IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FOUNTAIN PENS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALVAN SANFORD FRENCH, of 110 Cheapside, in the city of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
OR RELATING TO FOUNTAIN PENS," to be as follows :-
In this invention a hollow holder is plugged or solid at its lower end and in the
plug slides a tube-feeder which rests against the pen-nib the tube feeder has a
longitudinal groove pierced through near its inner end and is slotted or grooved
across where required.
One of these grooves serves to move the tube in or out by and another to receive
a stop so that it may not be moved too far-However the exact arrangement of
this can be modified as required.
The plug is suitably recessed to receive the pen nib which may be of the ordinary
kind but preferably is so constructed with a long tongue extending away from the
point that as the pen is used this tongue works in the ink in the feeder tube and
promotes a ready flow of ink.
The feeder tube is pushed in to supply the ink, and drawn out to stop the supply,
it may be drawn out altogether to fill the pen, or it may be screwed or turned
round or otherwise arranged for the above purposes.
Suitable modifications may of course be made.
At the other end of the holder is a pencil tube preferably let into the holder.

page_text: I ALVAH SANFORD FRENCH of 110 Cheapside in the City of London
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
OR RELATING TO FOUNTAIN PENS" and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
.statement:-
This Invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of the complete
pen. Figure 2 is a like view of the pen suction end shewing a different arrange-
ment of the feed tube: Figure 3 is a view of the feed tube: Figure 4 shows in two
views the pen nih: Figure 5 is a section of the top and showing a pencil combined
with the pen, Figure 6 shows a modified arrangement for stopping the feed and air
tubes and Figure 1" is a cross section of tube C.,
•
A is the barrel or reservoir, B the pen section or plug (or it may be formed by a
contraction of reservoir A) C the feed tube, F the pen nib, D is a small toothed
wheel or equivalent free to turn in a recess in the part B upon a pin or centre D¹
and gearing with a toothed rack C' upon the feed tube and also with a toothed
rack or series of grooves E' in the end of the cap or cover E. Taking the positions
of the various parts as shewn in Figure 1 it will be seen that if the cap E be pushed
on as far as it will go the wheel D will be rotated thereby drawing out the feed
tube C. whose movement is in the opposite direction to that of the cap E; thus
when the cap is pushed on, the feed tube is pulled out as shown by the arrows and
when the cap is pulled off, the feed tube is pushed in-Referring to Figuro 3 it will
be seen that this feed tube has a groove C extending in this form of the pen nearly
the whole length of the tube-When thereforo the tube is pushed in as in Figure 1
the ink enters the tube by the inner portion of the groove C and escapes by the
other end on to the pen nib F. When the tube is drawn out the head Crests
upon the seating C in the part B and the groove being closed no ink can enter the
tube and leakage when the pen is not in use is prevented-The head C³ also
prevents the tube being drawn out too far-This form is automatic as when the
cap E is pulled off the tube is of necessity pushed in and the communication
between the ink in the reservoir and the pen nib established while the putting on
of the cap E draws out the feed tube and cuts off the communication.
The same principle is embodied in Figure 2 but this form is not automatic as
the wheel and racks are dispensed with and the tube C. is pulled in and out by the
projection C or a groove or equivalent this is a simpler form but there is some
danger of the pushing in of the tube being forgotten and for this reason the former
plan is preferred.
The tubé may be arranged to work in the opposite way the ink flowing when the
tube is drawn out and being stopped when the tube is pushed in, or may be
propelled by a screw or turned round or otherwise arranged for the purposes of
closing the pen but the method described being easy to manage is preferred.
The pen as above described may or may not have an air tube, where there is no
separate air tube the air would find its way in by the groove in the feed tube which

