Improvements in Reservoir or Fountain Penholders.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 20th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reservoir or Fountain Penholders.
1, WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW, of the firm of Thomas De La Rue & Co., of
110 Bunhill Row, in the City of London, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
The upper part of the holder which forms the reservoir I make in the usual way
of vulcanite, or other suitable material. The upper end of the reservoir is closel
with the exception of an aperture through which a small rod is passed. The holder
is recessed and packed at the part through which the tube passes, so as to make an
air-tight joint around the rod. The upper end of the rod is firmly fastened to as
shank which screws on to the top of the reservoir.
This construction is described in Bertram's Patent No. 3268 of 1883 with the
exception that he makes use of a hollow rod or tube to serve for the admission of
air into the reservoir. I carry the solid rod before mentioned down to the lower
end of the reservoir. It is coned at the end so as to make an air- and water-
tight joint in a coned recess which I form in the lower part of the holder, which
serves as the pen-carrier. This coned recess has in it two apertures. One looks
directly downwards through a tube which issues beneath the pen and serves as
a duct for the admission of air into the reservoir. The other hole in the coned
recess communicates slantwise with the upper end of the and immediately
pen
beneath a second nib (unsplit) which lies on the top of the writing nib, thu-
forming between itself and the top of the latter a capillary space by means of
which the ink is drawn down to and feeds the nibs of the pen. This use of a
capillary space or vacuity is described in Butcher's Patent No. 2858 of 1869.
When the upper shank with its attached rod is screwed down, the coned rod end
closes both of these holes and prevents any leakage from the reservoir.
When
it is unscrewed the rod is thereby drawn back and the ink is free to run down
into the pen whilst the air required to replace the ink enters by the other hole.
A continuous flow of ink into the pen is thus kept up. The cap which is fitted
over the pen-carrier when the pen is not in use I preferably form of two chambers.
At one end is a long chamber without any orifice which when pushed on over the
pen prevents evaporation and so keeps the nibs in a state of moisture and ready to
inake an instant start. The other end of the cap I make much shorter and of a
different diameter adapted for fitting upon the shank at the upper end of the
holder. It follows that the long chamber in that case points upwards so that any
ink which it may have taken up from the pen nibs is retained in the chamber and
is prevented from soiling the fingers.
In place of the ends of the air and ink ducts being closed as above described
when the pen is out of use by a coned valve carried by a rod which extends from
the upper end of the reservoir I make the lower or pen carrying portion of the
holder to extend for a distance over the lower end of the reservoir and at its upper
end to screw on to a screw thread cut thereon. The cone surface of the valve
within the pen carrier through which the air and ink ducts are formed I make to
fit against a corresponding cone surface formed at the end of the reservoir which
in this case is made solid except that like the cone valve within the pen carrier it
has two ducts formed through it.
When the pen is out of use the lower portion of the holder is screwed upon the
reservoir until the cone surface on the one bears tightly against the cone surface
on the other and forms an air and water tight joint the ends of the ducis in the two
parts not then corresponding or coming opposite to one another.
When the pen is to be used the pen holder is somewhat unscrewed from the

page_text: reservoir so as to leave a small space between the cone surfaces into which ink may
pass from the reservoir and from which ink may pass to the pen.
The pen may be made with a truncated cone on its upper end to fit into a corre-
sponding coned socket at the lower end of the pen holder, an air duct being made
through the cone below the pen and an ink duct leading to the space between the
top of the writing nib and the second unsplit nib which lies above it.
The pen itself may be dented downwards longitudinally along the centre, and the
unsplit nib dented in like manner, but upwards so as to form a small tube leading
towards the pen nibs to give a free passage for the ink.
When it is desired to use an ordinary pen nib in this holder I vary the con-
struction as follows. Upon the lower end of the reservoir is formed a projecting
cone and in the solid upper end of the pen carrying part of the holder is formed
a recessed cone.
Both of these cones have two holes made in them as above
described.
