CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN INKSTANDS AND IN MATERIALS AND APPARATUS FOR FASTENING AND SEALING LETTERS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BARNABAS DAFT, of Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Second day of February, in the second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Barnabas Daft, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Thomas Barnabas Daft, my
exors, adññors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Barnabas
Daft, my exors, adññors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN INKSTANDS AND IN MATERIALS AND APPARATUS FOR
FASTENING AND SEALING LETTERS OR OTHER DOCUMENTS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Thomas Barnabas Daft, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and

page_text: by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
my
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Barnabas Daft, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:
The first part of my Invention has for its object certain improvements in
inkstands, by means of which ink will be supplied for use when required in
better condition than by inkstands of any of the constructions now in use, and
the ink will be preserved from the action of the external atmosphere, and the
supply of fresh ink will be caused by the pressure of air; and, further, owing to
the construction and arrangement of part of the improvements, in the event
of any derangement of the parts allowing of the atmosphere entering above
the ink, it cannot flow out of the inkstand.
And, secondly, my Invention relates to improved fastenings and apparatus to
apply the same to the fastening of letters and other documents.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents the section of an inkstand constructed according to my
Invention; a, a, being the reservoir or vessel in which a supply of ink is con-
tained; and I would remark that this vessel may be of glass or any suitable
material, and the shape may be varied according to taste; 6 is a cover to the
upper part of the vessel a, such cover being affixed by cement or otherwise to
such vessel a, and in an air-tight manner; c is a short cylinder affixed on the
cover by a screw or otherwise. On the lower part of this cylinder c is a
cover or bottom, and there is an air-way passing from the top downwards
through the side, and entering into the cylinder c. The object of having the
air-way in an indirect way into the cylinder is in the event of the inkstand
On the inside
being turned over, that the ink may not get into the cylinder c.
of the cylinder c there is a piston, which is well packed or fitted, in order to its
moving air-tight in the cylinder, such piston being worked by a screw d;
working through the cover e of the cylinder c. It will therefore be seen that
the rising or lowering of the piston will influence the air in the vessel a, for it
will be evident that the air contained in the cylinder c, when the piston is
forced downwards, will be forced into the vessel a, and will drive out a quantity
of ink therefrom into the inkholder f for use; and in the withdrawing of the

page_text: piston to the upper part of the cylinder c, the pressure of the atmosphere acting
on the ink in the holder f will force back the ink into the vessel a, and any
deficiency of quantity of the ink from what previously existed in the vessel a
will be compensated for by an equal quantity of air passing in through the
inkholder and to the upper part of the vessel a; and I would call particular
attention to this circumstance, because it distinguishes inkstands or inkholders
made according to my Invention from those previously in use, wherein a
plunger or such like instrument has been used to force ink out of a vessel con-
taining ink into an inkholder, such inkstands acting on the principle of forcing
ink out by means of displacing it by a substance which is in contact with the
ink, and are therefore liable to get quickly out of order; whereas inkstands or
inkholders made according to my Invention, the ink is forced into the ink-
holder by the pressure of air, which is forced into the vessel a, displacing a
like quantity of ink from that vessel, and therefore there is a quantity of air
above the surface of the ink and the instrument by which the air is forced or
blown into the vessel a, in order to press out the ink therefrom.
And I would remark, that although I have shewn the air pump or apparatus
for forcing air into the vessel a, to be at the upper part of the inkstand or ink-
holder, yet it may be placed in any convenient position. The top of the ink-
holder f is above the level at which the ink can at any time stand in the vessel.
a, consequently, in case of any derangement of the air pump or blowing appa-
ratus, which would allow of a flow of air into the upper part of the vessel a, the
ink cannot flow away therefrom, which is a fault possessed by some constructions
of inkstands, wherein the ink is retained within the inkstand or vessel by the pres-
sure of the atmosphere brought into action by withdrawing a plunger acting on
or in the ink. g is a tube affixed to and descending from the lower part of the
inkholder f; this tube descends to nearly the bottom of the vessel a, and there
is a portion of fine woven silver wire cloth or other suitable material covering
the lower end of the pipe or tube g, which acts as a strainer and prevents any
thick ink passing up to the inkholder. The inkholder f is affixed to a circular
plate or cap, having a screw by which it is screwed over the opening formed in
the cover 6 of the vessel a in an air-tight manner, and it is by removing this
cap that ink may be supplied to the vessel a; or there may be a separate
opening, having an air-tight covering or cork, at which ink may be supplied to
the vessel a, and it will be evident that whatever be the position of the ink in
the vessel a, so long as it is above the lower end of the tube g on screwing
down the piston in the cylinder c, there will be a quantity of ink forced into
the inkholder f; and, as above stated, on withdrawing the piston upwards,