page_text: may be made large for this purpose or a separate groove may be provided in the
feed tube for admission of air to govern the flow of ink.
When an air tube G is used it may if desired be left permanently open: but as
a second check against leakage a good plan is to have a wire or equivalent H
connected at one end with tho feed tubo C and at its other end having the head H
so placed that when the feed tube C. is pulled out and the ink cut off the head H¹
closes the open end of the air tube G and prevents the air from entering the air
tube and the hollow cylinder H* closes the air outlets G³.
"
When a pencil is combined with this pen the leadholder I Figure 5 is let into the
top of the air tube G taking the place of H and connects with rod H; the lead
holder I may be provided with the usual screw propelling or other device for
moving or holding the lead.
Figure 6 shews a method of closing the pen by a different movement of the feed
tube C. A projection C or equivalent is arranged to catch a shoulder or pro-
jection E or equivalent in the cap or pen protector E so that when the cap E is
pushed on, the tube C is forced in, the ducts C' or open end C³ or both being closed
by a plug G³ or equivalent in or on the air tube Ġ which may also be closed by
the passing of a portion of the tube C. by or over the air outlets G2-If dosired the
plug or stops to the ducts C' or CB may be attached to the side of the holder A or
to part B instead of utilizing the air tube G-The action of these parts may also be
reversed the plug or stop to the flow of ink or admission of air being formed by
the tube C. while the air tube G or its equivalent is open and receives the end of C
closing the ducts C' which will be formed similarly to the ducts G' in the air tube
as shown in the drawing-The tube C. can be pulled out by hand by the pro-
jection C³ or this form of pen can be made entirely automatic by providing the
head H with a projection similar to C or equivalent used on the feed tube C. the
operation being that when the cap or pen protector is taken off it is pushed on to
the reverse end of the pen over part J. the shoulder E or equivalent forcing the
part H¹, rod H and feed tube C. down or out opening the pen for use
The pen
being closed by putting the cap on the pen end as shown, the opening and closing
of the pen is made automatic by the use of the cap or point protector as in
Figure 1. The feed tube may also be made to close the pen by being turned
around bringing the openings into the feed tube C' away from the duct Cs or other
ducts conveying ink to the feed tube from the reservoir.
The closing of the lower or air delivering end of an air tube running through the
pen from the top and delivering air at the lower or writing end of the pen or any
other form of air inlet at the said air delivering end is an advantage over the old
method of closing such tubes from the top or outside as when so closed and the pen
laid on its side, ink would frequently find its way into the air tube interfering with
the action of the air tube in supplying air to take the place of ink used which
governs the flow of ink-By closing the air tube or inlet of whatever form it may
be where it opens into the reservoir of ink, leakage of ink is prevented and-the-air
always operative when the tube is opened to govern the flow of ink-In either of
the forms here shown the air exits may be closed or opened by the action of the
feed tube or rod H which may also be used to move the feed tube by hand by tho
devices here shown or otherwise.
The pen nib F Figure 4 is formed with a long springy tongue F' which vibrates
during writing and as this comes opposite the open groove C it comes into direct
contact with the ink and works it about thus ensuring a free supply of the ink-
The tongue is formed out of the body of the nib by the longitudinal cuts F³ and F³,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a fountain pen a feed tube adapted to close or open the communication
5 between the ink and the nib by its movement substantially as specified.

page_text: 2. The method of stopping the supply of air to the interior of a fountain pen by
closing the inner or delivery end of the air tube or inlet substantially as specified.
3. In a fountain pen and as a means of opening and closing the communication
between the ink and nib, the combination with the reservoir A of the feed tube C
adapted to be moved in and out substantially as specified.
4. In a fountain pen the combination with the reservoir A of a point protecting
cap arranged to automatically open or close the communication between the ink and
the nib in the act of taking off or putting on said point cover substantially as
described.
5. In a fountain pen and as a means of operating the sliding tube C and the
combination with said tube of the wheel or equivalent D and cap E having a rack
or groove El, the whole constructed and operated substantially as described.
6. In a fountain and as a means of operating the sliding tube the combination
with said tube of the projection C and cap E having a shoulder or equivalent E³
the whole constructed and operating substantially as described.
7. The combination with feed tube C of rod H extending through the end of the
reservoir whereby said tube may be moved for the purpose specified.
8. In a fountain pen the combination of the air tube with the feed tube for the
purpose of closing either or both.
9. In a fountain pen the nib F having a vibrating tongue F formed out of the 2
body of the nib by means of the two longitudinal cuts Fª and F³ substantially as
described.
10. The combination with the air tube of a fountain pen delivering air at the
lower end thereof of a pencil arranged therein substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of August 1885.
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