AN IMPROVED INKSTAND
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Laurent Marie René Péan, of Paris, in the Empire
of France, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Laurent Marie René Péan
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd October 1855.
I, LAURENT MARIE RENÉ PEAN, of Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND" to be
as follows:-
My Invention relates to a vessel of any suitable form, containing an elastic
bowl or bag with a hole in it; this hole allows an elastic tube to pass through,
which tube is adapted to a cup moving in the tight part or neck of the vessel.
Supposing the elastic bowl to be filled with ink, by lowering the cup the air in
the said bowl will be compressed, and cause the ink to ascend through the tube
into the cup. The cup is of such a form as to permit the pen itself to cause
the proper pressure. A ring arranged round the cup is intended to limit the
sliding of the latter downwards, whilst its course upwards is caused by the
distension of the elastic bowl first compressed.
This inkstand may be used like inkstands with a fixed level by lowering the
cup, and thus maintaining it with a screw.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Laurent Marie René Péan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd April 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LAURENT
MARIE RENÉ PEAN, of Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of October, in the year 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 Laurent Marie René Péan, Her special licence that I, the said
Laurent Marie René Péan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Laurent Marie René Péan, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED INKSTAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Laurent Marie René Péan, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Laurent Marie René Péan, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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, first, of a casing or shell a, which may be of any
shape, with its orifice or open part grooved round its edge, enclosing a recipient
b, the neck or tight part of which is smaller than that of the shell.
Second, of a lid c with a gallery, beneath which there is a cylindrical ring d,
of a rather larger diameter than the neck of the recipient b, and smaller than
that of the shell a. On the said ring a round piece of india-rubber e is
stretched, by means of a copper ring f. Above, on the lid, there are two knobs
g, g, sliding into slots h, which operate two springs, bevelled bolts i, adapted
beneath the lid c, which bolts pass through suitable slots cut out in the thick-
ness of the ring d, so that when the lid is fitted on the opening of the shell,
the bevelled ends of the bolts i enter the groove of the shell a.

page_text: Third, of a loose cup k, funnel shaped, with external projecting flanch;
;
beneath the flanch a cylindrical spring is fitted, which passes loosely through
an opening in the centre of the lid c, the lower edge being turned up so as to
confine the cup into the opening, where, however, it can move freely. The end
of the cup, which is two lines about in diameter, is made to pass through the
centre of the india-rubber piece e, to which it is adjusted in any suitable way;
an extension tube m, adapted to the end of the cup, is designed to dip into the
recipient ; thus a slight pressure on the cup will cause it to drive forwards
the india-rubber piece e, which, when the pressure ceases, will be quickly
brought back by its elastic power.
. I shall now describe the manner in which the inkstand works. After pour-
ing some ink into the recipient, the lid is fitted on it by merely pressing with a
finger on the cup k, so as to cause its flanch to lean against the lid g, and
pressing on the latter with the other hand, without interfering with the knobs
g, g; the bevelled bolts i, i, will then slide into the groove round the recipient
a, being actuated by the springs 1, 1; the cup is let loose, and the lid is thus
secured. The recipient bis hermetically closed by the india-rubber piece e,
which presses tightly on its edge. The inkstand may now be turned upside
down without any effusion of the ink.
In order to be fed, the pen is inserted with a slight pressure into the loose
cup k, which lowers down in the opening of the lid, and causes the india-rubber
piece to press on the internal air of the recipient, which drives the ink up into
the cup through the diving tube m; the pen is more or less pressure on the
cup k. On withdrawing the pen all pressure ceases, the india-rubber piece
returns to its former position, and the ink which had been driven up by the
pressure of the pen on the cup will, under the atmospheric pressure, go
again and fill the vacuum left in the recipient.
down
Among the advantages which can be derived from the use of my improved
inkstand, the following may be pointed out:-The ink is never brought in con-
tact with the air, but on a small surface (two lines in diameter at most) left
open to it at the bottom of the cup, nor can it evaporate. The nip of the pen
will never bring any sediment, for there cannot be any in the cup where the
ink never abides; besides, the cup is so constructed as to only allow the brims
or edges of the pen to come in contact with it. The ink cannot be dusted as
it returns down into the recipient after each feeding; the pen cannot be out-
filled, as the suction caused by the intermission of the pressure will carry away
that part of ink ready to drop out of the pen; the feeding may besides be regu-
lated by increasing or diminishing the looseness of the cup. The inkstand may

page_text: be turned upside down without the ink being poured out, for the diameter of
the tube being very little, the ink will be confined in the recipient by the
atmospheric pressure.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is or may be carried into effect, I wish it to be distinctly understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise details, nor to the strict figure or
form of the apparatus herein described, as such may be varied or modified
without departing from the nature of action thereof; but I claim as new, and
therefore as being secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent,
First, the application of a loose cup to any inkstand which may be produc-
tive of such results as herein specified.
Second, the arrangements as described, and such other means and arrange-
ments as may conduce to the same purpose, an instance of which I have given
in the foregoing Specification.
In witness whereof, I, the said Laurent Marie Réné Péan, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 31st day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
L. M. R. PEAN. (L.S.)