IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENHOLDERS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Eugène Cousté, of King Street, Soho, in the
county of Middlesex, Engineer, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENHOLDERS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Eugène Cousté at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd December 1882.
JOSEPH EUGÈNE COUSTÉ, of King Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex
Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENHOLDERS,
According to my Invention, the penholder consists of a tube which forms at the
same time, its body and reservoir, and at both ends this tube is tapped internally.
Into the lower part of this tube is screwed a second tube, of smaller diameter,
whose outer surface is tapered or conical; this second tube is constructed in such
a manner as to receive, at its upper part, a plug or plunger, which closes its orifice,
and acts as a piston on the ink.
The outer surface of this second and conical tube is tapped for a portion of its
length, and is divided into two portions by a collar, the upper portion serving, as
before mentioned, to fix it to the body or reservoir, and the lower portion to receive
a sleeve or ferrule, tapped for a portion of its length, inwardly, and whose interior
is tapered or conical, in order that any sized pen may be readily introduced
between the sleeve and this second tube; the pen is retained in place, or liberated
by raising or lowering the sleeve, or the pen may be removed by simply with-
drawing it in the ordinary manner. At the lower end of the second tube, and
upon a shoulder, is fitted a cup shaped tubular portion terminating at its lower
end in a nozzle through which the ink flows to the pen. This nozzle is curved at
its lower end, and is cut in such a manner as to allow the ink to flow readily to
the nibs of the pen.
Passing centrally down the reservoir is a rod or tube, which carries, at its lower
end, a needle or wire, upon which is fixed at a suitable distance thereon, the plug
or plunger, aforesaid, which is located over the orifice of the second tube. At its
upper end, this rod or tube is surrounded by a spiral spring which carries, at its
lower extremity, a washer. Over this spring and washer is a cap which is screwed

page_text: .
to a double joint or connecting piece which joint or connecting piece is itself
screwed to the upper part of the body or reservoir. This cap has an orifice at top
through which the rod passes, and which rod is provided, at its upper end, with a
pusher or button, by actuating which the flow of ink to the pen is regulated. A
pin on the rod engages in a slot or groove in the inner face of the cap, and retains
the rod in the required position, when set. Lower down on this rod, and imme-
diately beneath the double joint, or connecting piece, is a valve or plug which
closes the orifice in the joint and prevents the exit of the air and ink from the
reservoir. Between the plug or plunger, and the bottom of the second tube, there
is a spiral spring, which surrounds the needle, and the object of this spring is to
close the lower orifice in the second tube by means of a plug or valve fixed upon
the needle, and which valve is situated inside the cup-shaped tubular portion,
herein before referred to.
A second and longer cap is provided, and when the holder is not in use is placed
over the pen to protect it; but when the holder is in use this cap is fitted over the
first mentioned cap and thereby lengthens the holder.
In a modified arrangement, the spiral spring surrounding the needle is dispensed
with, as are also the cup-shaped tubular portion, and the valve therein, and the
curved nozzle, conducting the ink to the pen, is screwed into the second tube,
instead of being in a piece with the cup-shaped tubular portion.
In another modified arrangement, a piston, provided with a valve, is used in
place of the plug or plunger, and is situated at the upper part of the reservoir. It
is actuated by the same means as the plunger. In this arrangement, and just
below the double joint or connecting piece, a valve is provided in the body or
reservoir, for the admission of air.
In another modified arrangement, the piston is tapped internally, and works
along an endless screw which carries, in this instance, the needle or wire, the
piston being operated by revolving the button which is placed at the outer end of
the endless screw.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Joseph Eugène Cousté in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd June 1883.
JOSEPH EUGENE COUSTÉ, of King Street, Soho, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN OR RESERVOIR PENHOLDERS
My Invention relates to improvements in fountain or reservoir penholders
whereby they are rendered more certain in action than those now in use.
I proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which
Fig. 1 represents in vertical section one arrangement of my improved fountain
or reservoir penholder.
Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 represent different parts of the penholder detached.
My improved fountain or reservoir penholder consists in general of a tube a,
which forms the body and the reservoir of the penholder, and which tube is open
at both its ends which are tapped inwardly at 6 and c. At the lower part of this
tube is fixed a second tube d (shewn in detached and detailed view in figs. 2 and 3)
which is screw threaded outwardly at its upper part, and is of smaller diameter
than the reservoir; its outer surface is conical and inwardly it is so constructed
as to receive at the required moment, at its upper part, a plug or plunger e which
closes its orifice and acts as a piston on the ink.
