Year: 1887

page_text: I, WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW of 110 Bunhill Row in the City of London, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
I construct inkstands, made according to my improvements in the following
manner-
The interior of the inkstand consists of a hollow space of such a shape as is capable
of being filled by a solid figure of revolution, as for example, a cylinder, a sphere, a
cone or other such like figure. The lower half of such hollow space forms the
reservoir containing the ink, and communicating by an orifice at or near its surface
with a small supply-well of a convenient depth for dipping the pen. In order to
maintain the ink in the well at the same unvarying depth, I fit within the reservoir a
float of as nearly as may be half the dimensions of the interior space of the inkstand,
with trunnions fixed in its axis of rotation and resting on journals in the sides of the
inkstand so that the float can freely turn on its axis. The specific gravity of the float
is made as nearly as possible half that of the ink. By means of stops the float is
prevented from assuming a perfectly horizontal position whether below or above a
horizontal plane passing through its axis of rotation. The float having been mounted
in this manner, the top half of the inkstand is fastened on by a water-tight joint, a
small hole being left at or near its summit to admit of the free passage of air in or out of the
interior of the inkstand. The inkstand is now filled with ink by pouring into the dipping-
well as much ink as will nearly fill the lower half of the interior space forming the
reservoir the upper half of which will then, of course, be filled by the float described
above, except only such small part of the float as is held below the horizontal line by
reason of its contact with the upper of the two stops before named. The lower of the
two stops is fixed just below the orifice into the dipping-well. The float will be
supported by the ink in this position so long as the quantity of ink remains unchanged,
but as the ink is withdrawn from the dipping-well, the float will fall, turning on its
017

page_text: axis; and as the proportion of its weight to be supported by the fluid continually
increases, its displacement of ink increases in the same ratio, and the effect is that the
surface of the ink is maintained at the same height until the float has reached the
lower stop, just below the orifice into the dipping-well. This construction ensures
that the same depth of ink shall always be available for dipping purposes until
practically the whole of the ink is exhausted. It has also the advantage that the
reservoir of ink is completely secluded from exposure to the ill effects of dust,
evaporation &c., whilst a convenient quantity, which may be no more than a thimbleful,
is presented for use and replenished automatically as fast as it is removed by
the pen.

page_text: 1, WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW, of 110 Bunhill Row, in the City of London, Manu-
facturer, 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 :—
I construct inkstands, made according to my improvements in the following
manner.
The interior of the inkstand consists of a hollow space of such a shape as is capable
of being filled by a solid figure of revolution as for example, a cylinder, a sphere, a
cone or other such like figure. The lower half of such hollow space forms the
reservoir containing the ink, and communicating by an orifice at or near its surface
with a small supply-well of a convenient depth for dipping the pen.
In order to maintain the ink in the well at the same unvarying depth, I fit within
the reservoir a float of as nearly as may be of the same dimensions as the lower part
of the interior space of the inkstand, with trunnions fixed in its axis of rotation and
resting on journals in the sides of the inkstand so that the float can freely turn on its
axis. The specific gravity of the float is made as nearly as possible half that of the
ink. By means of stops the float is prevented from assuming a perfectly horizontal
position whether below or above a horizontal plane passing through its axis of rotation.
The float having been mounted in this manner, the top portion of the inkstand is
fastened on by a water-tight joint, a small hole being left at or near its summit to
admit of the free passage of air in or out of the interior of the inkstand. The
inkstand is now filled with ink by pouring into the dipping well as much ink as will
nearly fill the lower half of the interior space forming the reservoir the upper half of
which will then, of course, be filled by the float described above, except only such
small part of the float as is held below the horizontal line by reason of its contact with
the upper of the two stops before named. The lower of the two stops is fixed just
below the orifice into the dipping-well. The float will be supported by the ink in this
position so long as the quantity of ink remains unchanged, but as the ink is withdrawn
from the dipping well, the float will fall, turning on its axis; and as the proportion of
its weight to be supported by the fluid continually increases, its displacement of ink
increases in the same ratio, and the effect is that the surface of the ink is maintained
at the same height until the float has reached the lower stop, just below the orifice
into the dipping well. This construction ensures that the same depth of ink shall
always be available for dipping purposes until practically the whole of the ink is
exhausted. It has also the advantage that the reservoir of ink is completely secluded
from exposure to the ill effects of dust, evaporation &c., whilst a convenient quantity,
which may be no more than a thimbleful, is presented for use and replenished
automatically as fast as it is removed by the pen.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is an elevation of an ink-stand constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a plan, and
Figure 3 a vertical section of a spherical float, and Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5
a vertical section of a cylindrical float.
a is the inkstand and b the float provided with trunnions c about which it can turn.
d is an air inlet and e the dipping well which is connected to the ink reservoir by the
duct The line g, g, shows the height to which the ink is always maintained by the
float.
As
The body of the inkstand I make of stoneware porcelain, vulcanite, or of some
metal that is not acted upon by ink. The floats I make preferably of hollow vulcanite
so that the specific gravity of the float shall only be equal to half that of water.
ink is withdrawn from the dipping-well a further supply at once flows in from the
reservoir in consequence of the float falling as already explained.
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
1. An inkstand provided with a float consisting of part of a solid of revolution
which fits and is free to turn in the lower part of the reservoir whereby the ink is
displaced and its surface maintained at an approximately constant level substantially
as described.
2. Inkstands substantially as described and shown in the drawings.