A Spraying Device for India Ink and other Paints.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Spraying Device for India Ink and other Paints.
I, CHARLES LAURENCE BURDICK, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at Chicago, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, U.S.A., Artist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN A SPRAYING
DEVICE FOR INDIA INK AND OTHER PAINTS and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to that class of implements by means of which artists are
enabled to reduce indian ink and other paints which are in a more or less fluid
condition, to the form of spray in the act of applying the same to produce pictorial
effects, and its object is to provide means for carrying a large quantity of paint in
the implement for application thereby; means whereby small quantities of the
same or different colors may be quickly substituted one for another in the same
implement and the implement may be readily cleaned between changes to avoid
tarnishing the tints, and means for controlling both the air pressure and the amount
of paint delivered at any point whereby shading may be executed to produce the
most delicate mezzotinto effects in one color or in all colors.
To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts
forming a spraying device for india ink and other paints hereinafter described and
claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which :
Fig. 1, represents in longitudinal vertical section an air brush according to my
invention very much enlarged, and broken across the handle.
Fig. II, represents a transverse vertical section of the same on the line & of
Fig. 1.
represents the body consisting of a cylindrical tube, conical at its forward
end, and having a small aperture or delivery 6 at its apex.
7 represents a partition across the interior of the body, forming the lower end
of the storage chamber or reservoir 8.
9 is a cap adapted to close the upper end of the reservoir, and to be removed
for opening the reservoir to charge the same with ink or other fluid paints, and
10 is any suitable packing whereby the joint between the removable cap and the
body may be made tight. The body might be made separable at the other end 7,
and answer the purpose of the removable cap 9.
11 represents a valve-stem made conical at its lower end to fit into the aperture 6
as a valve to close the same. This stem 11 is fitted to play longitudinally in
bearings 12 which are fixed in the body.
13 is a plug adapted to be screwed into the end of the stem 11, and it is made
conical in form to fit and close a conical seat in the partition 7.
14 is a trough-shaped bottom extending from the partition 7 to the conical
forward end of the body, in which trough, paint or ink delivered from the valve 13
may run by gravity forward to the outlet 6, and the screw connection between the
plug 13 and the stem 11 permits the valves on the two ends of the stem to be
accurately adjusted to their seats, so that both valves shall be closed at once.
Any sliding motion of the stem which tends to open either valve will also open
the other to the same extent so that the supply from the valve 13 shall always
equal the demand at the delivery 6, and yet the supply should never much exceed
the demand.
15 represents a lever passing through the stem 11 and connected therewith by a
pin 30, and pivoted to the body at 16.
17 is a bracket fitted to slide vertically in a sleeve 33 which is rigidly secured to
the body 5. The bracket is shaped as a segment of a circle at 18, concentric with

page_text: pivot 16. Through this bracket is a vertical slot serving as a guideway in which
the lever 15 may play to and fro longitudinally of the body.
34 is a spring acting between the sleeve 33 and the bracket. 17 to press the latter
normally upward.
19 is a thumb-piece serving as a handle to the lever 15, and adapted to slide
upon the segment 18.
20 represents a cap of conical form, screwed upon the forward end of the body 5,
and leaving an annular space between the cone of the body and the cap, through
which a current of air may be driven. The aperture in the cap.20 is in line of
the delivery aperture 6 of the body.
21 represents an air passage leading to the annular space between the cap and.
the body.
22 is an air tube which may be connected by means of a flexible pipe 23 with
any source or means of supplying air under pressure.
24 is a flexible tube, such as common rubber pipe, passing over and connecting
the ends of the passage ways 21 and 22. The end 25 of the tube 22 is closed
and an aperture 26 is made in one side thereof. The tube is, in this region,
reduced so that air may freely escape from said opening to the interior of the
pipe 24.
27 is an arm projecting from the lower end of the bracket 17, to be pressed by
the action of spring 34 against the underside of the pipe 24 and compress it upon
the opening 26, whereby a valve is formed for opening and closing the pipe 22.
