US2241852A - Receptacle for fountain pens - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1941. v w. J. GUENTHER RECEPTACLE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS Filed Dec 22, 1939 Patented May 13, 1941 RECEPTACLE FOR FOUNTAIN PENS Walter J. Guenther, Fort Madison, Iowa, assignor to W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company, Fort Madison, Iowa, a corporation of Delaware Application December 22, 1939, Serial No. 310,605

Claims.

This invention relates to a receptacle for a fountain pen and has special reference to a device preferably comprising a base for resting on a desk and a receptacle for holding a fountain pen in a desired position relative thereto for convenience in use and in storage.

More particularly, this invention relates to a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof comprising an open-ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, the seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of the fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of the fountain pen in the lower chamber. An operating head telescopically engages the open end of the socket for movement relative thereto and has an axial opening through which the writing point end of the fountain pen extends, there being means associated with the operating head and actuated thereby to engage behind the shoulder and to urge a positive engagement thereof with the seat upon manual adjustment of the operating head in which the engaging means normally permits free access of. the fountain pen into and out of the socket.

The primary use of the present invention is in the office or other place where the need for a ready pen is frequent and the elimination of the usual cap for a fountain pen, which is either screw threaded or is of a tight fit, affords great convenience and results in a substantial saving of time and effort. It is essential in such a device to provide for the free insertion and removal of the fountain pen during the frequent daily use thereof, although it is desirable at times during substantial periods of inactivity, to prevent the removal of. the fountain pen from its position in the receptacle and to effect a positive seal thereof.

In most desk stands on the market today, the receptacle is hingedly or pivotally mounted and it is just as desirable to lock the fountain pen in an upright position in readiness for use as it is to look the fountain pen in its receptacle when pivoted to a position flat on the base in readiness for storing. It is also desirable to provide a very simple and convenient movement for effecting the locking of the fountain pen in the receptacle and all of these features are desirably accomplished in the present construction.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a receptacle for a desk set of the type indicated above in which a fountain pen is freely insertable into the receptacle to rest by its own Weight on the shoulder therein to effect a substantial seal of the writing point and exposed ink feeding mechanism and is freely removable for use in writing, a manual movement of an operating head preventing the removal of the fountain pen from the receptacle and effecting a positive seal of the chamber housing the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means when desired.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter be more particularly pointed out and, for a more complete understanding of the characteristic features of this invention, reference may now be had to the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fountain pen desk stand incorporating a receptacle embodying the features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the receptacle separated from the base and showing in elevation a portion of fountain pen inserted therein, the holding means for the fountain pen being shown in an operative condition with the fountain. pen locked in the socket;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a changed position of the fountain pen holding means, the holding means allowing the pen to be freely removable from the receptacle; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the holding means for the fountain pen.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a base It) is provided and may be of any material preferably a decorative material such as plate glass, onyx, or the like. The base may be formed into various shapes and of various sizes and of such weight as to lend sumcient stability to support a receptacle l I and fountain pen I2 in any inclined relation thereto.

The receptacle H is formed preferably of a pyroxylin product or of other well-known molding compositions, the socket H being open ended and having a seat 13 intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers. The seat I3, as shown in the drawing, may comprise an annular band of rubber or may be formed of the same material as the receptacle and integrally therewith.

An operating head I4 is disposed at the upper end of the socket ll and has telescopic engagement with the open end thereof for movement relative thereto. Such movement may be either a relatively rotary movement, or movement in the direction of the axes thereof or, as is shown in the drawing, the movement may be both rotary and in the direction of the axes. The operating head is in the form of a collar having a central flared opening l5 through which the Writing point end of the fountain pen extends to seat in the socket.

The upper chamber of the socket H is in- 4 ternally threaded over a portion l6 thereof, the wall of the upper chamber converging from the threaded portion in the direction of the seat l3 to form a taper or cam portion 17. The juncture of the converging wall of the upper chamber with the wall or bore of the lower chamber provides a shoulder against which rests the annular seat or band l3.

