken off is to be
screwed to the small pipe (y), which is then to be introduced into the hole
of the air valve, and ink poured through until the reservoir is nearly full,
after which the funnel and the air valve may each be restored to their
respective situations. The pipe (y) is flattened on one side, to allow egress
to the air during the time of filling. The ink reservoir being thus charged,
the apparatus is to be prepared for use in the following manner :-By turning
the plug o the air valve is raised, and opens a communication with the
atmosphere. After this has been effected, the key p is applied to the square
head of the socket r, by turning which the cork valve of the ink plug 9 will
be elevated, and a communication is opened between the reservoir a and the
dipping cistern c, through which communication the liquid, in obedience to
hydrostatic laws, flows and rises in the dipping cistern c, and when it has
ascended to the desired height, the motion of the key is reversed, and the
communication closed. The air valve is now to be shut to prevent evapora-
tion. It is evident that any ink remaining in the dipping cistern c, and not
required for immediate use, may be returned at any time into the reservoir by
opening the valves and inclining the inkstand so as to allow it to return, the
valves being again stopped. This apparatus is likewise applicable to the reten-
tion of such fluids as it may be desirable to draw off in small quantities.
Having now explained the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly understood,
that I limit my claim to the introduction of a valve or stopcock placed
between a reservoir for the ink or other fluid and the vessel or cistern from
which it is taken to be used, whatever may be the form or construction of the
valve or stopcock so employed.
In witness that this is a true Specification of my. Invention, I have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of November, in the
year One thousand eight hundred and forty.
CHRISTOPHER (L.S.) DAIN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirtieth day of November, in
the year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Christopher Dain came before our
'said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the 'Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.