Attachment for Ink Bottles, Ink Stands, and similar Articles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th June, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Attachment for Ink Bottles, Ink Stands, and similar Articles.
I, Levi HoFFMAN THOMAS, of 114 Nassau Street, in the City, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in attachments
for ink bottles, inkstands and other receptacles for containing liquids or
semi-liquids. The object of my invention is to provide a simple device adapted
to be inserted in the neck or mouth of a bottle or other receptacle which will
effectually prevent any of the contents thereof being spilled by accident, which
will protect the same from evaporation, and which will at the same time enable ready
access to the contents of the bottle and allow the same to be withdrawn by proper
means, as hereinafter set forth.
With these and other ends in view, the invention contemplates a stopper proper
having a central aperture, an annular recess or groove arranged around said
aperture, the outer wall of said recess or groove being continued down into the
body of the receptacle in the shape of a tube, separate or integral with the stopper
proper, and having its lower end normally closed but provided with a suitable
valve or valves adapted to permit the insertion and withdrawal of a pen or other
device.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional view of an ordinary ink bottle, having my attachment
applied thereto;
Figure 2 is a similar view;
Figure 3 is a detail view;
Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the lower end of the device shown in
Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a sectional view showing a metal stopper proper, and
Figure 6 is another sectional view.
Referring to the drawings in which like letters of reference denote corresponding
parts in all of the figures:
A designates the stopper proper, which has a central aperture, A¹, and an
annular recess or groove B around said aperture. This stopper proper A is
preferably made of hard rubber, but it may be constructed of glass, metal, soft
rubber, or any other material whatsoever which is or may be adapted for the
purpose. The wall of the aperture A¹ is shown inclined, but this is not essential,
the said aperture being provided to permit the insertion of a pen or a brush into
the bottle. The size and particular arrangement of the recess or groove depends
largely upon the character and size of the receptacle and its contents. It may be
made of many different constructions and arrangements of parts and I therefore do
not deem it necessary to give a more specific description thereof, the changes in
construction required in this feature, as in others, to adapt the device to different
kinds of receptacles, being obvious to those skilled in the art.
As herein before stated, one of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple
device adapted to be inserted in the neck or mouth of a bottle or other receptacle
which will protect the contents of the same from evaporation. In accomplishing
this purpose the recess or groove herein before mentioned serves no purpose and is
not an essential part of my invention.

page_text: In the metal stopper proper, shown in Figure 5, the recess or groove is deeper
than in the stopper shown in the other figures, but this is simply a matter of
convenience as it will be found that a very shallow recess or groove will answer the
purpose.
The outer wall a, is extended, in effect, down into the body of the bottle by
means of a separate or an integral tube C, the said tube having a flexible lower
end c, provided with a suitable valve or valves c¹. In Figure 1 I have shown the.
tube made separate from the stopper and of some soft material, so that that
portion of said tube between the bottle neck and the stopper acts as a packing
and assists in making a perfectly air-tight closure. But of course this packing
is not essential as in the construction shown in Figure 2 a tight joint is also
effected. It is desirable that the lower end of the said tube should be flexible,
and therefore, when the tube is made integral with the stopper, if the latter is
constructed of hard material, I prefer to attach, in some suitable manner, a flexible
lower end to the tube, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
The stopper proper may project above the mouth of the bottle, or be arranged
flush therewith, as desired. It will be observed that a bottle provided with my
improved device is practically air-tight, a small quantity of air being admitted
however when a pen is dipped into the ink. As the lower end of the tube is flexible
it will properly close when the pen is withdrawn.
The tube is substantially free of ink at all times but by violent agitation the
valve or valves c¹ may be opened to allow a very little ink to flow into said tube.
But any ink whatever that gets into said tube will not escape, because when the
bottle is inverted, such ink will be caught in the recess or groove B.
The device may be applied, to inkstands, ink bottles, or other receptacles adapted
to, contain ink, mucilage or other liquids or semi-liquids, the drawings, for the purpose
of illustration, showing two very common forms of ink bottles in connection with
which the device may be used.
When the device is applied to an ink bottle, as illustrated, an inkstand of a
desirable character is formed, as well as an ink bottle having special advantages
particularly as it is always in condition for instant use.
I have shown the lower end of the tube C slitted to form a valve or valves, this
being a simple and effective form of construction, but other forms of valves or
openings may be employed. A convenient construction is illustrated in Figure 6,
in which the recess or groove is formed by the tube C and the inclined wall b of
the aperture A¹.
I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of
coustruction of my invention may be made without departing from the spirit or
sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore preserve the right to make all
such changes as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. An attachment for ink bottles and the like, consisting of a stopper proper
having a central aperture, a recess or groove opening downwardly and arranged
around the said aperture, and a tube extending down from the outer wall of said
recess. or groove and having a flexible lower end provided with a suitable valve or
valves, substantially as described.
2. An attachinent for ink bottles and the like, consisting of a stopper proper
having a central aperture, a tube extending down from said stopper and having a
flexible lower valved end, and a recess or groove intermediate of the stopper and
said tube.
3. An attachment for bottles and other liquid or semi-liquid containing
receptacles, consisting of a stopper proper having a central aperture, an annular
recess or groove around said aperture, and a flexible tube projecting down from the
stopper proper and having its upper portion tightly clamped between the stopper

page_text: proper and the neck of the bottle, and its lower end provided with suitable valves,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. As a new article of manufacture, a liquid or semi-liquid containing
receptacle having a suitable neck, a stopper proper inserted in said neck and
having a central aperture and an annular recess or groove around said aperture, and
a tube extending down from the outer side of said stopper proper and having a
valved flexible lower end.
5. An attachment for bottles and other liquid or semi-liquid containing
receptacles, consisting of a stopper proper having a central aperture and a flexible
tube projecting down from the stopper proper and having its upper portion tightly
clamped between the stopper proper and the neck of the receptacles, and its
lower end provided with a suitable valve, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 12th do of Jun 1905
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.