The outer screw thread of this second tube is divided into two parts ƒ and g by
a milled ring or collar, the upper portion of which serves to fix it to the tube or
reservoir a, and the lower screw-threaded portion receives an inwardly tapped
sleeve or envelope i, the inner opening of which is conical so that a pen j may
be readily slidden into or inserted between the tube d and the sleeve i, which
surrounds it; the pen may be retained therein, or released therefrom by raising or
lowering the sleeve i.
At the lower part of the second tube d and upon a shoulder k thereon, a cup-
shaped tube is fitted (Figs. 1 and 4) and is formed in a piece with a third tube m
of a much smaller diameter than the preceding which brings the ink to the pen j;
this tube m, is curved at its end as shewn so as to readily deposit the ink on the
under side of the nibs of the pen. The pen acts as a spring against the end of this
tube, and when pressure is exerted on the pen for purposes of writing, it recedes
slightly from the opening of the tube and thus permits the flow of a certain
quantity of ink.
20
Passing throughout the length of the reservoir a is a rod n, at the lower end of
which is fixed (above the opening of the tube d) a needle or wire x which carries
the plug or plunger e; this rod n is surmounted by a pusher, provided with a
milled head 0, and is furnished, at its upper end, with a coiled spring p, which carries
at its base, a disc or washer q of indiarubber, or other suitable material through
the centre of which passes the rod n. A cap 8, having an opening at top through
which the pusher passes, encloses the coiled spring p; it is tapped inwardly so as
to fit on a connecting piece or union t, which is screw-threaded outwardly,
excepting at or about its middle where it is provided with a milled ring or collar;
this piece or union t, which, in its turn, fits on to the upper part of the tube or
reservoir a, is bored longitudinally to allow the passage of the rod or wire n;
the orifice is closed at top by the washer q, and at bottom by a cone or valve y,
fixed on the rod n.
The pusher has a shoulder which retains it in the cap s, it also carries a stud
or pin v, which engages, when desired in a groove v¹ contrived in the inner face

page_text: of the cap so as to maintain the rod or wire n, in a fixed position for the purpose
hereinafter described.
Between the under part of the plug or plunger e, and the bottom of the second
tube d, is a coiled spring z, surrounding the needle or wire ; the object of this
spring is to tend to constantly close the bottom of the tube d, by means of a valve
or plug w, fixed on the needle or wire x, and directly beneath the bottom of
said tube.
The piston plunger e, which is carried by the needle or wire a, is fixed on the
said needle, and it is there retained at the desired height by reason of the form of
the needle whose very slight diameter near the nibs of the pen increases gradually
as it rises, so that in fact the needle is of conical or tapering form up to the place
occupied by the piston plunger.
A sheath a (figs. 7 and 8) can be slidden either on to the cap 8 when the
penholder is in use, or on to the sleeve 2, when not in use, and when the penholder
is to be laid aside.
To fill the reservoir or tube a with ink, the tube d must be unscrewed, the
needle or wire a then comes out from the end of the rod n, and the whole of the
lower portion of the penholder is removed with the tube d, the tube a is then
inverted, the ink introduced and the tube d restored to place.
The working is as follows:
The reservoir a being thus filled with ink, the push piece is depressed which
causes the piston plunger e to descend and to enter the opening of the tube d, thus
acting like a piston upon the ink which in following the needle x, enters the
tube m, and reaches the pen; if it be desired to maintain the action of the piston e,
the pusher is turned round so as to engage the pin in the groove v. When
the penholder is finished with, the pin vis disengaged, the push piece r rises, by the
action of the spring p, and the ink is withdrawn or sucked up into the interior
of the reservoir so that none of it remains on the pen. The plug or valve w
returns to its normal position and prevents any flow of ink outwards.
The valve or plug y prevents any flow of ink through the upper part of the holder.
In the arrangement shewn in fig. 9, a needle x is used in place of the rod n, and
passes throughout the length of the reservoir and holder: this needle is fixed to
a rod b' around which is the coiled spring p, and the rod is fixed to the pusher r,
as in the preceding arrangement; The small tube m, instead of being carried
by the cup-shaped tubular portion l, is fixed directly to the bottom of the tube d,
and the coiled spring z is dispensed with, as is also the plug w.
