IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR CONTAINING PEN, INK, AND STAMPS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Dawson, of King's Arms Yard, in the City
of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR
CONTAINING PEN, INK, AND STAMPS."
Sealed the 3rd November 1855, and dated the 17th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Dawson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th May 1855.
I, THOMAS DAWSON, of King's Arms Yard, in the City of London, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CASES FOR CONTAINING PEN, INK, AND STAMPS," to be as follows:-
I take a tube, such as is now used as a holder for a pen and pencil, and
screw thereon or otherwise attach in the same line a tubular case, closed at
bottom, and fitted with a seal or not. That part of the tube in which this case
is to fit is so fashioned as to hold a metal pen, and to fit tightly into the case
which is intended to contain ink. When the parts are fastened together, the
pen projects nearly to the bottom of the ink holder, and remains in the ink.
Lower down the tube I cut a slot, and through an aperture in the bottom of
the tube I introduce a roll of either postage or receipt stamps, or both, which
are drawn out for use as required through the slot. I finally close the bottom
of the tube by a small cap screwed or otherwise fixed thereon.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Dawson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DAWSON, of King's, Arms Yard, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Dawson, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Dawson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Dawson, 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, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CASES FOR CON-
TAINING PEN, INK, AND STAMPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Dawson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Dawson, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
or not.
My improvements in cases for containing pen, ink, and stamps consist in
constructing them in the following manner :-I take a tube, such as is now
used as a holder for a pen and pencil, and screw thercon or otherwise attach
in the same line a tubular case or top, closed at one end, and fitted with a seal
The part of the tube on which this case is to fit is so fashioned as to
hold a metal pen, and to fit tightly into the top or case which is intended to
contain ink. When the parts are fastened together, the pen projects nearly
to the bottom of the ink holder, and remains in the ink. Lower down the tube
I cut a slot, and through an aperture in the bottom of the tube I introduce a
roll of either postage or receipt stamps, or both, which are drawn out through

page_text: the slot as required for use. I close the bottom of the tube by a small cap
screwed or otherwise fixed thereon; or I fit into the end an "ever-point," made
to slide out or in, or separate therefrom, but fitting tightly into the tube.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn the manner in which I
construct my improved holders.
Figure 1 represents a view of the case or holder closed; Figure 2, an external
view of the case, with the ever-point ready for use, and a portion of a postage
stamp protruding from its chamber in the case; Figure 3, a view of the same
in section; Figure 4, a view, with the top of the case removed, shewing the
pen; and Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, detail views of the different parts.
Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures.
The case consists of two parts or portions A, B, which are united together
at C by means of a groove and garter pin joint, so that either of the parts is
rendered capable of being turned round while the other is held stationary. The
lower part B is for containing the ever-point, which in this instance is made
separate, but fits tightly in the case, and when not required for use is turned
into the case, as shewn in Figure 1. The upper part A is cut with a screw
thread on the inside, into which is screwed the double-threaded piece C, shewn
separately in Figure 6. This piece is formed with a milled collar a in the
centre, for screwing it into and out of the case when it is desired to close or
open the reservoir D, which is intended to contain the leads for the ever-point.
E is a pen, which fits tightly upon the upper portion of the piece C; F is the
top to the case, which is made hollow, and serves to contain a supply of ink or
other writing fluid. This top F screws upon the piece C when not required
for use, as shewn in Figure 3; but when it is desired to use the top as an ink-
stand it is screwed off, as represented in Figure 5. In that part of the piece C
on which the top F screws, and close up to the collar a, I drill a small hole for
the escape of air when screwing on the top. G is a wire attached to the
upper
part of the portion B of the case, as more clearly represented in Figure 7;
His a piece of steel spring, screwed down at either end to the wire G, and
arched or made convex towards the outer case. This spring is slotted out in
the centre of its length, so as to receive one end of a slip of postage or receipt
stamps. In the case A, and opposite to the spring H, I cut a long slit c, of
sufficient length to admit a postage or receipt stamp. When it is desired to
insert a strip of stamps into the case I bring the slotted steel spring in a line
with the outer slot of the case, and then introduce the stamps, and wind them
up by turning the ever-point end of the case. The rolling up of the stamps in the
case causes them to press against the steel spring, which, being itself compressed,
presses the stamps against the inside of the case, and forces them out when the

page_text: same.
unwinding takes place, and the stamps are required for use. I is a slide upon
the upper part A of the case, intended for the purpose of covering the slit c
when the stamps are not required for use. Figure 12 represents a modification
of the preceding arrangement; and Figures 13, 14, and 15, detail views of the
In this instance the holder or reservoir for the stamps is made near
the head or top in the part occupied by the reservoir for the leads in the
case, shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3. This arrangement allows of the ever-point
sliding in and out, as in the ordinary pencil cases, the place for the leads being
in the top of the ever-point, as shewn in Figure 15, access being had to the
leads by unscrewing the cap d.
I do not confine myself to the particular details for my postage stamp arrange-
ment, as I vary the construction thereof; for instance, I sometimes form the
slot for the stamps in the revolving pin or wire G instead of in the spring, and
I sometimes construct the whole case of a few telescopic joints, so that all the
parts may be withdrawn into the head of the case, when the case will resemble
a seal.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is, the
improved construction and arrangement of cases by which I am enabled to
combine in the same case a pen, reservoir for ink, an ever-point and chamber,
for containing postage or receipt stamps, as herein-before described, and repre-
sented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Dawson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth of November, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
THOMAS DAWSON
THOMAS DAWSON. (..)