The solid upper end of the pen carrier has a hollow tube projecting downwards
from its centre. The exterior of the pen is partially covered by a vulcanite nib
unsplit which has wings bent round and forming the greater part of a cylinder,
similar to a magnum bonum pen and this cylindrical end is passed on to the hollow
tube above mentioned. The pen itself is securely held between this upper nib
and the tube. The air duct through the cone may be a continuation of the tube
whilst the ink duct is made to run slantwise to the top of the nib and just below
the magnum bonum sheath referred to above. By this means the ink discharges
into the capillary space between the vulcanite sheath and the pen, and is so
conducted to the nibs, whilst the air enters through the tube underneath the pen.
To ensure that the pen with its magnum bonum sheath shall be inserted in the
right position in the pen socket, a small pin is fixed in the latter in a position
exactly opposite to the ink duct. The position of the pin ensures that the vulcanite
sheath and pen shall be inserted in the correct position so as to receive the ink
from the duct.
Dated this 14th day of Awit 1901
WM. THOS. SHAW.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reservoir or Fountain Penholders.
1, WILLIAM THOMAS SHAW, of the firm of Thomas De La Rue & Co., of
110 Bunhill Row, in the City of London, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
According to this invention I construct reservoir or fountain pens with the body
of the holder which serves as the ink reservoir formed of a cylinder closed at top
with a close fitting plug and at the bottom with an end having two holes formed
through it one for an ink outlet the other for an air inlet.
The pen-carrying portion of the holder I also make cylindrical to fit over and
screw onto the lower end of the reservoir it is also closed at the bottom by an end
which fits closely against the concave end of the reservoir when the pen is out of
use and has likewise two holes formed through it one for admission of air the other
for an ink outlet.
When the two cylinders are screwed together so that their end- fit clo-cly
against one another the holes formed through both are closed and when slightly
unscrewed the ends of the holes in both become unclosed.
The pen is made with a hollow truncated cone on its upper end to fit into a
corresponding coned socket at the lower end of the pen holder an air duct and an
ink duct being made through the end of the conc.
The pen I form with a second nib or blade above it and I make an indentation
along the top of the pen or along the under side of the upper blade or along both

page_text: Figure 2 is a side view of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view of the fountain or reservoir pen when closed.
Figure is a longitudinal section of the pen only.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the same.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 shew separately the several parts from which the pen is made.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of a modification of the reservoir or fountain
pen.
Figure 10 is a side view of the modified form of pen used with this modified form
of reservoir or fountain pen.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of another modification of the reservoir or
fountain pen.
Figures 12 and 13 shew the form of the blade by which the upper side of the
pen used with this holder is covered.
Figure 14 is a longitudinal section of another modification.
In Figures 1 to 8 A is the cylindrical ink reservoir. A a plug screwing tightly
into its upper end but which can be removed to allow of the reservoir being filled.
A its closed lower end concave on its outer side. 13 is the cylindrical pen-carrying
portion of the holder-its upper end fits over the lower end of the reservoir A and
n screw thread within the extremity of the cylinder B screws on to a screw thread
cut around the exterior of the cylinder A at A', its lower end is convex on its inner
face to fit to the concave end of the holder. A soft packing ring of felt is inserted
in a groove formed around the interior of the cylinder B at B° to ensure a tight
joint between it and the ink reservoir A. In place of the end of the cylinder A
being concave and the end of the cylinder 13 correspondingly convex-this may be
reversed. AA are two holes formed through the lower end of the cylinder A
and B B two holes formed through the end of the cylinder B. A* B* serve as
air inlets. A'B' as ink outlets. Cis a hollow truncated cone fitting into a
corresponding socket formed in the end of the cylinder B. (is the pen and
Cthe blade above it. (Care holes formed through the end of the cone C.
As will be seen from Figures 1 and 4 the upper ends of the pen and upper blade
are curved downwards and fixed near to the bottom of the disc so that the space
between them is opposite to the hole (which forms the ink supply duct whilst the
hole C serves as the air inlet.
A longitudinal groove C is formed on the exterior of the cone C and a sinall
pin is made to project inwards from the socket in the end of the cylinder B.
When the cone is inserted into the socket the pin Kenters the groove (in the
cone C and so ensures its being inserted in the right position.
D is a cylindrical cap divided by a cross partition into two chambers of unequal
length. The shorter chamber serves to fit over the end of the plug A' when the
pen is in use. The longer chamber serves to fit on to the end of the cylinder B
and enclose the pen when the pen is out of use.