The working is exactly the same as in the preceding arrangement.
In the arrangement shewn in fig: 10 a piston plunger g¹, having a valve c¹ is
used instead of the piston plunger e, and is placed at the upper part of the
reservoir; it is actuated like the piston plunger e by means of the pusher r; a
small valve d' is established in the tube or reservoir a, above the normal position
of the piston g', to allow the entry of air during the working of the piston. Each
time that the piston is caused to rise the air enters the space comprised between
the bottom of the piston and the level of the ink.
The needle is fixed to the bottom of this piston which is carried by the rod b¹
to which the pusher is fixed.
The working is the same as in the preceding case with this difference that,
instead of the piston plunger e acting upon the ink the piston c¹ acts upon it.
But instead of the piston receiving its movement by pressure exerted on the
pusher, it may be caused to work on a tapped rod or endless screw h as shewn in
fig. 11, and is moved along this tapped rod or endless screw, which passes through
its middle; the needle is then fixed to the bottom of this tapped rod or endless
screw. The screw is caused to revolve by turning the pusher and the piston g³,
is thus caused to rise or descend along the tapped rod or endless screw; on
descending it compels the ink to flow to the nibs of the
pen. The remaining parts
of the instrument are the same as in figure 10.

page_text: In another arrangement shewn in fig. 12 the body or reservoir of the holder is
provided with. an air chamber k, formed in a piece with an air tube k* which
extends into the tube d. The air chamber k which is of larger capacity than the
air tube kx, in order to increase the pressure of air in the tube and therefore to
assist the flow of the ink, is fitted to the lowermost part of the cap t¹. This cap t'
is furnished with air holes tx to allow the entry of air to the chamber through the
tube 2, which is also fixed to the cap t. This cap is screw threaded at its upper
portion and receives the screw plug r provided with a stud or pin 8*. To this
screw plug is fixed the rod or wire n. which passes centrally through the air
chamber kx and air tube, which air tube k³ extends into the second tube d. The
rod or wire n carries immediately below the extremity of the air tube k², a valve
or washer y* which is operated by means of the screw plug r, and opens or closes
the orifice of the air tube. Extending through the second tube d, is another rod
or wire n*, which is arranged in an exactly vertical line with the first-named rod
The object in
or wire n, but with an intervening space between the two.
constructing this rod or wire in two portions n, n* is to allow the tube d to be
The rod or wire m* carries a
readily removed from the body or reservoir a.
plug wx which closes the lower orifice of the tube d, and between this .plug w*
and the bottom of the cup-shaped tubular portion m is a spiral spring z, whose
office is to keep the valve or plug in its closed position, as shewn in the drawings..
The portion m of the tube is curved or otherwise shaped and has its lower-
most extremity cut in V-shape as shewn in fig. 13 in order to allow the ready flow
of the ink to the nibs of the pen. Or this extremity may be split or slit for a
portion of its length and bent as shewn in fig 14 so that the tube m, is caused to
embrace the nib of the pen on both sides by passing through the eye of the pen
which for this purpose is elongated as shewn in fig 15.
In another arrangement shewn in fig. 16, the spiral spring is dispensed with,
and the rod or wire n is in one piece and passes throughout the holder for its
entire length. This rod or wire n carries at its lower part a pear-shaped plug or
valve which closes the upper orifice of the curved tube m, and at its upper
part it carries a valve y* which closes the orifice of the air tube x, in the air
chamber k. The remaining parts of this holder are the same as those described in
the preceding arrangement.
In the arrangement shewn in fig: 12 the working is as follows: When the pen
is to be used a half turn is imparted to the milled head o and the pin 8* which,
in this movement, follows the incline s, shewn in fig: 17 serves to regulate this
turn by abutting against the parts or x¹ of the cap t¹, the wire n is thus caused
to descend and comes against the upper end of the wire n* thus causing it to
descend and to carry with it the plug w, the ink in the reservoir a then enters the
The air necessary
tube and passing through the curved tube m flows to the pen.
to cause the flow of ink enters by the holes t* and the tubes k² k and k*. When
the pen is finished with, a half turn is imparted to the milled head o, in the
contrary direction (this half turn being regulated by the travel of the pin 8* over
the incline 8 at the upper part of the cap t as shown in figs. 12 and 16). On this
half turn being effected the rod or wire n is drawn upwards and the washer or
plug y closes the lower opening of the tube ³, and thus prevents any communi-
cation of the outer air with this tube; the wire n* not being any further actuated
by the wire n rises and returns to its normal position by means of the spiral
spring z so that the plug wx acts as a valve on the lower opening of the tube d
and consequently prevents the descent of the ink.
