IMPROVEMENTS IN PENHOLDERS AND PENS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Isaac Jacobs, of the City of New York in the
United States of America, but at present residing at Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Merchant, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Jacobs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th November 1870.
I, ISAAC JACOBS, of the City of New York, in the United States of
America, but at present residing at Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
" IMPROVEMENTS IN PENHOLDERS AND PENS," to be as follows :-
for
My improvements in penholders have for their object the production
of a voltaic or electric current in the fingers of a writer when holding
the pen holder, which voltaic or electric current gives great steadiness
to the hand of a nervous person using the penholder.

page_text: In constructing penholders according to my Invention I make the
metallic or barrel part of the penholder of two concentric tubes, the
inner one being of zinc and the outer one of copper, silver, or other
metal or alloy, which will form a voltaic couple with zinc. The inner
or zinc tube is longer than the outer or copper tube the protuding part
of the zinc tube being half cut away and consequently semitubular in
figure. The outer or copper tube has a series of elliptical or other
shaped perforations in it of a size about equal to the area of the portion
of the holder gripped by the fingers and thumb respectively, the said
perforations being so disposed that in whatever position the penholder
is held by the writer, either the first or second finger or thumb or more
than one of them being presented to one or more of the said perforations
come in contact with the zinc, as well as the copper. The moisture of
the skin is sufficient under the circumstance described to set up a gentle
voltaic or electric current, which gives steadiness to the hand of a
nervous person using the penholder. The contact. of a metallic pen
with the two metals of the penholder would interfere with their voltaic
action, and hence it is necessary to avoid the connecting of the pen with
the holder by the insertion of the heel part of the pen between the zinc
and copper tubes of the holder, and my improvement in pens consists
in forming the forming the said heel part much wider than usual, and
doubling or folding its edges so as to enable the said edges to clip the
semitubular protruding part of the zinc tube, herein-before described of
the holder.
An ordinary quill pen with a portion of the quill left to form a barrel
may be used with a nenholder constmunted annording to me Intention
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Jacobs in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st March 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC :
JACOBS, of the City of New York, in the United States of America, but
at present residing at Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchant,
send greeting..
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year

page_text: .
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Jacobs, Her special licence
that I, the said Isaac Jacobs, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Isaac Jacobs, my exccutors,. 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 PENHOLDERS AND
PENS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I the said Isaac Jacobs,
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 calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Jacobs, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say) :—
My improvements in penholders have for their object the production
of a voltaic or electric current in the fingers of a writer when holding
the penholder, which voltaic or clectric current gives great steadiness
to the hand of a nervous person using the penholder..
In constructing penholders according to my Invention I make the
metallic or barrel part of the penholder of two concentric tubes, the
inner one being of zinc and the outer one of copper, silver, or other
metal or alloy, which will form a voltaic couple with zinc. The inner
or zinc tube is longer than the outer or copper tube, the protruding part
of the zinc tube being half cut away and consequently semi-tubular in
figure. The outer or copper tube has a series of elliptical or other
shaped perforations in it, of a size about equal to the area of the portion
of the holder gripped by the fingers and thumb respectively, the said
perforations being so disposed that in whatever position the penholder
is held by the writer, either the first or second finger or thumb or more
than one of them being presented to one or more of the said perforations
come in contact with the zinc as well as the copper. The moisture of

page_text: the skin is sufficient under the circumstance described to set up a gentle
voltaic or electric current which gives steadiness to the hand of a
nervous person using the penholder. The contact of a metallic pen with
the two metals of the penholder would interfere with their voltaic
action, and hence it is necessary to avoid the connecting of the pen 5
with the holder by the insertion of the heel part of the pen between the
zinc and copper tubes of the holder, and my improvement in pens
consists in forming the said heel part much wider than usual and
doubling or folding its edges so as to enable the said edges to clip the
semi-tubular protruding part of the zinc tube herein-before described of 1
the holder.
An ordinary quill pen with a portion of the quill left to form a
barrel may be used with a penholder constructed according to my
Invention.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe 1
with reference to the accompanying Drawing the manner in which the
same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figure 2 in longitudinal
section a penholder made according to my Invention; Figures 3 and 4
represent the two tubes of which the barrel part of the penholder is 2
composed.
Figure 5 represents a pen made according to my Invention in com-
bination with my improved penholder; Figure 6 represents the pen
separately; and Figure 7 represents the blank from which the pen is
made. The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in each 2
Figure of the Drawing.
The metallic or barrel part of the penholder is made of two concentric
tubes a, b, the inner tube a being of zinc, and the outer tube 6 of copper
or other metal or alloy which will form a voltaic couple with zinc. The
two tubes a, b, of the compound holder are secured together by the 3
indentations at c or they may be secured together in any other convenient
way. The inner zinc tube a is longer than the outer copper tube b, the
protruding end marked a² of the said zinc tube a being of a semi-tubular
figure. In the outer copper tube 6 is a series of elliptical perforations d, d,
by means of which perforations when the holder is gripped for writing
either the first or second finger or thumb or more than one of them come
in contact with the two metals of the compound penholder a, b. The

page_text: Dut I claim as my LYCHRON
Firstly. Making the metallic or barrel part of penholders of two con-
centric tubes, one of the said tubes being of zinc and the other tube of
copper or other metal or alloy, which will form a voltaic couple with zinc,
and perforating the outer tube of the compound penholder for permitting
when the said penholder is gripped for writing the fingers and thumb or
one or more of them to come in contact with the two metals of which
the compound penholder is composed, for the purpose and substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.

page_text: Secondly. Making the heel part of pens semi-tubular for the pur-
pose, and substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Jacobs, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sevententh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
Witness,
CHARLES DENNIS SMITH,
153, Fleet Street,
London.
ISAAC. JACOBS. (L.S.).