AN IMPROVED INKSTAND
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles II. Wight, of Baltimore, State of
Maryland, United States of America, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED INKSTAND."
Sealed the 3rd June 1870, and dated the 6th April 1870.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles II. Wight at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 6th April 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section of
the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
H. WIGHT, of Baltimore, State of Maryland, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
INKSTAND," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for
the same, and have made solemn declaration that I am the true and first
Inventor thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles II. Wight, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and seal,
fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement:-
The nature of my Invention consists in the construction of a fountain
or reservoir for ink in such a manner that the volume or main body of
ink will be held separately or disconnected from the ink in use, and
admitting same when necessary by means of a device, that will be
herein-after described, into a well or reservoir so made that only a limited
quantity can be admitted from the fountain, and that the ink thus
delivered from the fountain does not return to the same to vitiate the
main body of the ink, but remains separated therefrom until consumed. :
In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my Invention
appertains to make and use the same I will now proceed to describe
its construction and operation, referring to the annexed Drawing which
show a longitudinal vertical section of my inkstand.
A represents the base, made of wood or metal or other suitable
material, upon which is secured a case or frame B. In the rear portion
of the case B is an aperture in which is inserted a collar a projecting
downwards from the bottom of a fountain or reservoir C. This fountain
may be made of glass or other suitable material, and around its collar a
is a plate b, which is secured to the case B by means of a dowel pin e
and set screw d or other mechanical devices answering the same
purpose, thus firmly securing the fountain to the case and bed. A
cap D is fastened permanently on top of the fountain C by cement or
other material. Through the bottom of the fountain C is an opening
which is stopped from underneath by a valve stopper f having a
plunger E extending upwards through the centre of the fountain and
the cap D, and its upper end provided with a detachable screw head G;
between the screw head G and cap D around the plunger is a spiral
spring which holds the plunger up closing the valve. In the cap D is
also a vent covered with a lid g for filling the fountain without removing
the cap. The plunger E and valve ƒ may be of glass, hard rubber, or
other suitable material; if of glass the valve should be tipped with
rubber. When the screw head G is pressed down the valve is opened
and the ink flows through the passage II into the well or reservoir I at
the front end of the case B. In the well I is to be inserted a movable
mouth-piece for convenience in cleaning. At the side therof is a
double-acting spring cover J constructed in the following manner:-At
a suitable point in the case B is a small upright tube K through which
is passed a rod having a collar at its lower end within the case and

page_text: a collar o above the tube, said collar resting on the same. Above the
collar o the rod m is curved and the cover J attached to its outer end.
Between the collar and the under side of the case B around the rod m
is a spiral spring i which holds the rod down. The mouth-piece above
mentioned being inserted in the well I the cover J is raised up and turned
directly over the same, when the spring i forces it down tight on the
mouth-piece. In like manner it can be taken off and turned to one side
when the inkstand is in use. The quantity of ink admitted from the
fountain C to the well I being small it is consumed before deterioration
occurs, that remaining in the resevoir being protected against the admis-
sion of dirt and evaporation remains limpid.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I claim as new and
desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
1st. An ink fountain or reservoir so constructed as to hold the main
body of ink separately from the ink in use, and that the ink in use
cannot flow back into the fountain, substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
2nd. The fountain C constructed as described with cap D, plunger E,
valve, screw head G, and spring h, all substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth.
3rd. In combination with the fountain C I claim the case B having
ink passage H and well I substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
4th. The double-acting cover J operated by means of the rod m,
collars 1, 0, spring i, and tube K on the case B substantially in the
manner and for the purposes herein set forth.
In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, at Baltimore, in
the State of Maryland, United States of America.
Witnesses,
T. II. ALEXANDER, Atty.
CHARLES ALEXANDER.
CHARLES H. WIGHT. (L.S.)