IMPROVEMENTS IN RESERVOIR OR FOUNTAIN PENS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Beningfield, of Clark Street, Stepney, in the
County of Middlesex, Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RESERVOIR OR FOUNTAIN PENS."
Sealed the 6th July 1860, and dated the 9th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Beningfield at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th January 1860.
I, GEORGE BENINGFIELD, of Clark Street, Stepney, in the County of Middle-
sex, Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RESERVOIR OR FOUNTAIN PENS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in reservoir or fountain pens consist in the use of a tubular
reservoir as a penholder, in which there is a small opening in the side for the
escape of the ink to the pen. I apply the steel or other pen to this holder, so
that the split and hole at the termination thereof coincide to a certain extent
with the hole in the reservoir holder: By this arrangement of the pen with
the escape aperture of the ink the act of writing with the pen causes the nibs
to take up a sufficient quantity of ink for the purpose. The holder is per-
fectly closed except at the escape orifice, the top where the reservoir is
filled being closed by a suitable cap for that purpose; or the reservoir may
unscrew or otherwise disconnect near the other end for a like purpose. The
action of the pen nibs in writing is such that by the opening and closing of
the split at the point of coincidence of the split with the escape aperture of

page_text: the ink, a slight but sufficient suction is caused, which withdraws the ink. The
air which enters at the escape aperture of the ink is admitted to the reservoir
through the intervention of an arrangement of parts within the holder. This
consists of a diaphragm or division near the lower part of the reservoir; it
may be inclined or parallel with the length of the holder, but in the latter
case terminating with a transverse or other partition separating the space so
divided from the column of ink. Near, the lower part of this diaphragm is a
small hole to permit the flow of ink from the reservoir, while at the upper
part are one or more small holes for the passage of air. The air entering at
the escape orifice as described is received in this divided space, and passes to
the upper part, where it is open, by a small air-hole, to the ink in the reservoir.
This diaphragm or division is only carried up a short distance, say about an
inch, above the escape orifice, while the ink channel at the lower part thereof
is slightly below the escape orifice. When sufficient ink has passed down:
below the lower part of the diaphragm to cover or rise above the hole in the
steel pen, the air is excluded, and this until the ink is used up, so as to leave
a portion of the hole again open when air is again admitted, thus maintaining
during the period of writing the proper supply of ink. Instead of the dia-
phragm described, the division may be conical, or consist of one or more tubes
to conduct the air up a certain distance before admitting it to the body of
the ink.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Beningfield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BENINGFIELD, of Clark Street, Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, Agent,:
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,.
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said;
George Beningfield, Her special licence that I, the said George Beningfield, .
my, executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Beningfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,. use,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RESERVOIR OR FOUNTAIN PENS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Beningfield, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Beningfield, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My improvements in reservoir or.fountain pens consist in the use of a tubular
reservoir as a penholder, in which there is an opening for the escape of the ink
to the pen. I apply the steel or other pen to this holder so that the split or split
and hole at the termination thereof coincides to a certain extent with the opening
in the reservoir holder. By thus arranging the pen with the escape aperture
of the ink, the act of writing with the pen causes the nibs to take up a
sufficient quantity of ink for the purpose. The reservoir holder is perfectly
closed except at the escape, but unscrews or otherwise disconnects near the
lower end for the purpose of filling it. The action of the pen nibs in writing
is such that by the opening and closing of the split at the point of coincidence
of the split with the escape aperture of the ink, a slight but sufficient suction
is established which withdraws the ink. The air which enters at the escape
aperture of the ink is admitted to the reservoir through the intervention of an
internal arrangement of parts within the holder. This consists of a diaphragm or
division near the lower part of the reservoir; it may be inclined or horizontal,
or parallel with the length of the holder, but in the latter case terminating
with a transverse or other partition separating the space so divided from the
column of ink. Near the lower part of this diaphragm is a small hole or holes to
permit the flow of ink from the reservoir, while at the upper part are one or
more small holes for the passage of air. The air entering at the escape orifice
as described is received in this divided space and passes to the upper part.
where it is open by small air-holes to the ink in the reservoir. This diaphragm
or division is only carried up a short distance, say about an inch more or less
above the escape orifice, while the lower part of the ink channel therein is
slightly below the escape orifice; when sufficient ink has passed down below

