US2484154A

US2484154A - Illuminated fountain pen

Info

Publication number: US2484154A
Application number: US668859A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Devine
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-05-10
Filing date: 1946-05-10
Publication date: 1949-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1966-10-11

Description

J J DEVINE ILLUMINATED FOUNTAIN PEN Filed May l0, 1946 mm, mn wm wm vw m i... If k v //M\I:N Il

l T. H v M V r M V e ,w 40, m D 4.x M 2 mWWIIMHIIIIMHMM J n M d Patented` Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED FOUNTAIN PEN John J. Devine, Middletown, Conn.

Application May 10, 1946, Serial No. 668,859

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to fountain pens and is more particularly directed to a means for providing illumination during writing.

An object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated fountain pen in which a circuit to a lamp carried by the pen is closed when a battery mounted in one end of the barrel of said pen is moved rearwardly in said barrel.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated fountain pen in which a spring forming one element of the switch is in contact with the inner electrode of a battery housed in one end of a metal barrel of the pen, a second element of said switch being adjacent the spring and in conductive relation with a filament of a lamp adjacent the pen point, the metal barrel being in conductive relation between the other electrode of the battery and said filament, said spring being so arranged that when the battery is moved rearwardly in said barrel, it will move into engagement with the second mentioned elementof the switch and close the circuit to the lamp.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated fountain pen having an electric lamp surrounding the support for the pen point, said pen including a metal barrel housing a battery at one end and the pen structure at the other end, a curved spring forming one element of a switch being normally compressed by the inner electrode of the battery and maintained out of contact with a second switch element which is connected with the filament of said lamp, the barrel being in conductive relation between the other electrode of the battery and said lament, rearward movement of the battery permitting the curved spring to contact both the inner electrode of the battery and the second switch element for closing the circuit to the filament.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a pen constructed according to the principles of my invention;

(Cl. 24U-6.46)

Figure 5 .is a transverse vertical section taken Figure 2 is a side view in elevation of an elec Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a -switch element removed from the barrel of the pen, and

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 'I-l of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional View illustrating the connection between the ink sack and ink conveying tube.

Referring more particularly` to the drawings, Il) designates a metal barrel forming a housing for the various elements of the pen structure. .A cap II is threaded onto the rear end of the barrel and maintains a battery I2 in a predetermined position. The other end of said barrel carries the pen structure.

An electric lamp I3 is circular and surrounds a cylinder It within which there is a hard rubber tube I4', a compressible sack I6 being secured at one end. The opposite end of the tube It' is slightly tapered permitting expansion under insertion of a plug body of the pen I5. Ink is stored in the sack and is fed through the tube M to the point. An opening Il in the barrel I@ permits the insertion of an instrument for compressing said sack for causing refilling of the sack.

A collar I8 is located adjacent the inner end of the barrel. Notches I9 on the collar receive lugs 2li projecting from the barrel. A base 2l of the lamp I3 has a threaded sleeve 22 screwed into the barrel and secures the collar in place against the lugs ZB.

The lamp I3 embracing the tube It forms substantially a closure for the inner end of the barrel Ill. A filament 25 of said lamp is connected to the battery I2 by a wire 26 (Figure 5), the threaded sleeve 22 and the metal barrel I0.

A disk 21 mounted in the collar I 8 has a central opening 28 to receive and support the tube I fi of the pen structure. A slot 29 permits the insertion of a contact tongue so as to have operative engagement with a contact of the lamp I3.

A switch for controlling the circuit to the lamp I3 includes a curved compressible spring 30 which has one end secured to the inner Wall of the barrel I Il by plastic rivets 3|. A strip 32 of insulating material is disposed between said spring end and the barrel. The free end 33 of said spring is in fiat contact with the inner pole 34 of the battery I2 at all times. A curved portion 35 between the ends of the spring is compressed to the greatest degree when the cap I I is screwed fully inward on the barrel I0.

A switch element 36 extends laterally from a bar 31 formed of conductive material. The bar is spaced from the inner wall of the barrel I by an insulating strip 38 but is secured to said wall by plastic rivets 39. The bar is bent inwardly as at 40, and has a tongue 4I slightly roughened to engage a contact 42 projecting from the inner end of the base 2| of the lamp I3 when said lamp is screwed into positive position at the inner end of the barrel I0.

The parts of the pen are shown in position in Figure 1, for writing but the bulb I3 is not illuminated. When the cap II is partially unscrewed to the dotted line position the spring `3l) will move the battery rearwardly towards the `partially unscrewed cap and will assume the dotted line position so that said spring will contact the switch element 36 and close the circuit lto the lamp. It must be borne in mind that the `free end 33 of the spring will always remain in contact with the pole 34 of the battery I2.

The circuit is closed through the bar 31, the contact 42, the lament 25, wire 26, sleeve 22, the barrel I0 and the kcasing of the battery which is in contact with said barrel.

When the cap is screwed completely on the barrel the portion 35 of the spring 30 will be moved away from the contact 36 for opening the circuit to the lamp.

Although a preferred and practicable embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, it is to be understood that various modications may be made within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In an illuminated fountain pen, a barrel having a threaded end, the other end mounting an electric bulb adjacent the pen point, a battery within the barrel, a cap engaged on the threaded end of the barrel and maintaining the battery in a pre-determined position, a circuit including the battery, bulb and barrel, a spring forming a switch element mounted in the barrel and having a laterally disposed bight provided with a free end disposed centrally ofthe barrel for engaging and pressing upon a. centrally disposed contact of the battery, a second switch element 1 carried in the barrel and insulated therefrom positioned rearwardly of and in the path of movement of the bight of the rst mentioned switch element, said second switch element being electrically connected to said bulb whereby a partial unthreading of said cap permits the spring to move the battery rearwardly to engage the irst and second named switch elements.

JOHN J. DEVINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Quaglia Jan. 8, 1935