IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Ewer, of Chapel Street, Curtain. Road,
Shoreditch, in the County of Middlesex, Typefounder, for the Inven-
tion of IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Ewer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, ou the 28th March
1860.
I, EDWARD EWER,. of Chapel Street, Curtain Road, Shoreditch, in the
County of Middlesex, Typefounder, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS," to be as follows:-
I employ a hollow barrel or tube as the holder of the pen, in which the
reservoir or supply of ink is contained, which is reduced at the lower end to
receive the clip of the pen. A small hole is made at the extreme end, which
emits the ink in the concave of the pen, which flows thence to the point as it
is used up in writing. At the junction of the smaller & larger parts of the
barrel or holder I form a screw or other suitable joiut, whereby they can be
disconnected for the purpose of filling the reservoir." In order to insure the
regulated and proper flow of the ink to supply the pen in writing, I apply a
cap to the upper part of the barrel, having a small hole closed by a valve of
Price 8d 1
29

page_text: india-rubber or other material. This valve is placed on a stem fixed in an
outer cap or covering enclosing the first mentioned. The stem passes through
the hole before mentioned, & carries the valve immediately underneath it, the
valve having a constant tendency to close by reason of the force of a spring
exerted to separate the outer and sliding cap from the inner oue.
When it is desired that the ink should flow, the outer cap is depressed for a
moment, so as to open the valve and allow a small quantity of air to enter.
The pen will now continue to write some time. The opening of the valve is
repeated from time to time as the supply in the pen begins to fail. In order
to protect the pen, and prevent the valve being acted on by accident when not
in use, I fit to the whole length of the barrel or holder a tubular case closed
at lower end, which passes, up over the pen and screws to the outer cap.
the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Ewer in the Great Seal Patent Office on
28th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
EWER, of Chapel Street, Curtain Road, Shoreditch, in the County of
Middlesex, Typefounder, send greeting.
me,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the said Edward Ewer, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Ewer,
Dy executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1,the said Edward
Ewer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOUNTAIN PENS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward
Ewer,my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one or their hands and seals, should particularly 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Ewer, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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) :-
I employ a hollow barrel or tube as a holder of the pen, in which the
reservoir or supply of ink is contained, which is reduced at the lower end to
receive the clip of the pen.
A small hole is made at the extreme end, which
emits the ink in the concave of the pen, which flows thence to the point as it
is used up in writing, At the junction of the smaller and larger parts of the
barrel or holder I form a screw or other suitable joint, whereby they can be
disconnected for the purpose of filling the reservoir. In order to ensure the
regulated and proper flow of the ink to supply the pen in writing, I apply a
cap to the upper part of the barrel, having a small hole closed by a valve 'of
india-rubber or other material. This valve is placed on a stem fixed to an
outer cap or covering enclosing the first mentioned. The stem passes through
the hole before mentioned, and carries the valve immediately underneath it,
the valve having a constant tendency to close by reason of the force of a spring
or this
exerted to separate the outer and sliding cap from the inner one;
valve may
upper
be dispensed with, and the holder formed quite closed at
the upper part.
When it is desired that the ink should flow, the outer cap is depressed for
a moment, so as to open the valve and allow a small quantity of air to enter.
The pen will now continue to write some time. The opening of the valve is
repeated from time to time as the supply of the pen begins to fail. In order
to protect the pen and prevent the valve being acted on by accident when not
in use, I fit to the whole length of the barrel or holder a tubular case closed
at lower end, which passes up over the pen and screws to the outer cap. If
the pen is formed without the upper valve, this external casing need not
extend higher than sufficient to remain fixed and to protect the pen nib:
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 represents an external view of a fountain pen, constructed according
to my Invention, with case complete; Fig. 2, a similar view, with the .case
or sheath removed; and Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the same; while
Figs. 4, 5, & 6 represent detached parts. a is the hollow barrel or pen-
holder containing the ink, which has at the upper part a cap piece b. This
cap piece 6 slides freely on a, and is carried by a stem c; entering a hole in the
crown or top of the holder a. The hole through which c passes forms an air

page_text: hole, which is closed by means of a valve d, having a facing of india-rubber
or other suitable material. The stem c carries a spiral spring e, which has a
constant tendency to press the cap b from barrel a; and so effectually closes
the air hole at all times, except when the cap bis depressed for the purpose of
admitting air. The sheath or casef screws on the cap, thus containing the
pen nib g and barrel, preventing injury to the pen when in 'the pocket, or not
in use, and preventing at same time the spring e from being depressed; there-
fore keeping the valve d closed, and avoiding any tendency of the ink to flow
when not required. The pen nib or writing instrument g is fitted and held
between part of the barrel a and nozzle piece h, which is screwed, or otherwise
sufficiently fitted thereto. This nozzle piece contains the outlet for the ink to
the pen, and forms an important feature of the Invention. It is shown
separately at Fig. 4, while Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 6 an end
view of the same. It will be observed that this nose piece is solid for a con
siderable part of its length, with the exception of asmall channel i immediately
under the hollow of the pen g, which channel forms the duct for the flow of
the iuk, which it delivers at the extreme end.to the peng. This passage i
should be longer or shorter according to the rate of flow. required for the pen.
Thus a pen for coarse writing requiring a-rapid flow of ink should possess a
channel i of shorter length than that represented; while for fine writing the
channel i should be longer. By using separate nozzle pieces h, having ducts i
of graduated lengths, the same fountain pen may be readily adapted. for
.different kinds of writing. The pen holder or barrel a may either be filled at
the end, where the nozzle piece is removed, or it may further unscrew and
separate at k for that purpose. "In many instances it may be unnecessary
to act on the valve d in writing, as it is only where a rapid flow of ink may be
'occasionally required that air need be admitted thereat; or it may be when
the ink ceases to flow sufficiently free in ordinary writing a little air
momentarily admitted will insure therequisite freedom of flow with certainty.
Fig. 7 represents an external view of a fountain pen, a modification of the
above, in which I have dispensed with the valve d. and cap b altogether, the
top of the barrel a being quite closed. In all other respects the arrangements
of this fountain pen are the same as before, with the exception' of the sheath or
casef, separately represented, which in this arrangement merely encloses the
pen nib by sliding on a for its protection. It is further suitable to extend
the length of the barrel a while writing, both positions being seen dotted in
this Figure..
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of. per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be

page_text: protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrange-
ment and constructionoffountain pens herein-before describedandrepresented
in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Ewer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWARD EWER. (L.S.)