Improvements in Fountain Pens.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fountain Pens.
We, WILLIAM ALBERT LEARY of No. 225 High Street, in the City of
Holyoke, County of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, Manufacturer, and JOHN ROBERT CALLAHAN, also of No. 225 High
Street, in said Holyoke, Lawyer, 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 :-
The object of this invention for improvements in fountain pens is to provide
devices therein whereby the writing pen may be inwardly moved within the tip
section so that the latter may be closed against the outflow of ink when the pen
is not in use, the pen, nevertheless, being in presentation with its writing points in
advance of the tip when the closing plug or cap is removed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a fountain pen which has the tip
portion thereof, in which the writing pen is fitted and supported, constructed
for a most efficient and continuous ink-feed and without embodying the necessity
of a feed-bar.
To these ends the invention consists in particular constructions and combinations
of parts all substantially as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the
drawings, and covered by the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of the improved fountain pen, the
writing pen in its forward presentation and the closing plug or cap for the tip
removed and placed at the upper end of the barrel.
Figure 2 is a similar sectional view to Figure 1, but showing the closing plug in
place and the writing pen inwardly forced within the tip.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the tip portion of the pen on an enlarged scale,
taken on line 3-3, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lower tip section and the writing pen and
a portion of the spring therefor, the latter parts being shown as drawn out of the
operative engagement with the said lower tip-section.
In the drawings, A represents a barrel or reservoir constructed, substantially as
usual, of hard rubber or other non-corrosive material, and B represents the tip
which for practicability of construction and convenience in use is formed of the
upper section, a, and the lower section, b. The upper tip section is of a general
cylindrical or tubular form jointed to the lower end of the reservoir by screwing
thereinto, as usual, and the passage, c, therethrough extends from end to end, the
same being contracted at the upper end to form the seat, d. The lower tip section
is in the form of a cylindrical block which has its upper end of slightly reduced
diameter and is fitted within the lower end of the upper tip section, a, having a
close sliding fit, as seen at e, in Figure 2, or by a screw-thread engagement as seen
at e, in Figure 1, the one description of joint being regarded the equivalent of the
other; this cylindrical formed tip-section, b, has longitudinally through it in about
its axial line, or suitably to one side thereof, as may be deemed preferable, the way
or passage, f, which is of a contour transversely corresponding to a cross-sectional
form of a writing-pen, g.
The writing pen is placed within this pen-way, 9, and at the under side of the
pen-way is the longitudinally running duct, h, which extends from the inner end of
the tip-section to the outer end portion.
The spiral-spring, j, has its upper end resting against the seat, d, in the upper
tip-section and the forward portion of this spring exerts the forward and outwardly

page_text: forcing pressure against the rear portion of the shank of the pen which protrudes
beyond the upper end of the tip-section, b.
As particularly shown, the shank of the pen has the perforation, k, near its upper
end and the spring has its wire extended transversely through the perforated pen-
shank and then angularly turned and extended along the back of the pen within
the groove, m, said spring extension being seen at n, in the drawings. This
extension angularly and longitudinally forward of the spring, as shown, in addition
to constituting, as primarily designed, an engagement between the spring and pen
which will not become deranged, also constitutes a filament or capillary for
facilitating the ink-feed.
We provide the below described swiveling base for the tip-cap, 12, which has no
turning motion when pressed against the point of the pen to slide it upward to the
position shown in Figure 2, but notwithstanding how much the outer portion of the
tip-plug or cap may be turned to put it on or remove it from the tip, that part of
the base of the plug which bears against the pen-point has no rotary movement, and
hence there is no danger of twisting or injuring the nibs of the pen.
The said cap, 12, is adapted to be retained on the end of the tip in the position
shown in Figure 2, frictionally. The base of said cap does not come in contact with
the point of the pen for there is a supplemental base, 13, preferably of cylindrical
form, as shown, having a shank, 14, thereon, with the annular groove, 15, and having
in its upper face a suitable recess, 16, to receive the point of the pen. In the base of
the cap, 12, a socket, 17, is formed to loosely receive said shank, 14, of the supple-
mental base, so that when the latter is placed in said cap it may turn freely. The
said base, 13, is secured in the cap, 12, by the pin, 18, which passes through the
side of the cap one end entering the aforesaid annular groove, 15, of the aforesaid
shank, 14.
Thus it will be seen that when the cap, 12, is applied upon the tip-section, and
the pen is thereby pushed inwardly endwise no matter how much the cap may be
rotated, the part thereof which bears against the pen will partake of no rotary
motion.
In Figure 1 the cap is shown as removed from the tip-section permitting the pen
to protrude for use, the cap being engaged with the upper end of the barrel of the
fountain pen.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a fountain pen of the class herein described in which the writing pen has a
free longitudinal movement within the tip thereof, as described, the combination
with said tip and the writing pen, of a cap fitting said tip and a supplementary base
for said cap against which the point of the writing pen impinges, having a free
swiveling movement within said cap, substantially as set forth.
2. In a fountain pen of the class herein described in which the writing pen has a
free longitudinal movement within the tip thereof, as described, the combination
with said tip and the writing pen, of a cap fitting said tip having a socket in the
base thereof, a supplementary base for said cap against which the writing pen
impinges, having a shank thereon in which is an annular groove, freely entering
said socket, and a pin in said cap having one end entering said groove, substantially
as set forth.
3. In a fountain pen the combination with the barrel or reservoir, of the tip
consisting of the upper section, a, having the passage longitudinally through it and
in communication with the reservoir chamber and having the seat, d, the cylindrical
section having its end portion jointed to the upper section and having the pen-
way, f, the ink-channel and its lower end chambered, the pen movable end wise
within said lower tip-section, the spring and the closing plug with the rubber body
set in its inner end, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the barrel of the upper tip section screwing thereinto

page_text: with the longitudinal passage, contracted at its upper end to form the seat, the
lower tip section having the lower end chambered and having the passage longi-
tudinally through it which is transversely of arc form and along which is also the
duct, , and the groove, m, the pen in said arc-passage, the spring behind the pen
resting on said seat and having an extension thereof extended transversely through
a rear portion of the pen-shank and then angularly turned and forwardly extended
within said groove, and the closing plug having the soft rubber body in its end,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. In a fountain pen the barrel having a tip connected therewith which has a
longitudinal chamber or passage in its upper portion and its lower portion with a
longitudinal way therethrough having a transverse contour approximately corre-
sponding to the cross sectional form of the pen and an ink-channel next to said pen-
way and the pen having its shank within said longitudinal way and longitudinally
movable therein, and a spring above the pen for forcing it forward, substantially as
described.
6. In a fountain pen the barrel having a tip connected therewith which has a
longitudinal chamber or passage in its upper portion and its lower portion with a
longitudinal way therethrough having a cross sectional contour corresponding to
the cross sectional form of the pen, and an ink channel next to said pen-way and said
lower portion having its lower extremity chambered, and the pen movable end wise
through the lower tip-section, a spring behind the pen for forcing it longi-
tudinally forward, and a cap or plug adapted to enter the said chambered
tip extremity to close same forcing the pen rearwardly, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 29th day of April 1893.
WILLIAM ALBERT LEARY.
JOHN ROBERT CALLAHAN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.