US1881447A - Fountain pen - Google Patents

Description

w. c. FORD FOUNTAIN PEN Oct. 11, 1932.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24. 1932 ATTORNEY W. C. FORD Oct. 11, 1932.

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed Feb. 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,1 111 n'I/Il M k T RriEY Patented Oct. 11, 1932 warren STATES PArENr orricr;

FOUNTAIN PEN Application filed February 24, 1932. Serial No, 594,791.

This invention relates to fountain pens of the type in which there is in the barrel :1 rubber bag or sack which connects with a duct under the pin point, such bag or sack serving as a reservoir for the ink. In the great majority of this type of pens there is a filling lever pivoted, formed and located in a slot which extends lengthwise through the barrel, the outer part of such lever being substantially flush with the outside of the barrel, the lever including a short arm in front of the pivot and a long arm back of the pivot, meaning by front the end of the pen from which the pen point projects.

In such pens, the tip end of the long arm of the lever is usually made thin and there is a recess in the barrel so that when the pen is to be filled, the thumb nail can be inserted under such end and the long arm raised and the short arm depressed thus compressing the ink bag.

By long arm is meant the handle arm and by short arm, the pressure arm.

vVhen so compressed, the pen point and duct are inserted in an ink bottlebelow the level of the ink therein and, while in this position, the long arm is returned to its normal position thus releasing the pressure. of the short arm on the ink bag whereby a suction is produced and the pen is filled.

This method of filling as a rule requires that the pen shall be held in both hands one hand, usually the left, manipulating the filling lever and the other'hand steadying the pen when introduced into the ink.

When the pen is unused for some time, the ink dries up around the pen point and duct and in order to start the fiow either the pen must be shaken with the danger of spattering ink or the filling lever must be operated to force some of the ink out at the point.

My invention is a lever operating member which is slidable and preferably turnable on the barrel of the pen and which has an elas tic pressure arm which terminates in a contact member adapted to engage the short arm of the filling lever at any point from the pivot to the .end of the short arm and to thereby operate the lever with the use of one hand only.

By suitably positioning this lever operating member, the short arm can be slightly compressed holding the pen in one hand and by operating one finger only so as to start the ink or by elsewhere positioning and/ or otherwise using one finger of one hand, the short arm can be moved suificiently to compress the ink bag for filling the pen.

The great advantage of this is that the pen can be held steadily in one hand while being filled and can be pushed into the ink just far enough to cover the point and duct but not far enough to soil the barrel and at the same time or at the right time the filling lever can be manipulated to fill the pen.

Besides this, when the ink has dried out more or less from the point, the pen held in one hand can be pressed upon the paper in such a Way as to separate the pen point from the duct and at the same time the operating lever can be so manipulated by one finger of one hand that a small amount of ink is forced out from the ink bag down between the point and the duct and on account of these being slightly separated, the ink fiows down underneath the pen point where it is in contact with the paper instead of working up through the usual vent hole at the top of the pen point.

Another advantage of my device is that, particularly where it is turnable on the pen barrel, it can be moved to such position that not only will theregular filling lever be protected from accidental operation but my device can be used in place of the well known spring clip for attaching the pen to a pocket.

The contact member of my lever operating member is preferably so made that it cannot stick or jam when operating the filling lever.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevation enlarged and partly in section and partly broken away showing a pen of my construction in a human hand, the parts being shown as they are when first starting to write and when the ink is first required to flow.

Fig. 2 is a detail showing a slightly different position-of the operating member with reference-to the filling lever.

Fig. 3 is a, view similar to Fig. 1,1but with the parts in the position they assume when the ink bag is compressed in order to be filled with ink.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pen filling lever and my operating member in place to operate the filling lever.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with the operating member turned away from the filling lever and used as a clip to hold the pen in a pocket.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged perspective views of slightly different types of operating members.

