US2813512A - Method of improving the life of ballpoint writing instruments - Google Patents

Method of improving the life of ballpoint writing instruments Download PDF

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Publication number
US2813512A
US2813512A US355536A US35553653A US2813512A US 2813512 A US2813512 A US 2813512A US 355536 A US355536 A US 355536A US 35553653 A US35553653 A US 35553653A US 2813512 A US2813512 A US 2813512A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
ball
socket
ink
writing
point
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US355536A
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English (en)
Inventor
Clarence O Schrader
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Paper Mate Manufacturing Co
Original Assignee
Paper Mate Manufacturing Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Paper Mate Manufacturing Co filed Critical Paper Mate Manufacturing Co
Priority to US355536A priority Critical patent/US2813512A/en
Priority to GB31285/57A priority patent/GB828276A/en
Priority to FR1184220D priority patent/FR1184220A/fr
Priority to CH344021D priority patent/CH344021A/fr
Priority to BE561706D priority patent/BE561706A/xx
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2813512A publication Critical patent/US2813512A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B43—WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES
    • B43K—IMPLEMENTS FOR WRITING OR DRAWING
    • B43K1/00—Nibs; Writing-points
    • B43K1/08—Nibs; Writing-points with ball points; Balls or ball beds

Definitions

  • This invention relates to improvements in the construction of ball-pointed writing instruments and is particularly directed to means and methods whereby the writing characteristics and effective life of ball-point pens are improved and prolonged.
  • ball-point writing instruments have been known for many years (see Patents No. 189,304, No. 370,599, No. 853,156, No. 1,046,821, No. 1,179,086, No. 1,426,200, No. 2,192,479, etc.) the commercial manufacture of such pens at the rate of several million per month while maintaining the quality and performance characteristics which the purchasing public requires has presented problems which have not been solved heretofore.
  • This invention is directed to means and methods whereby readily available metals and materials can be utilized in the construction of the pens and whereby commonly employed and inexpensive mechanical operations can be employed in the solution of the problems, thereby permitting the attainment of the desired objectives without greatly disturbing existing manufacturing procedures and without appreciable increase in cost.
  • the present invention provides means and methods whereby the traction between the small ball (which transfers ink or writing fluid from a supply carried in a cartridge to a writing surface) and the writing surface is increased and enhanced so that the ball does not slide or skip upon a calendered or slightly oily surface and thereby fail to write, but instead deposits ink as soon as contact and relative motion is established. Furthermore, it has been discovered that some of the dilficulties encountered heretofore have been due to a galvanic or electrolytic action and resulting corrosion between parts of a writing instrument, which impaired or destroyed the carefully predetermined clearances and required tolerances and affected the rate at which ink was supplied to the ball, its ink-carrying power, its free rotatability, etc. This invention provides means and methods whereby such galvanic action may be inhibited and permits the use of inks which could not be employed heretofore.
  • Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a socket point for use in a ball-point pen.
  • Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a socket point provided with a ball.
  • Fig. 3 is a diagram of fiow chart illustrating operations which may be carried out pursuant to this invention.
  • FIG. 4 is an end view of the socket or cavity of the point illustrated in Fig. 1.
  • a typical ball-retaining socket point for use with writing instruments of the character here contemplated is indicated in Fig. l and generally comprises a relatively long, small diameter shank 10 carried by a larger head 11, said head being adapted for attachment to one end or a cartridge tube 12, in which a supply of writing fluid is contained.
  • Extending axially through the head and shank is an ink supply bore 15 leading to an enlarged socket or recess 16, the outer walls of the shank being tapered as indicated at 17 in order to leave a thin lip around the edge of the socket.
  • the diameter of the recess or socket 16 is adequate to receive the writing ball.
  • the bottom 18 of the socket 16 is generally formed with a series of radial grooves 18'.
  • the socket points are preferably made from a malleable, readily machinable metal or alloy, such as for example, a leaded brass (copper-tin-zinc-lead). lt is necessary to use a readily machinable, free-cutting metal in order to be able to produce the socket points in the very large quantities necessary and still maintain the very close tolerances which must be maintained in view of the minute size of the parts. It is to be remembered that the ball which is seated and rotatably held by the socket point is only 0.039 in. in diameter.
  • socket points of the character illustrated in Fig. l are lightly plated with a metal from the group consisting of nickel, copper, silver, platinum, gold, rhodium, osmium and chromium. A very light film of any one of such metals is applied to the previously machined socket point, the film generally ranging from 0.0001 to 0.001 inch, but not over 0.01 inch in thickness. Any normal or usual plating procedure is employed.
  • a ball 20 is forcibly seated upon the tapered bottom 18 of the recess 16 and the thin edge portion 19 of the wall of the recess is swedged or rolled around the ball, the marginal edge portion of the wall extending slightly beyond a plane passing through the center of the ball 20.
  • a suitable method for swedging and rollably holding the ball 20 within the recess of the socket point in described in U. S. Patent No. 2,498,009. It will be noted that in accordance with the present invention, the malleability of the metal of the socket point is utilized so as to facilitate the seating and swedging operations while the surface plating prevents or inhibits subsequent galvanic, electrolytic, or other corrosion.
