US3606556A - Fountain pen - Google Patents

Abstract

A FOUNTAIN PEN HAVING AN INTEGRAL NIBBLED-POINT AND SHELL PORTION PROVIDING GREATER COLLECTOR CAPACITY, A CLUTCH RING HAVING ELEMENTS ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH OPENINGS IN THE INTEGRAL PORTION FOR FIRMLY ATTACHING THE PORTION TO INTERNAL PENSTRUCTURES AND FOR FRICTIONALLY RESISTING MOVEMENT OF A CAP ASSEMBLY WHEN SAID CAP IS COVERING THE POINT END OF THE PEN, ADJUSTABLE MEMBERS EXERT, A FORCE ON TINES COMPRISING THE NIB TO VARY THEIR SEPARATION FOR REGULATING VARIATIONS IN THE LINE BREADTH RESULTING FROM USE OF THE PEN.

Description

Sept. 20, 1971 H. T. GREEN ETAL 3,606,556

FOUNTAIN PEN 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 29, 1970 Inventors J'lomen T. 6 reerz.

Frederic k 'Rfw ittnebert W 2' Prl' vneg.

Sept. 20, 1971 GREEN ETAL 3 ,@6,556

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed April 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 O IWIIIIQN N: um.

Sept. 20, 19W

H. T. GREEN ET L FOUNTAIN PEN 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 29, 1970 w T. Erma F ifizneert Sept. 20, 1971 E ETAL FOUNTAIN PEN 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 29, 1970 I Fill/a7!!! .6 i. iii I (A m mm m6 MT Frerick RJN ittnebort United States Patent 3,606,556 FOUNTAIN PEN Homer T. Green, Milton, and Frederick R. Wittnebert,

Whitewater, Wis., assignors to The Parker Pen Company, Janesville, Wis.

Filed Apr. 29, 1970, Ser. No. 32,868 Int. Cl. B43k 1/02 US. Cl. 401-231 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fountain pen having an integral nibbed-point and shell portion providing greater collector capacity; a clutch ring having elements adapted to extend through openings in the integral portion for firmly attaching the portion to internal pen structures and for frictionally resisting movement of a cap assembly when said cap is covering the point end of the pen; adjustable members exert, a force on tines comprising the nib to vary their separation for regulating variations in line breadth resulting from use of the pen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to writing pens and more particularly to improved means for regulating line width of an improved pen gripping member.

Fountain pens are commonly distributed with a pen point for providing writing having a preselected line width. Because writing is a personal matter, fountain pen manufacturers necessarily are required to manufacture a wide range of pen points for meeting the many line breadth requirements of their various customers. Frequently, a prospective purchaser will try many different pen points before he makes a choice. If the nib or point supplied with a pen is unsatisfactory, it must be changed. This present practice requires that both manufacturer and dealers invest large sums of capital because of having to stock nibs of multiple sizes and configurations. Such pen con struction also affects a user because once changed, the user is still confined to producing a line of one width. It may be necessary for some present pen users to keep a number of pens on hand which are in good writing condition for situations requiring a variety of writing characteristics, such as for ledger entries, general script, signatures and other uses.

Some writers would like to personalize their writing by emphasizing portions thereof or even to inject line width variations on an impulsive whim. Although pen points providing line breadth variations are broadly known in the art, their operation is generally complicated and requires precise interaction between numerous parts. This invention, by providing means for accurately, easily and rapidly varying nib tine separation with a minimum number of parts, overcomes the disadvantages associated with earlier models and substantially reduces pen manuafcturing and maintenance costs.

Fountain pens usually include a shell member or special collector shell of plastic or other material requiring a relatively thick cross-sectional construction and which cooperate with a collector having storage cells for pulling ink by capillary action from ink feed passages into the storage cells upon the incident of a flooding condition. By

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providing an integral or unitary nib-collector shell of meta1 having a relatively thin wall section directly adjacent annular fin portions of the collector of this invention, the total available ink storage area is increased.