Fig. 8 is a perspective showing another type or modification of operating member in position on a pen.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 of another modification.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation partly in section of another modification.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a pen with the device shown in Fig. 9 in place.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a pen partly in section with the device shown in Fig. 10 in place. i

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of filling lever.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 13 of a pen with the filling lever omitted.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 7 showing another modification.

In the drawings, F represents a human forefinger and T a thumb of the same hand both presumably being the right hand.

A represents a paper on which the point P of a pen with a barrel B is to write and C indicates the pocket of a vest or coat.

The fountain pen shown has a barrel B at the end of which is the usual pen point P through the top of which is the usual hole 9 and under which is the usual duct 18 which connects with the ink bag 11 in the usual way.

L is the usual filling lever, pivoted in a slot S which extends lengthwise through the barrel B on a pivot 12, having a long arm 13 and a short arm 14 the latter adapted to engage with metal pressure strip 10 resting on ink bag 11. Lever L and pressure strip 10, either or both, are the means for squeezing the ink bag 11. I represents the ink.

My filling lever operating member M is preferably made of elastic sheet metal and includes a body 1 from which extend the two legs 2, 2 which in Fig. 1 project towards the back, leaving a space 3 between them into which the contact member 0 at the end of the pressure arm can enter. The pressure arm starts at 5 opposite the legs 2, 2 and is bent in a bow at '6 and thence runs along at 7 substantially parallel with the barrel B.

The pressure arm terminates in a contact member 0 which is of substantially triangular form with its outside member 8 preferably slightly curved and forming a greater angle with 7 than its inside member 92.

'sition shown in Fig. 2.

nssnaa? The apex 90 of the contact member 0 is rounded so that it will slip easily on the filling lever L and will not jam when in the po- Contact member 0 must be of a little less width than slot S in barrel B.

The jaws 4, 4 are of such length and they and the body 1 are of such size that they can be slipped on the barrel B and will cling tightly in place so that my operating member M can be slid lengthwise of barrel B and preferably can be turned thereon if desired.

When used for starting the ink, the member M is moved so that the member 0 will touch near the tip of short arm 14 of lever L so that by holding the finger F in the position shown in Fig. 1, member 0 can push the short end 14 of filling lever L down slightly or enough to start the ink I, I out from the duct 18 while at the same time, the rest of the human finger F serves as a stop to prevent the long arm 13 from rising too high or arm 14 from going too low and causing the ink to spout.

I find that by slipping member M up so that contact member 0 engages arm 14 of lever L near pivot 12, as shown in Fig. 2, the parts will move only a distance sufiicient to start the ink and will then lock.

As shown in Fig. 3, however, for filling the pen the position of the human finger F can be slightly changed and the member M can be moved up to the left about half -way to pivot 12 whereby member 0 can be caused to depress short arm 14 of filling lever L sufiiciently to expel all the ink and the air from bag 11 so that the whole bag is filled when the parts resume their normal position- As shown in Fig. 5, member M can be turned so that member 0 will not engage arm 14 and in this position, member M can be used as a holder or clip to attach the pin to a pocket such as C.

As shown in Fig. 7 the legs 2, 2 may be omitted if desired, but they help to form a longer and firmer base.

In Fig. 8, I show a somewhat modified lever operating member having a body 30 which has two elastic jaws such as 34 together with the split arm 35 which. starts at 30 and is bent around at 36 and thence continues to 39. Split arm 35 has a downwardly projecting contact member 38 in position to engage the short arm of an operating lever such as L. Body 30 and arm 35 are both formed with a slot or split 33.

In this case, if placed in the position shown, the long arm 13 of lever L can rise up through arm 35in the slot 33, the distance of such rising being determined by the position of a finger such as shown in dotted lines at F. At 31, body 30 may be humped a little so that the bridge so formed can be positioned directly over pivot 12 or where it will serve as a stop nates in a contact member 58.

to limit the movement of lever L in starting the ink.

