IMPROVEMENTS IN STYLOGRAPHIC FOUNTAIN PENS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marion Harrison Kerner of New York, in the County and
State of New York United States of America, temporarily of the Office for
Patents 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN STYLOGRAPHIC FOUNTAIN PENS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marion Harrison Kerner at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1882.
MARION HARRISON KERNER of New York in the County and State of New
York United States of America temporarily of the Office for Patents 323 High
Holborn in the County of Middlesex " IMPROVEMENTS IN STYLOGRAPHIC
FOUNTAIN PENS"
It has hitherto been the custom to support the longitudinally moving needle
within the writing point by means of a spiral spring or other equivalent device
applied to the lower extremity of a tubular air chainber which extends through the
ink reservoir to the upper extremity of the barrel or by such spring applied
directly to the barrel of the pen. This method of supporting the needle renders
the apparatus somewhat complicated in construction, while the chemical action of
the ink soon destroys the thin wire spring or other elastic material which supports
the needle, and thus renders the pen useless.
The special features of my present invention consist in attaching the longi-
tudinally moving needle rigidly to the tubular air-duct and in supporting the
latter within the hollow handle or barrel of the pen by means of an elastic yielding
washer or diaphragm applied to the upper extremity of the tubular handle whereby
it serves both to close the ink reservoir and to permit the necessary longitudinal
movement to and fro of the air-tube and needle.
The usual materials may be employed, but I may use a common copper or brass
air-tube plated to protect it from the action of the acid; the air-tube is preferably

page_text: reduced in diameter at its upper end and against the shoulder thus formed the
washer rests, the reduced portion of the tube passing through a hole in its centre.
The writing point of the needle and barrel tip may be of the usual materials
or preferably of platinum alloyed with iridium
The hollow in the cap at the top of the barrel forms an air chamber into which
the upper end of the air-tube opens, and one or more holes communicate with the
outside air; or they may be arranged so as to be closed at pleasure. One or more
holes are also provided in the point section to allow of the escape of air from the
ink reservoir while the point section is being attached after the ink reservoir bas
been filled.
In order to facilitate the flow of the ink I find it useful to form the inside of the
hole in the point section in which the needle works not truly cylindrical, but in
flats, as hexagonal, octagonal &c.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Marion Harrison Kerner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st June 1883.
MARION HARRISON KERNER of New York, in the County and State of New
York United States of America temporarily of the Office for Patents, 323 High
Holborn in the County of Middlesex " IMPROVEMENTS IN STYLOGRAPHIC
FOUNTAIN PENS"
This invention relates especially to that class of stylographic pens which contain
an air-tight ink reservoir and a marking point centrally perforated with an ink-
duct, in combination with a needle or spindle loosely supported within the ink-
duct and normally projecting somewhat beyond the marking point, to which is
imparted, by the ordinary motion employed in writing, a sufficient longitudinal
movement to and fro to cause the ink to flow through the duct to the writing
point.
It has hitherto been the custom to support the longitudinally moving needle within
the writing point by means of a spiral spring or other equivalent device applied
to the lower extremity of a tubular air chamber which extends through the ink
reservoir to the upper extremity of the barrel, or by such spring applied directly to
the barrel of the pen. This method of supporting the needle renders the apparatus
somewhat complicated in construction, while the chemical action of the ink soon
destroys the thin wire spring, or other elastic material which supports the needle,
and thus renders the pen useless.
The object of this invention is to improve the construction of fountain-pens of
this character and by removing the above defects to render them less liable to
become disarranged or inoperative by reason of continued use.
My invention consists in attaching the longitudinally moving needle rigidly to
the tubular air-duct, and in supporting the latter within the hollow handle or
barrel of the pen by means of an elastic yielding washer or diaphragm applied to
the upper extremity of the tubular handle whereby it serves both to close the ink-
reservoir, and to permit the necessary longitudinal movement to and fro of the air-
tube and needle.
The accompanying drawing is a longitudinal section of a stylographic fountain-
pen embodying my improvements.
Referring to this drawing A represents the barrel of the pen which is preferably
tubular in form, and may be constructed of hard-rubber, metal or other suitable
material. B is a conical point-section or marking-point which screws into the
lower end of the barrel A as shown at 6 and is preferably tipped with iridium or
other suitable hard metal at its point B¹. The marking-point B is centrally
perforated with an ink-duct 6' of conical or tapering form narrowing towards its
lower extremity as shown in the drawing. The barrel A. is closed at its upper end
by a diaphragm C of soft rubber or other suitable elastic material which serves
also to support a tubular air-duct D extending longitudinally through the barrel
and terminating within the point-section B. The upper extremity d' of the air
tube D extends through and fits tightly within a corresponding perforation formed
in the centre of the diaphragm C, and is provided with a shoulder d² which
prevents it from being pushed too far through the diaphragm. A needle or
spindle e of iridium or other suitable métal is secured to the lower end of the air-
duct D and is rigidly attached thereto by soldering or otherwise. The needle e
fits loosely within the ink-duct b¹ and normally projects a short distance below
the tip of the marking-point B. The lower end of the air-duct D is perforated

