US2170242A - Fountain pen - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 2z, 1939. B, w, HANLE 2,170,242

FOUNTAIN" PEN Filed March 11, 1958 nNvEN-roR Eef/amm, llfazz:

MMM g ATTO RN EYS Patented Aug. 22, 1939 l A A UNITED STATES'l PATENT UFFICI?.`

FOUNTAIN PEN Benjamin W. Hanle, Elizabeth, N. '.I., assigner to Eagle Pencil Company, a' corporation of Delaware f Application March 11, 1938, Serial No. 195,296

3 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-42) The present invention is concerned with foun- At the forward end, the ink reservoir I4 has a tain pens, and more especially with fountain pens neck section 20 of hard rubber or the like, with an of the vacuum type. accurately reamed axial hole 2|, which friction- An object of the invention is to provide a founvally accommodates the feed section 22, and the 5 tain pen of the type referred to, which combines nib II. The upper end 24 of the axial hole 2l is simplicity, durability and low cost of manufacenlarged in diameter to snugly accommodate the ture, with effective operation in use, and which is lower end of the tube I5, and to form an annular not subject to flooding as a result of expansion seat 25 for the lower end of said tube. The tube of the air in the pen barrel, due to heat transmit- I5 is secured and sealed to the section 20 by ceted from the hand in use. ment or the like. An air vent tube 21 extends 10 A feature of the invention is a self-contained axially in the feed section 22, with its upper end unit, which includes the ink reservoir, the neck extending into the bulb chamber, and communisection, the feed section and the nib, and which is eating at its lower end through a transverse pasreadily mountable into or dismountable from a sage 28 in the feed section 22, with feed duct 30 pen barrel, affording a heat insulating air jacket longitudinally therealong. 15 about the ink reservoir. The ink reservoir I4 with its bulb I6, section Various other objects, features and advantages 20, feed section`22 and nib Il, form a self conof the invention will be apparent from the foltained unit, which can be easily mounted in or lowing particular description, and from an indismounted from the barrel I0 as such, and

spection of the accompanying drawing, in which which is retained in said barrelby the frictional 20 Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal, cross-section, engagement of the lower end of said barrel with showing the invention on an enlarged scale, apa reduced neck 29 of said section 20. The ink plied to one desirable form of fountain pen, with reservoir I4 is of smaller external diameter than the collapsible portion of the ink reservoir in the internal diameter of the barrel IIL-and when fully inflated condition, mounted in the operative position shown in Fig. 25

F18. 2 1S 8- fraementary view in longitudinal l, affords a cylindrical air space 3| between said crossl-section of the upper end of the `fountain barrel and said ink reservoir, which acts asaheat pen, but showing the cap removed, and the colinsulator, especially desirable in a vacuum pen lapsible portion of the 'ink reservoir in collapsed of the type shown, in which the space left in the 30 position during ink` filling operation, ink reservoir by the exhausted ink is replaced 30 Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views with air admitted through the air vent tube 21. taken respectively on linesy33, 4 4, and 5-5 The barrel Ill is desirably provided with a series of Fig. 1, and h of holes 32, designed to prevent the pressure of y Fig. 6 is a perspective of the lever for collapsing the air in said barrel from rising and causing the flexible portion of the ink reservoir. flooding.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a foun- The upper end of the barrel I0 carries a lever tainv pen of conventional external appearance, 35, which serves to collapse the bulb I6 in filling. which has av removable cap (not shown), adapted For that purpose the rear open end of the barrel in closed position of the lpen to be screwed upon I0 has press-fitted or otherwise firmly secured 4 0 the threaded portion I3 of the barrel III. In the therein a plug 36, having ari-upwardly extending 40' interiork of the barrelv I0 is an ink reservoir I4, nipple 31, provided with an external thread. 38 comprising a cylindrical tube I5, desirably of for receiving a cap 39. Nipple 31 is provided withA A rigid transparent material such as glass or Cellual central elongated slot 40, extending the full loid, and a flexible bulb I8, advantageously in the length thereof for receiving the lever 35. This form of a', rubber nipple, slipped tightly over the lever 35 is desirably made from a flat strip ofl 45 upper end of said tube. and firmly cemented in metal, stamped to form a substantially flattened sealing relation thereto. Desirably 'embracing bulb-engaging arm ll of single thickness at its 4 this tube I5 at the lower end of the nipple I6, lower forward end, and a reversely bent rear arm and cemented to said tube and said nipple is a l2, forming a rigid bar shank of substantially 5 ring I8 of hard rubber or the like, having anexrectangular cross-section extending in the slot 40. 50 ternal diameter slightly smaller than the inter- The lever 35 is pivotally supported on the plug 36 nal diameter of the barrel I0, and serving to cenby a pivot pin 43, desirably press-fitted through; ter the upper section-of the ink reservoir Il with diametrically aligned holes 44 in nipple 31, and respect to said barrel, and toprevent the reserpassing loosely through the shank 42 of said voir I4 from tilting withvrespect to the barrel I0. lever. The upper end of this shank 42 extendsv 5( upwardly beyond nipple 31, and desirably has frictionally secured thereto a button 45, serving as a thumb piece in the operation of said lever, and provided with a curved thumb engaging face 46.

