Improvements in Ink Stands.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ink Stands.
I, EMRY DAVIS of 355 West 58th Street City, County and State of New York,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to automatic inkstands, and its object is to provide a com-
paratively inexpensive, simple and serviceable device of this character, in which
the evaporation of the ink is reduced to a minimum, the consumption of the ink
permitted until the well is very nearly exhausted, in which the ink is kept free
from exterior dust and impurities, and spurting and overflow of the ink from the
pen cup is prevented should the pen be violently passed into the pen cup. The
invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts
which are hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the drawings
forming a part hereof, and in which similar numerals of reference denote corre-
sponding parts in both views.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inkstand constructed in accordance with the
terms of my invention;
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same;
Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the tube; and
Figure 4 is an elevation of the ink tube.
The body 10 of the inkstand may be constructed of glass or any other suitable
material and of any desired dimensions or preferred contour. As shown in the
drawings, said body is of square or rectangular shape and has its edges bevelled in
the ordinary manner to give the same a neat appearance. The ink well 11 is
circular in contour, with a rounded or concave bottom to facilitate the displacement
of the ink as hereinafter referred to, the well occupying the greater portion of the
body. Within the mouth of the well is held an elastic rubber ring 13 to ensure an
air-tight joint between the well and the cover of the inkstand and also to exclude
dust and impurities.
The cover is preferably constructed of vulcanised rubber although other suitable
material may be employed, and consists of an annular flange 14, having a central
circular aperture 15, for the reception of the buoyant ink tube hereinafter more
particularly described, and has formed therein at one side of said aperture a
diagonally ranging air vent or aperture 16, into which a plug 17, of material similar
to that of the flange, fits removably; the purpose of said plug and aperture being
hereinafter explained.
Integral with the under face of the cover is formed a circular sleeve 18, the
lower end having a straight inner wall, while its outer wall tapers downward to the
lower end of the sleeve, thereby giving the sleeve the shape of an inverted cone,
the lower end of said sleeve extending nearly to the bottom of the ink well and
being open to the same.
Immediately below the flange 14 is formed in the upper end of the sleeve 18 an
annular chamber 19, which is eccentrically located to the sleeve 18, the base wall of
the chamber extending downward to meet the outer wall of the air tube to be presently
described, and the inner wall of the sleeve, as shown in Figure 2. At one side of
the said chamber, the body of the sleeve 18 is thickened to allow of the prolongation
therethrough of the aperture 16 in the flange 14 to communicate with the well 11
above the ink therein as also shown in Figure 2.
Within the central aperture of the flange 14 and in the sleeve 18 fits loosely a
circular buoyant air tube 20, having a flared upper end and having a series of

page_text: openings 24 at its lower end, four such openings being shown in Figure 3; and
integral with the air tube is formed centrally therein a circular ink tube 21, having
a flaring upper end 22, which constitutes the pen cup and rests within the flared
upper end of the air tube 20. The ink tube 21 is a part of and forms the inner
wall of the air tube 20. The inner wall of ink tube 21 below the flanged upper
end 22 is straight and one size nearly to the lower end, where it is made much
smaller, leaving centrally therein a small vertical aperture, as shown at 23,
Figures 2 and 3, which, operating with the air-cushion formed by the openings 24, as
hereinafter described, prevents the ink from spurting when the pen cup is depressed.
It will be noticed that the outer wall of the air tube extends vertically above the
flared upper end of the ink tube thereby forming a narrow flange or rim, as shown
at 25, Figures 1 and 2.
The object of this flange or rim is to prevent the pen from lying flat upon the
surface of the flared upper end of the ink tube when dipping, thereby preventing
the ink from spurting out over the edge of the pen cup or from spurting up the
penholder by following the under side of the pen.
To fill the ink well 11, the plug 17 in the flange 14 of the cover is removed, and
ink in desired quantity placed in the well by pouring it into the pen cup at the
upper end of the air tube 20, whereupon the ink tube and air tube are depressed or
raised to any desired depth or height in the sleeve and held thereat with one hand,
and the plug is then, with the other hand, fitted tightly in the diagonal aperture in
the flange of the cover. By this means, the ink tube and air tube are held in
equilibrium in the sleeve and ink well, it being understood that the cover has been
fitted tightly to place in the mouth of the well.
