A MACHINE OR INSTRUMENT FOR WRITING, WHICH I DENOMINATE THE PENOGRAPHIC OR WRITING INSTRUMENT
Year: 1819

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JonN
SCHEFFER, of Church Street, Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey,
Waterproof Silk, Linen, and Leather Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letter Patent under the Great Seal of the. United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth
day of July, in the sixtieth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said John Scheffer, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Scheffer, my exors,
adñiors, and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Your Majesty's Colonies.
and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "A MACHINE OR INSTRUMENT FOR
WRITING, WHICH I DENOMINATE THE PENOGRAPHIC OR WRITING INSTRUMENT;" in
which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said
John Scheffer, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the
said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby
granted, shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the
same, relation being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with 'the said proviso, I, the said
John Scheffer, do hereby declare that my Invention is constructed and
combined in the following manner (that is to say):-
Figure 1 in the Drawing represents a section through the center of the
instrument parallel to the axis of the external tube or case A, A; this Figure
shews the instrument in its combined state, and ready for use, except that it
is not charged with ink, because by that means the parts in combination will
be more easily understood: A, A, represents the external metal tube or case,
at one end of which is fixed, as nearly air-tight as possible, the cock tube a.
That part of the cock tube shewn at 6 receives the end of an elastic tube c,
formed of part of a goose quill covered with sheep's gut, prepared or cleaned
in the same manner as those used for making catgut or bowstrings. B is
a stopper of cork, or any other suitable substance or material; this serves to
make the external tube or case air-tight at that end to which it is applied.
d represents a ground valve or plug fitted into and passing completely through
the cock tube; this, when properly placed, serves to make that end of the
instrument air-tight to which it is fixed. C shews the nib formed of part of
the barrel of a quill, or any other suitable substance or material. This is
held fast on its present position by being pressed firmly between the cock tube
and the external case, a cavity being formed there for it by filing away a portion
of the upper part of the cock tube. e represents a small presser placed within
the external case and in close contact with the elastic tube. The stud f forms a
part of it, and passes through a slit in the outer case far enough to receive the
thumb piece g, which is soldered or rivetted upon it after the presser is placed
within the slit in the outer case. h represents the small passage through
which the ink flows from the elastic tube to the ink when pressure is applied
to the thumb piece g. This should be made with a fine drill after the plug or
valve d, has been properly fitted by grinding in the usual manner. The cock
thus formed may be turned so as to close the passage through which the
ink flows, by turning the lever i with the fore-finger until the desired effect
is produced.
Fig. 2 represents a section of the cock tube with the plug or valve turned
so as to close the passage through which the ink flows to the nib. Fig. 3
is a side view of the same part, shewing more distinctly the form of the lever
i when combined with the valve d.
Fig. 4 represents a front view of the valve d and lever i combined, separated
from the cock tube. The lever i is rivetted through the valve after it has
been properly fitted by grinding. Fig. 5 represents a section of the cock
tube, with the elastic tube lying in the cavity prepared for it.

page_text: Fig. 6 shews a plan or bird's-eye view of the presser without the thumb
piece. Fig. 7 represents an elevation of the presser with the thumb piece
soldered or rivetted to it. Fig. 8 represents an end view of the presser,
shewing that it is curved so as to correspond with the internal curve of the
outer case c, c.
Fig. 5 represents the elastic tube made of part of the barrel of a soft goose
quill, the outside surface being covered with sheep's gut prepared in it.
Fig. 6 shews a plan or bird's-eye view of the presser without the thumb
piece. Fig. 7 represents an elevation of the presser with the thumb piece
soldered or rivetted to it. Fig. 8 represents an end view of the presser,.
shewing that it is curved so as to correspond with the internal curve of the
outer case.
c, c, Fig. 5, represents the elastic tube made of part of the barrel of a soft
goose quill, the outside surface being covered with sheep's gut prepared in the
same manner as is usual in the manufacture of bowstrings or catgut. As this
forms a very essential part of my Invention, I shall endeavour to explain the
most advantageous method of making them in large quantities. Take
undressed goose quills; those that are softest' should be preferred; cut the quill
part off to the length required, having previously cut about one eighth of an
inch off the small end; this will remove that part that generally closes the
small ends of most quills. Any convenient number of these must be strung
upon a straight wire, taking care that they are so placed that the small end of
one may meet the small end of another, and the same with the large ends, by
which method they will be prevented from entering each other. These obser-
vations being attended to, they are then ready to be covered, which may be
done by taking fresh-cleaned gut, and having opened one end, the wire may
be introduced, and then the gut may be drawn or forced by careful manage-
ment over the whole length of the quills, and when it has passed completely
over them it may be fastened with a thread and returned back, by which
means the first layer will be covered by a second and third, and so on till six
layers are placed over each other, which, in general, is sufficient. Should,
however, more be necessary it will be better to let these dry first, which they
'will very readily do either in a warm room or a dry átmosphere. When dry,
any number more of the coverings may be applied in the same way, which
must be dried as before. As soon as the drying is effected, it will be found
that the gut has so contracted that it completely takes the form of the quills
over which it is drawn, and in this state they may be separated by cutting
through the gut with a penknife, each quill will then leave the wire properly
prepared.

