IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENS." A communication from
abroad by Alonzo T. Cross, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of
America.
Sealed the 7th November 1879, and dated the 11th September 1879.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th September 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR
PENS." A communication from abroad by Alonzo T. Cross, of Providence, Rhode
Island, United States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of fountain pens wherein a tapering pointed
tube of small calibre, enclosing a loosely fitting spindle, is employed in writing,
such pens being at present known and designated as stylographic fountain pens.
The said Invention consists, first, in providing an air passage within the solid side
or wall of the ink reservoir (which is preferably made of hard india rubber, vulcanite,
celluloid, or other non-corrosive material) to properly conduct the air from the vent-
valve or cap at the upper end of the holder or reservoir to a point near the lower
end of the ink-chamber.
It consists, secondly, in providing an air-passage between an inner and an outer
tube, enclosing the ink chamber (which is preferably made of hard india rubber,
vulcanite, celluloid, or similar non corrosive material), to properly conduct the air
from the vent-valve or cap at the upper end of the bolder or reservoir to a point
near the lower end of the ink chamber.
It consists, thirdly, in attaching the point section of the pen, comprising a tapering
pointed ink delivering tube, to the lower end of the ink reservoir by means of a
tubular coupling, either screw threaded or frictional, thus forming a lower chamber
or ink-passage, in which is placed the writing spindle and the spring by means of
which the spindle is operated, capable of entire separate detachment from the ink
reservoir.

page_text: It consists, fourthly, in a writing spindle and its operating spring attached to a
spindle holder, adjustably held by means of a screw thread or by a friction joint in
the bore of the tubular connecting coupling, in order that the lower end of the
spindle may be adjusted and held in proper relation to the tubular ink-delivery tip
of the enclosing point section.
It consists, fifthly, in a writing spindle and its operating spring attached directly
to the lower end of the ink-reservoir, by the employment of a spindle holder made
adjustable with relation to the ink delivering tip of the enclosing point section, by
means of a screw thread or by a friction joint.
It consists, sixthly, in improved means for connecting the spindle to its holder, in
order to secure elasticity and flexibility within proper limits.
It consists, seventhly, in fluting the point portion of a writing spindle, tipped with
iridium or some other extremely hard and non-corrosive substance, by which means
the ink will be conducted in the grooves to the extreme point of the pen, and thus
be delivered to the paper directly from the grooves in the iridium tip uniformly and
in suitable quantity.
In the accompanying Drawing,-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a stylographic fountain pen, the tubular
reservoir of which is made with an air passage passing through the solid homogeneous
material, of which the tube is made.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the reservoir of a fountain pen formed of an
inner and an outer tube, the inner tube being grooved to form the air passage.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line y, y, Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of a stylographic fountain pen, the reservoir of
which is formed of an inner and an outer tube, and with an air passage formed by
suitably grooving both tubes, the adjustable spindle holder being frictionally held in
the diminished bore of the outer tube.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the same on the line z, z, Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a side view of the writing spindle and its holder drawn to an enlarged
scale, also showing an end view of the fluted iridium tip.
Figure 8 is a sectional view of the ink delivering tube, and the lower portion of
the point section drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 9 shews on an enlarged scale a side view of the writing spindle, the
operating spring, and loose washer, for suitably securing the spindle to its holder.
Figure 10 is a longitudinal section of the point protecting cap.
In Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawing, A is a tubular reservoir, preferably made of
hard india rubber, vulcanite, celluloid, or similar non-corrosive material, and pro-
vided with an air passage a formed in the hard-rubber case by the employment of
a fine wire and a grooved central metal core. The fine wire of suitable size to form
the bore of the air-passage is first wound with a sheet of unvulcanized india rubber
and pressed down into the groove of the large core, and an outer layer of sheet india
rubber is wound over all; this when done and vulcanized will form a perfectly
homogeneous solid wall, having upon the withdrawal of the cores a passage a for
the air extending from one end of the tube to the other. It is desirable however
to hold the fine wire core slightly back, so that when withdrawn the upper end may
be left closed and solid, to be afterwards drilled through upon the prior completion
of the screw thread B in process of manufacture.
The point section C, provided at its lower end with the tapering pointed ink
delivering tube D, is attached to the reservoir A by means of the tubular coupling
E, which may be screw threaded as shown in the Drawing, or may be made to
snugly fit the bore of the reservoir A and point section C to hold them together by
means of the resulting friction.
To the upper end of the writing spindle F is attached a tube or cylinder G,
provided with a fixed collar H and at a point near the upper end of the tube or
cylinder G, a hole g is made to receive the pin I, made considerably smaller than the
hole g, to allow a slight endwise movement to the spindle when secured to the

