AN IMPROVED PNEUMATIC SAFETY INKSTAND
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Lamb Hancock, of Milford Haven, Pembroke-
shire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED PNEUMATIC SAFETY INKSTAND."
Sealed the 29th December 1854, and dated the 22nd August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Lamb Hancock
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd August 1854.
I, JAMES LAMB HANCOCK, of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED PNEUMATIC SAPETY
INKSTAND" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of arranging an elastic or loose diaphrgm (I prefer
india-rubber) air-tight over an opening on the top of the inkstand, which
diaphrgm, when pressed by the fingers, or by a weight being placed upon it,
compresses the air which is inside the inkstand, and causes the ink to flow up
a tube or tubes, which reach from very nearly the bottom of the inside of the
inkstand to a point just above the level of the ink in the inkstand when it is
full of ink. The saide tube or tubes terminate at the top in a cup or inverted
hollow cone, which receives the ink and presents it for use, from which also the

page_text: ink immediately recedes on the pressure being removed from the diaphrgm.
A convenient orifice is also made on the upper surface of the inkstand, so as
to admit of its being readily washed out and supplied with ink. The said
orifice may be seccured with a cork or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Lamb Hancock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
LAMB HANCOCK, of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, 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
James Lamb Hancock, Her special licence that I, the said James Lamb
Hancock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Lamb Hancock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
PNEUMATIC SAFETY INKSTAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Lamb Hancock, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
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
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Lamb Hancock, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:
My Invention consists in forming an inkstand with an orifice in the reservoir
for the ink covered by a diaphragm of air-tight, elastic, or loose material,
capable, when depressed at the instant of taking a dip of ink, of causing.the air
contained in such reservoir to force a small quantity of ink as a supply into the

page_text: lip cup or receptacle from which the dip is to be taken, and when pressure
s removed from such diaphragm, after taking a dip, the ink remaining in the
lip cup will pass back again into the reservoir, so that a fresh quantity from
he reservoir will be brought into position to be taken at each dip, and the
nk in the reservoir will be for the most part protected from dust and other
mnurities
lip cup or receptacle from which the dip is to be taken, and when pressure
s removed from such diaphragm, after taking a dip, the ink remaining in the
Hip cup will pass back again into the reservoir, so that a fresh quantity from
he reservoir will be brought into position to be taken at each dip, and the
nk in the reservoir will be for the most part protected from dust and other
Impurities
But that the nature of the said Invention and the manner of carrying the
same into effect may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the
Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a plan, of
an inkstand constructed according to my Invention. a is the reservoir for the
ink; b is the dipping cup, the lower part of which opens into and near the
bottom of the reservoir a, so that the ink caused to flow therein may be taken
from the bottom of the reservoir a; c is the diaphragm, of elastic, flexible, and
air-tight material, covering the reservoir, so that the same may be air-tight;
and it is by depressing this diaphragm by one or other of the fingers in the act
of taking a dip from the dip cup b, that the ink is caused to flow into the dip
cup b, the air contained in the reservoir a then acting to cause a displace-
ment of the ink in the reservoir, by which a portion thereof is caused to riso
into the cup b.
In order that the diaphragm may have an elastic tendency to return after
depression, I prefer that it be composed of vulcanized india-rubber; but this
may be varied, and a slight spring may be employed to act on the diaphragni
to aid its return when pressure is removed therefrom. d is an opening for the
supply of ink to the reservoir a. This opening is closed by the stopper e. g is
a ring of metal, which holds the diaphragm in its place; h is a rest, to prevent
the diaphragm from being pressed too far down.
It will be observed that the orifice which connects the reservoir with the
dipping cup is very small; I prefer it to be about the sixteenth of an inch in
diameter. I also prefer it to be connected with the reservoir in the manner
represented in the Drawing, as this arrangement prevents the ink from spurting
out of the dipping cup when the diaphragm is pressed quickly; and I some-
times apply a very small orifice communicating with the reservoir to guard
against the expansion of air forcing the ink out with an increase of temperature.
In place of the finger acting immediately on the diaphragm, there may be a
small lever cap applied to act thereon, as shewn by Figure 4, in which case

page_text: the finger will act upon the lever cap f, which will then, by means of the
presser i, (which is adjustable by a screw, which acts upon a nut which is fixed
to the under side of the cap f, as represented in the Drawing,) act upon the
diaphragm; or the diaphragm may be otherwise applied, so as to be capable of
depression, for the purpose explained, at the time of obtaining a dip of ink.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, I would have it
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein shown
and described; but what I do claim is, the forming of an inkstand with the
reservoir for the ink enclosed, except to the dip cup, by a diaphragm c, capable,
when depressed at the instant of taking ink, of causing a fresh supply of ink
to flow to the dip cup, and when the supply has been obtained and the depres-
sion is removed, of permitting the ink to return again by atmospheric pressure
from the dip cup back to the reservoir, as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Lamb Hancock, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
78 Chancery Lane,
Patent Agent.
JAMES LAMB HANCOCK. (L.S.)