US2865334A - Magazine-type ball-point pens - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 23, 1958 F'IGJ.

H. RADZINSKY MAGAZINE-TYPE BALL-POINT PENS Filed Aug. 21, 1957 MAGAZINE-TYPE BALL-POINT PENS Harry Radzinsky, New York, N. Y.

Application August 21, 1957, Serial No. 679,338

4 Claims. (Cl. 120-42.12)

This invention relates to fountain pens, and more particularly to those of the ball-point type, and has for its primary object the provision of means by which the ink capacity of pens of this type will be very materially increased.

One of the deficiencies of this type of pen as known at the present time, is the tendency of the ink supply to become exhausted either prematurely or when least expected, and in the event of sucha happening, the inability of the user of the pen to secure a filled ink cartridge. These cartridges are made in various shapes and sizes and while some efforts have been made to standardize them, they nevertheless vary to such an extent in sizes and shapes that the user of a particular make of pen often finds it diificult to secure a cartridge to fit his particular pen. Efiorts have been made to increase the ink capacity of these pens by utilizing cartridges of larger diameter, but when that has occurred and the ink capac ity has thus been materially increased, the ball point often wore away or became inoperative before the contents of these large cartridges were depleted. In other instances, cartridges have been divided into two parts, with one short cartridge telescopically fitting into the end of the other so that the rear cartridge could be substituted for the empty front one. This did not materially increase the ink capacity of the pen since the two end-to-end short cartridges had merely the ink capacity of. one long one.

It has also been proposed in the past to make pens with transparent barrels so that the ink would be visible through the barrel, with the intention of permitting the pen owner to determine when the ink supply was getting low and thus prepare for the securement of a new cartridge. Unfortunately, the ink is of a pasty consistency and exhibits a tendency to adhere to or coat the interior wall surfaces of the cartridge or barrel and as a result the true amount of ink contained in such a transparent barrel could never be accurately ascertained by looking through the barrel.

In the manufacture of pens of this type there has also been a tendency to reduce the ink capacity by utilizing space within the barrel for containing means for the advance and retraction of the ball-point of the cartridge. These mechanisms are troublesome; they get out of order readily and some of them, and particularly those in which the point is retracted by pressure on the clip, exhibit a tendency to snap to retracted position when pressure is accidentally applied to the clip while turning the pen over in the hand during writing.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a magazine type of pen which will contain a number of ink cartridges to be successively used when that which is in writing position becomes exhausted of its ink. It is an object to provide these cartridges in complete, full length form, utilizing the interior of the pen barrel for containing extra cartridges arranged around the central cartridge located in operative or writing position. It is an object of the invention to provide a pen in which re- United grates Patent 9 i Patented Dec. 23, 1958 ice serve cartridges are so carried that a filledl cartridge may be readily and instantly inserted in place of an ink-depleted one. It is an object of the invention to provide a pen of simple, lasting construction; which will contain a very substantial ink supply in a plurality of like cartridges and which will be free of troublesome, pointretracting and advancing mechanism, and thus possess a long and useful writing life.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

. Fig. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a pen constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rear poi" tion of the barrel of the pen, the view being taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the pen on a reduced scale;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the pen adjacent to the rear end of the same and with the ink cartridges omitted;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the seat for the ink cartridges, and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through a modified form of cartridge seat.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown inthe drawing, the barrel of the pen is composed to two parts, namely, a rear portion 2 and a front portion 1, these parts being detachably coupled together in known. manner by the screw threads 3. The barrel may be com posed of metal or plastic or of both of these materials. The forward end of the front part 1 of the barrel is conical or tapered as shown at 4 and is provided with the central aperture 5 through which the ball point 6 of the central or operative ink cartridge 7 protrudes in writing position. This cartridge, as well as the reserve cartridges 8 and 9 stored within the barrel, are preferably all similar in size and shape and are of known form, thus each consisting of a lengthy, tubular, inkholding body provided at one end with the ball-point 6. A closure cap of known form is fitted over the front end of the barrel asis common in the fountain pen art.

Provided within the rear part 2 of the barrel is a cartridge seat 10 which, in one embodiment of the invention, consists of a metallic, springy member of stepped formation, provided at its forward end with the central step 11 which acts as a stop or abutment for the central or operative cartridge 7. That is to say, when the central cartridge 7 is in writing position as shown in Fig. 1, its rear end firmly bears against the face of the step 11, causing the forward or ball-point end 6 of the cartridge to be protruded or extended out of the aperture 5 in writing position.