  • this surface plating is to provide an ink-contacting surface that has substantially the same potential as the writing ball so that any tendency toward electrolysis or undesirable electrolytic effect is virtually eliminated.
  • the plating since the plating has been applied to the internal surfaces of the socket, a smoother surface is presented to the ball and the ball rolls and rotates within its socket more readily.
  • the plating imparts wearing characteristics to the internal surfaces of the recess or socket, thereby preventing departure from tolerances established during the rolling and swedging, even though the pen or writing instrument is used for very prolonged periods of time.
  • ballpoint writing instruments write by reason of the fact that ink is actually carried by the surface of the ball 20 and as the ball 20 rotates in its socket it picks up ink from the supply channel 15 and deposits or lays it down upon the surface over which the ball is rolled. If, however, the surface is highly calendered, excessively smooth, or slightly oily, the ball may not roll, but instead slide or skip, thcrcby failing to deposit ink in a continuous manner.
  • the above objectional characteristics may be obviated by enhancing the traction of the ball without imparing its freely rotatable characteristics.
  • the traction and rollability of the ball when used in writing upon a surface can be facilitated and enhanced by imparting a matte finish to the surface of the ball. This can be readily accomplished by subjecting the ball to an etching bath before it is seated and swedged into rollable retention within the socket point. Any suitable etching solution may be employed.
  • Solutions of sulfuric acid, l%25% H2504, mixed acid solutions such as mixtures of hydrochloric and nitric acids or mixtures of hydrochloric and sulfuric acids, hydrochloric solutions such as a 50% HCl or solutions of nitric acid in ethyl or amyl alcohol may be employed.
  • the etching bath should not be pro longed for a sufiicient time to impart a microscopically visible etch, it being sufficient if the etching solution imparts a microscopically visibly etched surface to the steel ball which now produces diffuse light reflection.
  • the time during which balls are subjected to the etching bath will, or course, depend upon the temperatures employed and the activity of the etching solution.
  • the etching time may vary from ten minutes to one hour, one hour with lll% sulfuric acid at room temperature being adequate.
  • the balls may be subjected to a light polishing operation of short duration, although in most instances such polishing can be dispensed with. These etched balls can then be seated in a socket point in the same manner as unetched balls.
  • the etching operation not only increases the traction between the ball and a writing surface (thereby insuring immediate rotation of a ball upon relative movement of a writing instrument in contact with a writing surface) but also appears to facilitate the distribution of ink. It is believed that the etched surfaces have a tendency to retain and carry slightly greater quantities of ink than the highly polished surfaces of normal balls. Any suitable method of etching the ball may be used.
  • the later stages of manufacture include a series of tumbling steps during which the balls are polished; when an etched or matte finish is dcsired some of these last finishing steps may be eliminated or a matte finish obtained by changing the grade, fineness and hardness of the abrasive employed.
  • the end result is a writing ball having a matte finish including polished areas conforming to a spherical surface and a multiplicity of fine ink-receiving craters indenting this surface and extending therebelow. such finish resulting from the light polishing of a pitted steel ball.
  • the balls may be provided with a matte finish by very light plating under suitable conditions, or such matte finish may be imparted to the balls by mechanical means, as by being subjected to a high velocity stream of rouge or other fine abrasive.
  • the present invention describes methods of improving the writing characteristics and life of ball-pointed writing instruments without interfering with normal manufacturing operations or the use of relatively soft, readily machinable materials.
  • a tubular ball socket element made of readily machinable metal; ink in contact with said socket element; a metallic ball of a dissimilar metal from said socket element rotatably confined within a forward portion of said element and projecting therefrom; and a metallic material coating the inner wall of said socket element which is not reactive with said ink in the presence of said ball, said metallic material having substantially the same potential as said ball.
  • a ball socket element made of a readily machinable metal; ink in contact with said socket element; a metallic ball of dissimilar metal from said socket element rotatably confined within a forward portion of said element and projecting therefrom, the surface of said ball having a matte finish including polished areas conforming to a spherical surface and a multiplicity of fine ink-receiving craters extending therebelow; and a metallic material coating the inner wall of said socket element which is not reactive with said ink in the presence of said ball, said metallic material having substantially the same potential as said ball and providing a smooth, wearresistant bearing-surface for said matte finished ball.
  • An improved writing tip for ballpoint writing instruments comprising a metallic socket element rotatably mounting a steel ball and containing a quantity of ink, the surface of said ball having a matte finish including polished areas conforming to a spherical surface and a multiplicity of fine, ink receiving craters extending therebclow, and a metallic material coating the inner wall of the socket element and having a lower potential with respect to said ball than the socket element.
  • said metallic coating being nonreactive with said ink in the presence of said steel ball and providing a relatively smooth, wear-resistant bearing surface for said ball.
  • a tubular ball socket element made of readily machinable metal; ink in contact with said socket element; a metallic hail of a dissimilar metal from said socket clement rotatably confined within a forward portion of said element and projecting therefrom; at least the inner all of said socket element being of a material which is not reactive with said ink in the presence of said ball, said material having substantially the same potential as said ball.

