Improvements in Fountain Pens.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fountain Pens.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, 53,
Chancery Lane, London, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me by Byron
F. Marsh (Gentleman), of Eustis, in the County of Lake and State of Florida,
United States of America, and Edgar Llewellyn Ferran (Gentleman), also of
Eustis, aforesaid: -
This invention relates to a fountain pen, in which the feed of ink is regulated
by the air pressure within the reservoir or barrel of the pen; and it involves
certain novel features of construction which will fully appear hereinafter.
The barrel or reservoir of the pen has the pen seat fitted into the open or lower
end thereof, and this pen seat comprises a tapering or otherwise formed outer
portion with a plug joined thereto, the plug being hermetically fitted to the
inner walls of the reservoir and the pen seat has a shoulder which bears against
the end of the reservoir. The pen seat is formed with a cavity producing an ink
reservoir, and an air tube is passed through the pen seat and projects beyond
each end thereof. The inner end of the tube is open to freely admit air into the
reservoir and the outer or lower end is provided with a lateral offset directed
towards the pen point. The tube is open at the bend or offset, and the tube is
formed with an external groove therein, extending throughout the length of the
tube and forming a passage for the ink from the reservoir through the pen seat
to the pen point at the point of the bend. When there is no ink on the pen, the
opening in the tube at the bend is unobstructed, and air may pass through the
tube into the reservoir, thus permitting the ink to gravitate through the groove
to the ink chamber and thence to the pen itself. As the ink flows to the pen it
covers the opening at the bend of the tube, and consequently the tube is ink-
sealed, thus preventing the passage of air through the tube and stopping the feed
of the pen. This condition continues until the ink on the pen and in the chamber
is exhausted, whereupon the opening at the bend is again uncovered and addi-
tional air is admitted to the reservoir, thus permitting further gravity feeding
of the ink.
The pen nib may be of any kind desired. The pen is held in place between
the tapered outer portion of the pen seat and the tube, the shank of the pen
fitting into the ink chamber so that the pen may be readily removed if so desired.
A marking pen or brush may be applied in place of the pen nib, and in this
case the air tube is not directed out through the portion of the pen seat, but ter-
minates within said seat. The air tube fits firmly within the plug of the pen
seat, and thus forms the ink chamber, the ink being fed as before described
through the groove in the tube. When the ink is exhausted, air will be per-
mitted to pass through the tube and thus produce atmospheric pressure in the
reservoir, so that the ink may feed by gravity through the passage. When the
ink is in the chamber it seals the tube and prevents further feed as has been

page_text: explained. If so desired, the reservoir may be made of any suitable flexible
material, so that by flexing the reservoir a positive pressure will be placed upon
the ink and its feed enforced. This arrangement is advantageous when copying ink
is employed, since this ink is necessarily so thick as to render feed by other
means uncertain.
I may also construct the pen with a pen seat and an air tube passed longitu-
dinally through the seat, the passage in the pen seat being sufficiently large to
admit of the air passing therethrough outside of the air tube. The air tube has a
small orifice at its outer end, which when there, is inktin the pen point, is sealed
by this. ink, but which is exposed when the ink on the pen point is exhausted.
Dated this 5th
N
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Fountain Pens.
"
"
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the Firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Patent Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication
to me by Byron F. Marsh (Gentleman), of Eustis, in the County of Lake and
State of Florida, United States of America, and Edgar Llewellyn Ferran (Gentle-
man), also of Eustis aforesaid) and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to a fountain pen in which feed of ink is regulated by
the air pressure within the reservoir or barrel of the pen, and it involves certain
novel features of construction which will fully appear hereinafter.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the invention;
Figure 2 is a similar view showing a marking pen fitted thereto;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the invention, particularly illustrating a flexible
reservoir or barrel;
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;, and
Figure 5 is a view of a modification.
Referring particularly to Figures 1, 3 and 4, the barrel or reservoir 5 or 5ª of
the pen has the pen seat fitted into the open or lower end thereof, and this pen
seat comprises a tapering or otherwise for:ned outer portion 6, with a plug 7
joined thereto, the plug being hermetically engaged with the inner walls of the
reservoir, and the pen seat has a shoulder S, which bears against the end of
the reservoir. The pen seat is formed with a cavity 9 producing an ink reser-
voir, and an air tube 10 is passed through the pen seat and projects beyond each
end thereof. The inner end of the tube 10 is open to freely admit air into the
reservoir 5 or 5ª, and the outer or lower end is provided with a lateral offset 11,
directed toward the pen point 12. The tube 10 is open at the offset 11, and the
tube is formed with an external groove 14 therein, the groove extending through-
out the length of the tube and forming a passage for the ink from the reservoir
or 5 through the pen seat 6 to the pen point 12 at the point of the bend 11.
When there is no ink on the pen 12, the opening in the tube 10. at the bend 11
is unobstructed, and air may pass through the tube 10 into the reservoir, thus per-

page_text: mitting the ink to gravitate through the groove 14 to the ink chamber 9 and
thence to the pen itself. As the ink flows to the pen 12 it covers the opening at
the bend 11 of the tube 10, and consequently the tube is ink-sealed, thus pre-
venting the passage of air through the tube and stopping the feed of the pen.
This condition continues until the ink on the pen 12 and in the chamber 9 is
exhausted, whereupon the opening at the bend 11 is again uncovered and addi-
tional air is admitted to the reservoir, thus permitting further gravity feeding
of the ink.
The pen 12 may be of any sort desired, an ordinary commercial pen being
applicable to the invention. The pen is held in place between the tapered outer
portion of the pen seat and the tube 10, the shank of the pen fitting into the
chamber 9. It will thus be seen that the pen itself may be readily removed and
replaced by any other form of pen, if so desired.
In Figure 2, I have shown a marking pen or brush 15, applied in place of
the pen 12, and when this application is made the tube 10 is not directed out
through the portion 6 of the pen seat, but terminates within the pen seat. The
tube 10 fits firmly within the plug of the pen seat, and thus forms the ink
chamber 9, the ink being fed as before described through the groove 14 in the
tube. When the ink in the chamber 9 is exhausted, air will be permitted to
pass through the tube 10 and thus produce atmospheric pressure in the reser-
voir 5, so that the ink may feed by gravity through the passage 14. When the
ink is in the chamber 9 it seals the tube 10 and prevents further feed as has been
explained. If so desired, the reservoir 5* (see Figure 3) may be made flexible of
any suitable material, so that by flexing the reservoir as indicated by the dotted
lines in Figure 3, a positive pressure will be placed upon the ink, and its feed
enforced. This arrangement is advantageous when copying ink is employed,
since this ink is necessarily so thick as to render feed by other means uncertain.
If desired, the pen may be constructed as shown in Figure 5, in which the pen
seat is of the construction before described, but the air tube 10 is fastened her-
metically on the plug 7 of the pen seat. The ink feed is effected through a by-
pass 14 in the plug 9, and a wedge 16 or the like is employed to hold the pen 12
in position, as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a fountain pen, the tube 10 with its groove 14, for the purpose described.
2. In a fountain pen, the tube 10, in combination with the bypass 14ª in a
plug 7, substantially as described.
Dated th: 301. 1
T
1000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.