It is further necessary in the assembly of many fountain pens for tedious hand labor is required to thread and/or glue associated portions of the pen together. Such an operation is time consuming and expensive. This invention simplifies assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the foregoing in mind, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a simple and efficient fountain pen.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for readily adjusting nib tine separation to vary the width of a written line.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an ink control device or adjuster for allowing a relatively faster or slower flow of ink whenever a writer chooses to alter his writing stroke.

A feature of this invention is to provide an integral for- Ward unit for a fountain pen having one sleek sweep of metal from the tip of the point to the end of the barrel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fountain en having a novel writing nib constructed to enable the use of an unusually effective means for feeding ink to the nib.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a fountain pen having portions of exceedingly simple construction which can be assembled quickly and yet are not easily, accidentally disarranged during normal use of the pen.

An additional feature is the provision of an increased capacity for retaining a supply of ink during an emergency.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an integral nib-shell easily connectable to other pen portions and wherein an enlarged ink collector is enclosed and the tines of the nib are resiliently deflectable for selectable adjustment to change the width of a writing stroke.

Further objects and features as Well as advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrated embodiment thereof proceeds and is given for the purpose of disclosure and is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like character references designate like parts throughout the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fountain pen incorporating the principles of this invention with a cap on the barrel end thereof;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pen shown in FIG. 1, showing the cap closing the writing end thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view through the cap shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the fountain pen shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a collector of this invention;

FIG. 6 is an end view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged foreshortened elevational view of an integral nib-collector shell incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 11 is an end view taken along the line 1111 of FIG. 10 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary top plan view of the nib end of the integral nib-collector shell shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 1313 of FIG. 10 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged end elevational view of a clutch ring incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view taken along the line 15--15 of FIG. 14 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged foreshortened top plan view of an adjusting lever incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the adjusting lever shown in FIG. 16, partly broken away and including a rotated sectional view of a portion thereof;

FIG. 18 is an end view taken along the line 1818 of FIG. 16 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a feed-connector assembly incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 20 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2020 of FIG. 19 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 21 is an end view taken along the line 2l21 of FIG. 19 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary top plan view of the feeding end of the assembly shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a vertical sectional view on a further enlarged scale taken along the line 2323 of FIG. 19 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 24 is an end view taken along the line 2424 of FIG. 19 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the several figures and first to FIG. 1 there is shown a complete fountain pen the pen is shown as it appears in use with a writing end thereof exposed in FIG. 1 and with a cap assembly 32 protecting the writing end in FIG. 2. The pen includes the cap assembly 32, a barrel assembly 34 and a gripping member 36.

The cap assembly 32 (FIG. 3) includes an outer, open-ended, generally cylindrical shell 38, formed of titanium metal or other suitable material. One open end of the shell 38 is closed by a tubular inner cap 4-0 positioned inside the shell and internally proportioned to snugly receive the gripping member 36. Adjacent the forward open end of the inner cap 40 there is an annular, inwardlybowed, resilient surface 42 for yieldable gripping engagement of the outer surface of the gripping member 36. The closed end of the inner cap 40 has an opening 44 which is internally threaded for reception of a clip screw 46. A threaded portion 48 of the clip screw 46 engages in the threaded opening 44 and retains a clip member 50 on the cap assembly 32. A circumferential flange portion 52 extends from the clip screw 46 for receiving a decorative, clip screw tassie 54. The open end of the shell 38 is provided with an annular thin wall section 56 into which an annular cap band 58 is mounted. The band 58 may be press-fitted or otherwise secured within the thin Wall section of the shell adjacent the open end. The cap band extends into the shell member for approximately one-third of the length of the thin wall section 56 to form an annular depressed space 60 between an inner side wall 59 of the band and a re-entry wall 61 at the inner end of section 56. In the illustrated embodiment the cap band 58 is of nickel-silver metal but brass or other similar material is acceptable. The feature of forming the band of a material different from the cap, barrel and gripping member materials is of importance for minimizing abrasion damage as the cap is moved longitudinally of and secured releasably on either the barrel assembly 34 or the gripping member 36 depending on whether the writing instrument is being used or not.

