IMPROVEMENTS IN RESERVOIR PENHOLDERS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 34 Blackfriars Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN RESERVOIR PENHOLDERS to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to Improvements in Reservoir Penholders and has for its
object to provide an arrangement for stopping or regulating the flow of the ink
during writing in such a manner that the flow of the ink may be governed by a
slight pressure of the thumb or first finger upon a suitable button or surface.
The arrangement for regulating the flow of the ink may readily be applied
to any tubular penholder and thereby a cheap and efficient reservoir penholder
may be produced.
A short socket tube is inserted into the tube of a penholder which may be made
in any suitable material, and is fastened by soldering screwing or equivalent means.
The inner end of the socket tube forms a seating for an elastic diaphragm and a
ring, and the outer end is threaded internally for a screw. An elastic disc of any
suitable material such as animal membrane, india rubber or sheet metal is placed
on the seating and tightened and held in its place by a ring and a screw, the disc
serving at the same time as a packing to make a joint for the compressing arrange-
ment. The screw is bored out and before it is inserted into the tube a button is
placed on the disc and is held in position by the screw lapping over a projecting
rim on the button. By a slight pressure on this button, which is held by the
membrane or elastic diaphragm against the overlapping rim of the screw the ink
contained in the tube is compressed and caused to flow to the pen through a beak
or feed tube.
This compressing apparatus can be so arranged on the penholder that the
pressure on the button can be produced either by the thumb or the first finger
while writing. The facility with which the apparatus can be taken to pieces by
simply unscrewing the screw makes the exchange of a defective diaphragm for a
new one easy and renders unnecessary a second opening for filling the tube. In a
D

page_text: modification of the regulating apparatus a funnel shaped projection is formed or
fixed on the tube of the penholder. On this projection an india rubber capsule
made in one piece is placed and tightens itself, the edge being thickened to effect a
secure closing of the aperture. An elastic surface is thus formed for compressing
the ink contained in the tube and the capsule may easily be removed for filling the
penholder, or for replacing a defective capsule by a new one.
To prevent an outflow of the ink when the penholder is not in use even in case
an unintentional pressure should be exercised on the button, and to regulate the
quantity of the ink flowing to the pen, a sliding piece is provided in the interior of
the tube by means of which the outflow opening in the outflow tube can be closed.
This piece consists of a pin bent to suit the outflow tube and fixed to a frame, to
the upper part of which another pin is fastened. The frame embraces the inner
projection of the socket tube and serves to guide the pin and its point. The upper
screwed stopper is drilled to allow the pin to pass through it. The upper end of
this pin is threaded to fit a nut by which the position of the whole frame with the
pins is determined and which serves at the same time as a means for moving the
regulating and closing combination when the penholder is not in use. When
the penholder is to be put into use, the frame with the point of the pin need only
be pulled outwards by means of the head of the nut and the outflow pipe opened
thereby. This sliding piece serves at the same time to regulate the quantity of
ink conducted to the pen in combination with the compressing arrangement, for
the outflow caused by a pressure is greater or less according as the outflow pipe is
more or less closed by the point of the pin.
In a penholder made of hard rubber the projecting case of the regulating button
is made in one piece with the tube and the stopper is screwed directly into the tube
without using a packing washer. The screw also serves at the same time as a press
button and is only removed for filling.

page_text: I, WILLIAM EDWIN HEYS of 70 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Mechanical Engineer 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:-
This Invention relates to Improvements in Reservoir penholders and has for its
object to provide an arrangement for stopping or regulating the flow of the ink
during writing in such a manner the flow of the ink may be governed by a slight
pressure of the thumb or first finger upon a suitable button or surface.
And in order that this Invention may be more readily understood and carried
into practical effect I have hereunto appended a Sheet of Drawings having the
Figures thereon marked with letters, similar letters being employed to denote
similar parts in the various Figures and reference being hereinafter had thereto.
Fig. 1 represents in elevation and Fig. 3 in longitudinal section a Reservoir
penholder having these Improvements applied thereto, Fig. 2 a cap to protect the
writing point when not in use, Fig. 4 the method of using the penholder. Fig. 5 a
vertical section of a gland or joint to prevent the escape of the writing fluid from
the penholder, Fig. 6 a plan of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 a longitudinal section of the
compressing button and apparatus.
The arrangement for regulating the supply of the ink to the pen may readily be
applied to any tubular penholder and thereby a cheap and efficient reservoir
penholder may be produced. A short socket tube B Figs. 1 and 7 is inserted into
the tube A of a penholder, which may be made in any suitable material, and is
fastened by soldering screwing or equivalent means. The inner end of the socket
tube B forms a seating C for an elastic diaphragm D and the outer end is threaded
internally for a screw E. An elastic disc or diaphragm D of any suitable material
such as animal membrane, indiarubber or sheet metal is placed on the seating and
tightened and held in its place by a ring and the screw E; the disc may serve at
the same time as a packing to make a joint for the compressing arrangement. The
Ecrew E is bored out as shewn in Fig. 7 and before it is inserted into the tube B a
button F is placed on the disc D and is held in position by the screw E lapping
over a projecting rim F¹ on the button. By a slight pressure on this button F.
which is held by the membrane or elastic diaphragm D against the overlapping rim
of the screw E, the ink contained in the tube A is compressed and caused to flow
to the pen or point S through a beak or feed tube G with the outlet Gl..
This compressing apparatus can be so arranged on the penholder that the
pressure on the button F can be produced either by the thumb or the first finger
while writing.
The facility with which the apparatus can be taken to pieces by simply un-
screwing the screw E makes the exchange of a defective diaphragm for a new one