page_text: whatever quantity of ink has been used or removed from the inkholder will be
compensated for by a like quantity of air passing into the vessel a through the
inkholder; and it will be evident that my Invention simply acts by pneumatic
pressure on the ink, caused by a piston working in a cylinder superadded to
the vessel a ; and it is important to remark, that when the inkholder f does not
contain ink, the inkstand may be turned over and no ink will flow from the
vessel a so long as the air pump or blowing apparatus remains inoperative.
I would remark, that although I have shown the air pump or blowing
apparatus to consist of a cylinder c and piston, and I prefer that arrange-
ment, I do not confine myself thereto, as it will be evident that other
arrangements of apparatus may be employed to force air into the vessel a, in
order to displace the ink therefrom when a supply is desired to the ink-
holder f.
Figure 2 shows the section of another arrangement of inkstand constructed
according to my Invention, differing in some respects from that above described;
the parts are marked with the same letters of reference, and the description
above given will for the most part apply to this arrangement, and it will only
be necessary to remark, that in place of the tube g passing through the cover of
the vessel a, it passes out from the bottom thereof, and as the inkholder at the
upper part thereof, as shewn, and, further, the bottom of the cylinder c opens
into the vessel a, consequently, if this inkstand be turned upside down, the ink
would come in contact with the piston, and if any portion dried thereon
might impede its action. This arrangement I do not therefore consider so
suitable for being moved from place to place, where there is a liability of its being
carried the wrong way upwards, but for all purposes where it is not liable to be
turned and carried in different positions, it will be found equally suitable with
the one first described.
Having thus described the first part of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe the second part of my Invention, which relates to means of fastening
letters and other documents. This part of the Invention consists of a mode
of applying thin plates or bands of metal, fastened by sealing wax or other
proper means of fastening letters and documents.
Figures 3 and 4 show the front and back side of a note fastened by a thin
plate of metal, the ends of which having been passed through the note are
fastened to the paper at the back by sealing wax. The plate or band may be
of any suitable metal; I prefer very thin brass, gilt or silvered; but do not
confine myself thereto.
Figure 5 shows the metallic plate or band separately in plan and edge view,

page_text: bent to enter the perforations made through the note or other documents.
I make the plates or bands by means of a fly press, and I form the dies for
stamping according to the device persons may desire, such as a coat of arms,
a crest, or other design, according to taste, which is impressed on the shield or
enlarged part of the band or plate.
Figure 6 shows the instrument -for perforating the note, letter, or other
document desired to be fastened. This instrument has two cutting edges, as is
shown in the Drawing; the note, letter, or other document being folded, two
holes are made through the several folds by the instrument Figure 6, and the
ends of the metallic band are passed through those holes, and the ends are
folded down and fastened by means of a seal formed by sealing wax, as is
shown, or the same may be fastened by a portion of paper and a wafer, or
other proper means, on which may be pressed a seal, as in the ordinary manner
of sealing or fastening a letter.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as my
Invention is,
First, the mode of displacing ink in inkstands by means of the pressure of
air forced into the vessel a, and filling up the spaces previously occupied with
ink by air passing to the upper part of the vessel a, as above described.
Secondly, I claim the application of the inkholder fabove the level of the
ink in the vessel a of such inkstands as depend in the pressure of the atmo-
sphere for returning the ink back to the vessel a (or such like ink vessel),
whereby, in the event of any imperfection or derangement of the apparatus for
pressing out the ink, the ink will not be allowed to flow away, as above
described.
Thirdly, I claim the application of a strainer or filter in the passage or way
between the vessel a and the inkholder.
And, fourthly, I claim the means and apparatus for fastening letters, notes,
and other documents, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Barnabas Daft, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-nine.
THOMAS BARNABAS (L.s.) DAFT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1839, the aforesaid Thomas Barnabas Daft came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the First day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.