AN IMPROVED INKSTAND
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Robertson, of the City of Dublin, Surgical
Instrument Maker, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND."
ealed the 1st November 1856, and dated the 9th June 1856..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Robertson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th June 1856.
I, ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, of the City of Dublin, Surgical Instrument
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
INKSTAND," to be as follows:-
☐ My. Invention consists in the general combination and arrangement of the.
parts herein-after described, whereby the ink is protected from exposure to
evaporation, and supplied as required to a cup for use...
At the upper part of the vessel for containing the ink is cemented or other;
wise fixed a collar, to which is screwed a cap: in this cap there is a small
aperture for the admission of air through a small tube, which is attached to a
hollow ring of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material, this ring being
inserted between the said cap and another above it.
On the first-mentioned cap the cup or funnel is secured; this latter cap has
a circular opening in the centre, which is placed loosely over the small cup of

page_text: funnel shape; a circular flange is screwed on to the outer surface of this cup
or funnel, which is covered by a ring screwed on to its upper part.
By this arrangement of the parts, by screwing down the flange on the outer
surface of the cup or funnel, the elastic ring may be compressed between the
two caps, and the air which it contains forced into the vessel which contains
the ink through the small tube which is connected with the india-rubber ring,
which small tube-is-inserted through the circular opening in the under cap;
this will cause the ink to flow into the small cup of funnel shape through
the small pipe connected with the said 'cup or funnel, which pipe reaches
to within a quarter of an inch of the bottom of the vessel which contains
the ink. By unscrewing the said flange, the pressure will be removed from the
elastic ring, when it will expand and withdraw a portion of the air contained
within the vessel, thereby allowing the ink to return through the said pipe.
The whole apparatus may be taken to pieces when required for cleaning the
inkstand by unscrewing the ring at the upper part of the cup or funnel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters-Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Robertson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
ROBERTSON; of No. 22, Bachelor's Walk, in the City of Dublin, Surgical
Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Robertson, Her special license that I, the said Alexander Robertson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alex-
ander Robertson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exer-
cise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said, Alexander Robertson, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great-Seal Patent

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Robertson, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto 'annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
i
My Invention of "An Improved Inkstand " consists in the general com
Dination and arrangement of the parts berein-after described, whereby the ink
is protected from exposure to evaporation, and supplied, as required, to: a cup
for use.
.:
At the upper part of the vessel for containing the ink is cemented or other-
wise fixed 'a collar, to which is screwed a cap; in this cap there is a small
aperture for the admission of air through a small tube, which is attached to à
hollow ring of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material; this ring being
inserted between the said cap and another above it. On the first-mentioned
cap the cup or funnel is secured; this latter cap has a circular opening. in the
centre, which is placed loosely over the small cup of funnel shape.. A circular
flange is screwed on to the outer surface of this cup or funnel, which is covered
by a ring screwed on to its upper part. By this arrangement of the parts, by
screwing down the flange on the outer surface of the cup or funnel, the elastic
ring may be compressed between the two caps, and the air. which it contains
forced into the vessel containing the ink through the small tube which is con
nected with the india-rubber, ring, which small tube is inserted through the
circular opening. in the under cap; this will cause the ink to flow into the
small cup of funnel shape through the small pipe connected with the said cup
or funnel, which pipe reaches to within a quarter of an inch of the bottom of
the vessel which contains the ink. By unscrewing the said flange, the pressure
will be removed from the elastic ring, when it will expand and withdraw á
portion of the air contained within the vessel, thereby allowing the ink to
return through the said pipe. The whole apparatus may be taken to pieces
when required for cleaning the inkstand by unscrewing the ring at the upper
part of the cup or funnel.
But my Invention will be more fully understood on reference to the accom-
panying Drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of the inkstand, with all the
material parts, shewn in section; and Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal view of the
same. a is the stand or vessel for containing the ink; b is a collar, cemented
or otherwise fixed at the upper part of the stand; c is a cap screwed on to the
collar 6. This cap c has a small aperture in it, in which is inserted the small

page_text: tube d, attached to the hollow ring of india-rubber or other suitable elastic
material e. Through the tube d air is admitted from the hollow ring.e to the
interior of the vessel a. Over the ring e is placed another cap f, so as to
enclose the ringe between the two caps c and f. Into the centre of the cap f
the cup or funnel -9. is secured. At the lower part of this cup or funnel is
connected a small pipe h, reaching to within about a quarter of an inch of the
bottom of the ink vessel a..; In the opening in the centre of the cap f is placed
a tube i, fitting over the cup or funnel g, and having on its outer circumference
a-spiral groove, into which fit two studs k, fixed on a flange l in the upper
part of the cap: f, and to this flange a small handle or lever m is fixed.
By pressing on the handle or lever m and turning the flange l, the studs/c
are worked along the spiral groove; and, the cap f made to press upon the
elastic ring e, and thereby cause the ink to flow from the vessel a up the pipe h
into the cup or funnel g. On removing the pressure from the ring & by
raising the capf, by the same means the ring will expand and withdraw a
portion of the air contained in the vessel a, and allow the ink to return by the
pipeh. The apparatus may be taken to pieces by unscrewing the ring or
cover n of the cup or funnel...
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would remark that I do not intend to confine myself
to the precise forms of all the parts represented and described; but what I
claim as of my Invention is, the general combination and arrangement of the
several parts of the apparatus; as described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Roberton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six..
ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. (L.S.)
JOHN HARVEY, Witness..