IMPROVED MEANS OF GIVING ELASTICITY, FREEDOM OP ACTION, AND DURABILITY TO CERTAIN PARTS OF PENS OR INSTRUMENTS USED IN WRITING, AS ALSO OF OBTAINING A SUPPLY AND FLOW OF INK TO THE SAME
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY'
CHRISTOPHER WINDLE, of Walsall, in the County of Stafford, Merchant,
JOSEPH GILLOTT, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Metallic Pen
Manufacturer, and STEPHEN MORRIS, of Birmingham aforesaid, Artisan, send'
greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth;"
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of March, in the seventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph Gillott; and Stephen Morris, His
especial license, that we; the said Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph Gillott,
and Stephen Morris, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph Gillott, and Stephen Morris; our
exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others; from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should' and lawfully might make; use, exercise, and vend; within England;
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVED
MEANS OF GIVING ELASTICITY, FREEDOM OP ACTION, AND DURABILITY TO CERTAIN
PARTS OF PENS OR INSTRUMENTS USED IN WRITING, AS ALSO OF OBTAINING A SUPPLY
AND FLOW OF INK TO THE SAME;" in which said' Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, obliging us, the said Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph' 'Gillott; and
Stephen Morris, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals," or
under the hand and 'seal' of one of us; particularly to describe and ascertain

page_text: the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within two calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph Gillott, and Stephen Morris, do hereby
declare the nature of our said Invention to consist:-
First, in certain adjustable elastic plates applied to that part of the pen or
instrument for writing which is held the fingers and thumb, and which
plates we therefore call finger and thumb plates, whereby the most rigid pen-
holder or handle part of a pen becomes elastic to the touch, while an increased
freedom of action is thereby given to the points of the pen.
Secondly, in stamping that part of the blank out of which it is intended to
form the nibs of the pen in such manner as to leave a thick point to each nib
and a thick ridge up each side of the slit, but preserving the thinness and
elasticity of every other part of the nibs, and leaving
metal to bear the work of the pen at the points and slit.
a durable thickness of
Thirdly, in forming an arch in each nib, of the pen, an arch proper in the
left nib or nib on the thumb side of the pen, and an inverted arch in the right
or other nib, the effect of which is to prevent the increased labour which is
usually thrown upon the right nib by the inclination which most persons give to
the hand in writing, and which soon wears the right nib to a sharp point, which-
then is apt to cut the paper and impede the writing. By the proposed arched
nibs, and which we call compensating nibs, this is avoided; the ordinary
pressure on these nibs in writing having the constant effect of withdrawing the
right nib from the extra work and protruding the left nib to take an equal
share with it, for it will be evident that the ends of the inverted arch will
approximate, while the ends of the arch proper will extend by the same down-
ward pressure on the paper. This equalizing the wear of both nibs of course
renders the pen more durable, while a great additional freedom of action is
given to the nibs by withdrawing the obstruction usually occasioned by the
extra pressure of the right nib on the paper.
And, fourthly, in a feeder or receptacle for ink, so placed that the action of
the nibs in writing is constantly agitating the ink, and thus promoting its easy
and continuous flow downward towards the points of the nibs.
And in further compliance with the said proviso, we, the said Henry
Christopher Windle, Joseph Gillott, and Stephen Morris, do hereby describe
the manner in which our said Invention is to be performed by the following

