IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walker Moseley, of 17 and 18, New Street, Covent
Garden, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FOUNTAIN PENS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1860, and dated the 26th November 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walker Moseley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1859.
I, WALKER MOSELEY, of 17 and 18, New Street, Covent Garden, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS," to be as follows:-
The objects of this Invention are to regulate the supply of ink in fountain
pens, to increase the quantity held in the pen, and to prevent blotting when
writing with them, and are effected in the following manner:-Within the
lower part of the tube holding the ink (and securely attached thereto) is
placed a cylindrical piece of hard india-rubber, wood, ivory, or other suitable
hard substance, having a small round aperture formed through the centre
thereof lengthwise. Within this aperture are formed two small grooves or
channels, one opposite the other, in which slides a flat piece of hard substance,
the lower end of which is provided with a conical shaped piece, and at the
extreme end a curved tongue-shaped piece, the tip of which is in close
proximity to the nib or pen, so that when the elastic tube now in use is

page_text: depressed by the finger, the ink flows steadily down the circular aperture
before mentioned around the flat substance into the pen, and is prevented
escaping on to the paper by means of the tongue. The tongue can be raised
or lowered by the finger nail so as to push the conical-shaped piece into or out
of the aperture, and so regulate the supply of ink.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Walker Moseley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th May 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALKER
MOSELEY, of 17 and 18, New Street, Covent Garden, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
⚫ WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Walker Moseley, Her special licence that I, the said Walker
Moseley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Walker Moseley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FOUNTAIN PENS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Walker Moseley, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calender months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walker Moseley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
The objects of this Invention are to regulate the supply of ink in fountain
pens, to increase the quantity held in the pen, and to prevent blotting when
writing with them; I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the

page_text: marked thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side view of one of my improved penholders as it would appear
when ready for use; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same having side pieces or
lips.to extend over the back of the pen; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of Fig. 2,
and Fig. 4 an end view of the holder, taken through the line A, B, at Fig. 3.
Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts, where such parts appear
at each of the figures respectively.
Within the lower part of the tube a, which holds the ink receiver b, Fig. 3,
and securely attached thereto is placed a cylindrical piece of hard india rubber
(vulcanite) wood, ivory, or other suitable hard substance c, with an opening
formed around its outer edge for the reception of the pen or nib; this piece is
perforated in its centre lengthwise with a round hole, said hole having a groove
or channel cut on each side for a flat piece of hard substance d to travel in
backward and forward; this travelling piece d is provided at its lower extremity
with a conical-shaped and tongue-shaped piece, as at Fig. 3, the tongue itself
being in close proximity to the pen or nib, as at Fig. 1, or the tongue may be
formed at its tip with two side pieces or lips e, Figs. 3 and 4, for the purpose
of supplying the back of the nib with ink, so that upon taking up the pen after
its being out of use for a time, it will instantly mark. To the upper end of
the piece of material c is secured the ink receiver b, the same being made of
soft india-rubber, its upper end being attached to a screw f, on the head of
which is placed the cap g to lengthen the holder, but when out of use is slipped
over the pen as shewn in dotted lines at Fig. 3. To fill this penholder with
ink it is merely necessary to turn the screw head f a few times to the left hand,
the soft india-rubber tube or receiver 6 becomes twisted and forces the air out,
(see Fig. 3), the travelling piece d is then drawn down slightly with the finger
or thumb nail sufficient only to allow the ink to pass freely through the conical
opening in the piece c, when, by turning the screw the reverse way to release
the receiver, and dipping the end of the holder into an ink bottle or stand at
the same time, the india-rubber on resuming its former tubular shape will
draw the ink into its interior, thus replenishing it as often as required. When
about to rise the penholder, the travelling piece d, is to be slightly withdrawn
to allow the ink to pass the cone-shaped piece, and the finger pressed on the
receiver b, through an opening made in the metal case at g', or a kind of
button, as at h, Fig 3, may be used instead.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my said Invention of "Improvements
in Fountain Pens," together with the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not confine myself to the
precise details herein described, as slight variations may be made without at
all departing from the principle of my Invention, but what I claim as my
Invention intended to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters
Patent is the supplying of fountain pens with ink, and regulating that supply
in the manner herein described and shewn by the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings.
In witness whereof I, the said Walker Mosely, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, One thousand eight hun-
dred and sixty.
WALKER MOSELY. (L.S.)
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.