IMPROVE- MENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Liverpool and London Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS 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 that class of fountain pens, in which the nib of the
ordinary writing pen is supplied with fluid ink from a barrel or reservoir, which
may conveniently form the handle or holder of the pen.
The object of the invention is to secure and automatically regulate a certain and
uniform flow of ink to the pen, and also to prevent the excessive discharge of the
ink when the pen is, in use. By this invention a fountain pen composed of but
comparatively few parts is produced, and the general.construction of this class of
pen greatly improved and simplified.
•
The subject matter claimed as new will be hereinafter specifically designated.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, Fig. 1. is a
longitudinal section of the improved fountain ¡en and Figs. and 3 are cross-
sections on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1. showing two forms of the ink-feeding bar.
Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a barrel or tube for containing the ink, and it
may be formed of rubber or other suitable material. A tubular piece B preferably
of the same material as the barrel A is shouldered and screw-threaded at band is
made to fit within the correspondingly threaded extremity a of the barrel A. The
feed piece which is preferably employed for conveying the ink from the barrel A
to the nib of the pen P consists of a bar C formed of rubber or other suitable
material having one extremity c tapering conically from one side to the other of
the body C. The other extremity of the bar is formed to fit tightly within the
tubular piece B.
The upper side of the bar C is provided with a groove & extending throughout
its entire length. One or more very narrow slits or fissures e e (see Figs. and 3)
are formed longitudinally throughout the length of the groove d as shown for
facilitating the flow of ink to the pen as hereinafter described. The pen P which
may be of any of the forms in common use, is secured between the pieces B and C

page_text: as shown in Fig. I and a portion of the lower surface of the pen, projecting from
the tube B is in contact with the upper and somewhat flattened surface of the
bar C.
If now the barrel A be partly filled with ink and the parts assembled as in
Fig. 1, the pen will be ready for use, the ink being supplied to the nib in the
following manner. The downward flow of the ink by gravity and through the
action of capillary attraction in the act of writing causes it to pass through
the grooved and tends to create a vacuum within the reservoir which is net by
the influx of air passing upwards through the groove. The direction of the current
of air entering the ink reservoir being opposite to that of the outflowing ink, the
volume of the latter is somewhat lessened and excessive discharge prevented. The
motion caused by the receding and advancing of the lower surface of the pen from
and towards the bar C caused by the ordinary operation of writing increases the
flow of ink from the barrel and permits the steady supply of the ink to the slot
in the pen from whence it is conveyed to its point and to the surface being
written upon.
It may be observed that the tendency to a heavy and excessive flow of ink
.caused by amplified motion of the pen or otherwise will be compensared by an
increased influx of air through the grooved to fill the vacuuin tending to be
produced within the reservoir, thus retarding the flow and automatically regulating
the same. It may also be stated that air-bubbles which usually form within and
greatly impede the discharge of ink through the ink-duct are in the case of this
invention pressed to one side of the duct and their onward movement greatly
accelerated by the outflowing current of ink.
The narrow slits or fissures ee which are made in the groove d and which extend
.deeper into the feed bar C than the bottom of the grooved serve to facilitate the
'downward flow of the ink which first follows these narrow channels, and thus the
descending column of ink is kept on that side of the groove, the ascending column
of air keeping on the other side of the groove.
Fig. 3 illustrates a form of ink-conducting bar which may sometimes be employed
in place of the one shown in Fig. 2. The only difference between this bar and
the one herein before described consists in the additional groove d¹ formed in the
lower side of the bar. The function of this groove is the independent admission
of air to the barrel, and while this groove may in some cases be preferable it is
not indispensable, since ordinarily sufficient air will enter the barrel through the
groove d.
A cap E is employed for protecting the nib of the pen when not in use. The
cap may be placed upon the upper extremity of the barrel when the pen is being
used and when in such position it serves to lengthen the holder.
By this invention the use is avoided of the tubular ink-duct usually employed
in connection with pens of this class and which has heretofore been objectionable
for the reason among others that it is very liable to conduct more ink to the nib
than is necessary.
The invention is not confined to the precise construction shown in the drawing
or described herein, as it is obvious that the same may be modified without
departing from the principles of the invention. The form of the ink-duct may be
modified and instead of one groove being formed in its upper surface several may
be employed, and the number and size of the fissures in said groove or grooves may
be varied if desired.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and the manner in which
it is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I would
have it understood that I claim :-
1st. An ink-duct for a fountain pen, consisting of a bar having a longitudinal
groove formed in its surface and one or more longitudinal fissures in the side or
sides of said groove, substantially as set forth.
2nd. An ink-duct for a fountain pen, consisting of a bar having one or more
longitudinal grooves in its side which is to be in proximity to the pen, each of said

page_text: grooves having one or more longitudinal fissures in its side or sides and one
or more additional longitudinal grooves whereby air may be admitted to the
reservoir independently of the ink-conveying groove, substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
3rd. In a fountain pen, the combination substantially as herein before set forth
of a barrel or ink reservoir, a tube connected therewith, an ink-duct supported
within said tube and consisting of a bar having one or more longitudinal grooves
formed in that portion of its surface which is in proximity to the pen, with one or
more longitudinal fissures in the side or sides of said groove or grooves, and a pen
secured between said tube and ink-duct.
-
4th. An ink-duet for a fountain pen having one or more longitudinal fissures in
its walls for facilitating the passage of the ink through Said duct.
5th. In a fountain pen, the combination substantially as hereinbefore set forth
of a barrel or ink reservoir, a pen united thereto, and an ink-duct consisting of a
bar having one or more longitudinal grooves formed in that portion of its surface
which is in proximity to the pen, and one or more additional longitudinal grooves
whereby air may be admitted to the reservoir independently of the ink-conveying
groove,