US2866439A

US2866439A - Ink injector ball point pen

Info

Publication number: US2866439A
Application number: US604937A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aaron B Rappaport
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-08-20
Filing date: 1956-08-20
Publication date: 1958-12-30
Anticipated expiration: 1975-12-30

Description

13% 1953 A. B. RAPPAPORT INK- INJECTOR BALL POINT PEN Filed Aug. 20. 1956 INVENTOR.

Aaron B. Rappaport ATTO RN E372 United. States Patent 2,866,439 INK INJECTOR BALL POINT PEN Aaron Rappaport, New York, N. Y.

Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 604,937

3 Claims. (Cl. 120-424) The objects of the invention are to increase the supply of ink in a ball point pen, to provide a permanent ink reservoir in such a pen, to insure a continuous flow of ink through the ball point, as well as to enable the replacement of the ball point when it is worn out.

In accordance with these objects, a ball point pen is provided comprising a tapered writing head having a ball point assembly removably secured in its lower end, the writing head being threaded into the lower end of an outer tube or casing. An inner tube has its lower end connected to the writing head to conjointly form therewith a large capacity ink reservoir, and manually operable means are associated with this inner tube to increase the air pressure in the reservoir to force ink through the ball point assembly in the event of temporary stoppage of ink flow. When the ink supply is exhausted, the ball point assembly is removed and an ink refill container secured in its place for injection of the new supply of ink from the container into the reservoir.

In one embodiment of the invention, the air pressure increasing means comprises the inner tube, as a cylinder, and a piston slidably mounted in the inner tube and having an operating plunger projecting from the outer cas ing, the piston and plunger being biased outwardly. Depression of the plunger forces air through an apertured partition intermediate the ends of the inner tube into a small diameter tube extending into the writing head.

In another embodiment, the inner tube is flexible and closed at its outer end. A plunger projecting through the side wall of the outer casing is secured to an elongated rigid strip engaging the inner tube so that pressing the plunger squeezes the inner tube to increase the air pressure in the reservoir.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view through one form of pen embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, pen comprises a writing head 11 which is tapered toward its bottom or outer end and has a ball point assembly 12 threadedly secured therein to project therefrom. Ball point assembly 12 is in communication with an ink reservoir formed, in part, by the hollow interior 13 of head 11. An outer casing or tube 14, preferably of plastic, has its lower end threaded onto the upper end of head 11, and the rounded upper end of tube 14 has a control opening 15 therein. Tube 14 may have a reinforcing 16, preferably of metal, surrounding its threaded lower end, A suitable cap (not shown) may be placed over the writing end of pen 10 when the latter is not in use.

In accordance with the invention, the other part of the ink reservoir is formed by an inner tube or cylinder 20, preferably of plastic, integral with a metal ring 21 threaded into the upper end of head 11. An annular ring 22, having a central aperture, is secured within tube 20 intermediate the ends of the latter, and a small diameter tube 23 has its upper end threaded or otherwise secured into the aperture in ring 22 and extends down wardly into head 11. Above ring 22, tube 20 has an aperture 24 in its side wall.

' A pumping rod 25 is disposed in tube 20 with its upper end normally projecting through opening 15 in outer casing 14. The lower end of rod 25 seats on the upper end of a frusto-conical or tapered coil spring 26 whose larger diameter lower end seats on ring 22, and a pin 27 limits outward movement of rod 25. A piston or washer 30, preferably of leather or similar material, is secured on rod 25 just above side aperture 24 of tube 20, and the rim of washer 30 has a sealing fit with the inner surface of tube 20. t 1 Y The described construction operates in the following manner. Should there be a stoppage of ink flow through ball point assembly 12, rod 25 is pressed inwardly. As washer 30 moves downwardly past air inlet opening 24, air is forced through the central opening in ring 22 and downwardly through tubing 23 into the ink reservoir. The increased air pressure in the ink reservoir forces ink to flow through the ball point assembly 12 thus eliminating the flow stoppage.

When the ink supply in the reservoir is exhausted, assembly 12 is unscrewed from the writing head and the nipple of a flexible walled re-filling capsule is screwed intothe lower end of head 11. By squeezing the re-fill capsule, the large ink reservoir, formed conjointly by the interior 13 of head 11 and the tube 20 below ring 22, is re-filled. The re-fill capsule or tube is then removed and assembly 12 is replaced.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, identical parts have been given the same reference character and like parts the same reference character primed. In this embodiment, outer tube 14' has a side opening 31 through which projects an operating button 32 on an elongated metal bar 33. Bar 33 extends along and engages the side wall of a flexible inner tube 35, of rubber or similar material, having a closed upper end and a flap air inlet valve 37. The lower end of tube 35 is integral with a hollow metal unit 34 threaded into head 11 and having a tapered tubular extension 36 extending downwardly into head 11.

In this embodiment, ink stoppage is corrected by pushing button 32 to force bar 33 inwardly to compress tube 35 thus increasing the pressure of the air in the ink reservoir.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What I claim is:

1. A ball point pen comprising, in combination, a tubular writing head tapering to a lower end; a ball point assembly secured in said lower end; an outer tube threaded onto said head and having an opening therein; an inner tube having a lower end threaded into said head and formed with an annular partition intermediate its ends; a tubular extension engaged in said partition and projecting downwardly from said partition into said head to a point adjacent said assembly and spaced from the inner surface of said head; a piston slidable in said inner tube above said annular partition and operable, upon movement toward said partition, to force air through said extension to increase the air pressure in said head to force ink to said ball point assembly; and operating means for said piston projecting through the aperture in said outer tube.

2. A ball point pen comprising, in combination, a tubular writing head tapering to a lower end, the upper Patented Dec. 30, 1958" inner tube having; a lower end. threaded into, saidheadand formed with an annular partition intermediate, its ends, the inner'surfaceofsaidzinner tube beingfiush with the, innersurface of said: head; a tubular: extension. engaged in said partition and projecting, downwardly from;

said partition into said head to a pointtadjacent. said assembly and spaced from theinner surfaces of said head and inner tube; apiston slidablein said inner tube above said annular partition.- and operable,upon movement toward. said partition to force: through. said, extension to increase the air pressure, in said head. to forceyink to,

said, ball point assembly; and operatingrneans for said piston projecting through theaperture in said outer tube.

3. A ball point pen as clairnedcin claim 2 in which said outer tube has an outer end closed except for a central aperture therein; and said operating means comprises aplunger rodin said, inner tube above said annular meme.

ber, means biasing said rod outwardly through the aperture in the outer end of said outer tube, said piston being secured on said rod intermediate the ends thereof, and an air inlet in said inner tube between said piston and said annular member.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,408,256 Florman Sept. 24, 1946 2,502,866 Lust 2 Apr. 4, 1950 2,560,810 Morris July 17, 1951 2,618,239 Tefft Nov. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 443,771 Italy Jan. 3, 1949 834,820 Germany. Mar 24, 1952