MENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of" IMPROVE
MENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENS," A communication from abroad by
Alonzo T. Cross, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of tho Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR
PENS." A communication from abroad by Alonzo T. Cross, of Providence, Rhode
Island, United States of America.
This Invention relates to that class of fountain pens in which the upper end of
the reservoir is closed air-tight, and air is admitted to the ink at the lower end of
the ink chamber, and it provides convenient means for freeing the fine tube at the
lower end of the ink chamber, or at the point of the pen from interfering sediment
or ink deposit without the necessity, as heretofore, of either opening or partially
opening the ink chamber, and the consequent liability to soil the fingers with ink.
The said Invention also provides means for preserving the proper relative
position of the ink delivering tube, and its enclosed clearing spindle under the
varying conditions of the connecting joint between the point section and the main
reservoir, thus rendering it practicable to employ a friction joint for this connection
with consequent simplicity and cheapness of manufacture.
The Invention also relates to a removable metallic point tube frictionally hold in
a point section provided internally with a contraction or shoulder serving to limit
the degree of insertion of the said tube.
The Invention also relates to a metallic point tube and an ink delivering tip
made of different metals or compositions of metals, and connected by soldering, the
whole being plated with nickel to prevent the corrosion due to galvanic action
excited by the acids in the ink.

page_text: Figure 2 is a section drawn to an enlarged scale shewing the point-section of a
stylographic fountain pen provided with my improvements, and also the lower
portion of the central air tube.
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 2, of the lower end of
the spindle carrying guide, and
Figure 4 is a similar view on the line ', ', Figure 2, shewing the upper end of
the said spindle carrying guide.
Figure 5 is a central longitudinal section of another form of stylographic fountain
pen provided with my improvements.
Figures 6, 9, and 10, are central longitudinal sections of modified forms of stylo-
graphic fountain pens hereinafter described, and
Figures 7 and 8, and 11 and 12, are transverse sections of the same on the
-lines-y-yyy Figure 6, and 2, s, s², s¹, Figure 10.
In Figure 1 of the Drawing A represents the ink reservoir B,-the-point section.;
C, the central air tube; D, the vent plug; I, the ink delivering tube, and F, the
writing pen. Upon the lower end of the air tube C is placed the loosely sliding
spindle carrying guide G, to the lower end of which the tube clearing spindle H
is rigidly attached. This spindle H passes loosely through the contracted bore of
the tube I, its point extending into the enlarged lower portion of the tube. The
bore of the spindle carrying guide is contracted at the point 7 to receive the fine
connecting wire J extending between the spindle carrying guide and the vent
plug D. This wire passes loosely through the contraction g, and is secured to the
guide by means of the enlargement or head j within the chamber Kat the upper
end of the spindle. The vent-plug D is provided with a stem or guide & extending
loosely for a short distance into the upper end of the air tube, and the screw
thread & of this plug is cut away upon one side, so that the air may enter the
tube as soon as the flange of the plug is raised from its seat upon the upper end of
the outer case or reservoir A.
The wire J is fitted tightly into the stem or guide d' of the plug D, the swivel
joint connection with the spindle carrying guide G allowing the plug to be turned
for the purpose of opening or closing the vent, or for disconnecting the plug from
the reservoir; the position of the head ; and the contraction y are such that the
screw threaded portion d may be entirely withdrawn from the reservoir A without
raising the guide G from its seat upon the upper end of the point section.
The spindle guide G is provided at its upper end with the stop g¹ cut away, as
shown in Figure 4, to allow the passage of ink from the main ink-chamber into
the point section; it is also provided with an enlargement g' at the lower end, also
cut away, as shown in Figure 3, to allow the passage of the ink to the point of the
pen. The enlargement g² nearly fitting the bore of the point section serves to
preserve the proper central position of the spindle in its passage through the
contracted bore of the tube I.
At the upper end of the point section is placed the hollow screw L, by incans of
which the position of the lower end of the spindle carrying guide may be adjusted
with reference to the contracted aperture or throat at the lower end of the
chamber in order to allow a more or less rapid flow of ink to the point of
the pen.