page_text: easy and renders unnecessary a second opening for filling the tube A. A modi-
fication of the regulating apparatus shewn in Figs. 1. 3 and 7 consists of a funnel
shaped projection formed or fixed on the tube A of the penholder. On this
projection an indiarubber capsule made in one piece is placed and tightens itself,
the edge being thickened to effect a secure closing of the aperture. An elastic
surface is thus formed for compressing the ink contained in the tube A, and the
capsule may easily be removed for filling the penholder, or for replacing a defective
capsule by a new one.
Fig. 4 shows how the regulating apparatus may be actuated so that the pen may
be filled while in use either by a pressure of the thumb at P or of the first finger
at P¹ upon the button F.
The apparatus represented in Fig. 3 is intended to prevent an outflow of the ink
when the penholder is not in use even in case an unintentional pressure should be
exercised on the button F and to regulate the quantity of the ink flowing to the
pen. For this purpose a sliding piece is provided in the interior of the tube A
by mean of which the opening G¹in the outflow tube G can be closed. This piece
consists of a pin S¹ bent to suit the outflow tube G and fixed to a frame T, to the
upper part of which another pin S' is fastened. The frame T embraces the inner
projection of the socket tube B and serves to guide the pin and its point. The
upper screwed stopper K is drilled to allow the pin S' to pass through it. The
upper end of this pin is threaded to fit a nut L by which the position of the whole
frame T with the pins S. S' is determined and which serves at the same time as a
means for moving the regulating and closing combination T S S' when the penholder
is not in use.
When the penholder is to be put into use the frame T need only be pulled
outwards by means of the head of the nut L and the outflow pipe opened thereby.
This sliding piece S¹ T and S' serves at the same time to regulate the quantity
of ink conducted to the pen in combination with the compressing arrangement,
because the outflow caused. by a pressure on F is greater or less according as the
outflow pipe is more or less closed by the point of the pin.
In a penholder made of hard rubber the projecting case of the regulating button F
is made in one piece with the tube A and the stopper K is screwed directly
into the tube A without using a packing washer. The screw L also serves at
the same time as a press button and is only removed for filling. The arrange-
ment of the parts S¹ T and S² is substantially the same as shewn in Fig. 3.
In order to prevent the ink contained in the tube A from escaping between the
pin S2 and the screwed stopper, the stopper is provided with a small packing
gland or stuffing box at its upper end. The gland consists of the screw nut V
Figs. 5 and 6 having a central hole bored therein for the passage of the pin S² and
being screwed into a recess formed in K the recess being tapped with a corre-
sponding thread. A conical depression is formed at the lower end of the screw V
which presses upon the washer X contained in K and thus forms a tight joint
which prevents escape of the ink between S and its seating without impeding the
motion of the needle or point.
I am aware that Reservoir penholders have been made previously to my invention
with a pin to close or partially close the outflow tube and with a stopper at the
end of the holder for filling I therefore do not claim these as my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) A regulating apparatus or attachment for reservoir penholders in which the
ink is conducted to the pen through an outlet tube with a capillary opening, con-
sisting essentially of the socket tube B inserted into the tube A, in combination
"with the screw E the elastic diaphragm D and the press button F substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and indicated,

page_text: (2.) The funnel shaped projection in combination with the elastic capsule sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth and described.
(3.) The sliding frame T embracing the regulating socket tube, in combination
with the pins S¹ S the point S the nut L and the screw stopper K substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described and as illustrated on the accompanying
sheets of Drawings.
(4.) The gland screw V Figs. 5 and 6 provided with a central hole and screwed
into the stopper K in combination with the washer X substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and set forth.