page_text: The use of this part of my Invention is as follows:-It. being absolutely
necessary to make the part where the elastic tube unites to the cock tube
perfectly air-tight, and also the whole length of the same tube when placed
within the outer case, it is to effect this that the gut is placed over the
quills, for when they are dry they may very easily be placed, as shewn in
Fig. 1, within the outer case, care being taken to place the small end properly
within the cavity of the cock tube. The ink being poured or dropped in at
the upper end of the outer case, the gut will swell by being moistened, and
this circumstance will render the junctions air-tight; the cock or stopper may
.also be firmly pressed into the upper end of the external case, and if the valve
at d be closed, the ink will be perfectly retained. If the nib be now applied
to the instrument, as shewn in Fig. 1 at C, and the valve d opened so as to
permit the ink to flow through, a slight degree of pressure applied upon the
thumb piece will cause a sufficient supply, which, being led or shook down to
the point of the nib, will, upon a repetition of the pressure, continue to furnish
itself with ink as long as any remains within the elastic tube. It will be
clearly seen that as the ink is used from the tube, air will rush in to supply
the place, and, consequently, the tube will always be full either with ink or
air, or partly with both..
Fig. 9 represents a section of a cock tube with a screw cock, plug, or valve;
h represents the passage for the ink, which is made to unite with the hole or
passage drilled in the screw in the screw. The ink flows very readily
through this aperture when it is placed as shewn in this Figure; but if the
screw n be turned one quarter of a turn or revolution the passage will be
effectually closed.
All the parts herein represented are drawn of the usual size that I com-
monly make them of, but they may be made either larger or smaller
without departing from the principle and combination that I have invented.
And I hereby further declare that I do not confine, myself to make the
various parts of this instrument precisely of the same form or shape, for it is
evident that they may be greatly varied at the pleasure of the maker without
departing from the principle herein shewn, which principle consists in com-
bining a cock in any convenient construction with an elastic tube, which elastic
tube being pressed upon in any convenient way or manner, will cause the ink to
flow or pass through the cock, and supply a nib attached thereto whenever it
is required. And in order to accommodate this instrument to the hands of
different persons, the presser may be slid nearer to or further from the nib, as
may be found convenient, and for this purpose the stud f is made to pass
through the slit of k, Fig. 10, previous to its being fixed to its place in the

page_text: outer case. The position of this piece will be seen at k, Fig. 1. I shall also
observe that all the parts that are made of brass are coloured to imitate that
metal, the outer tube being tinted to represent silver, which may have
a cover to protect the nib when it is desired to carry the instrument in the
pocket.
And I hereby further declare that I do not confine myself to make the parts
of this Invention of the before-named materials only, for they may be made or
constructed of a great variety of metals and materials, and yet the principle and
combination be the same.
Therefore, in order to prevent any infringement of my Patent, I hereby
declare that my Invention consists in combining a cock of any convenient or
suitable construction with an elastic tube, which may be rendered air-tight at
one end by any convenient means, and when so combined and charged with
ink, if pressure be any way applied, the ink may be forced through the cock
when open, and thereby supply the nib of a pen as often as the pressure is
repeated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scheffer, have hereunto set my

page_text: FIG. 6. FIG. 7.
FIG. 8. FIG. 10.