IMPROVEMENTS IN PENS FOR WRITING
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Stark, of Monkton, in the Isle of Thanet,
Plumber and Glazier, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PENS FOR
WRITING."
Sealed the 22nd April 1856, and dated the 27th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Stark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,, on the 27th
October 1855.
I
I, EDWARD STARK, of 'Monkton, in the Isle of Thanet, Plumber and Glazier,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention 'for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PENS FOR WRITING" to be as follows::
My Invention' relates to improvements in writing pens, and consists in the
construction and arrangement of a pen and reserve holder, whereby a constant
supply of ink is provided and supplied from the reservoir to the pen as required:
I make the holding clip of the form required to hold pen nibs, that is, with ȧ
double thickness of metal, between which the pen is placed. The space in
which the pen is inserted communicates: with the reserve of ink in the holder
or handle, which may be filled throughout. At the point where the forefinger
rests on the holder in writing I cut an' opening, and cover it with a flexible
diaphragm of india-rubber or other suitable material, fixed securely, so as to
make it air-tight between the 'pen and the flexible diaphragm. I make a
screw joint in the holder where it is disconnected to fill the holler with ink,
when it is again screwed on air-tight. In writing, the occassional pressure of

page_text: the finger on the flexible diaphragm compresses the air inside, and causes the
ink to flow down to the pen as required. The passage for the ink is a small
channel in the space in which the pen is inserted; this passage is very small,
which prevents the inward passage of air so long as the pen has a sufficient
supply of ink. When it becomes deficient, a little air will find ingress, when
the action of the diaphragm will cause the supply in the pen to be augmented,
and in this way a continuous supply of ink will flow while it lasts in the
reservoir without excess at any time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Stark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
STARK, of Monkton, in the Isle of Thanet, Plumber and Glazier, send
greeting.
year
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October, in the of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Stark, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Stark,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edward Stark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PENS FOR WRITING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Edward Stark, my exécutors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Office within six calendar months next and immediately.
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Stark, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-

page_text: My Invention relates to improvements in writing pens, and consists in the
construction and arrangement of a pen and reserve holder, whereby a constant
supply of ink is provided and supplied. from the reservoir to the pen as
required. I make. the holding clip of the form required to hold pen nibs,
that is, with a double thickness of metal, between which the pen is placed.
A groove, in the space in which the pen is inserted, communicates with the
reservoir of ink, or it may be a separate small tube. The holder or handle
may be filled with ink throughout. At the point where the forefinger rests
on the holder in writing I form an opening in the holder reservoir, and
cover it with a flexible diaphragm of india-rubber or other suitable material,
fixed securely, so as to make it air-tight. In writing, the occassional pressure
of the finger on the flexible diaphragm compresses the air inside, and causes
the ink to flow down to the pen as required. The passage for the ink is the
groove or small channel before mentioned, which leads to the hollow or con-
cave side of the pen. This passage is very small, which prevents the inward
passage of air so long as the pen has a sufficient supply of ink. When it
becomes deficient, and any relaxation of the pressure of the finger on the
india-rubber diaphragmn takes place, a little air will find ingress to the reser-
voir; and when the finger presses again on the diaphragm the supply to the
pen will be augmented, and in this way a proper supply of ink will flow while
it lasts in the reservoir without excess at any time. In order to permit the
small ink channel to be a little larger to prevent it becoming clogged, I place
a small valve at the entrance of this channel to the reservoir, which valve
opens by the pressure of the finger on the diaphragm, before mentioned,
and permits the flow of ink, as will further appear with reference to the

page_text: on and
in the section, Fig. 6. In the table e an opening is cut at the point where
the forefinger comes in contact with the holder while writing. This is covered
by a tube of india-rubber b, which is stretched considerably to get it
into its place. Being thus stretched on the tube e, it fits air-tight thereto; and
prevents the ingress of air at the hole d, & prevents the escape of ink. To
further ensure this, the cover ċ slips tight over the rubber b, and is further
held by passing within the ferrule h. The india-rubber is entirely enclosed
by the cover c, except at the oval 'opening i, which is a little larger than the
opening d, immediately above which it is placed. The hand is thus protected
from the india-rubber otherwise than at the opening i. The pen clip, which
is separately represented at Fig. 7, is somewhat like the ordinary clip for
pocket pen holders;, it screws into the tube c, and has a small tube or channel.
k, as also seen in the end view, Fig. 8; this channel is long enough to convey
the ink down to the hole in the pen where it is emitted, and is taken up by
the pen..
The inner end of the channel k is bored through the solid metal,
and is fitted..with a little valve s, made of ivory or other material not pre-
judicially acted on by the ink; it is mounted on a fixed fulcrum at t, and has
a long stem passing immediately under the india-rubber diaphragm b, so that
when the pressure of the finger is exerted on the diaphragm it'also presses
on the valve stemi, and. slightly opens the valve's, & establishes the flow of
ink to the channel. This valve should be faced with a piece of india-rubber,
tied or otherwise fixed to the stem to render the valve tight. In order to give
the valve sa constant tendency to remain closed, a band of india-rubber u,
best seen in Fig. 5, is passed round the tube e, in which there is a groove for
its reception. This band is passed under the tail or stem of valve s, as seen
in Figs. 5 and 6, and also in the cross section, Fig. 9, at that point. The band
by being stretched on the tube e, sufficient power is exerted on the tail of
valve s for the purpose, and being sunk in a recess round the tube e it does
not interfere with the position or action of diaphragm b. g is a screw cáp,
which may be opened for the introduction of the ink to the holder. Instead
of the band u, a spring may be attached to the valve stem, & pressing on the
inside of the tube, so as to keep the valve closed as required; the valve stem
should, however, be in the same position with regard to, the diaphragm b,, and
such spring must be of, a metal or other material not acted on by the ink,
otherwise it will have a préjudicial effect.
In writing with this pen, the pressure of the forefinger may be always more
or less exerted on the diaphragm b, or only at intervals, as may be required,
to cause the necessary supply of ink to flow; or the passages may be regulated
so that the incidental pressure of the. finger exerted in the act of writing will

page_text: maintain the proper supply of ink in the pen so long as any lasts in the holder,
which may be filled quite full at first. If necessary, a further reserve may be
provided, of a form similar to the cap a, which when filled with ink can be
screwed to the holder tube f when screw cap g is removed. This reserve
should be provided with a spring valve to close the passage by which the ink
passes out into holder f, e, which valve in the act of screwing on this reservo
to f is opened & permits the ink to pass into the lower holder. This latter
reserve may be kept disconnected from the pen holder until an extra supply is
required.
Ilaving described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not claim pen
holders having reserves of ink generally or otherwise than when fitted and
applied according to my Invention, as herein-before described, and I hereby
declare that what I do claim as the Invention intended to be secured by the
said Letters Patent is, the combination of a flexible diaphragm with a reserve
or supply chamber of ink in pen holders, in the manner and for the purposes
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Stark, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
EDWARD STARK. (L.S.)