CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN INKSTANDS OR INKHOLDERS, AND IN PENS FOR WRITING
Year: 1837

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
STEPHENS, of Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road, in the Parish of Christ-
church, and County of Surrey, Writing Fluid Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS, His late most Excellent Majesty William the Fourth, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of March, in the seventh year of His
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
seven, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Stephens, his especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I the said Henry Stephens, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as I the said Henry Stephens, my executors,"
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times 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 His Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
INKSTANDS OR INKHOLDERS, AND IN PENS FOR WRITING," in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me the said Henry Stephens, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to 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 in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference 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
Henry Stephens, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention of certain improvements in inkstands or inkholders and in
pens for writing, consist in the first place in an. improved adaptation and
construction. of stoppers applied to that description of inkholders commonly
called fountain inkstands (that is to say) in which the supply for the pen
is taken from the lower part of the fluid instead of the upper, as in common
open-mouthed inkstands. The construction of such fountain inkholders being
well understood, it is not necessary for me particularly to describe them, but
to state that my improved stopper is of that kind commonly called "spigot and
faucet," or the cock or tap commonly used with all kinds of fluids, and which,
as adapted to this kind of inkstand or inkholder, has a peculiarly formed
opening way, or passage made through the plug, faucet, or cone, for the
purpose of allowing free access for the pen to the fluid, when introduced into
the holder for the purpose of taking the supply or dip. The said opening or
way to the interior of the inkholder. is formed at one side of the plug or spigot
instead of through the middle thereof, as in the common construction of cocks,
and the mouth of the inkstand or holder can be closed at pleasure by turning.
the plug or spigot. These improvements will be better understood by
referring to the accompanying Drawings, in which are exhibited two modifi-
cations or variations of the adaptation of the said improved stopper to fountain
inkholders.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fountain inkholder of a form which I
previously invented, but to which is now adapted the improved stopper, the
cone or plug being in this instance placed horizontally across the mouth
or aperture. Eig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical
section taken through the inkholder, shewing the aperture or mouth open;
and Fig. 4 is another similar section with the aperture closed. Fig. 5 is a view
of the spigot or plug detached, shewing the form of the opening or way made
through the same. a, a, is the interior of the vessel or inkholder; b, the neck
or mouth-piece in which the faucet is formed; c, the mouth or opening of the
inkstand; d, the spigot, plug, or stopper, having the way or recess e excavated
for the admission of the pen into the fluid. It will be seen by inspecting the
Drawing that if the way or recess e is turned towards the mouth of the
iukholder, as shewn by red dotted lines in Fig. 3, there will be a free access or

page_text: passage for the pen to the fluid, and that on turning the spigot or stopper
partly round the solid part of the plug, will close the way and exclude the air,
as seen in Fig. 4. Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, are similar representations to
the foregoing, shewing another modification of the adaptation of my improved
stopper, in which the spigot, plug, or stopper is placed vertically across the
month or aperture of the inkholder, and the way or recess e is formed
longitudinally in the spigot or plug instead of transversely, as in the former
instance; the same letters of reference being marked upon corresponding parts,
the foregoing description will apply to these figures, and therefore no further
description will be necessary. But I would here remark that although I
have shewn the spigot or plug placed in the vertical and horizontal positions,
yet they may be placed in any angle thereto which may be required' or thought
more convenient, and that they may be made of glass, earthenware, or any
other suitable material.
My Invention of improvements in pens for writing consists in a new mode.
of manufacturing pens from quill, or horn, or whalebone, or tortoise, and other
shells, or ivory, or any other hard, horny, bony, or other flexible animal-
matters, which I effect by the following process:-I first take the materials
of quill, horn, or other animal substance of the requisite thickness in as dry
a state as I can procure them, and cut out the requisite forms of the pieces for
the production of the peus, by means of a cutting punch or other instrument,
in a similar manner to that which is usually pursued in the manufacture of
steel and other metallic pens. I then procure a pair of dies shaped according
to the model or required curved or bent form of the pens intended to be made.
I then heat those dies to a degree (say from about 200° to 300° Fahrenheit)
that is sufficiently to harden the material without destroying its texture, and
having placed the cut pieces of quill or other animal material between the
heated dies, and subjected the same to pressure, I suffer the dies and pieces of
animal material so placed to cool before removing them. When the dies are
quite cold the pieces of quill or other animal substance will have become .set
or fixed in the required form, and may then be removed. In order that the
slit may be properly made in the point of the pen, and not be allowed to pass
too high up, I place the pen under a cutting punch and die and cause a small
orifice to be perforated at the place to which I wish the slit to extend, and in
a similar way, or by any other convenient means, I then cut the slit at the
point of the required length. The pens having been thus manufactured they
may, in order finally to complete them, require scraping or finishing with a
common penknife on the edges in order to take off any irregularities or
roughness, and also to adjust the points. Holders will be required in using

page_text: these pens similar to those employed for metallic pens, or if preferred small
pieces of the material may be placed under the operation of the heating and
pressing dies; to attain the required curved or dished form previous to being
cut or shaped to the required size and figure of the pen; and after they are thus
curved or dished they may be submitted to the action of a cutting or shaping
tool, to cut off the superfluous parts, and give the pen the required size and
figure; the curved or dished pieces being held within the cutting or shaping
tools by parts thereof, which are also of the dished or curved figure of the
pen, such pieces may have the slits formed in them afterwards, as above stated,
or by any suitable means.
. I sometimes apply a varnish to these pens after they have been thus
finished, which may be either the common lacker prepared of shellac dissolved
in spirit of wine, or cover them with what is commonly called Japan varnish,
or any other varnish which will serve to prevent the action of the ink or fluid
upon them.
Having now particularly described my improvements, I would in conclusion
remark, that what I claim as my Invention is,―
Firstly, the improved construction and adaptation of the above described
stoppers to fountain inkstands.
And, secondly, the mode, method, or process of manufacturing writing pens
from quills, horn, whalebone, tortoiseshell, or other hard, horny, flexible,
animal material, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Stephens have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
HENRY (L.S.) STEPHENS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of September,
in the first year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said Henry
Stephens came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein
contained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument
aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the
fifty-fifth year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.