28 is a setscrew adapted to limit the motion of the lever 15 so that neither of the
valves at 6 and 13, may be strained by forward pressure upon the lever.
29 is a spring acting between one of the bearings 12 and the lever 15 to
press the lever constantly forward to its normal position in which the valves are
.closed.
1
Immediately back of the cap 20 is a large opening 32 through the side of the
body, which opening is never closed, and through which ink or paint may be
introduced in small quantities directly to the interior of the cone, ready to be
discharged at the delivery 6 without passing through the reservoir 8.
31 is a screw by means of which the arm 27 may be set up or down upon the
bracket 17 in order to adjust the arm to close its valve at the proper time.
The lever 15 is made in two parts 36 and 37 fitted to telescope one upon the
other so that the part 36 may play down when the knob 19 is pressed upon
the segment 18 by the operator's finger to open the valve 26, and be slid upward
with the said segment by the spring 34, a head 38 preventing disengagement.
The operation is as follows: When the reservoir is to be used a quantity of ink
may be placed therein, and connections between the tube 22 and the source of air
supply being made, the operator proceeds to direct the delivery point toward the
paper or canvas, at the same time he may press down with a finger more or less
upon the lever 15 thereby opening the valve 26 and admitting more or less force
of air to the annular space between the conical cap 20 and the end of the body,
and the air driving out forward of the aperture 6, will form a suction through the
said aperture to draw out and discharge in a more or less sprayed condition whatever
ink the valve 6 permits to escape.
By drawing back with the same finger more or less upon the said lever the valves 6
and 13 are opened more or less so that the amount of ink discharged may be perfectly
controlled.
The artist may direct the point of delivery upon the paper either in curves or
straight lines. If the point of delivery be kept close to the paper the ink will be
delivered in a narrow line, and if the point be removed further and further away
from the paper the ink is more and more spread until the edges of the line are
entirely lost and shading may be accomplished of every grade from jet black to the
pure white of the paper or canvas, with such certainty as to satisfy the most
fastidious eye. The operating lever 15 not only performs the double service. of
-opening both the ink and air supply by the action of one finger of the operator,

page_text: but by its double action the amount of supply of each may be controlled with the
greatest accuracy.
By means of the opening 32 the valve seat at 6 and the whole interior works are
accessible for cleaning, and through this opening a small quantity, a mere drop if
so desired, of ink or other color may be placed within the cone for immediate use.
In this case, of course the reservoir 8 will be empty, and the operation of the
valve 13 has no effect upon the result.
The conical cap 20 being removable permits the interior to be readily cleaned,
and it being screw threaded upon the body permits longitudinal adjustment to vary
its distance from the delivery 6 to adapt the implement to use inks or paints of
different degrees of fluidity or thickness. The body being open at the side not
only gives free access for applying a small quantity of paint within the delivery-
and for cleaning purposes, but it permits the entrance of air behind the paint
whether the latter be placed in at the side or received from the reservoir, thus
enabling the air blast to draw the paint out of the delivery 6 by suction.
If the side were closed there would be no atmospheric pressure behind the paint
to aid suction.
For the purposes of the claim I term the cap 20, perforated in line of the
delivery.6 and connected with a source of supply of air under pressure, a suction
nozzle.
While the reservoir 8, closed except at its delivery valve 13, would not deliver
paint or ink evenly enough to ensure perfect work if the delivery 6 were coincident
with the valve opening 13, because of the air bubbles passing at intervals into the
reservoir at the same valve 13, yet it will accumulate a sufficient supply at 6 to be,
with certainty, controlled by the valve there.
It is evident that many different ways could be devised to give transverse
movement to the knob 19 besides slotting the lever, and that other devices might
be used to connect this knob with the air supply valve and still maintain the two
motions to the valve-operating lever, one motion being transverse to the line of
the implement to control the air delivery and the other motion longitudinal to
control the paint delivery.
These two motions are so distinct from each other that the operator need not
be confused. The harder he presses on the lever the harder the air will
press out. at work, and the more he draws back the lever the more paint will be
delivered.
