Improvements in Fountain Pens.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1898-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fountain Pens.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (which has been
communicated to me from abroad by The Eagle Pencil Company, of 377 and 379,
Broadway, City, County, and State of New York, in the United States of America)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The invention relates to fountain pens and has particular reference to a device by
which the ink is conducted from the reservoir to the pen. The device consists of a
plug composed essentially of a longitudinally slotted tube, and a tongue-like
partition inserted in the said tube which partition enters and fits the slot in the tube
and also fills the major portion of the interior of the tube, leaving only small channels,
on each side of the tongue for the passage of ink from, and air to the ink reservoir.
The plug is intended to fit in the front end of the penholder or handle, and the pen
is inserted and held between the handle or holder and the plug, with the front end
of the tongue extending under the writing point of the pen.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal central section of the
complete pen, with the feed plug partly in elevation.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the plug shown in Figure 1, detached.
Figure 3 is a rear end view of the same.
Figure 4 is a cross section on line 4-4 Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of feed plug.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal axial section and Figure 7 is a cross section of the same
on line 7-7 Figure 6.
Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of the two parts of this plug detached from
one another.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of another modified form of plug.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal axial section and
Figure 12 is a cross section of the same on line 12-12 Figure 11.
Figures 13 and 14 are perspective views of the two parts of the plug detached from
one another.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
The penholder A with which the present invention is shewn combined, is that con-
stituting the subject matter of British Letters Patent dated February 22nd 1898
No. 4380 but the invention is of course equally applicable to other fountain pen-
holders or pen handles.
B is the front end of the handle in which the feed plug is inserted, the pen P being
held between the plug and the handle.
The plug consists of the combined tube C and the tongue D both of which are pre-
ferably made of hard rubber.
The tube C, is longitudinally slotted as at a and the tongue D is inserted and fitted
into the tube, through this slot. That portion of the tongue which is situated within
the tube C, is of a shape substantially rectangular in cross section having parallel
sides and top and bottom edges which are slightly curved or rounded transversely so
[Price 8d.]

page_text: as to conform to the curve of the tube. When the tongue is in position in the tube
its outer longitudinal edge is flush with and forms a continuation of the periphery
of the tube, closes the slot a and forms a partition in the interior of the tube with
two narrow spaces or small channels bc one on each side of the tongue, through
which ink and air can pass from and to the ink reservoir in the handle. One of these
channels the channel b which is designed to conduct ink from the reservoir to the
pen P is of smaller size, than the air channel c, the tongue being formed propor-
tioned and arranged so as to secure this difference in the size of the two channels.
If desired a notch as shown at d in the top edge of the tongue can be provided to
communicate with the channels bc although this is not indispensable. The front
end of the tongue which projects beyond the tube and lies under the writing point
of the pen, is tapered from the underside to a point to which the ink supplied
through the ink channel in the plug flows.
The form of feed plug shown in Figures 5-9 inclusive, does not materially differ
from that shown in Figures 1-4 inclusive, except that instead of forming in the
tube Ca slot which extends throughout the length of the tube, in this modifica-
tion the slot. a¹ extends only part way of the length of the tube from the front end
towards the rear, leaving at the rear of the tube, a solid or uncut portion a². In
this modified construction the heel or rear end of the tongue is cut away as shown
at a³, so that when the tongue is in place in the tube this cutaway portion a³, of the
tongue will pass under the uncut portion a² of the tube, which forms a shoulder
against which the projecting portion on the upper edge of the tongue is in contact.
In this way the tongue is held more securely in place against accidental displace-
ment, while at the same time it can readily be removed from the tube for cleansing
purposes. It is preferred to form in the under edge of the tongue a cross cut or
channel k, to aid in the feeding action, and to make the tongue more yielding. The
depth of the cut or channel preferably should not exceed half the width of the
tongue. A similar cut or channel can be provided in the tongue shown in
Figures 1-4 if desired.
The form of feed plug shewn in Figures 10-14 differs from that shown in
Figures 5-9; in this modification that portion of the tongue which is within the
tube, is of the full size of the inside of the tube, and the channels b c are cut or
formed in the sides of the tongue itself. This form of tongue has the advantage of
presenting a broader surface to the underside of the writing point of the pen.
The notches d¹ d₁ which in this modification are formed in the tongue, answer
the same purpose as the notch d in the form of plug represented in Figures 1-4.
A feed plug of the kind herein before described offers the great advantage that
its parts can be readily put together and taken apart, and can be cleansed with
the utmost facility, is exceedingly simple and can be made at small cost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An ink duct or feeder for fountain pens comprising a longitudinally slotted
tube and a feed tongue filling said slot and forming a longitudinal partition in said
tube substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
'2. An iuk duct or feeder for fountain pens composed of a longitudinally slotted
tube and a partition-like feed tongue filling the said slot and inserted in said
tube, and dividing the interior of the latter longitudinally into a small channel b
and a relatively larger channel c, substantially as and for the purposes herein before
described.
3. An ink duct or feeder for fountain pens composed of a longitudinally slotted
tube and a partition-like feed-tongue filling said slot, and inserted in the said tube,
and having in its under edge a cross cut or channel k, substantially as and for the
purposes herein before described.
4. An ink duct or feeder for fountain pens composed of a tube longitudinally
slotted from its front end for a portion of its length, and à partition-like feed tongue

page_text: inserted in the said tube filling the said slot, and having a notched or cutaway rear
end which passes beneath the uncut portion of the tube to the rear of the slot
therein, substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this 18th day of July 1898.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.