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  • Pens And Brushes (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)
US355536A 1953-05-18 1953-05-18 Method of improving the life of ballpoint writing instruments Expired - Lifetime US2813512A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US355536A US2813512A (en) 1953-05-18 1953-05-18 Method of improving the life of ballpoint writing instruments
GB31285/57A GB828276A (en) 1953-05-18 1957-10-07 A writing instrument of the ball point type
FR1184220D FR1184220A (fr) 1953-05-18 1957-10-11 Stylographe à bille
CH344021D CH344021A (fr) 1953-05-18 1957-10-15 Stylographe à bille
BE561706D BE561706A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1953-05-18 1957-10-17

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US355536A US2813512A (en) 1953-05-18 1953-05-18 Method of improving the life of ballpoint writing instruments

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2813512A true US2813512A (en) 1957-11-19

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US355536A Expired - Lifetime US2813512A (en) 1953-05-18 1953-05-18 Method of improving the life of ballpoint writing instruments

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US2813512A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE561706A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CH (1) CH344021A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR1184220A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB828276A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2969030A (en) * 1958-10-22 1961-01-24 Kahn David Inc Production of writing tips
US5520473A (en) * 1992-06-26 1996-05-28 The Gillette Company Ball point pen
US20090094843A1 (en) * 2007-10-16 2009-04-16 James Keith Brannam Brannam Escape cap

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH250923A (fr) * 1945-06-07 1947-09-30 Martin Henry George Stylographe à bille rotative et procédé pour la fabrication de ce stylographe.
DE829414C (de) * 1950-09-05 1952-01-24 Schneider G M B H Geb Mine fuer Kugelschreiber
US2646761A (en) * 1947-08-13 1953-07-28 W A Sheaffer Pen Co Method of making ball-type writing tips

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH250923A (fr) * 1945-06-07 1947-09-30 Martin Henry George Stylographe à bille rotative et procédé pour la fabrication de ce stylographe.
US2646761A (en) * 1947-08-13 1953-07-28 W A Sheaffer Pen Co Method of making ball-type writing tips
DE829414C (de) * 1950-09-05 1952-01-24 Schneider G M B H Geb Mine fuer Kugelschreiber

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2969030A (en) * 1958-10-22 1961-01-24 Kahn David Inc Production of writing tips
US5520473A (en) * 1992-06-26 1996-05-28 The Gillette Company Ball point pen
US20090094843A1 (en) * 2007-10-16 2009-04-16 James Keith Brannam Brannam Escape cap

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1184220A (fr) 1959-07-17
CH344021A (fr) 1960-01-15
BE561706A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1958-04-17
GB828276A (en) 1960-02-17

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