Located rearwardly of the step 11 are the two steps indicated respectively at 14 and 15, and as will be noted in Fig. 1, these steps respectively act as stops or rear abutments for the back ends of the stored or reserve cartridges 8 and 9. Through this arrangement, the reserve or stored cartridges 8 and 9, which are just as long as the operative cartridge 7, are permitted to extend rearwardly within the rear part 2 ofthe barrel to a greater extent that the central or operative cartridge. Thus, the three cartridges shown are all contained in the barrel in parallel and side-by-side relationship with one of the cartridges, or the central one shown at 7, held in an advanced or writing position, wherein its point 6 protrudes out of the front of the barrel.

The seat for the three cartridges need not be of the form shown, and in fact it might be made to accommodate more or less than the three cartridges shown. It is held in the rear end of the barrel in any suitable manner, and can be forcibly inserted therein, with the rearwardly-extending tongues 12 and 13 with which it is provided, serving to position and hold it properly. Said spring arms add resilience to the seat and aid in maintaining spring pressure on the rear end of the central cartridge 7. This is facilitated by reason of the fact that the rear end of the rear part 2 of the barrel is imperforate and integrally formed with the remainder of the part 2, and the action of the spring fingers against the conical interior of the rear end produces a desired springy action. and described as being of springy metal, it may be constructed of other material and shaped otherwise than as shown. For example, in Fig. 7 is shown a cartridge seat in the form of a solid frustro-conical block 17 of wood or plastic and provided with the two recesses 18 and 19 into which the rear ends of two reserve ink cartridges may be inserted. The surface 20 shown between the two recesses 18 and 19, constitutes the stop or abutment for the rear end of the central cartridge or that which is in writing position, similar to the step shown at 11.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a pen is provided in which a plurality of ink cartridges are contained so that when the central cartridge, or that in operative or writing position, has its ink supply depleted, it can be removed and discarded and one of the reserve or stored cartridges substituted. This is done by removing the front portion 1 of the barrel together with the ink-depleted cartridge. One of the reserve cartridges 8 or 9 is then taken out of the barrel and its pointed end 6 is inserted through aperture 5. Now the front portion 1 of the barrel, carrying the cartridge so inserted in it, is replaced on the part 2 and this will cause step 11 to bear against the rear end of the cartridge, maintaining it in writing position. Since at least three similar, fulllength cartridges can be stored in the barrel and without a material increase in the diameter of the barrel, it will be apparent that an ink supply of greatly increased magnitude is provided. While this arrangement is suitable for pens of various sizes and lengths, it will be found particularly adaptable for the short length pens of the type often carried in womens handbags and which, because of their short length, provide but a small amount of ink. By the arrangement shown, the ink capacity will be tripled or increased still more if a greater number While the cartridge seat 10 is shown What I claim is:

cartridges positioned in the barrel, one of said cartridges being located centrally of the other cartridges and being also located forwardly of'the others, said central cartridge having a ball-point end extending out of the forward end of the barrel in writing position, the remaining cartridges being completely contained within and housed by the barrel and constituting reserve cartridges to be substituted for the central cartridge when the ink supply in the latter is exhausted, and seating means within the rear portion of the barrel for holding the central cartridge positioned forwardly of the others, said seating means including rests located rearwardly of the rear end of the central cartridge for the reception of the rear portions of said reserve cartridges, said seating means consisting of a stepped member formed with rearwardlyextending spring tongues, the rear end of the barrel being integrally closed and providing an inner conical surface against which the spring tongues frictionally engage to maintain the seating means against the rear end of the central cartridge.

2. In a ball-point pen, a central ball-point pen cartridge positioned within the same, a barrel in which said cartridge is located, the cartridge having its ball-point extending out of the forward end of the barrel, a plurality of reserve cartridges located within the barrel and positioned around the central cartridge, the barrel having an integrally-closed rear end presenting an interior conical surface within said end, and a seat at the rear of the barrel against which the rear ends of the several cartridges are rested, said seat having spring elements engaging against the interior conical surface in the rear of the barrel.

3. In a ballpoint pen as provided for in claim 2, wherein the spring elements consist of rearWardly-extending tongues on the seat, said tongues frictionally engaging against the inner side walls of said interior conical surface. I

4. In a ball-point pen, a barrel having a closed integrally-formed rear end provided with an interior conical wall surface, a seat for a plurality of ink cartridges fitted in the barrel at the rear end of the same, said seat consisting of a bifurcated springy member having portions frictionally operative against the conical wall of the barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,246,254 Johnston June 17, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 808,029 Germany July 9, 1951 60,802/93;5,473 France July 21, 1954

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