Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON Fel. Inst. P.A. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster & 323 High
Holborn in the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication from abroad by Ralph W. Pope of Elizabeth in
the State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer,) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to the class of devices employed for removing ink and
fibres from the nibs of pens.
The object of the invention is to provide a compact economical and effectual
device for cleaning writing pens and removing fibres of paper and ink sediment
quickly and thoroughly from the nibs of pens.
The device is constructed in substantially the following manner :-
A block is formed of strips of unsized paper or bibulous paper placed together
side by side, the edges and ends being perfectly even with each other so as to form
a smooth surface; the ends may then be served with glue or any other adhesive
substance, the mass being pressed together as firmly as in practice it may be found
necessary. The ends may also be covered with cloth or paper for the purpose of
making the article more durable. The weight of the paper block is in some cases
sufficient to prevent it from being raised by lifting the pen, but usually it is
desirable to place the block in a suitable case or holder of metal or some material
which serves to increase the weight and renders the article useful as a paper weight.
When the holder is used it is preferable not to bind the ends with cloth or paper
and glue.
Strips of unsized paper or bibulous paper are placed together side by side, the
edges and ends being even with each other, and the block thus formed is placed in
a suitable case or holder of metal, glass or other suitable material. This holder is
itself of peculiar construction. Preferably it is rectangular in shape and provided
with vertical sides. The inner surfaces of the sides are beveled or converge
through the upper portions. The lower portions are vertical or they may in some

page_text: instances slant outward slightly. The paper when it is placed in the holder
is pressed or crowded together by the converging sides, and the pressure thus
secured to hold it in place. Should the paper become loose additional strips may
be added; and should the strips be packed too tightly to allow the point of the
pen from entering readily, then one or more of the strips may be taken out. The
entire block may at any time be readily replaced.
It is preferred to use laminae of paper in constructing the pen cleaner, but thin
strips or plates of other materials might be substituted.
In the accompanying drawing, figure 1 is a plan partly in section of a pen
cleaner, and figure 2 is a cross section through the lines 2-2, figure 1.
Referring to the figures a, a, represent a series of strips of paper or other suitable
material placed side by side. These strips are wedged into a case or holder A which
constitutes a convenient base. The base is rectangular in shape having the curved
outer sides b¹, b², c¹ and c³. The two inner end walls are preferably vertical. The
inner side walls o¹ and o³ converge slightly through their upper portions, as shown.
The lower portions o³, o are however, vertical. The paper may, by reason of this
construction be readily wedged between the walls and thus held secure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A pen-cleaner consisting of a series of strips or plates of paper or other
material, placed parallel with each other and means for holding them together with
one edge exposed.
"
2. A pen-cleaner consisting of strips of paper or other similar material formed
into a block as shown, and a holder for the same having converging sides.
3. A pen-cleaner consisting of strips of paper, in combination with a base or
holder having vertical ends and inwardly converging sides.
4. A pen-cleaner consisting of laminae of paper and a base carrying the same
having side walls converging through the upper portions and vertical through the
lower portions.
Dated this first day of November 1886