As shown in FIG. 4, the barrel assembly 34 connects to the gripping member 36 and includes a generally cylindrical open-ended barrel 62 formed of titanium metal or other suitable material. An inwardly facing flange 64 formed at one end of the barrel engages and holds a decorative barrel tassie 66 which also closes the end of the barrel. A barrel liner 68 is provided with a threaded wall section 70 and is cemented inside the barrel 62. An annular barrel band 72 is press-fit or otherwise secured inside the open end of the barrel in a position closely adjacent the open end of the liner 68. The barrel band 72 includes an outwardly extending flange 74 corresponding generally to the outside diameter of the barrel 62 and lying closely adjacent to and covering the annular end surface thereof.

The inner surface of the barrel liner 68 is proportioned to receive and hold a replaceable ink reservoir or cartridge 76. It should be understood, however, that the barrel liner is also adapted to receive a similarly configured refillable ink reservoir. Each type of reservoir has advantages which make it particularly suited for certain applications but less suitable for other applications. For example, the replaceable cartridge 76 makes it extremely easy to replenish an ink supply for the pen by simply removing a spent cartridge and inserting a full, replacement cartridge. A refillable reservoir using ink from a bulk supply substantially diminishes costs. Because the pen of this invention can be used with either type reservoir, it has the advantage of versatility for a fountain pen user, yet the manufacturer of the pen can make one basic pen.

The gripping member 36 which also is formed of titanium metal or other suitable material substantially surrounds ink feed means 78 which are adapted to transport ink from the reservoir 76 toward a pellet 80 at the outer free or writing end of the gripping member 36. The ink feed means 78 comprises a connector 82 (FIGS. 4 and 19) having an externally threaded rear end portion 84 which co-acts with the internally threaded wall section 70 of the barrel liner 68 for connecting the barrel assembly 34 to a module of the gripping member 36 and the feed means contained therein. Preferably the connector is formed of any of the many suitable plastics used for this purpose.

The connector 82 also functions to mount the cartridge 76 in the pen and to couple said cartridge to a feed 86. To accomplish the mounting and connection, the connector includes a centrally disposed, axially extending tubular portion 88 having a rearward end 90 oriented at an angle to the axis of the pen for providing a sharp, knife-like surface to cut through a collar 92 forming one end wall of the replaceable reservoir 76. The collar 92 fits snugly over the tubular portion preventing escape of ink from the reservoir along the outside wall of the tubular portion 88 yet providing communication with the ink supply. The collar 92 extends partially into an annular recess 93 formed in the connector 82. As best shown in FIGS. 19 and 24, the feed 86 has a longitudinally extending, capillary feed groove 94 along which ink flows from the cartridge 76 and replacement air flows into the cartridge.

In order to orient the connector and feed with respect to a collector 96 also comprising the ink feed means, the three portions, namely connector, feed and collector, are cooperatively rabbeted. The feed has shoulder portions 87 which are aligned with and lie adjacent to shoulders 83 (FIG. 21) of the connector 82; both of which shoulder sets 87 and 83 are adapted to be received into a shouldered opening 97 formed in the collector 96 (FIG. 6). A generally cylindrical portion of the feed 86 extends into a bore 98 formed in the collector 96. The capillary feed groove 94 extending longitudinally of the axis of the pen communicates with an annular weir chamber 100 of capillary dimension defined between the bore 98 of the collector and an annular channel 89 formed of the feed 86.

The Weir is of capillary dimension and normally contains a supply of ink, however, the weir also functions to allow replacement air to bubble through the ink therein and thence along the feed grove 94 into the reservoir 76 to substantially equalize the pressure in the reservoir.-If a weir were not provided, a vacuum would be built up inside the reservoir until the pressure ditferential between atmospheric pressure and reservoir pressure became sufficiently great to inhibit further ink flow from the reservoir. This event would occur even though a supply of ink remained in the reservoir. To assure proper operation of the ink feeding mechanism the necessary air is fed to the Weir chamber 100 through an air feed channel 102 (FIG. 4) provided in the bottom of the collector 96. Although the channel 162 communicates with the weir 100 which is normally filled with ink, the channel is dimensioned sufficiently large so that ink does not flow into it and leak out of the pen.