The bulb engaging arm 4I of the lever 35 is offset at 41, so that said arm in. the inflated position of the bulb I6, will conform generally with the contour of said bulb as shown in Fig. 1, and will effect the complete collapse of the upper portion of said bulb in the bulb collapsing position shown in Fig. 2. The lower end 48 of the bulb engaging arm is desirably turned outwardly, so that it will not dig into the bulb I6 and injure it during bulb collapsing operation. The inherent resiliency of the bulb I6 will serve to maintain the lever 35 in the inoperative position shown in Fig. 1, withoutthe usual expedients of springs or the like, and will serve to return said lever to this position after it is manually released, following the bulb collapsing operation shown in Fig. 2. 1

The upper end of the lever 35 when not in use is enclosed in the cap 39, .threaded on to nipple 31, and having an outer surface continuous with the outer surface of the barrel I0.

The unit comprising the reservoir I4, with its bulb I6, section 20, feed section 22, and nib II, may be easily removed from the barrel I for cleaning and repairing purposes, and the unit when thus removed lends itself to internal washing as easily as does the conventional eye dropper, the result of said washing being made apparent through the transparent reservoir I5.

'Ihe bulb collapsing-means, consisting of a simple lever, is not apt to get out of order, as is the more conventional and expensive presser bar and leaf spring assemblage. This lever is rendered easily accessiblefor filling operations by the mere removal of the cap 39, so-that this iilling can be accomplished without the necessity of removing the barrel I0. y

'I'he rigid reservoir section I5 surrounding the vent tube 21, protects said tube against damage, especially during bulb collapsing operations shown in Fig. 2,*and the lever section 4I is sufliciently short so as not to interfere with said vent tube.

By means of the present construction, the air space 3| serves to effectively prevent the transmission of body heat from the pen holding hand to the reservoir I4, so that the air in said reservoir is not expanded to flood the pen, after a comparatively long writing period, even when l this reservoir is almost empty.

The apertures 32 are so arranged and distributed on the barrel I0, that they will not all be covered at the same time by the pen holding hand, so that the pressure in said barrel will not be permitted'to build up by the heat of said hand sufciently to collapse the bulb I6, and fiood the pen, but will be released through said apertures.

'I'he spacing of the ink reservoir I4 from the outer barrel lpserves also to protect said reservoir against possible damage.

As many changes could be made in the above article, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made Without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A heat insulated fountain pen comprising a section having a feed therein, a pair of concentric air spaced tubes mounted coaxially of said section and rigidly afiixed thereto, the inner of said tubes constituting an ink reservoir and the outer one the barrel of the pen, a short rubber nipple closing the upper end of the reservoir, rigid means closing said barrel and enclosing said nipple, said barrel having one or more vent apertures therein. I

2. A fountain pen of the vacuum type including a section, carrying a feed and a nib, an ink reservoir tube fitted in a corresponding groove in the end of said section, a short rubber nipple encircling the upper end of said reservoir tube and adapted for cooperation with a lling means, and an outer barrel extending about said reservoir tube and peripherally spaced therefrom, said outer barrel having one or more venting apertures.

3. A fountain pen of the vacuum type including a section carrying a feed and a nib, an ink reservoir tube fitted in a corresponding groove in the end oi.' said section, a short rubber nipple encircling the upper endl of said reservoir tube and adapted for cooperation with a filling means, and an outer barrel extending about said reservoir tube and peripherally spaced therefrom and a ring of rigid material encircling said reservoir tube and located adjacent said nipple and serving to center the upper section of the reservoir tube with respect to the barrel, said barrel having one or more Vents.

BENJAMIN W. HANLE.

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