In the arrangement shewn in fig. 16 the working is the same with this difference
that the plug w* is replaced by the pear-shaped plug w³ which closes the bottom of
the tubular portion ; the spiral spring z is dispensed with, the rod or wire n
itself acting as a spring by reason of its flexibility. The valve or washer y* then
rests against the bottom of the air chamber k.
In figure 12 the ink is caused to flow by imparting a movement of descent to

page_text: the wire n, n*, whilst in fig. 16, it is a movement of descent which is given to the
wire n, for the ink to flow to the pen.
If, on the contrary, the penholder is to be no longer used, then in the case of
fig. 12 a movement of ascent is given to the wire n, and in the case of fig. 16 a
movement of descent.
When the penholder shewn in fig; 12 is not in use there is no danger of the ink
flowing out, as it is prevented by a double action, viz, the plug wx prevents the
ink from descending and the washer y* prevents the outer air from entering into
the reservoir a, the two thus acting together to completely close the holder, and in
the case of the arrangement shewn in fig. 16 the holder is kept completely closed
by the simultaneous and combined action of the pear-shaped plug w in the tubular
portion and the action of the valve y* at the bottom of the air chamber k.
Fig. 18 shews an arrangement in which the incline for the travel of the pin **
and the screw plug are replaced by a double bayonet joint arrangement.
These penholders may, by reason of their construction, receive any kind and any
size of pen.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim
1. The improved constructions of fountain or reservoir penholders having their
parts arranged combined and operating substantially as herein described and as
shewn in figs. 1, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 16 of the drawings.
2. In combination with the body or reservoir a of the penholder, the connecting
piece t, the cap 8, the push piece † (and its pin v) the rod n (with its spiral
spring p) the valve q, and the valve y, all as described and shewn in the drawings,
and for the purposes set forth.
3. In combination with the body or reservoir a of the pen holder, the tube d
(having at its lower end a conical opening to receive a valve), the cup-shaped
tube with the curved tube m, and the sleeve or envelope i, the whole as described
and shewn in the drawings and for the purposes set forth.
4. The combination with the rod n and its needle x, of the piston plunger e, the
valve w, the spiral spring z, and the tube d, all as and for the purpose described,
and as shewn in the drawings.
5. In combination with the tube d, and the tube m, which is directly fixed to it,
the needle carrying the piston plunger e, the valve or plunger y, and the means
for working the same, as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In combination with the body or reservoir of the pen holder, the piston g¹
(provided with the valve c¹) with the rod e, the needle x, and the valve d¹, as
described and shewn in fig. 10, of the drawings, and for the purpose set forth.
7. In combination with the body or reservoir a, the piston g¹ working on the
endless screw ¹, and the needle x, as described and shewn in fig. 11 of the drawings,
and for the purposes set forth.
8. In combination with the body or reservoir a, the cap t¹, furnished with its air
holes tx and the air tube k, surrounded by the air chamber k, terminating in the
tube k*, as described and shewn.
9. In combination with the body or reservoir a, the cap and its accessories
above claimed, the screw plug r carrying the rod or wire n provided with the
valve y* as described and shewn and for the purposes set forth.
10. In combination with the tube d, the cup-shaped tubular portion l m the
rod or wire n*, provided with the valve or plug w* and the spiral spring 3, all
as described and shewn.
11. In combination with the rod or wire n, the rod or wire n* as described and
shewn and acting in the manner specified for the purpose set forth.
12. The construction of the curved tube m with a V-shaped notch for the
purpose described, and as shewn in fig. 13 of the drawings.
13. The bent tube m having a slit or split end for embracing both sides of the
nib of the pen, as described and as shewn in figs 14 and 15 of the drawings.

page_text: 14. In combination with the cap carrying the air tube ² and the air
chamberk (terminating in an air tube k*) the screw plug r carrying the rod or
wire non which the valve y* and pear shaped plug w³ are fixed, the whole
arranged to operate as and for the purposes described and as shewn in fig. 16 of
the drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Joseph Eugène Cousté have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Thirtyfirst day of May in the year 1883.
τραπυπ ππαινη αρτταπή 11