Ink can leak out of a pen if there is a relatively rapid drop in atmospheric pressure. To prevent such an occurrence, the collector of this invention includes a number of radially extending, annular fins which are closely adjacent to each other and which define capillary chambers 106 therebetween. The outer periphery of the fins lie closely adjacent the inner wall of the gripping member. The feature of making the gripping member from metal having a wall section which is relatively thinner than the cross-sectional wall thickness of known plastic shells alone or in combination with plastic collector shells now normally required in fountain pens, is advantageous in that the ink holding capacity of the collector is greatly enhanced.

To transfer ink from the weir chamber 100 in the feed 86, the collector is provided with slots 8 of capillary dimension. The slots operatively communicate with a pair of capillary feed grooves 110 extending longitudinally of the collector. The feed grooves 110 provide communication passages for the ink to flow into the capillary chambers 106 during an overflow condition. The collector also includes transverse ink feeds 112 between the grooves 110.

The gripping member 36 (FIG. 10) includes a collector shell portion 114 integrally formed with a nib 116 adapted for writing. The shell portion 114 is generally hollow and conical with the integral nib extending forwardly therefrom. During assembly, the gripping member is slidable longitudinally of the pen to enclose the ink feed means. When the unitary nib-shell is assembled to the feed means, the internal wall of the nib-shell lies closely adjacent the collector fins to form a substantial ink retaining area for emergency overflow situations.

The shell 114 includes circumferentially spaced openings 118. An annular resilient clutch member 120 (FIG. 14) having yieldable retaining elements in the form of lugs 122 directed radially outwardly and generally away from the axis of the pen is connected by bayonets 124 to the connector. The ends of the bayonets 124- resiliently engage against a shelf 126 in the connector to provide this attachment. The lugs 122 are adapted to enter into the openings 118 for efficiently and simply connecting the gripping member to the feed means. During assembly 6 an annular washer 128 is seated between the connector and collector and forced into contact with the inside wall of the barrel portion to inhibit accidental ink leakage from that area of the pen.

The nib 116 includes a pair of adjacent, juxtaposed nib tines 130 which are separated by a slit 132 having a pierce 134 formed at its closed end. The nib tines 130 are resilient and the pellet 80 at the end of the nib tines is fed ink via the slit 132. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the tines are resilient, cantilever beams which extend effectively coplanarly of the shell portion 114; in crosssection each tine is a thin-walled segment or element of a cylinder With the concave internal wall thereof lying closely adjacent and partially surrounding the collector 96.

A lever or regulating member 136 (shown in detail in FIG. 16) underlying the nib is adapted to rotate about a fulcrum 138 defined between the collector and one end of the lever. An arm portion 140 of the lever includes a pair of upstanding flanges 142 which define a longitudinal ink channel. A slot 144 through the arm 140 and ink feed channels 145 provide capillary communication for ink in the feeds 112 and grooves 116 to flow into the ink channel of the lever 136 toward its tip 137 and thence into slit 132 to pellet 80. One each of the flanges 142 underlies one each of the tines with the tip 137 of lever 136 operatively engaging the associated tines closely adjacent the writing ends thereof. Upon rotation of the lever 136, toward the tines, the tip 137 deflects the tines and angularly varies the slit width whereby a variable width writing line is obtainable from writing with the pen. The resultant deflective movement of each tine from the pressure or force applied by lever 136 is generally perpendicular away from the center of the cylindrical segment. The resiliency of the tines returns them to their normal position when lever pressure is released. The bearing point established between the tip of the lever 136 and the tines is also an important feature of the ink feed system because it establishes good feed contact at the end of the feed channel defined between the flanges 142; that is, at its farthermost point toward the pellet 80.