page_text: Statement thereor, reference being had to the Drawing annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a view of the back of a pen; the part marked A, and coloured
pink, being one of our new elastic finger plates. r is a ring or sliding ferule, by
means of which the finger plate may be brought nearer to or further from the
point of the pen to suit the hand of the writer. This Figure represents a fore-
finger plate made of thin elastic metal, and may by means of the ferule or ring
rbe brought to any position round the pen. Figure 2 is a side view of the
same plate. Figure 3 is a pen furnished with two plates, a forefinger plate
A, and a middle finger plate B. Figure 4 is a side view of the same pen.
Figure 5 is a view of a pen furnished with three, plates, à forefinger plate A,
a middle finger plate B, and a thumb plate C; and Figure 6 is a side view of
the same pen and plates. As in some cases persons write with the pen resting
on the first joint of the middle finger, a plate which we call a saddle plate,
shown at D, Figure 7, is provided for such writers, and prevents the aching
pain often experienced in the said joint from long writing with ordinary pens.
Figure 8 is a view of a set of fingers and a thumb placed on their respective
plates. Figure 9 is an enlarged view of one of our said pens, the nibs of
which have been stamped as aforesaid, so as to leave a greater thickness of
_metal at the points of the nibs and by the sides of the slit, the apertures, slits,
and side cuts being made afterwards in the usual manner. Figure 10 is the
same pen of the usual size. Figure 11 is the stamping apparatus, in which
that part of the blank which is to form the nibs is stamped. Figure 12 is
the upper die, quite plane and flat; and Figure 13, the lower die, containing the
cavity or recess which allows the parts required to be thicker to remain of the
thickness of the original blank, while the sides are reduced by stamping to the
necessary thickness; the importance of allowing the points of the nibs to
remain thicker than the other parts has long been acknowledged, and various
attempts, by filing and otherwise, have been made to accomplish this object,
but stamping has never been resorted to before, and has a decided advantage
over other plans, inasmuch as it compresses and renders more compact the
thin metal of the nibs, while it leaves the thick parts softer and more yielding.
Figure 14 is an enlarged view of one of our double-arched or compensating
nibbed pens, the blank of which, it will be found, must be originally cut in the
shape shewn at Figure 15. E is what we call the arch proper of the left nib,
and F what we call the inverted arch of the right nib. Figure 16 is a back
view of one of these pens of the usual size. Figure 17 represents a pen with

page_text: cone of what we call our new. channel pen feeders attached to it by means of a
slide ring, in the same manner as the finger and thumb.plates:before. described
are attached and made adjustable. The nibs, it will be seen by this Figure,
lie just over and project beyond the front edge of the feeder, which has a small
notch or space cut out to receive them, the pen with its feeder being dipped in
an ink bottle of ink in the ordinary way, the-circular channel of the feeder'
becomes filled with ink, and as.the nibs of the pen move in the act of writing
over the front edge of that channel, they keep continually drawing the ink
down towards the point of the pen and feeding the instrument with ink, as
fast as it is required-without surcharging it at any one time. Figure 18 is a
side view of Figure 17, and Figure 19 is a separate view of our new channel
-pen feeder. Now, whereas we claim as our Invention,-
.
First, the elastic and adjustable finger and thumb plates herein-before
described, whether applied to penholders or pens or other such instruments
for writing.
Secondly, stamping the nibs of pens out of blanks of such a thickness. and
in such manner as to leave the thickened parts shown in Figures 9 and 10,
and to form the other thin parts of the nibs, as herein-before also described.
Thirdly, the introduction of the double arch, one in each nib of the pen, in
manner and for the purpose herein-before also described.
Fourthly, the new channel pen feeder made separate from the pen, and
.attached thereto when in use by means of a slide ring for supplying ink to the
spoint of the pen, also herein-before-described.
:
And such our Invention being to the best of our knowledge and belief
entirely new and never before- used within that part of Ilis said Majesty's
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, His said
Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, we do hereby declare
this to be, our Specification of the same, and that we do verily believe this our
said. Specification doth comply in all respects fully and without reserve or
<disguise with the proviso in the said herein before in part recited Letters
Patent contained, wherefore we do hereby claim to maintain exclusive right
and privilege to our said Juvention.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph
Gillott, and Stephen Morris, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
the Eleventh day of May, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
HENRY CHRISTOPHER -(L.S.) WINDLE.
JOS"
STEPHEN
(L:S.) GILLOTT.
(L.B.) MORRIS.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1837, the aforesaid Henry Christopher Windle, Joseph
Gillott, and Stephen Morris came before our said Lord the King in His
Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and all and every
thing therein contained and specified, in form above written. And also the
Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made
for that purpose
Inrolled the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-seven.