The spindle carrying guide G is provided upon one side with a slot g³ opposite
the lower end of the air tube C to allow for the desirable adjustment of the
position of the guide without changing the point for admitting air to the ink
chamber relatively to the other parts of the pen. Side openings h, h, are made in
the upper enlarged hollow end of the spindle H, or in the lower end of the guide G
to provide for the free circulation of ink into the enclosed chamber K. The tube I
is frictionally held in the bore of the point section, and is thus rendered extensible
to permit the employment of pens F of different lengths; the corresponding
adjustment of the spindle and guido being made by means of the hollow screw L.
In using the pen the vent plug D is first slightly raised from its scat to admit
air to the tube C; then if through obstruction in the tube I the ink fails to flow

page_text: with the desired readiness to the point of the pen, the plug D is to be wholly
unscrewed and drawn back, thus causing the spindle-carrying guide G to slido
upon the air tube C against the downward thrust of the spiral spring M placed
below the end of the air tube and the spindle H to move within the tube I; tho
sudden release of the plug from the fingers then allows the spring M to impart a
rapid downward movement to the spindle and guide, thus forcibly ejecting the ink
through the tube I against the underside of the pen F.
The difficulty of starting the flow of ink for writing in ordinary fountain pens of
this class where the column of ink is supported by a vacuum has tended greatly to
prevent their extended use; but my above described improvements provide in a
vacuum fountain pen convenient means for forcibly expelling the ink from the
lower portion of the ink-chainber whenever desired.
In Figure 5 the point section B is attached to the reservoir A by means of a
friction joint a, which permits the upper end of the point section to be passed more
or less within the outer tube A forming the reservoir; the end of the tube A is
preferably made of hard india-rubber or similar material, and is strengthened by
means of an encircling metal band b. The spring M, shewn in Figure 1 as below
the lower end of the air tube within the guide, is in this case placed above the
guide upon the outside of the air tube, and is held between the fixed collar o and
the said guide. The stop g¹, made with open spaces for the passage of ink, as shewn
in Figure 4, rests against the upper end of the point section B, thus preserving the
proper relative positions of the lower end of the spindle II and the ink-delivering
tube E, however much the point section is pressed into the outer tube at the friction
joint. The position of the spindle H relatively to the stop may be changed by
means of the adjusting screw i, the guide G being made in two parts united by
means of a screw thread. The spindle H is attached to the guide G by means of
the pin passing through the slot b₁ in the enlarged upper portion of the spindle;
the said spindle is forced downward by means of the small spiral spring m operating
between the loose washer n and the collar o upon the enlarged portion of the
spindle. The guide G is provided with a slot g³ opposite the lower end of the air
tube, as in Figure 1.
The spring M which imparts movement to the guide G is made stronger than the
spring m which operates the writing spindle, so that the guide G may be held firmly
while in the act of writing, allowing the spindle H to vibrate with the movement
of the pen. Connection is made by means of the wire J loosely connected to the
guide Ġ through the air tube to the stem of the vent plug D.
G
In ordinary cases in writing with this stylographic pen the ink will flow readily
from the writing point upon slightly raising the vent plug from its scat, but in case
the pen has been unused for some time, or if the ink is not clear from dirt or
sediment, so that the flow does not cominence at the instant of raising the vent-
plug, then by simply unscrewing the plug and drawing the point of the spindle H
back to the limit of the movement of the guide and suddenly releasing the same,
the spring M acting against the guide will throw the spindle downward; the guide
then operating as a plunger forcibly ejects a small quantity of ink through the tube
at the writing point, thus effectually clearing and starting the pen. The point
cap N may now be placed upon the upper portion of the handle or reservoir, the
necessary supply of air passing to the vent plug, and thence to the air tube through
the holer in the side of the said cap.
Figure 2 represents a stylographic fountain pen with the spindle H rigidly
attached to the guide, and with a hollow adjusting screw L at the upper end of the
point section for regulating the position of the point of the spindle.
In Figure 6 the wire J terminates in a ball or knob e at the upper end of the air
tube covered by the vent cap D, a side opening p being made through the side of
the screw Q, and connecting with the bore of the air tube C to admit air to the
tube upon simply raising the vent cap from its seat upon the upper end of the
reservoir. The vent cap D is to be entirely removed from the top of the reservoir

page_text: whenever it is desired to clear the point of the pen by means of the backward
movement of the spindle, as herein before described.
The tube C is made in two parts, the portion c¹ being made of hard india-rubber,
and the portion of silver or of a metal not readily corroded by the acids contained
in ordinary writing ink. The spring M is placed upon the metal tube between the
end of the tube c' and the spindle carrying guide G.