Having thus 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 as my invention is:
1. The combination in air brushes, of an open receptacle for ink or paint, conical
at one end and perforated for delivery of the said ink or paint; a valve to close
the said perforation and adapted to be operated by hand; a cap covering the conical
end.of the body and forming an air space between, and perforated in line of the
said delivery; and means for connecting the said air space with a source of supply
for compressed air, substantially as described.
2. The combination in air brushes, of a receptacle for ink or paint perforated for
delivery thereof, and open to atmospheric pressure from the rear; a finger-valve
for the said perforation, and a suction nozzle forward of the perforation, substantially
as described.
3. The combination in air brushes, of a body containing a paint reservoir; a
valve therefor; a delivery formed in the body at some distance from the said valve
and connected therewith by a paint trough or receptacle open to the outer air; a
finger-valve for the said delivery; and a suction nozzle forward of the delivery,
substantially as described.
4. The combination in air brushes, of a tubular body having a paint reservoir in
its rear portion and made conical at its forward end and perforated as a paint
delivery at the apex of the cone; a valve-seated opening in the forward end of the

page_text: reservoir; a valve rod shaped at its forward end as a valve for the said delivery
and provided at its rear end with a valve fitted to the said valve-seated opening, one of
the said valves being adjustably connected with the rod; and a spring and a finger
connection for said valve rod, substantially as described.
5. The combination in air brushes, of a body having a perforated paint reservoir
and a delivery at some distance apart, each provided with a valve opening; a rod
having valves at its ends and fitted to slide between the reservoir and delivery
openings; a perforated cap in front of the delivery opening leaving an annular air
space between the cap and body; a tube closed at its end and having a delivery at
one side; means for connecting this tube with a source of supply for air under
pressure; a flexible pipe connecting the tube and the aforesaid annular air space
and loosely covering the said side delivery as a valve therefor; a bracket fitted to
slide transversely to the body and having an arm to bear upon the said flexible
pipe over the said side delivery, and a finger lever pivoted to the valve rod and
passing through a slot in the bracket, and pivoted to the body and having a shoulder
to engage the bracket, substantially as described.
6. The combination in air brushes, of a perforated reservoir; a paint delivery
· located at some distance therefrom; a suction nozzle beyond the delivery; an air
pipe communicating with the nozzle; a valve for the pipe; a valve for the reservoir;
a valve for the said delivery; and a finger-lever connected with the three valves,
substantially as described, whereby all the valves may be operated by one finger.
7. The combination in air brushes, of a delivery valve; a bracket fitted to slide
transversely to the implement and having a slotted segment; a spring for the
. bracket; a telescoping lever connected with the said valve and pivoted to swing
in the said slot, and provided with a thumbpiece to slide upon the said segment.
and a compressed air valve connected with the said bracket, substantially as
described.
8. The combination in air brushes, of a paint receptacle perforated for delivery;
a valve for the perforation; a suction nozzle forward of the delivery; a connection
between the nozzle and compressed air source; a valve for the said connection, and
a finger-lever hung for two movements substantially as described, whereby the
operator's finger may make one movement to control the air supply and another
movement to control the paint delivery.
9. The combination in air brushes, of a compressed air valve; a paint delivery
valve, and a finger-lever hung for two different movements and connected with the
said valves substantially as described.
10. The combination in air brushes, of a body portion and a valve operating
lever hung thereto for both longitudinal and transverse motion, substantially as
described.
11. The combination in air brushes, of a receptacle for paint having a delivery
aperture, a suction nozzle in front thereof; an air tube connecting with the nozzle;
valves for the delivery aperture and air tube and an operating lever fitted to play
both longitudinally and transversely to the body and connected with the valves,
substantially as described.
12. The combination in air brushes, of a body having a conical paint delivery; a
valve therefor; and a cap or suction nozzle fitted with longitudinal adjustment upon
the body in line of the delivery, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of April 1892.
CHARLES LAURENCE BURDICK.