page_text: with an aperture d³ which allows the air to enter the ink reservoir which surrounds
the air-duct, to displace the ink employed in writing.
A hollow cylindrical cap E is screwed upon the upper extremity of the barrel A
thus forming an air chamber into which the air-duct opens. The cap E is
preferably perforated with one or more holes E¹ which serve to permit the free
access of air at all times into the air chamber and the tube D. In some instances,
however, it may be desired to place the opening E' at a lower point upon the
cap E for the purpose of closing the air chamber when the pen is not in use. In
such case, the air chamber may be opened when required by unscrewing the cap
until the perforation is brought above the upper extremity of the barrel A. A
similar perforation is provided in the point-section B as shown at g for the purpose
of allowing the escape of the air from the ink-reservoir while the point-section is
being attached after the ink-reservoir has been filled. This perforation is placed
at, such a distance from the milled collar b³ upon the point-section that it will be
covered by the barrel A just before the point-section reaches its bearing when it is
screwed into the barrel. The escape of the ink into the air-tube D and through
the ink-duct b¹ which would otherwise be occasioned by the compression of the air
in applying the point-section, is by this means prevented.
A cap F fitting over the point B, as shown in the dotted lines, is provided for
protecting the needle and writing point when the pen is not in use.
This cap is
preferably so constructed that it may be placed upon the upper extremity of the
cap E after having been removed from the point-section, as shown in full lines in
the drawing.
The operation of this improved pen is in most respects similar to that of the
ordinary stylographic pen. When the point is pressed upon the paper, the needle e
together with the air-tubo D is forced upward against the yielding diaphragm C
which by its resilience pushes. it down again, when the point is removed from the
paper, as at the end of a word. The movement of the point over the surface of
the paper in the manner of ordinary writing thus produces a to-and-fro movement
of the needle and tube, which is sufficient to cause the ink to descend through the
handle and ink-duct, and to be supplied as required to the marking-point.
By rigidly attaching the needle to the air-tube D and supporting the said air-
tube from the diaphragm C I am enabled to dispense with the springs which have
hitherto been required at the lower end of the air tube, and at the same time to
greatly simplify the construction and improve the operation of the pen.
It is evident that the particular form of the diaphragm C and the mode which
I have shown of attaching the air-tube D thereto, may be varied as found
desirable. The essential feature of the invention consists in the manner of
supporting the tube, together with the needle, from a point at the upper extremity
of the tube. Hence the longitudinal movements of the tube act not only to supply
the ink to the marking-point but to agitate the whole body of ink contained in
the reservoir. The tubular air-duct can be made of rubber if desired but it is
preferred to make it of common metal such as brass coated with a metal which will
not be attacked by the ink. To facilitate the flow of the ink in some cases and
particularly where copying ink is employed, I find it well to make the inside of the
hole in the point a series of flats as hexagonal octagonal &c as shown on an
enlarged scale in Figure 2, instead of a simple round hole as is usual. I find also that
good results are obtained by making the tips of the needle and point section of
platinum alloyed with iridium. Platinum is too soft and iridium alone is very
brittle and apt to chip; by the above combination I utilize the useful qualities of
both.
Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I claim :-
First The combination, substantially as herein before set forth of the tubular
air-duct, the yielding elastic diaphragm at the upper extremity of the air-duct, and
the needle rigidly attached to the lower extremity thereof.
Second-The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, of the barrel

page_text: and the removable point-section, having a lateral perforation near its base, which
is closed when said point section is in its normal position.
Third-The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, of the barrel,
the longitudinal movable air-duct, the elastic support at the upper extremity of
said duct, the cap affixed to said barrel, the air chamber formed by said cap above
the upper extremity of said air-duct, and the aperture through said cap.
Fourth-The combination, substantially as herein before set forth, of the tubular
air-duct, and the needle rigidly attached to the lower extremity of said air duct.
Fifth-The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the needle
and the longitudinally vibrating air-duct.
Sixth-The formation of the hole in the point section in a series of "flats"
substantially as set forth and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Marion Harrison Kerner have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Seventh day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
MARION HARRISON KERNER (L.S.)