IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC. PENS AND PENHOLDERS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Welch, of Birmingham, in the County_of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC.
PENS AND PENHOLDERS."
Scaled the 29th September 1857, and dated the 23rd April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Welch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
April 1857.
I, GEORGE WELCH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN METALLIC PENS AND PENHOLDERS," to be as follows:-
My improvement in metallic pens relates to the tongue which is some-
times placed on the under side of metallic pens for the purpose of causing
them to take up a large quantity of ink. Instead of making the said tongue
fixed, I make it moveable, the said tongue being attached to the pen, so that
it can slide thereon, whereby great facility is afforded for cleaning the pen and
tongue.
My improvements in penholders consist in making the said holders of a
sheet of steel, or other metal or alloy, bent into a nearly cylindrical shape.
The cylinder is placed upon a stick, and the pen inserted between the said
stick and cylinder. The cylinder is attached to the stick by a tooth or teeth,
on the former being pressed into the latter, or by any other kind of pin or small

page_text: nail. Although I prefer to make the metallic part as described of a cylin-
drical figure, yet the said part may be made of a nearly semi-cylindrical
figure, with the same or nearly the same effect.
My improvements in penholders further consist in placing a tube of india-
rubber, leather, velvet, cloth, or other soft and flexible material on that
part of the holder which is held in writing. The holder is thereby made more
pleasant to hold, and when laid down the pen is prevented from coming in
contact with the table."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Welch in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd October 1857.
TO ALL TO. WHOM. THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
WELCH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Welch,. Her special licence that I, the said Georgo Welch,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Welch, iny executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,' an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
METALLIC PENS AND PENHOLDERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Gerge Welch, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Soal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, tho said George Welch, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner. the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:

page_text: My improvement in metallic pens relates to the pens called fountain pens,
which said pens retain a larger quantity of ink than ordinary pens. One of
the most ordinary fountain pens consists of a common pen having a tongue on
its under side, between which and the pen a large quantity of ink is taken up
and held by capillary attraction.
.
My Invention relates to this kind of fountain pen, and consists in making
the tongue capable of a sliding motion upon the pen, instead of being fixed as
usual.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation, and
Figure 2 in vertical section, a pen constructed according to this part of my
Invention. a is the pen; b, the tongue (shewn separately in Figure 3), the
ends 6 of the tongue being turned over the edges of the pen, so as to securo
the said tongue to the said pen. When the tongue is attached in the manner
described and represented, it cau slide up and down the pen, whereby great
facility is afforded for cleaning the pen and the tongue. Although I prefer
to make the tongue b moveable by a sliding motion, yet I do not limit myself
thereto, as the tongue may be made moveable by other means.
My improvements in penholders consist, firstly, in constructing them as
follows:-I make the holder of a sheet of metal or blank, of the form repre-
sented in Figure 4, and marked c. The blank c is bent into a cylindrical
form around the stick d, Figure 5, the points c¹ being either both fixed into
the stick d, or one forced therein, and the other bent under the lower end of
the stick, as represented in Figure 5. The pen is inserted and held between
the stick and open edges of the cylinder, as shown in Figure 6. Instead of
the points c being forced into the stick, the blank may be made without the
said points, and attached after bending by pins, or tacks, or otherwise. The
blank c may be made of steel or other metal or alloy. Instead of making the
blank of the form shown at Figure 4, I sometimes make it of the form
represented in Figure 7, and inarked e. The said blank e is bent into a
semi-cylindrical form, and fixed upon the stick in the manner illustrated in
Figure 8, the points e¹ being forced into the said stick.
Penholders constructed according to my Invention are simple and eco-
nomical.
My improvements in penholders consist, secondly, in placing a tube of
india-rubber, leather; velvet, cloth, or other soft and flexible material on that
part of the holder which is held by the fingers and thumb in writing. This
part of my Invention is represented in elevation in Figure 9, and in section in
Figure 10. An ordinary penholder holding a pen is represented at f, and the
tube or india-rubber or other soft flexible material at g.

page_text: The penholder is by my Invention made more pleasant to hold, and when
laid down the pen is prevented from coming in contact with and inking the
table or other article.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the samo into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my
Invention,-
Firstly, the improvement in metallic pens herein-before described, and illus-
trated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
attaching a moveable tongue on the under or concave side of metallic pens, so
as to constitute the said pens fountain pens, and give great facility for cleaning
the parts of the said fountain pens.
Secondly, the improvements in penholders herein-before described, and
represented in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawing, that is
to say, making the said penholders of a sheet or plate of metal bent into a
nearly cylindrical or semi-cylindrical form, and attached to the stick in the
manner herein-before described and represented.
Thirdly, the improvement in penholders herein-before described, and repre-
sented in Figures 9 and 10 of the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
placing a tube of india-rubber or other soft and flexible material upon any
kind of penholder, so as to make the said penholder more agreeable to handle,
and to prevent the pen held by it from inking the table or surface on which it
is laid when not in use.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Welch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
GEORGE WELCH. (L.S.)