A New or Improved Ink Stand.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
A New or Improved Ink Stand.
I, WILLIAM CHARLES HUGHES of Brewster House, Mortimer Road, Kingsland,
in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturing Optician, 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 an improved ink stand, or container, and has for its
object to provide a means whereby the depth of the ink at the part from which
the pen would be supplied, shall be constant, whatever may be the bulk of ink
contained in the vessel, with a view to prevent the annoyance experienced by
clerks and others constantly using such vessels, arising from the filling up of the
wells after these have been allowed to get empty or nearly so, the sudden change
in the depth of ink therein, causing the inadvertent overloading of the pen, and
the consequent soiling of the fingers and blotting of the work.
My invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which,
Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of my improved inkstand or container as it
would appear when in actual use.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of same from which the lid has been removed for clearness
of illustration.
Fig. 3 is a like section to Fig. 1 as this would appear when inverted for the
purpose of charging or recharging with ink.
I carry my invention into effect by forming from any suitable metal or metal
alloy, or partly of metal and other substances, an inkstand or ink well consisting of
a case or container A, of any desired size, shape or contour, but preferably of the
shape shewn in the drawings, which is provided with a bottom B, and cover or
roof C, soldered or otherwise connected thereto. The bottom B would be of such
a distance above the lower edge of A as to permit the presence of a plug D,
screwed or otherwise fitted fluid tight within a hole D¹ formed in B, the said hole
being used for, and when charging the vessel with ink. The cover or roof C
would be a like distance from the upper edge of A, or thereabouts, as B is from
the lower edge, and is provided centrally with a circular opening, occupying
which, and soldered or otherwise fixed air tight with C, is a depending cone or
funnel E, the lower and smallest end of which terminates at a suitable distance
from B, and facing or immediately over a recess F formed in B, the distance
from E to F constituting the greatest depth of ink into which the pen can at any
time dip.
The cone or funnel E is surrounded by a vertical tube G, the upper end
of which is soldered or otherwise connected fluid and air tight with E and C. The
cover or roof C is provided with a hinged lid H, capable of covering the aperture
in E, and to the under surface of H is soldered or otherwise fixed a jointed arm J,
carrying at its free end a rubber, cork or other resilient plug K, the object of this
being, that when H is closed upon E, K may fit fluid tight within the lower end of
the same as at Fig. 3, and may provide any suitable catch or fastening, if
necessary, for retaining H in its said closed position. The cover or roof C may
have therein any number of fluid and air tight recesses L, in which pens may be
placed when not in use. The manner of operation is as follows.
To charge the vessel with ink at first, or to recharge the same at any time
subsequently, the lid H would be first closed, and either fastened by its catch if
such be provided, or held so closed by the hand, thereby pressing the resilient
plug K firmly and fluid tight within the cone E. The vessel would then be
inverted and the plug D removed, when the vessel may be charged with ink

page_text: through the aperture D¹, such charging terminating, preferably but not
imperatively, when the ink M is level with the end of the tube G as at
Fig. 3. The plug D may then be replaced and the vessel returned to its normal
position ready for use, as at Fig. 1.
.
It will be found in practice, when the filled vessel is returned to its normal
position, and the lid H again raised as at Fig. 1, that the ink will rise only a very
short distance within the bottom of E, and will continue at that depth in E, until
by use the stock of ink M is exhausted, or nearly so, this arising from the fact
that a partial vacuum exists between the level of the ink M, and the cover or
roof C, while the surface of the ink within the bottom of the tube G, (which is
filled with air slightly under compression) rising therein partly by the action of
gravity in the bulk M, and partly by capillary attraction, becomes bellied or
raised, and closes the lower end of the cone or funnel E, where it meets with,
and is prevented from rising therein by, atmospheric pressure, but it follows as a
natural consequence, that by constantly dipping the pen into the ink within E,
that the surface thereat must periodically become lowered sufficiently to permit
the passage of a small quantity of air below the lower edges of E and G, and
so pass in infinitesimal bubbles upward through the bulk M, partly filling the
vacuum between this and C, thus permitting the gravitation of the bulk to again
close the lower end of E, and with this slight and imperceptible variation, the
level of the ink in E would continue until the level of the bulk M was reduced
below the lower edge of G, when the vessel would need recharging, in the manner
before described, and illustrated by Fig. 3.
By reason of the diameter of the Jower orifice of the cone E, being only
sufficient to permit the easy passage of a pen nib, the surface of ink exposed to
dust and evaporation is necessary very small, and almost nil, consequently tlie
.surface would be always clean and ready for use. The recess F in B need be
provided only when the space between E and B is insufficient to permit the
proper charging of the pen.
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.
In an improved inkstand, the combination of a container A, having a bottom B
(with or without the recess F) provided with an inlet aperture D₁, closed by a
plug D screwed or otherwise fitted therein, and cover C, in which is fixed a
cone or funnel shaped dipper E, surrounded by a tube G, and provided with
a hinged lid H having fixed upon its under surface a jointed arm J, carrying a
rubber, cork or other resilient plug K, capable of fitting air tight within the
cone E when H is closed as at Fig. 3. The provision of any desired number of
recesses L in C for holding pens not in use, the whole connected, combined and
operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1894.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.