A ring I 8, preferably formed of a relatively thin sheet metal, is fixedly secured to the operating head M, the inner bore of the ring being coextensive with the flared opening !5 of I the operating head. The end of the operating head opposite the flared open end is undercut as at l9 to receive in the recess formed thereby the upper'end of the socket H, the ring l8 extending within the bore of the socket. The ring i8 is provided with external threads for engaging the internally threaded portion it of the socket I I whereby, upon manual rotation of the operating head I l, the ring'in its threaded engagement with the threads of the upper chamber of the socket II moves the operating head i and ring in the direction of the axes of the pen holder I2 and the socket ll.

Resilient fingers 2 I, as shown more particularly in Fig, 4, depend from the ring it adjacent the threaded portion 20 thereof within the upper chamber of the socket. These fingers are preferably formed integrally with the ring l8 although, of course, they may be separately formed. Each of the fingers is provided with an enlarged head 22, the outer wall 23 of which is tapered at an inclination corresponding to the tapered such as is shown in Fig. 3, to permit free access of the fountain pen into and out of the socket l i. The co-operating cam means, indicated by the walls H and 23, positively effect adjustment of, the fingers against the resiliency thereof to engage behind a shoulder 24 and urge engagement thereof with' the upper shoulder of the seat l3 uponmanual adjustment of the operating head. As shown in Fig.2, the operating head has been manually rotated to cause movement in the direction of the axis of the operating head [4 and the socket H, the resilient fingers being engaged behind the shoulder 24 at the end of the fountain pen I? to prevent removal of the fountain pen from the socket. The shoulder of the fountain pen is thus positively engaged on the seat l3.

It is desirable to effect a seal of the pen nib 25 and exposed ink feeding mechanism 26 whether or not the fountain pen is actually looked in the receptacle. Without a holding means for urging the end of the fountain pen holder against the seat, it is necessary that the pen, rest by its own weight on the shoulder to effect a sealing of the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means. It is also desirable to have some clearance between the fountain pen holder and exposed feeding means 26.

-to compensate for the tilting of the fountain pen holder out of axial relationship with the socket, the end of the pen holder is preferably provided with a tapered peripheral wall 2'! for engagement with the preferably square shoulder of the annular band l3. In this manner the seal is effective irrespective of the coaxial relation of the fountain pen with the socket within such limits as are prescribed by the opening of the operating head I4.

In the operation of the construction above described, the fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end thereof is inserted through the opening of the operating head i4 and through the opening of the ring and the depending fingers thereof to engage the seat I 3 in order that the lower chamber of the socket be substantially sealed to the atmosphere to provide against drying of the writing fluid in the pen nib 25 and In Fig. 3, the depending fingers 2| are open to permit ready access of the fountain pen into and out of the receptacle, the resiliency of the fingers normally urging the fingers to occupy a predetermined po-v sition permitting such free access. Where the need for a ready pen is frequent, this condition may obtain over a substantial period and the fountain pen rests by its own weight on the shoulder or seat to effect a substantial seal of the writing point.

During substantial periods of inactivity and during the storage of the desk set it is desirable to prevent the removal of the fountain pen or to prevent its becoming accidentally dislodged from the socket. The locking of the fountain pen in position within the socket by movement of the fingers 2| in the direction of the axis of the holder and socket, besides merely preventing removal or accidental dislodgement of the fountain pen from the socket, also effects a positive seal of the pen nib and exposed ink feeding mechanism. Such locking is positive, the fingers being moved in the direction of the seat and radially inwardly against the resiliency thereof by a positive force in the nature of the tapered wall I1. When it is desired to release the fountain pen from its locked condition the operating head i4 is manually rotated and the resiliency of the fingers normally urge the fingers radially outwardly as permitted by the tapered wall ll.

A rotative movement of the operating head manually in one direction locks the fountain pen in position on its seat to effect a positive seal of the writing point and a rotative movement in the other direction of the operating head releases the fountain pen so that it may be removed and replaced freely as desired for writing. It is only necessary that the operating head be rotated but a portion of a complete revolution and it may be desirable,,as is shown in the drawing, to provide a pin 28 at the upper portion of the socket for fixed relation therewith, the pinextendih'g beyond the inner wall of the socket to engage a slot 29 in-the sleeve IS, the slot extending. but a' portion of the distance around the sleeve i8 and being tapered corresponding to the pitch of the threads of the ring 18 and socket portion it.

While but a single embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and, therefore, the same is only to be limited by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, and means associated with said operating head and actuated thereby to engage behind said shoulder and to urge a positive engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head, said means normally permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket.

2. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof with a tapered peripheral wall, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the tapered peripheral wall of said shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends and said seal being effective irrespective of the coaxial relation of said fountain pen with said socket within limits prescribed by the opening of said operating head, and means associated with said operating head and actuated thereby to engage behind said shoulder and to urge a positive engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head, said means normally permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket.

3. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having a radially inwardly extending annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, and downwardly extending resilient fingers associated with said operating head and actuated thereby to engage behind said shoulder and to urge a positive engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head, said fingers normally permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket.

4. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, a ring fixed to said operating head, resilient fingers depending from said ring within said upper chamber, the resiliency of said fingers normally urging said fingers to occupy a predetermined position permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket, and means in said socket cooperating with said operating head for positively effecting adjustment of said fingers against the resiliency thereof to engage behind said shoulder and to urge engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head to prevent removal of said fountain pen from said socket.

5.- In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber and said upper chamber being internally threaded, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, an externally threaded ring fixed to said operating head and having threaded engagement with the internal threads of said upper chamber, resilient fingers depending from said ring, the resiliency of said fingers normally urging said fingers to occupy a predetermined position permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket, and means in said socket cooperating with said operating head for positively effecting adjustment of said fingers against the resiliency thereof to engage behind said shoulder and to urge engagement thereof with said seat upon manual threaded adjustment of said operating head to prevent removal of said fountain pen from said socket.

6. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber with the wall of the upper chamber converging in the direction of said seat, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, depending resilient fingers associated with said shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof,

an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging-the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said 3 fountain pen in said lower chamber, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends. resilient means associated with said operating head, the resiliency of said means normally urging said means to occupy a predetermined position permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket, and

cooperating cam means in the bore of said upper chamber and on said resilient means actuated by movement of said operating head for positively effecting adjustment of said'means against the resiliency thereof, to engage behind said shoulder and to urge engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head to prevent removal of said fountain pen from said socket.

8. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating cham- 1 bers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, depending resilient fingers associated with said operating head the resiliency of said fingers normally urging said fingers to occupy a predetermined position permitting free access of said fountain pen into and out of said socket,

and cooperating cam means on said fingers and on said socket actuated by said operating head for positively effecting adjustment of said fingers against the resiliency thereof to engage behind said shoulder and to urge a positive engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head to prevent removal of said fountain pen from said socket.

9. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the hold er of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountian pen in said lower chamber with the wall of the upper chamber tapering in a direction of said seat, an operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto, said operating head having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, a ring associated with said operating head, resilient fingers depending from said ring within said upper chamber, the resiliency of said fingers normally urging said fingers to occupy a predetermined position permitting free access of said fountain pen into said socket, an enlarged head on each of said fingers, each of said heads having a tapered wall corresponding to the taper of the wall of said upper chamber for engagement therewith for positively effecting adjustment of said fingers against the resiliency thereof to engage behind said shoulder and to urge engagement thereof with said seat upon manual adjustment of said operating head to prevent removal of said fountain pen from said socket.

10. In a receptacle for a fountain pen having a shoulder at the lower end of the holder thereof, an open ended socket having an annular seat in the bore and intermediate the ends thereof providing upper and lower communicating chambers, said seat engaging the shoulder of the holder of said fountain pen to substantially seal the pen nib and exposed ink feeding means of said fountain pen in said lower chamber with the wall of said chamber being tapered from a threaded portion thereof in the direction of said seat, an

operating head telescopically engaging the open end of said socket for movement relative thereto. said operating nead having an axial opening through which the writing point end of said fountain pen extends, an externally threaded ring fixed to said operating head and having threaded engagement with the threads of said upper chamber, resilient fingers depending from said ring within said upper chamber, the resiliency of said fingers normally urging said fingers to occupy a predetermined position permitting free access of said fountain pen into said socket, an enlarged head on each of said fingers, each of said heads having a tapered wall correspondin to the taper of the wall of said upper chamber for engagement therewith for positively effecting adjustment of said fingers against the resiliency thereof to engage behind said shoulder erating head to prevent removal of said fountain pen from said socket.

WALTER J. GUEN'I'HER.

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