A NEW OR IMPROVED RESERVOIR' PENHOLDER.
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Hampton and William
Henry Gray at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th
November 1881.
WILLIAM HAMPTON, of Busby, in the County of Renfrew, and WILLIAM HENRY
GRAY, of Partick, in the County of Lanark, North Britain. "A NEW OR
IMPROVED RESERVOIR' PENHOLDER.'
"
"
The said Invention has for its objects to provide a penholder for containing ink
and to give an automatic flow of such ink therefrom to an ordinary pen or "nib,"
the rate of such flow being adjustable as required to suit the speed and thickness
of writing.
The said penholder is constructed as follows:-
The main stem or body of the penholder is tubular and contains the supply of
ink. Its one end, at which the "nib" of the pen is held, and which we will call the
nib end, is tapered and curved, and has a hole there through communicating with the
interior of the stem. The other end of the said stem, which we will call the "butt-
end," is open and is screwed, and has a small hole therethrough constituting an
air valve. A needle or thin rod passes through the interior of the stem from end
to end, the said needle being curved and tapered at the one end which protrudes
from the nib end of the stem, the other end of the said needle being passed into or
attached to a cap piece which is screwed upon the beforementioned screw at the
butt end of the stem. This attaching of the needle to the cap may be effected by
screwing the end of the needle the reverse of the screw of the butt end of the
stem, and passing the said screwed end of the needle through a hole in the
cap, a knob screwed upon the end of the needle securing it to the said cap.
A guide plate is fixed to the needle, the said plate taking into guides or grooves
in the interior of the stem to prevent the turning of the needle therein. Towards
the point end of the needle is applied a conical india rubber stopper. A cylindrical
plug piece rides over the guide plate to close the butt end of the stem and prevent
leakage. A pen tip or catch, such as is used with ordinary penholders for holding
the nib of the pen, is slipped onto the stem at the nib end, so that when the nib is
placed in the said tip or catch the curved part of the stem is directed towards the
inside or channel of the nib, and the protruding end of the needle comes close cr

page_text: near to the said channel of the nib. When the pen is not in use the cap at the.
butt end being screwed down covers the air valve, and the needle closes the
opening through the nib end of the stem, the india rubber stopper on the said
needle also seating itself upon the interior of this end of the stem and ensuring a
tight closure. When the pen is to be used the cap piece is partially unscrewed so
as to uncover the air valve and to withdraw the india rubber stopper from its seat,
and also to draw a smaller part of the conical end of the needle back into the
opening from the nib end of the stem, so that the ink from the reservoir of the
stem Hows between the said needle and opening. to the nib of the pen. By
screwing the cap piece to a greater or less extent upon the butt end of the stem a
smaller or larger part of the conical end of the needle is brought into the passage
at the nib end of the stem, and consequently the umount of ink passing thero-
through may thus be regulated.
A protector consisting of a tubular cap pièce is provided to be placed over the
nib end when not in use.