page_text: the lower part of the diaphragm to cover or rise above the escape orifice of
the holder, the air is thereby excluded until the ink is used up, so as to leave
portion of the hole again open, when air is again admitted, thus causing
during the period of writing the proper. supply of ink. Instead of the dia-
phragm described the division may be conical, or consist of one or more tubes
to conduct the air up a certain distance before admitting it to the body of
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents an external side view
of a fountain penholder, with pen complete, arranged according to my Inven-
tion; Fig. 2 a plan or view with the pen removed; and Fig. 3 a side view of
the same, while Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of Fig. 1.
a, a, is simply a tubular holder, having a nozzle piece b screwed thereto
at c, while d is a sheath or socket in which to fix the pen e.; fis an orifice
in b, by which the ink escapes to the pen e; this is placed and held over the
orifice f, by which that orifice is more or less closed. By this disposition of
the orifice and the pen, the hole in the pen at the termination of the split
and part of the split itself is opposite to orifice f, which thereby affords a
supply of ink sufficiently near to the point of the pen. The action of the
pen e in writing has the effect of drawing the ink from the orifice f, that is to
say, the opening and closing of the split, as also the rising of the nibs from the
part b, and its return thereto in the act of writing, all contributes to the
tendency to draw the proper supply of ink from the holder for the use of
the pen. I introduce a
I introduce a diaphragm or partition in the lower part b,
separating a space near the orificef from the main body of the holder a; this
separation may be by means of a perforated diaphragm directly across as at i,
or in any position between that point & the orifice f, Fig. 5, inclined or
curved as at Fig. 6, conical as at Fig. 7, as also in the section, Fig. 4.
Figs. 5, 6, & 7 are several sections of the part b, showing the different
diaphragms, Fig. 5 further illustrating the application of certain parts to be
herein-after explained. In the section Fig. 4, k is a tube terminating in the
transverse perforated diaphragm 1, the tube k being open at the ends. In
the diaphragm represented at Fig. 6, there are some small holes at each
extreme, those nearest the orifice f being to permit the flow of ink, while
those at the opposite extreme admit air, as will be herein-after explained.
In Fig. 7 the air admission apertures are at the apex of the conical piece in
which the escape apertures of the ink are at the base. In the act of writing
the pen e as it draws the ink from the orifice f. also suffers a small portion

page_text: of air to enter thereat. The air so entering in the case represented at
Fig. 4 passes up outside of k, and enters the main body of holder a by the
perforations in 1, and permits the flow of ink through k, into the lower
reservoir b, in readiness for the supply of the pen. The same effect is pro-
escaping by apertures
duced in Fig. 6 by the diaphragm h, in the ink
nearest f, while the air enters above, as is also the case in Fig. 7, the air
entering at apex of cone m, while the ink escapes at the apertures near the
base of m. Thus there will always be an immediate and ready supply for
the pen in part b, while at same time a reservoir is held in suspense in a,
and the longer the tube k, cone m, or incline h, the greater will be the supply
admitted to part, by reason of the column of ink between the air admission
apertures, and the apertures for the escape of the ink being greater, and being
at same time relieved from the pressure of air that keeps the ink in suspense
in a. In Fig. 5, which I have designed more especially for the pocket, I use
a transverse perforated diaphragm only, but with this alone it would be
difficult to maintain a continuous supply of the ink. I therefore introduce.
the india-rubber sack p in the upper reservoir, to the body of which it is
fixe:l, and attach to the top of such india-rubber sack a screw having a pro-
jecting button head g; the point of this screw pin is fixed to p, which may be
twisted and collapsed by turning the button head 9; ink being contained
therein is caused to descend to the point of the pen; a slight turn of the knob
is sufficient for the purpose; this india-rubber being commonly used as a
reservoir in fountain pens will require no further description. The separating
diaphragm I make either of perforated metal or of woven material.
Ilaving described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I desire it to be understood that what I claim as my Invention of
improvements in fountain or reservoir pens is the combination of parts
constituting an upper and lower reservoir of supply separated as described, the
lower reservoir opening under the nibs and supplying the ink to the pen, all
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Beningfield, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GEORGE BENINGFIELD. (L.S.)