US588709A - Fountain-pen - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. W'. STEWART.

FOUNTAIN PEN.

Patented Aug. 24

A TTU/MEV:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NYILL'IAM W. STEWART, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

FouN'rAm-PEN.v

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters' ratent No. 588,709, dated August 24, 1897.

Y Application filed February 18, 1897. Serial No. 624,010. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. STEWART, a resident of Brooklyn, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates more particularly to fountain-pens in which a tubular handle or reservoir closed at the upper end is used and wherein suitable ducts are provided at the lower end of thepen to convey ink to the pennib and to admit air to the reservoir. In fountain-pens of this description wherein air and ink are combined, .so to speak, at the lower end of the pen, so that air is admittedto the reservoir and ink is allowed to be fed to the pen-nib, the air naturally forms itself into bubbles or globules on its passage to the reservoir. These globules naturally conform in size to the conduit or channel through which they have to pass, in view of which it will be obvious that the'globules in themselves form means for obstructing the flow of ink through the conduit in which they are contained. l Principally for this reason great difficulty has been experienced heretofore inY providing a fountain-pen which will meet all requirements. Y

The object of my invention is to overcome these and other difficulties heretofore experienced and to provide simple and efficient means for controlling and regulating the flow of ink andl for providing against the liability of the pen sweating when not in use, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. l

To this end my invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination `of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate correspending parts in various views, Figure 1 is a side view, looking in the direction of the plug to be hereinafter more fully described..

The holder or reservoir A is preferably closed at its upper end and is adapted to connect with a nozzle B by screw-threads d or otherwise. Within thenozzle B maybe maintai-ned a feeder-bar C, which in the present inst-ance is shownas comprising a body portion'which preferably fits friction-tight in the nozzle B andis adjustable therein. From this body portion of the feeder-bar projects a slitted feeder-fingerb, which in the-present instance bears upon the under side of the pennib D, as shown in Fig. 2. The feeder-bar is provided with a bore or ink-conduit d, which is circular in cross-section and preferably terminates in daring mouths dd2 to better control the bubbles and thereby control the flow of ink through the bore or conduit d. Within the circular bore d is contained an obstruction-plug e, which is independent of the feeder-bar and which is noncircular in cross-section 'at a portion'ofits diameter and terminates at its upper end Within the conduit d. within the conduit at or near the lower end This plug is contained thereof andv is preferably provided with an extension or finger-piece f, by which it may be adjusted in the conduit d or withdrawn therefrom.

i means of the finger-piece or hook-like extension f, and when the penis filled the obstruction-plug is replaced in the bore and the pen is in condition for use. In operation the ink and air pass in opposite directions through the apertures formed between the corners of the obstruction-plug andthe Walls of the circular bore. Theink is fed to the slit in the vIingerb of the feeder-bar and thence to the pen as required. The air passing to the rear of the obstruction-plug e has a tendency to'form into a globule of about the same diameter as the obstruction-plug. It will be readily understoodl that if the obstructionplug e were circular instead of non-circular in orossfsection and of smaller diameter than the conduit an air-bubble at the rear of the obstruc- This plug is of sufficient diame- .ter at portions thereof to make contact with tion would form a seal against the flow of ink and air in opposite directions and a control of the flow could not be had. Various means have been devised heretofore to either destroy or otherwise get rid of these bubbles, but by my invention I am enabled to utilize them to automatically control the flow of ink to the pen-nib. The obstruction e maintains a bubble near the lower end of the conduit, and under ordinary circumstances would tend to choke the flow of ink and air in opposite directions, but the fact that the plug` is noncircular in cross-section, preferably where it contacts with the walls of fthe conduit, allows of the ready iow of ink and air-inopposite directions, In other words, the tendency of the bubble at the rear of the obstructionplug c is to form a globule or semiglobular ilm, and a space is formed between said film and the angular or non-circular obstructionplug which forms a nucleus for the inilux and efflux of air to and from the reservoir, and the portions of said obstruction-plug which contact with the walls of the conduit constitute a nucleus for the iiow of ink to the pen-nib.

It will be observed that by my invention the obstruction plug forms a controlling means for the iow of inl; and air which is entirely independent of the feed to the pennib from the feeder-finger of the feeder-bar, and that a pen of my construction can properly ventilate itself at all times, and thereby prevent all liability of sweatingthat is to say, when the pen is not in use there is no liability of the expansion of the air within the holdercausingair-bubbles with the ink which lforms a component part thereof being forced out through the bore and around the pennozzle, as heretofore, because the air within the holder at alltimes may escape through the apertures formed between the surface of the bubbles and the obstruction-plug e. Thus, assuming thatabubble has a tendency to rise in the conduit CZ when the pen is not in use, it will travel as far as the obstruction-plug and there be retained, at the same time allowing the air to escape between the obstructionplug and the film.

My invention is of particular value in large pens wherein a considerable iiow of ink is required because of the absolute control and regularity of the iiow without liability of the pen sweating, bleeding, or dropping ink, which heretofore could not be had. Furthermore, it will be seen that the single conduit of my construction forms practically an extension of the reservoir and constitutes in itself a reservoir of some considerable proportions, which may 'be readily drawn upon for a supply of ink to the pen-nib. p It -will likewise be observed that by my invention I am enabled to provide an eihcient pen which is simple in construction and wherein there is little liability of the parts getting out of order and wherein there are no minute channels or passages which are liable to become choked and render the pen inoperative.

I am aware that heretofore feeder-bars of non-circular shape in cross-section, contained within conduits of circular shape in crosssection, have been devised, and such constructions I do not claim, the obstructionplug of my invention being essentially different in function and effect from these feederbars.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit in communication with the pennib and with the open air, and a non-circular obstruction-plug contained within said conduit at or near the lower` end thereof and terminating therein.

2. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit circular in cross-section, the said conduit .bein g in communication with the pennib and with the open air and a non-circular adjustable obstruction-plu g contained within said conduit at or nea-r the lower end thereof and terminating therein.

3. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit circular in cross-section, said conduit being in communication with the pennib and with the open air and a non-circular adjustable and removable obstruction-plug contained within said conduit at or near the lower end thereof and terminating therein.

4. In a fountain-pen, the combination of an ink-conduit circularin cross-section, said conduit being in communication with the pennib and with the open air and a non-circular obstruction-plug contacting with the walls of said conduit at or near the lower end thereof and terminating therein.

5. In a fountain-pen, a feeder-bar having a slitted feeder-linger proj ectin g therefrom and an ink-conduit circular in cross-section, the said conduit being entirely surrounded by the walls of said feeder-bar and in communication with the reservoir and with the open air and a non-circular obstruction-plug independent of said feeder bar contained within said conduit at or near the lower end and terminating therein.

IVILLIAM IV. STEVVARI. lVitnesses:

CHARLES E. SMITH, MAURICE BLOCK.-

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