Improvements in Metallic Pens.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Pens.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by The Eagle Pencil Company, of the City of
New York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
23
This invention relates to metallic pens, and more particularly to steel pens, or
pens having a steel point; and it consists of a pen of this kind in which the
extreme point is hardened, or is what is termed in the trade "glass-hard" while
the remainder of the pen, or the nibs of the pen,-upon which the pen depends
for its elasticity in writing, remains unhardened, and is tempered, and elastic.
In the manufacture of steel pens, as usually conducted, the pen after being
shaped, is hardened, that is to say, it is heated to a red heat, and is then sud-
denly plunged into a bath of oil. The effect of this operation is to render the pen
extremely hard-" glass-hard as it is termed or so hard as to resist a file; but
it is also rendered exceedingly brittle, so brittle, in fact that it can be readily
broken into bits by pressure between the fingers. The next operation, therefor,
is to put it through a tempering process, which, while imparting to the pen the
requisite elasticity, necessarily reduces its hardness, the result being that the pen
soon wears out in use. The object of this invention is to restore to the extreme
point of the pen the
glass-hard"
condition which it lost when undergoing
the tempering operation, at the same time leaving the remainder of the pen
unaffected and in the condition to which it was brought by the tempering operation.
By the "extreme point" of the pen is meant a length say from nd
to th of an inch at the extreme point of the pen. The hardening of the metal
destroys its elasticity and makes it extremely brittle, and to harden much more
of the thin metal jof which the point of the pen is composed would not only
destroy the elasticity of the pen, but put it in such condition that the nibs would
snap off under the pressure to which they are subjected when in use for writing,
or marking, purposes.
$6
The hardening of the extreme point of the pen is effected by heat, but it is
impracticable to do this by subjecting the point of the pen to the action of a
flame, or a blow pipe, or a bath of molten metal, or other mechanical means for
heating because it is not possible by such means to confine the "glass-hard" end
to the extreme point of the pen, nor to prevent the portion of the pen immediately
back of the hardened point from losing its temper and becoming annealed and
softened, thus rendering the pen useless for all practical purposes.
My foreign correspondents have found that by the agency of electricity
can be produced having a "glass-hard" end confined to the extreme writing
a pen
point of the pen leaving the other portion of the pen backward of that point
inimpaired in temper and elasticity.
I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the manner in which
his result can be attained.

page_text: Figure 1 is a view of a steel pen embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a view of a like pen having a slightly turned up point.
Figure 3 is a view of a composite metallic pen embodying the invention-
that is to say, a pen consisting of a main portion which is made of brass,
aluminium, or bronze, or other suitable metal which will not rust, or corrode,
easily, with a front portion, or tip, made of steel, the extreme point of which
is "glass-hard" in accordance with this invention.
Figure 4 is a side elevation-partly diagrammatic-of an apparatus suitable
for use in preparing pens in accordance with this invention.
The apparatus shewn in Figure 4, comprises an electric circuit which includes
a dynamo, or other suitable source of electrical supply (indicated at D) and is
interrupted, or broken, at two points 1 and 2. At 1, it is completed through the
pen P and at 2 it is made and broken at definite intervals by an automatic circuit
maker and breaker, which consists of a rotatable disc a, mounted in a stand a¹
and driven at a comparatively slow rate of speed by a belt and pulley p, p, or
other gear from any suitable motor the said disc having, at intervals on its
periphery, projecting contacts b which as the disc rotates are successively brought
into, and out of, electrical contact with the adjustable spring contact strip_c.
This strip is electrically connected with one pole of the electric generator D by
a wire m; and the contacts on the disc are electrically connected to the
conducting plate & which may be formed of a spring strip attached to the
support f
The opposite pole of the electric generator D is electrically connected by a wire n
with a conducting support 9 placed opposite to, and at a short distance from,
the plate d. This distance is bridged by the pen P, the attendant taking the
pen and placing it so that, while its body bears on the rest g, its point bears on
the contact plate d.
By suitable means (for example by a variable resistance interposed in the
electrical circuit, which may be done in any well-known way) the electrical
current passing through the circuit can be adjusted so that when the circuit is
closed it will bring the point of the pen (which rests on the contact plate d) to
a red heat. The pen before being thus heated is completed in all other respects.
Assuming the electric generator D to be in operation and the disc a to be in
continuous rotation, the operation is as follows:
The circuit is closed momentarily at 2 each time one of the points b on the
disc a meets the contact strip c. At a time when the circuit is broken at 2,
the attendant takes up a pen to be treated, and with it bridges the space between
the rest g and the contact plate d, the body of the pen resting on, and being in
electrical contact with, the rest g, and the point of the pen resting on, and being
in electrical contact with, the contact plate d, thus closing the circuit at 1 while
it is still interrupted at 2. Then, when the circuit is completed at 2, by one of
the contact points 6 meeting the strip c, the circuit will be completed. The
closing of the circuit at 2, though momentary, is sufficient to raise the extreme
point of the pen to a red heat (owing to the electrical resistance at that point)
while as the circuit thus momentarily completed is broken by the continued
revolution of the disc a, the heat disappears, the pen point at once cools, and
becomes glass-hard," and the attendant throwing aside the pen which is finished,
picks up a new one and places it in position before the circuit is again completed
at 2. If the circuit were interrupted only at point 1, then each time the interval
was bridged at this point by a pen there would be a spark at the extreme point
of the pen between it and the plate d, which would have the effect of destroying
the metal of the pen at that point and unfitting the pen for use.
It is to avoid
this that the circuit is intermittently made and broken at 2, so that the pen can
be applied to close the circuit at 1 while the contact at 2 is broken.
65
The pen as it appears after this treatment is shown in Figure 1. The nibs of
the pen are slightly discoloured for some little distance back of the extreme point,
as indicated by the shade lines; but this discolouration is superficial and can be

page_text: removed if desired, although it is preferred to let it memain. Notwithstanding
this superficial discolouration the temper of the nibs rearward of the extreme
point remains unimpaired. It is only the extreme point o that has been made
glass-hard."
d
The object of making the contact plate & spring-yielding, is that when the pen
point is pressed upon it, it (the plate) may yield to the pressure sufficiently to
prevent the nibs from turning up at the end under the action of the heat generated
at the point of contact by the passage of the electric current. The pen will
thus retain its original shape at the point, and will remain a straight pointed
pen, as seen in Figure 1.
In case, however, it be desired to give a slight upturn to the extreme point of
the pen (as is preferred sometimes) this can be readily accomplished by, and during,
the operation of hardening the point. For this purpose the contact plate d, will
be made stiff and unyielding, so that, when the point of the pen is pressed
down upon it, the nibs will spread slightly apart at the end. Under these con-
ditions when the point is heated by the passage of the electric current, the nibs
will yield and turn upward slightly at the extreme point, and the finished pen
will then be as shewn in Figure 2. The attendant after a few trials can readily
regulate the pressure so as to insure the proper turning up of the pen point.
Figure 3 shews a pen which has a hardened steel point as shewn in Figure 1,
the body of the pen being of brass, or other metal, which will not rust, or easily
corrode. The line of junction of the steel and brass, or the like, is indicated at s,
the two being "sweated" together, or united in other known or suitable manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
A metallic pen having a glass hard"
extreme point and a tempered body
backward, of that point, substantially as hereinbefore explained.
Dated this 29th day of June 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents.