Fountain Pens.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 26th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar., 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1389
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Fountain Pens.
THEODORE FREDERICK BOURNE of Clifton, Richmond County, New York, United
States of America, Solicitor of Patents 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 :-
The invention consists in the novel details of improvement & the combination of
parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this
Specification in which
Figure 1 is an enlarged longitudinal view, partly broken, of a fountain pen
containing my improvements.
Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on the line c c fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a detail view
of the feeder bar. Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on the line k, & fig. 3 Fig. 5
is a cross section on the line k¹, k¹ fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a detail view of the feeder having a spiral air groove.
Figure 7, is an enlarged longitudinal view, partly broken, showing the feeder bar
connected to the barrel by a separate plug.
Figure 8 is a detail sectional view on the line c¹ c¹ fig. 7. Figure 9 is a detail view
of the feeder bar & plug shown in figure 7.
Figure 10 is a cross section of the same on the line " " fig. 9.
Figure 11 is a cross section on the line fig. 7.
In the accompanying drawing the letter A represents a barrel or ink reservoir &
B represents a neck or tube at one end of the barrel A & communicating with the
interior of said barrel-The neck or tube B may be secured to the barrel A by means
of screw threads in said tube & barrel, or by other means. D represents a cap that
is adapted to fit over the neck or tube B, to protect the pen E, carried by the tube-
Said cap may be placed at the free end of the ink barrel when the pen is being used.
The above parts are of the ordinary or suitable construction. F represents my
improved feeder-The feeder F is constructed of a bar or rod of hard rubber or
other suitable material-As shown in fig. 1 the feeder bar F, passes through the neck
or tube B & extends from both ends of said tube, thereby forming a plug in the
neck B. But the feeder bar need not extend from the inner end of the neck B if
preferred.
The feeder bar F as shown in fig. 1 fits closely within the neck or tube B so as to
prevent ink passing between the feeder bar & the neck & thus escaping. When in
position in the holder the heel of the pen E will pass within the neck or tube B, the
pen lying on the upper side of the feeder bar F & in close contact therewith-As
shown in the drawing the outer or free end of the feeder bar F terminates near
the end of the nibs of the pen. The ink from the holder or barrel A, is fed to the
pen along the feeder bar F.
For the purpose of conducting ink to the pen F, in the proper quantity, I provide
a groove a in the feeder bar F part of which groove comes directly beneath the pen.
The part of the groove a, on the side of the bar F that is next to the pen I make.

page_text: straight as shown for a distance say nearly to the heel or butt end of the pen although
the straight part of the groove may extend slightly further along the feeder bar than
the heel of the pen-As will be seen the straight part of the groove a in the feeder
bar does not enter the ink barrel or reservoir.
From the point where the straight part of the groove ends, near the heel of the pen
said groove extends in a spiral form around the feeder bar so as to communicate with
the ink in the barrel or reservoir. As shown, the spiral part of the groove is against
the inner wall of the neck or tube B, the tube thereby covering the groove, & thus
forming a spiral channel for the passage of the ink from the barrel to the part of the
groove beneath the pen.
By making the feeder bar F, fit closely within the neck or tube B, the ink on the
feeder is confined in the spiral groove or channel & thereby prevented passing along
the sides of the feeder bar & thus escaping-As shown in the drawing the
straight part of the groove a, that is beneath the pen, terminates close to the outer
end of the feeder bar, a small amount of material being left hetween the end of the
groove & the end of the feeder to prevent ink flowing off the end of the feeder bar
when using the pen.
When the pen is in use the ink passes from the barrel along the spiral groove
to the straight part of the grooves, & from thence upon the nibs of the
pen. The ink finds its way along the groove a by capillary attraction & by
gravity.
The action of the nibs of the pen in writing also serves to draw ink along the
groove a to supply the pen.
In order to supply the barrel or reservoir A, with air as ink is withdrawn from the
barrel, so as to keep up an equilibrium in the barrel 1 may perforate the feeder bar F;
longitudinally as at 6, (figure 2), said perforation extending from the outer part of
the feeder bar to its inner end where it opens into the barrel or reservoir. But the
air duct could be in the form of a spiral or other groove on the outer side of the
feeder bar F, as shown in full lines in figure 6.