In the modification shewn at Figure the parts are marked with the same
letters of reference as in Figures 1 to 8 and the construction is the same except
that the air inlet holes A B are below the pen when writing and the ink supply
holes A B are above it. In this case the pen (and blade (do not require to
be curved downwards as in the construction shewn in the preceding figures.

page_text: In the modification shewn at Figure 11 the construction is the same and the
parts are marked with the same letters of reference except that the outer face of the
lower end of the reservoir A is made convex and the inner face of the end of the pen
holling portion B is made correspondingly concave and the socket in the end of B
adapted to hold an ordinary pen nib. The socket is formed by an annular space
between an outer evlinder B and an inner tube B2 which serves as an air inlet to
the reservoir. Into this annular space is inserted a vulcanite cylindrical stem D'
which carries an unsplit nils D to lie above the upper side of the pen. The
ylindrical stem D' is split longitudinally along its underside like the barrel of
yen known as magnum bonus.
The pen E may be a pen nib of any ordinary form and be held by being inserted
between the cylindrical stem D' and the inner tube B. The stem may be of such
a diameter that the insertion of the end of the pen into it causes its sides to spring
outwards away from one another so that the pen will be clasped and securely held
by the inward spring of the sides. A shallow groove may be formed along the
biner side of the stem D' and the unsplit nib D³ so as to leave a passage for the
ink to pass between this nib and the pen.
To ensure that the pen with its magnum bonum sheath shall be inserted in
the right position into the pen socket a small pin 13³ is made to project from the
interior of the tube B' to pass into the longitudinal slit in the underside of the
cylindrical stem D.
In the modification shewn at Figure 14 the construction is the same as in
Figure 11 except that the socket for receiving the pen is formed upon a plug F
which closes the lower end of the ink reservoir A.
the
Through this plug an air inlet hole F and ink outlet F2 are formed and when
pen is not in use both these passages can be closed by a coned valve G formed
at the end of a stem which extends upwards through the centre of the ink
reservoir A, through an aperture in the upper end of the reservoir and is secured at
its end to a cap H which serews on to the upper end of the reservoir. By screwing
on the cap the coned valve G can be forced against the ends of the air and ink
passages FF and by slightly unscrewing it the valve will be drawn away from
the end of the passages and leave them both open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A reservoir or fountain pen with the stem which forms the ink reservoir
closed at its top and at its bottom carrying a pen and also closed with the exception
of an air inlet and an ink outlet passage and with a valve for closing or opening
both passages secured to a screw cap fitting over one end of the stem so that by
turning the cap both passages can be opened or closed simultaneously.
2. In a reservoir or fountain pen the combination of the stem which forms the ink
reservoir closed at the top and closed also at the bottom with the exception of two
passages one for an ink outlet the other for an air inlet, the pen carrying portion
6 tine holder closed at its lower end and fitting over and screwing on to the lower
end of the ink reservoir the closed end forming a socket for holding a pen and
xing two passages formed through it one for ink the other for air so that by
aling the one on to the other the eni of one can be brought against the end of
..
L
and the passages through both thereby closed and by slightly unscrewing
be moved away from one another and the passages through both opened.
The combination of the stem which forms the ink reservoir closed at top
also at the bottom with the exception of two passages one for ink the
ocate or air--the pen carried at the lower end of the stem-the blade lying just
Love the pen and close to it with the slight space which is between them in
communication with the ink passage.
4. The combination of a pen-a truncated cone or cylinder at its upper end to
fit into a corresponding socket at the lower end of the holder a blade lying along

page_text: the upper side of the pen also secured to the cone or cylinder and with a hole
through the end of the cone or cylinder opening into the space between the pen
and the blade.
5. The combination of a pen whose upper end forms an are of a circle fitting
over the cylindrical end of a holder and grasped to it by a split cylinder of
vulcanite or other suitable spring material which embraces it and which is formed
with a projecting blade to lie above the top of the pen.
6. In a reservoir or fountain pen the combination of a hollow stem forming an ink
reservoir a pen carried at its lower end-a cylindrical cap divided by a transverse
partition into two compartiments of unequal length and the long one made to fit
on to the end which carries the pen whilst the short one is made to fit on to the
upper end.
7. The constructions of reservoir or fountain pen holders substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
Dated this 17th day of December 1891
WM. THOS. SHAW.