A New Liquid Distributor.
Year: 1894

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New Liquid Distributor.
I CHARLES ALFRED JAMES, of 24 Cazenove Road, Stamford Hill, London, N.
Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
My invention relates to the construction of a new apparatus for distributing
liquids, and consists of a specially made elastic ball A through which a supply
tube B passes into a bottle or other reservoir C, as depicted in the accompanying
figure. The lower part of the elastic ball has an opening z so arranged as to enable
it to be fitted upon or within the neck of the bottle or other reservoir. The upper
part of the elastic ball has also an opening y so arranged that the supply tube
passing through it may be fixed air-tight. In using this apparatus, ou compressing
the elastic ball a jet of liquid is driven out through the orifice of the supply tube
and on removing the pressure any liquid in or near the mouth of the supply tube is
at once drawn back into the bottle or other reservoir. In this way the orifice of
the supply tube is always kept clear and ready for immediate use. This
automatic clearance of the orifice and the delivery tube is an important part of
my invention and renders it of a more useful and practical nature than any other
form of liquid distributer yet manufactured. As an example of its mode of action,
I will assume that it is employed for filling a tube such as that belonging to what
is known as a fountain pen. In this case as soon as the fountain-pen tube becomes
full of ink, on releasing the pressure any excess of ink is drawn back into the
bottle or other reservoir, and the orifice of the tube B remains perfectly free,
whereas if the ink were not drawn back it would in the course of a short time
become dry and choke up the orifice. Instead of using a ball of india rubber or
other clastic material, I sometimes prefer to employ a pump, made of metal or
other rigid material such as glass, which is fitted with a spring or other arrange-
ment so as to enable either air or liquids to be driven out through a tube or
drawn back again on withdrawing the pressure. Instead of the supply tube B
passing through the upper part of the elastic ball or other contrivance, it may
pass through any other convenient point of the apparatus. The supply tube B
may be constructed in any convenient shape and at the point through which it
passes from the apparatus or in any other part it may be either constricted or
enlarged for any desired purpose. The liquid distributers which I have already
described can be advantageously applied for a variety of purposes such as the
lubrication of machinery and the filling of fountain-pens and other vessels.
Dated this 12th day of April 1894.
I CHARLES ALFRED JAMES, of 24 Cazenove Road, Stamford Hill in the
County of London, Sanitarian, 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 the construction of a new apparatus for distributing
liquids and I will explain it with reference to the accompanying drawings,