An adjusting member in the form. of a screw 146 is arranged on the collector 96 to rotate the lever 136 with respect to the tines. The screw 146 is threaded into an angularly oriented threaded opening 148 through the collector and includes an end surface engageable with the lever for effectively applying pressure against the lever by screw action. Movement of the screw 146 in one direction, that is, into the opening 148, rotates the lever relatively toward the nib tines and simultaneously the nib tines are deflected relatively farther apart; screw movement in an opposed direction, that is, out of the opening 148, permits the nibs to resiliently deflect closer together for simultaneously rotating the lever relatively toward the screw. The inner surface. of the head of screw 1 46 is engageable with a shoulder 150' on the collector to limit the internal screw movement. A retaner 152 adjacently underlying the lever 13 6 includes a yoke 154 which engages a headed portion 156 on the screw for limiting the withdrawal of the screw from the collector. The screw is movable between these two locations. Another mechanical means having a surface adapted to impart the desired movement to the lever 136 may be substituted for the screw arrangement illustrated.

Thus, it will be appreciated that all of the recited objects, advantages and features of the present invention have been demonstrated as obtainable in a highly practical fountain pen and one that is not only simple and positive in operation, but also inexpensive and easy to manufacture. It will be further understood that although the invention has been described with respect to containing specific embodiments thereof, it is not limited thereto, since various modifications of said invention will suggest themselves from the aforesaid description and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the appended claims wherein there is claimed:

1. A writing pen comprising a nib including resilient tines spaced by an open slit having a closed end;

a lever underlying the tines, said le ver being adapted to rotate about a fulcrum; and

an adjusting member arranged on the pen to rotate the lever relative to the nib for variably separating the tines, whereby a variable width writing line is obtainable from writing with the pen.

2. A writing pen as claimed in claim 1 wherein a free end of the lever operatively communicates with the tines adjacent the open end of the slit.

3. A fountain pen having a communicating ink reservoir and ink feed means and comprising a gripping member including resilient nib tines separated by a slit having a pierce at its closed end; an adjustable lever underlying the tines, said lever being rotatable about a fulcrum on the ink feed means; and

a regulating member arranged to pivot the lever relative to the nibs for varying separation between the tines, whereby a variable width writing line is obtainable from writing with the pen.

4. A writing pen as claimed in claim 3 wherein a free end of the lever operatively communicates with the tines adjacent the open end of the nib slit and the lever includes a longitudinal ink channel having one end in capillary communication with the nib slit for feeding ink from the feed means to said slit.

5. A writing pen as claimed in claim 4 wherein the regulating member comprises a screw for effectively varying a pressure force against the lever by screw action.

6. A writing pen as claimed in claim 5 wherein the lever comprises a pair of upstanding flanges to define the ink channel, each of the flanges underlies a separate one of the tines, and the tip of each flange operatively engaging its associated tine.

7. A writing pen as claimed in claim 6 wherein the gripping member further includes a shell portion integrally formed with the tines and the pen further comprises a resilient clutch member connected to the feed means, said clutch member having engaging elements directed radially outwardly away from the axis of the pen and said shell portion being adapted to be engaged by the engaging elements for attaching the gripping member to the pen.

8. A writing pen as claimed in claim 7 wherein the shell portion is formed with openings and the engaging elements are flanges adapted to be received into the openings.

9. A writing pen as claimed in claim 8 wherein the pen includes a cap which is slidable longitudinally of the pen to cover the nib tines, the cap comprising means interengageable with said flanges for securing the cap in removable engagement on the pen.

10. A writing pen as claimed in claim 9 wherein said interengaging means comprises a circular band fixed inside the cap adjacent the open end thereof.

11. A writing pen as claimed in claim 10 wherein the gripping member is of titanium material and the circular band is of nickel-silver material.

12. A writing pen as claimed in claim 10 wherein the ink feed means includes an overflow ink collector having a plurality of radially extending annular fins defining a plurality of capillary chambers therebetween and an inner wall of the gripping member is positioned closely adjacent the periphery of the fins whereby said chambers retain a substantial charge of ink during an overflow situation.