page_text: spindle holder J. Upon the exterior of the tube or cylinder G is loosely placed the
spring K, made of gold alloy, in order to suitably resist the corrosive action of the
ink, and above the spring is placed the loose washer L, which when secured to
the spindle holder J rests against the end of the holder, being held thereto by the
pressure of the spring K. The tube or cylinder G is made of smaller size than the
bore of the spindle holder, to allow a slight sidewise. movement to the spindle, to
prevent danger of cramping in the fine bore of the tube D from inaccuracies of
construction or adjustment.
The spindle holder J is frictionally held in the bore of the coupling E, and may
be readily moved up and down as desired, in order to make the tip M of the spindle
slightly protrude from the end of the tube D, so that in case the end of the tube
becomes worn by long continued use, the spindle may be re-adjusted in order to
compensate for the wear. A screw thread may, preferred, be cut upon the surface
of the spindle holder J, and in the bore of the coupling E, for the purpose of more
convenient adjustment, but mere frictional contact is deemed sufficient for all prac-
tical purposes.
The spindle holder J is made tubular, and is provided with an orifice j, for the
passage of ink from the ink chamber N to the lower chamber O, or the ink may
pass out of the lower end of the tubular holder under the loose washer L.
The spindle F is provided with an iridium tip M joined thereto by soldering, or
by the process known as sweating, and is fluted upon its edge, as shown in Figure 7,
whereby the ink will be conveyed by attraction to the extreme end of the tip M
beyond the end of the tube D, in order that a full and uniform supply of ink may
be secured in writing.
The vent-valve or cap P screwed upon the upper end of the holder serves to open
and close the upper aperture of the air passage a and the cap Q, at the bottom of
which is placed the india rubber disc q, serves to cover the writing point when not
in use, and thus prevent leakage and injury. When the pen is in use the cap Q is
temporarily placed upon a cylindrical pin p at the upper end of the rent valve or
cap P.
To prepare for writing the chamber N is to be filled with ink by holding the pen
point upwards, and unscrewing the collar E and its attached point section C from
the reservoir A; the ink chamber may then be filled from any source of supply by
suitable convenient means. The coupling E and point section C is then screwed in
place, the pen placed in an upright position for writing, and the vent valve or cap P
slightly raised from its seat by unscrewing, so as to allow air to enter the passage a
and rise from the lower end of this passage a located above the upper end of the
coupling E to the vacuum created in the upper end of the chamber Ñ by the descent
of the ink through the tubular spindle holder J, and orifice ; to the chamber O, and
thence to the writing point.
The end M of the spindle F projects slightly from the end of the tube D, so that
in the act of writing a slight end wise movement will be imparted to the spindle
within the tube, tending to draw the ink down from the chamber O, and prevent
the obstruction of the tube D by a dry deposit of ink when the pen is used inter-
mittently.
.
The limit of the spindle's movement is controlled by the relative size of the hole
g and the pin I, and the location of the movement with relation to the position of
the point of the tube D is governed by the adjustable position of the spindle holder
J. The point M of the spindle at its highest upward movement should be held
slightly in advance of the end of the tube, in order to prevent wear thereto, and to
prevent a scratchy action upon the paper caused by the sharp inner edge of the
aperture of the tube D.
In Figures 3 and 4 of the Drawing the air passage is shown formed between the
outer tube S and the inner lining T, bent or curved interiorly upon one side, so as
to form an air passage a.
The inner tube T is made shorter than the outer tube S,
in order to allow room for the upper end of the screw coupling E and the passage
of the air into the chamber.

page_text: In Figures 5 and 6 of the Drawings, the air passage a is shown formed equally in
the outer case U and the inner lining V, and the vent valve P screws down into the
upper end of the inner tube, which is also made shorter than the tube U. The
lower end of the tube U is provided with a male screw W, for the attachment of the
point section C, and the adjustable spindle holder J is frictionally held in the
diminished bore of the tube Ū.
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. In a stylographic fountain pen the air-passage in the solid side or wall of
the ink-reservoir, and extending from the vent-valve or cap at the upper end of the
holder to a point near the lower end of the ink-chamber, as above set forth and for
the purpose specified.
Second. In a stylographic fountain pen an air-passage made between an outer
case and an inner lining, and extending from the vent-valve or cap at the upper
end of the holder to a point near the lower end of the ink chamber, as above
described and for the purpose specified.
Third. In a stylographic fountain pen the combination of the reservoir and point
section by means of a tubular coupling as above set forth.
Fourth. In a stylographic fountain pen the combination of an adjustable spindle-
holder with a tubular coupling, serving to connect the spindle holder, point section,
and main reservoir, as above described and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. In a stylographic fountain pen an adjustable spindle holder, combined
directly with the lower end of the ink reservoir, as shown in Figure 5 of the
Drawing, for the purpose specified.
Sixth. In a stylographic fountain pen the combination of the spindle-holder,
the pin, the tube, or cylinder G, provided with a hole g, and a collar, the spring,
and the washer, all as above described and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. In a stylographic fountain pen a writing spindle tipped with a piece of
iridium or other hard substance, provided with a fluted edge as herein described
and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
TIT
DADT TATT