Improvements relating to Inkstands and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th July, 1893-4ccepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Inkstands and the like.
I WILLIAM RITCHIE BAKER of 9 Belmont Villas, Wallington Surrey,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My improvements consist of several contrivances to cause the lids of ink bottles
or stands to open and close automatically, and thus prevent the evaporation and
thickening of the ink, that occurs in those stands now in use.
One of these is to fix the rack that holds the pen or pens to the lid and so
balance the whole upon its hinge by means of a counterpoise or spring, that it will
open when a pen is removed from the rack and close again when it is replaced.
Instead of this I may make the lid to be raised in the usual way, and keep it up
by a catch from which it will be liberated by the pen touching a trigger when it is
returned to its recepticle, or it may be kept open by a break or other contrivance
the force of which will gradually expend itself and allow the lid to fall after an
interval the length of which might be regulated as desired.
Instead of the cover being removed in any of the above ways it might be so
arranged that the pen would push it aside each time it entered the bottle, in which
case the shape of the pen or its holder might be modified to suit it for that
purpose.
Thin 0th day of Databer 1805
W. R. BAKER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Inkstands and the like.
I WILLIAM RITCHIE BAKER, Chemist, of 9 Belmont Villas Wallington,
Surrey do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
-
My invention consists of a balanced lid that can be applied to inkstands
stationary cases and the like and is so arranged that it will tend to open
automatically when a pen or pencil is removed from the rack, and to close when it
is replaced, thus causing the lid to be always closed when not in use, and so
preventing the entrance of dust and the waste and deterioration of ink which
would occur through neglecting to close the lid. I am aware that balanced lids
have been made before but not of such simple construction as mine, which is
essentially merely the addition of a pen holder to the front of the usual lid, and
that of a simple form of counterpoise to the back.
In the accompanying illustrations, in which the same letters are used to indicate
similar or corresponding parts, Figs. 1, 3 and 5 show three different forms of
inkstands all furnished with the lid, open and in Figs. 24 and 6 the same closed by
the weight of the pen in the rack. From these it will be seen that the counter-
poise A is attached to the lid, which is pivoted at E E, and is of such weight and
so placed as to rather more than counterbalance the lid B, with the penholder or
rack C. C. attached to it, in any position that it can take.
It is consequently always open and will remain so until a pen or its equivalent is
placed in the rack C C when the centre of gravity of the whole is altered and it
will begin to close. The whole arrangement here described forms a very
efficient kind of automatic inkstand which is simpler, cheaper and more effective
than any hitherto made.

page_text: I do not confine myself to the exact details herein described as it is obvious that
these would vary according to the kind of inkstand required, as for instance
whether it was for business or private use.
The counterpoise A might be made either useful, as a ruler, or ornamental, and
might be either attached to the lid of the ink bottle itself, as in Figs. 3, 4 5 & 6,
or to the lid of the case containing them as in Figs. 1 and 2. If this case were
made large enough to contain paper and other writing materials as well as the ink
bottle a very convenient form of stationary case would be made.
In order to reduce the weight or size of the counterpoise the lid might be partly
opened or closed by means of a spring, which might be placed in the hinge or
other convenient place, and sometimes as where a very light lid was employed, the
counterpoise might be dispensed with altogether.
The rack which might be made to hold one or more pens, projects beyond the
under surface of the lid and could be made either rigid as in Figs. 1, 2 3 & 4 or
hinged as in Figs. 5 and 6, so that it would automatically assume a convenient
position, when the lid was raised, to receive the pen, and when closed to retain it.
The ink bottle or receptacle could be made of any convenient shape and
arranged to either stand alone or be attached to a base of wood metal or other
substance.
Having now 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 is:
Claim 1. The combination and arrangement of parts as described in reference to
Figs. 1 to 4 for the purpose of forming an automatically opening and closing
inkstand, stationary case, or the like substantially as described.
2. In an automatic inkstand or stationary case having a balanced lid, the racks
or penholders projecting or hanging down below the lid substantially as described
and shown in Figs. 1 to 6.
3. In an inkstand or stationary case fitted with a lid that has the counterpoise
and pen rack attached to it, substantially as here described and figured, and so
balanced that it opens when the pen is removed from the rack and closes when it is
replaced.