page_text: Figure 1 of which is a sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed according
to my invention and Figures 2 and 3 are sectional elevations of another form of the
apparatus in two positions.
The essential, or principal, parts, are an elastic portion, or ball, A, through which
passes the supply tube B, protruding at one end from the elastic portion, or ball, A,
its other end entering a bottle, or reservoir, C. The elastic portion, or ball, A, has
an opening a, by which it is fitted upon or in the neck, or opening, c, of the bottle,
or reservoir, C, air-tightly. In the said elastic portion, or ball, A, is also an
opening a for the air-tight passage of the tuber B. It will be seen that the
interior of the elastic portion, or ball, A, is in communication with the upper part
of the space within the bottle, or reservoir, C, so that by compressing the said
elastic portion, or ball, A, the space above the liquid contained in the bottle, or
reservoir, C, is contracted, and the liquid is consequently forced up, along, and
from, the outer end of the tube B, and that, on removing the pressure on the
elastic portion, or ball, A, it, and the space within it, return to their normal shape
and dimensions, and. the liquid contained in the tube B is drawn back into the bottle,
or reservoir, C, and thus the tube B, is kept perfectly free of liquid and ready for
immediate use, the liquid contents of the bottle, or reservoir, C, not at any time
entering the elastic portion, or ball, A. This drawing of liquid out of the tube B
to keep it clear, constitutes an important feature of apparatus made in accordance
with my invention. In order to prevent the expansion of air inside the apparatus,
from expelling the liquid, should the apparatus be subjected to heat, there may be
provided a very small orifice, as at a³ (Figure 1) having an outwardly opening
valve for the escape of air, should it expand. Or I may make the lower part of
the tube B, of increased area, as at b. To ensure the prevention of liquid from
entering the elastic portion or ball A when the apparatus is not in use, for example
should the apparatus be turned onto its side, or be subjected to a shaking motion,
I may provide on the tube B, a flange or stop b*, which, by pressing the tube into
the reservoir, will close the passage from the said reservoir to the ball A, or I may
provide, the tube B, with a conical portion which can be drawn up to enter the
Leck (which may be made of similarly coned shape) when the tube B is drawn
outwards, or a cap may be used to be placed over the outer end of the tube B when
the apparatus is out of use.
The apparatus is adapted for use for filling fountain pens with ink or for filling
ink wells in schools or for any other purpose where it is desired to readily distribute
supplies of liquid and to keep the supply tube free from danger of becoming
clogged.
In Figures 2 and 3 I have shewn a convenient form of my apparatus adapted
for example for containing ink for supply to fountain pens. The parts which
correspond with those shewn in Figure 1 are marked with the same letters of
reference. The bottle or reservoir C has a foot upon which it stands when not
in use so that the inner end of the tube B is above the liquid and consequently air
that may expand will pass out by. it whilst the liquid cannot escape.
When the apparatus is to be used it is tilted into the position shewn in Figure 3
and then on compressing the elastic portion or ball A the liquid is ejected from the
outer end of the tube B. 6 is the stop fixed to or formed on the tube so that when
the tube is drawn outward until the said stop comes into contact with the inside of
the elastic portion or ball A the end of the tube B inside the bottle or reservoir C
will be in such a position that when a supply of liquid (such as ink from a large
bottle or the like) is drawn into the apparatus for charging it, it will not be over-
charged, for as soon as the inner end of the tube B becomes covered by the liquid
continued operation by pressure on the elastic portion, or ball A will merely draw in
and discharge liquid and overcharging will not take place. Supposing that the
tube of a fountain pen for example is to be filled the apparatus is taken up or is
brought into such a position (for example for this purpose it may be mounted to
turn on trunnions on a suitable stand) that the ink contained in it covers the inner
end of the tube B and the elastic portion or ball A is compressed so that ink

page_text: is expelled and as soon as the tube of the fountain pen becomes full, the nose of
the tube B being protruded into the said tube of the fountain pen to the level to
which the said tube is to be charged when the elastic portion or ball A is relieved
from pressure the surplus ink is drawn back into the bottle or reservoir C and the
tube B itself has also drawn from it any ink that is in it, so that it is left perfectly
free and clear of ink and there is no danger of the tube becoming choked by ink
drying therein.
When the apparatus is not in use the tube B may be pressed into the reservoir
so as to cause the stop 6 to close the mouth c and so prevent the ink from entering
the ball, or other arrangement for the same purpose as hereinbefore described
may be used.
may use in place of the ball A any other pumping device which is the equivalent.
thereof; such, for example as a device made to work like a pair of bellows or a
piston moving in the upper part of the bottle or reservoir or in a cylinder in con-
munication with the interior of the bottle or reservoir C. The return of the ball
or other pumping device to its normal position may be facilitated by a spring. It.
is not essential that the tube B should pass through the part A as shewn in the
drawings as it can be passed through any other convenient portion of the apparatus.
For example, Figure + shews the tube B as passing through the reservoir Cinstead
of through the part A. The tube B may either protrude into the reservoir Cas
shewn in dotted lines or not. The apparatus can be used for any desired purposes.
such as those I have mentioned and it will also be useful for withdrawing liquid
from fountain pen tubes, ink wells or other like places.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A liquid distributor consisting of a bottle or reservoir for the liquid with a
portion or appliance whereby the space therein can be contracted and afterwards
expanded again and a tube leading from the interior of the bottle or reservoir to
the exterior thereof and constituting the sole or principal means by which air
returns into the bottle or reservoir when the portion or appliance whereby the
space therein is contracted and again expanded returns to the normal position
for the purpose of clearing the tube of liquid substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. A liquid distributor consisting of the arrangement and combination of parts
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figure 1 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. A liquid distributor consisting of the arrangement and combination of parts
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. A liquid distributor consisting of the arrangement and combination of parts.
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 19th dow of Januar 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.