To fill the pen with ink, it is dipped into the pen cup 22, and the latter pressed
downward with the pen to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, such
pressure forcing the air tube and ink tube into the ink in the well and displacing the
same, so that ink will then rise through the central aperture in the ink tube and pass
to the pen cup. On releasing the pen cup from pressure, by withdrawing the pen,
the air tube and ink tube regain their equilibrium and rise to the position shown in
full lines in Figure 2, the ink at the same time receding from the pen cup and ink
tube and returning to the well.
It will be obvious that, as both the pen cup and the ink tube are empty except
at the moment of dipping the pen, the ink being normally in the well-the
evaporation of the ink is reduced to a minimum; and for the same reason and
because of the tight fitting cover flange, dust and impurities are precluded from the
ink supply.
As a certain amount of ink is required to float the ink and air tube, it will also
be seen that, when the ink is nearly exhausted, the concave bottom of the ink well
concentrates the last of the ink directly under the ink tube and air tube, and more
readily allows the displacement of nearly all of the ink in the inkstand than if it
were constructed with a flat surface.
The openings 24 in the air tube afford the formation of an air cushion to increase
the buoyancy of the air tube and make it more delicate and soft to the touch of the
pen, and relieves the pressure upon the ink flowing to the pen-cup, so as to prevent
spurting and overflow at the cup, the thickened apertured portion at the lower end
of the ink tube contributing to that end.
The chamber beneath the cover flange is provided, as a receptacle for any ink
that might work up between the air tube and the sleeve 18, which, were this not
provided, would run out upon the outside of the stand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube and means
for holding said tube in equilibrium, substantially as sho vn and described.
2. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-inovable ink-supply tube, provided

page_text: with air inlets at its lower end, and means for holding said tube in equilibrium,
substantially as shown and described..
3. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube, provided
with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at the top of the pen cup at its
upper end, and means for holding said tube in equilibrium, substantially as shown
and described.
4. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube, provided
with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at the top of the pen cup
at its upper end, and having the inlet for the ink at its lower end contracted,
and means for holding said tube in equilibrium, substantially as shown and
described.
5. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube, provided
with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at the top of the pen cup at its
upper end, and having the inlet for the ink at its lower end contracted, and means
for regulating the point of equilibrium of said tube, and for filling the inkstand,
substantially as shown and described.
6. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube, provided
with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at the top of the pen cup
at its upper end, and having the inlet for the ink at its lower end contracted,
and means for holding said tube in equilibrium, for regulating the point of equilibrium
of said tube and for filling the inkstand and an ink overflow chamber surrounding
said tube, eccentrically thereto, substantially as shown and described for the purpose
specified.
7. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube, provided
with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at the top of the pen cup at its
upper end, and having the inlet for the ink at its lower end contracted and means
for holding said tube in equilibrium, for regulating the point of equilibrium of said
tube, and for filling the inkstand, and an ink overflow chamber surrounding said
tube, eccentrically thereto, and means for connecting the cover with the well, sub-
stantially as shown and described for the purpose specified.
8. In an inkstand, the combination, with a centrally apertured cover, having a
plug controlled aperture at one side of its centre, and also having a central sleeve
integral with its under face, and. an eccentrically arranged ink overflow chamber
in the sleeve next the cover, of a buoyant ink-supply tube movable in said sleeve
and cover, provided with air inlets at its lower end, and having a flaring pen cup at
its upper end, and a flange or rim at the upper end of the pen cup, the inlet for the
ink at the lower end being contracted, and means for holding said tube in equilibrium,
for regulating the point of equilibrium of said tube and for filling the inkstand, and
means for connecting the cover with the well, substantially as shown and described
for the purposes specified.
9. In an inkstand, the combination, with a centrally apertured cover, having a
plug-controlled aperture at one side of its centre, and also having a central sleeve
integral with its under face, below the central aperture and open to the ink well,
said well having a concave bottom, and an eccentrically arranged ink overflow
chamber in the sleeve next the cover, of a buoyant ink supply tube movable in the
sleeve and cover, provided with air inlets at its lower end, and having a flaring pen
cup at its upper end, and a flange or rim at the upper end of the pen cup, and an ink
inlet communicating with the ink well, the lower end of which is contracted, and
means for holding said tube in equilibrium, for regulating the point of equilibrium
of said tube, and for filling the inkstand, and means for connecting the cover with
the well, and a removable plug fitting the diagonal aperture in the cover of the ink
well, substantially as shown and described for the purposes specified.
11000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.