The wire J is connected to the guide by being passed through a holes in one
side thereof, and then around the body of the guide.
In Figure 10 the wire J terininates in a ball or knobe at the upper end of a
small metal tube P passing longitudinally through the ink chamber and out at the
upper end of the reservoir. The air passes into the ink-chamber through the
duct u made in the side wall of the reservoir, and is prevented from passing down
the tube P by reason-of-its-comparatively small bore, and by the thread of the
screw closely fitting the screw thread of the vent cap. The writing-spindle-H-is-
provided with an enlarged lengthened shank to form a guide H³ passing loosely
into the bure of the tube P.
The wire J is firmly secured in the upper end of the guide H, and the spring M
is placed upon the guide H' between the lower end of the tube P and the grooved
stop at the lower end of the guide which rests against the interior shoulder of the
point section.
By slightly unscrewing the vent-cap air will be admitted to the lower portion of
the ink-chamber through the duct a¹, and in case it is desired to cleanse the fine
tube E from seriiment the vent cap D is entirely removed and the spindle drawn
back, as herein before described, by means of the wire passing through the tube P.
The downward movement of the spindle is limited by the point section when the
pen is closed and ready for use, and by the wire and knob, or by an equivalent stop,
whenever the point section is removed for the purpose of filling the reservoir.
In Figure 9 the spindle guide H is held in the point section and disconnected
from either the air tube or the main reservoir, and in this case the sliding
extension C¹ upon the air tube is drawn back by means of the connected wire J
passing loosely through the air tube, as hereinbefore described. The tube E may
then be cleared by either shaking the guide H¹ back and forth longitudinally
through the increased space between its upper end and the lower end of the sliding
extension G¹, or by allowing the extension piece G to spring back suddenly by the
action of the spring M forcing the guide H³ downward and ejecting a quantity of
ink through the tube E. The sliding extension G¹ is secured to the nir tube by
means of the pin 62 passing through the slot g³ in the side of the extension.
The point section B, made of hard india-rubber or similar material, as shown in
Figures 2, 6, and 10, is provided with a contraction or shoulder w, which serves to
limit the degree of insertion of the frictionally held and removable metallic point
tube E', which is preferably made of silver, and drilled out at its lower end to receive
the wear resisting tip or ink delivering tube E, which is preferably made of an
alloy of platinum and iridium, and which rests against the shoulder e¹. The upper
end of the tube E is slightly countersunk in order to guide the insertion of the
spindle when placing the point section upon the handle or reservoir of the pen.
The point tube E and the tip E, after being secured to each other by solder and
properly tapered exteriorly, as shewn in the Drawing, are to be plated with nickel,
in order to prevent corrosion due to the galvanic action between the different metals
causing the rapid destruction of the solder when in contact with the acids found in
common ink.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. In a fountain pen in which the column of ink in the reservoir is supported
by atmospheric pressure, an ink-delivering tube of small diameter in combination
with an enclosed tube-clearing spindle provided with means, extending through an
enclosing tube to the upper portion of the ink-reservoir, for drawing it upward

page_text: or backward against the downward action of a spring, substantially as above
described.
Second. In a fountain pen in which the column of ink in the reservoir is
supported by atmospheric pressure, the combination of an air-supplying tube with
a sliding extension forced downward to its stop by means of a spring, and provided
with means, passing through the air tube to the upper portion of the reservoir, for
its retraction, substantially as above set forth and for the purposo specified.
Third. In a fountain pen in which the column of ink in the reservoir is supported
by atmospheric pressure, and provided with an ink-delivering tube of small
diameter, the combination of a tube clearing spindle with the vent plug by means
of a loose swivelled connection passing through the air supplying tube, substantially
as above described.
Fourth. In a fountain pen in which the column of ink in the reservoir is
supported by atmospheric pressure, a point section provided with a hollow screw at
its upper end to form an adjustable seat for a spindle carrying guide, pressed
downward by a spring, substantially as above described.
Fifth. In a fountain pen, the removable frictionally held point-tube E' in combi-
nation with a point section provided with a contraction or shoulder f, substantially
as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. In a fountain pen, the point-tube E¹ and the ink-delivering tip E, formed
of different metals or compositions of metals, and plated with nickel, substantially as
above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
TIM DODT TAR
TYM
ROBT LA KE.
PARE
TATT
(L.S.)