US750271A - Fountain-pen - Google Patents

Description

N0.750,2v1. A PATBNTED 1,011.26, 1904.

A. EBBRSTBIN. r

FOUNTAIN PEN.

APPLIGATIoN FILED 531,114. 1002. RENEWED 0012.13, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

AUGST EBERSTEIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES BRANDT AND CHARLES E. BRANDT, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION formingA part of Letters Patent No. 750,271, dated January 26, 1904.

Application filed September 4,1902. Renewed October 13,1903. Serial No. 176 ,851. (No model.)

novel form of pen in which all the danger of gushing or flooding will be overcome.

As most fountain-pens are commonly constructed a feed-bar is inserted in the nozzle of the pen and has formed therein a feeding groove or duct, through which the ink is Vfed from the reservoir in the barrel to the nibs of the pen as required during the use of the pen. It frequently happens, however, that a slight jar or the expansion of the air in the barrel due to the heat of the hand of the person using the pen or some other abnormal condition forces the ink to the nibs of the pen faster than it can be ed, witha result that the surplus ink drops oiii from the pen, thus forming blots, this being called flooding or gushing. Various expedients have been resorted to to overcome this difliculty, such as providing overflow-pockets or surplus-reservoirs, into which the surplus ink which is forced to the pen-nibs can flow and by which it is retained to prevent its dropping off `from the pen. In some instances these overflow-pockets have been formed by providing the feedbar where it extends beneath the pen with a transverse piece which forms, with the pen and with the feed-bar, an overflow-pocket situated out of the direct line of conduction from the reservoir in the barrel of the pen to the pen-nibs, but in indirect communication therewith, whereby any` surplus ink which is conducted through the capillary channel of the feed-bar is forced into said overilow-pockets instead of oi from the end of the pen.

These pockets as heretofore constructed have been comparatively large-that is, of a size to hold three or four drops-and it has been found in practice that while the pockets serve to receive the surplus ink as it is :forced through the capillary channel of the feed-bar `yet when such comparatively large pockets become filled with ink a jarring of the pen will often dislodge someof the ink to thereby cause blots. To overcome this diiiiculty and to provide a pen which will prevent any liooding or gushing under all circumstances, I have provided the feed-bar of my pen with one or more capillary reservoirs, which are situated out of the direct line of conduction from theV main reservoir in the barrel to the pen-nibs, but which are in indirect communication therewith. These capillary reservoirs may either be in the form of small capillary apertures, which are drilled through or formed in the feed-bar or may be in the nature of recesses or slits. In either case it is essential that each reservoir shall have such a small cross-sectional area that any ink which finds its way into the capillary reservoir shall be retained therein by capillary attraction. This is essential in order to prevent the surplus ink from being dislodged from the reservoir by a jar or other cause. With my improved pen whenever from any cause the ink is conducted from the main reservoir to the pen-nibs faster than it can be used the surplus ink iinds `its way into the capillaryT reservoir or reservoirs largely by capillary attraction, and owing to the small cross-sectional size of the areas of the reservoirs such surplus ink is held therein by capillary attraction. This capillary attraction is sufficient so that when the capillary reservoir or reservoirs once become filled all further iooding of the pen is effectively stopped.

AIn the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a pen having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a section on the line w a', Fig. `l. Fig. 3 is a top View of a portion of va fountain-pen lia-ving my improvement with a pen shown in dotted lines to better show the structure ofthe-feedbar. Fig. i shows a modified form of my invention; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line yg, Fig. 4.

My invention is applicable to any fountainpen, whether the barrel has the old-fashioned screw-threaded engagement with the nozzle or whether the nozzle has secured thereto an expansible reservoir for holding the ink. For convenience I have shown the first type of pen in the drawings accompanying this application, and 3 designates the usual barrel, which has a common screw-threaded connection with the nozzle 4 of any suitable construction, which carries at one end a pen-5, as usual.

The feed-bar is designated by 6, and, as.n usual in fountain-pens, the end 7 thereofl is substantially cylindrical and fits snugly within the nozzle 4, the said feed-bar having the usual feed-groove 8, which may be of any suitable shape and which extends from the inner end of the feed-bar nearly to the outer end 9 thereof in order to conduct the ink to the slit in the nibs of the pen. The parts thus far described are or may be all as usual in fountain-pens.