By making a spiral duct or channel for the ink any air that may pass along the
chanell with the outgoing ink will not have a free & uninterrupted straight course
from the barrel, & thereby be permitted to force too much ink to the pen, but said air
will meet with a resistance in the curved walls of the channel & thereby be prevented
from forcing the ink too freely along the channel.
This construction will be found of advantage when the barrel is nearly empty
of ink & when a comparatively large quantity of air is in the barrel which
air will be caused to expand by the heat of the hand of the person using
the pen.
In figures 1 to 6 I have shown the feeder bar F having a groove a to, be in one
piece & fitting closely within the neck or tube B to form a plug therein.
But it is evident that the groove a may be in a bar separate from the plug for the
neck. This construction is shown in figs. 7 to 11. In said figures the feeder bar F,
is a comparatively slender rod that extends along the inner wall of the neck or
tube B. This slender rod F is provided with the groove a the straight part of said
groove being directly beneath the pen E, while the spiral part of the groove a extends
around the feeder bar, & leads toward the ink in the barrel A-2 is a plug that I
place in the neck or tube B, so as to fill said tube & prevent ink flowing froin the
barrel A. On one side of this plug F is formed a longitudinal groove d in which [
place the slender feeder bar F, as shown in figures 9 & 11. The bar F preferably
fits closely in the groove d so that the walls of the groove d will cover part of the
spiral portion of the groove a. The upper side of the Feeder bar F, also lays
against the inner wall of the tube B, (see figure 8) so that the wall of the tube B,
may cover part of the groove a to prevent the escape of ink along the
sides of the feeder bar In order to admit air to the barrel A, I may perforate
the separate plug F, longitudinally similarly to that shown in figures 2 & 3 or I
may provide a groove 2 in the plug F as in figures 8-10 & 11.
The passage of the ink along this slender feeder bar is the same as that heretofore

page_text: described. It is evident that the groove d could be replaced by a longitudinal hole in
the plug F & that the feeder bar F be passed into said hole, so that the walls of
the hole in the plug could cover the spiral groove.
Care should be taken that the part of the feeder bar that fits against the pen E,
to supply the pen with ink from its groove a should be in close contact with
the pen to prevent ink passing to the sides of the pen from between the feeder bar
& the pen.
Although I have shown the spiral groove as extending entirely around the feeder
bar, it is evident that the spiral groove may be carried partly around the feeder bar
on one side & then pass upwardly & inwardly along the same side of the feeder bar,
or be otherwise suitably arranged.
It is evident that the straight part of the groove a could be dispensed with the
spiral groove or channel terminating at the pen. If preferred the neck or tube B,
could be dispensed with & the feeder bar be passed within the barrel & closely
fitted therein, similar to its fitting in the tube B.
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 1
claim is:
1. An ink duct for a fountain pen consisting of a spiral groove or channel for
conducting ink from a reservoir to the pen substantially as described.
2. An ink feeder for a fountain pen consisting of a bar having a spiral
groove or channel for conducting ink from a reservoir to a pen, substantially as
described.
3. An ink feeder for a fountain pen consisting of a bar having a groove that is
straight at the part that is beneath the pen, & that extends in a spiral along the bar
towards the ink, substantially as described.
4. In a fountain pen the combination with a barrel & pen of a feeder carried
by said barrel & consisting of a spiral channel for conducting ink from the barrel
to the pen, substantially as described.
5. In a fountain pen, the combination with a barrel & pen, of a feeder carried by
said barrel & consisting of a bar having a groove that is straight on the side next to
the pen & that extends from thence in a spiral along the bar towards the ink,
substantially as described.
6. In a fountain pen the barrel A having a tube B and the pen E combined
with the feeder bar F, having a spiral groove or channel for conducting ink from
the barrel to the pen substantially as described.
7. A feeder for a fountain pen consisting of a bar or plug having a longitudinal
aperture for the passage of air to the ink in a barrel or reservoir, substantially as
described.
8. In a fountain pen the combination with a barrel or reservoir of a feeder bar
having a groove to conduct ink & a longitudinal aperture for the admission of air to
the barrel substantially as described.
9. In a fountain pen the combination with a barrel and pen, of a feeder
consisting of a bar having a spiral groove to conduct ink from the barrel to the pen,
and a longitudinal aperture for the admission of air to the barrel, substantially as
described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1880