13. A writing pen comprising, in combination, feed means which includes an overflow ink collector having a plurality of annular fins defining a plurality of capillary chambers thcrebetwecn;

a gripping member including an integral nib-shell and being generally hollow and conical with the nib integrally extending from the shell, the internal wall of the shell lying closely adjacent the periphery of the fins forming an ink retaining area, the nib including juxtaposed tines with a slit between adjacent tines, said tines being resiliently deflectable for varying the width of the slit;

a lever having a feed channel operative to feed ink from the feed means to the nib slit; and

an adjusting screw having a surface engageable with the lever for effectively applying pressure against the lever by screw action, the lever being rotatable, and movement of the screw in one direction rotates the lever relativly toward the tines and simultaneously the tines are deflected farther apart and movement in an opposed direction permits the tines to resiliently deflect together and rotate the lever relatively toward the screw, whereby a variable width writing line is obtainable from writing with the pen.

14. A writing pen as claimed in claim 13 wherein the nib-shell has circumferential openings and the pen further comprises an annular resilient clutch member having yieldable elements directed radially away from the axis of the pen and disposable in the openings for retaining the nib-shell on the pen; and a cap adapted to slide longitudinally of the pen for covering the nib-shell and including a circular band fixed inside the cap and engageable with said yieldable elements for securing the cap in removable engagement on the pen.

15. A fountain pen including ink feed means, a shell surrounding the feed means and a clutch member connecting the shell to the feed means, said clutch member comprising yieldable retaining elements directed radially outwardly generally away from the axis of the pen, the shell having openings therethrough disposed for receiving the retaining elements.

16. A fountain pen as claimed in claim 15 further including a cap movable longitudinally of the pen over the shell, the cap comprising means interengageable with said retaining elements for removably securing the cap on the pen.

17. A fountain pen as claimed in claim. 16 wherein the interengageable means is a circular band fixed inside of the cap adjacent the open end thereof.

18. In a fountain pen of the type adapted to contain a supply of ink and having ink feed means including a collector having a plurality of capillary chambers between a plurality of annular fins; the improvement comprising in combination;

a gripping member including a nib integrally formed I with a shell and mounted about the ink feed means,

the shell being conical and the integral nib extending therefrom, the shell having a thin wall with an internal surface closely adjacent the periphery of the fins forming a substantial ink retaining area in the capillary chambers, the nib including adjacently disposed tines separated by a slit having a closed rear end, the free end of each tine being adapted for writing, the tines being resiliently separable about the closed end of the slit;

an adjusting lever having a longitudinal ink channel,

the lever underlying the nib tines and being rotatable about a fulcrum on the ink feed means, the free end of the lever engaging and underlying the free end of the tines, the tip of the lever being operative to exert a force against the tines for varying the deflection of the tines, and

a regulating member arranged to rotate the free end of the lever, whereby a writing line of variable width is obtainable from writing with the pen.

19. A fountain pen as claimed in claim 18 wherein the regulating member is a screw having a surface engageable with the adjusting lever, and movement of the screw in one direction rotates the free end of the lever toward the tines for simultaneously deflecting the nibs farther apart and movement of the screw in an opposite direction permits the nibs to resiliently deflect together for simultaneously rotating the lever toward the screw.

20. A fountain pen as claimed in claim 19 wherein the shell of the gripping member includes openings and the combination further comprise a clutch member having yieldable elements adapted for disposition in the shell openings for attaching the gripping member to the pen.

21. A fountain pen as claimed in claim 20 wherein the pen includes a cap adapted for longitudinal movement to cover the gripping member, the cap comprising means interengageable with the yieldable elements of the clutch member for retaining the cap in removable engagement on the pen.

22. A fountain pen as claimed in claim 21 wherein the interengaging means comprises a band attached to the inside of the cap adjacent the open end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,2'15 3/1908 Wurdemann 40l231 1,689,142 10/1928 Kohler 401-2131 1,980,159 11/1934 Back 401-231 2,669,224 2/ 1-954- Miessner 40123 1X LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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