One feature of my invention consists in providing the portion of the feed-bar beneath the pen with one or more capillary reservoirs into which the surplus ink is forced and by which it is retained by capillary attraction, and another feature consists in making the portion of the feed-bar which is immediately under the pen of such ashape that it will have a considerable extent of surface in substantial contact with the under side of the pen.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the portion 9, or the outer end of the feedbar, is substantially semicylindrical in crosssection and has substantially all its semicylindrical surface in contact with the under side of the pen, the semicylindrical end 9 being of sufficient size to have the capillary reservoirs, hereinafter described, formed therein.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3 the capillary reservoirs are in the form of small apertures l0,which are bored or otherwise formed in the feed-bar and which, as illustrated, extend through the feed-bar from the under side to the upperside thereof. Such reservoirs are shown as being situated out of line with the feed-duct 8 and as having no direct communication therewith. These reservoirs, however, have an indirect communication with the feed-groove 8 between the pen and the dividing-wall 12, which separates theA feedgroove from the reservoir. Any number of such reservoirs or chambers may be employed, and they may have any relative arrangement desired. In Figs. 1 to 3 said reservoirs are shown as being situated on both sides of the feed-duct, the reservoirs on one side being situated directly opposite those on the other side. It is within the scope of myinvention to employ the reservoirs only on one side of the feedduct, if desired, and also to arrange the two series of reservoirs on opposite sides of the feed-duct in staggered relation to each other or in any other relative position.

' bar.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the reservoirs are given a slightly different shape-that is, they are in the form of slits or notches cut into the sides of the feed-bar. I would state, however, that such slits or notches should have only such a cross-sectional area that the ink will be held therein by capillary attraction. rIhis is one of the important features of my invention-that is, making the capillary reservoirs of such a size or having such cross-sectional area thatthe ink will be r'ctained therein by capillary attraction.

Another important point in my invention is the comparatively large area of the feedbar and pen which are in substantial contact.

-While the pen is in contact with the semicylindrical surface of the feed-bar, yet such contact is not such as to prevent the ink filling the slight space between the pen and feed-bar and being held therein by capillary attraction. While this space is comparatively small, yet it does, nevertheless, form a capillary reservoir having quite a large area, and the film of ink which fills the said space is held between the pen and feed-bar with suflcient capillary attraction that any ordinary pressure which may exist in the barrel of the pen or any ordinary jarring will not force the ink around the feed- This construction of feed-bar also prevents the air from entering the fountain-pen as rapidly as if the feed-bar were only wide enough at this point to have the feedinggroove formed therein, and as a consequence any tendency to gush or flood is prevented by the formation of a partial vacuum in the barrel. This comparatively large area of capillary surface, however, prevents the pen from getting dry and maintains the wet line even though the pen is seldom used.

In the use of my improved pen the ink will ordinarily be conducted to the pen-nibs as usual in this class of devices; but when for any reason the pen tends to flood the surplus ink will be forced from the feeding-groove into the capillary reservoir or reservoirs, where it will be retained by capillary attraction.

Since each one of the reservoirs contains only a small quantity of ink and since such ink is held in the reservoir by capillary at-y traction, it is impossible to dislodge it by a jar or any other means except by a proper use of the pen, as would be the case if the reservoirs were of a size to hold three or four drops. Such fiooding or gush is also pre- Vented, as above stated, by the comparatively large area on thesurface of the feed-bar either side of the feed-groove, which is in substantial contact with the pen and which prevents too rapid admission of air to the feed-groove.

NVhile I have herein shown some ways in which my invention may be embodied, yet I do not wish to Vbe limited to the precise construction shown, as the capillary reservoirs may be given various other shapes and posilOO ISO

tions than that herein illustrated without in any way departing from the spirit yof my invention. It will also be obvious that some features of my invention are applicable to other pens than fountain-pens.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a fountain-pen, a feed-bar having the usual feed-groove and provided with one or more capillary. reservoirs situated out of the line of conduction from the main reservoir to the pen-nibs, but in indirect communication therewith.

2. In a fountain-pen, a main reservoir, and a pen, combined with a feed-bar having in addition to the ordinary feeding-groove, one or more capillary apertures which are independent from said feeding-groove.

3. In a fountain-pen, a main reservoir, and

a pen, combined with a feed-bar having in addition to the usual feed-groove for conducting the ink from the main reservoir to the pen, a plurality of capillary reservoirs situated on each side of the feed-groove and in indirect 25 communication therewith.

4E. In a fountain-pen, a main reservoir, and

a pen, combined with a feed-bar having in addition to the usual feedmg-groove one or more capillary apertures which are independent 30 from said feeding-groove, the said feed-bar being shaped to eontaetwith substantially the entire outside of the pen.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- 35

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