As shown in lfig. 9, I may have the body 0 at one end with the jaws a l, a l, and the elastic lever operating arm having a conact member 48 and being split or slotted at 43 so that, when in the position shown, the long arm 13 of lever L can rise up through this split 43.

As a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 9, I can use an operating member such as shown in Fig. 10 with a body 50, aws such as 5% and lever operating arm which not split and which termi- This construction however, win s body 50 very close to the reduced end 9i. of barrel B shown in l1 and this an objection in a short pen. I prefer the more compact type shown in l 1' to 10.

In referring to tie filling lever and in speaking of its short arm i l and long arm 13, it is obvious that these might be of the same length or 14 might o en be longer than What is intended by short arm is the 1 pressure arm which is capable of going down through the slot S and compressing the ink bag while what is meant by the long arm is the arm 13 which ordinarily is used as a handle.

In fact, the lever L such as now generally used havin the two arms 13 and let and pivoted between the ends 12 can be replaced as shown in Fig. by a lever pivoted in a slot 61 at one end 62 in such a way as to engz go the usual metal strip 10 between ink bag 11 and the inside of a barrel In fact, as shown in Fig. 14, I can omit the filling lever such as L entirely and replace it by a hole or slot through which the contact member 0 can engage pressure strip 10 thus taking the place of the lever, the strip 10 becoming the sole ink bag squeezing member and being engaged only by contact member 6.

My operating member whether it operates to squeeze the ink by direct contact with it, with a pressure strip or with. a filling lever which has a handle arm and a pressure arm, or a pressure arm alone, preferably has elastic jaws. If carefully fitted, however, these jaws may be rigid, but in every case, the operating member must be slidable and preferably turnable on the barrel and the contact member such as 0 preferably normally does not quite reach the surface of the pen barrel B.

In Fig. 15, I show an operating member T having a body 80, jaws 8%, 84, an elastic pressure arm 81 and contact member 82, the end of the arm 81 being broadened at 88 to form a finger plate for convenience in. operating. This finger plate may be used for ornamentation, marking or other similar purposes.

1. The combination with a fountain pen having a barrel and a filling lever which is so pivoted, formed and located in a slot in the barrel that its outer surface is substantially flush with the barrel and which has a long and a short arm; of lever operating member formed with a body having two legs at one end, elastic jaws which elastically grip the barrel and are slidable and turnable thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from the body opposite the legs and is bent back over the body and terminates in a triangular shaped contact member which is curved on the outside and extends down and 530 proximate to the legs and to the short arm of the filling lever. i i

' 2. The combination with a fountain pen having a barrel and a filling lever which is so pivoted, formed and located in a slot in the barrel that its outer surface is substantially flush with the barrel and which has a long and a short arm;.of a lever operating member formed with a body having elastic jaws which elastically grip the barrel and are slidable and turn able thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from and is bent back over the body and terminates in a contact member which is curved on the outside and extends down and proximate to the short arm from the body and is bent back over the body and terminates in a contact member which extends down and proximate to the short arm of the filling lever.

4. The combination with a "fountain pen having a barrel and a filling lever which is so pivoted, formed and located in a slot in the barrel that its outer surface is substantial-- ly flush with the barrel and which has a long and a short arm; of a lever operating member formed with a body having elastic jaws which elastically grip the barrel and are slidable thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from the body and terminates in a contact member which extends down and proximate to the short arm of the filling lever.

5. The combination with a fountain pen havinga barrel and a filling lever which is so pivoted, formed and located in a slot in the barrel that its outer surface is substantially flush with the barrel and which has a long and a short arm; of a lever operating member formed with a body having elastic jaws which elastically grip the barrel and are that its outer surface is substantially slidable thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from the body and terminates in a contact member which extends down and proximate to the short arm oi the filling lever, said pressure arm having a slot through which the long arm of the filling lever can pass.

6. The combination with a fountain pen having a tubular barrel through which is a slot, an ink bag in the barrel, and means for squeezing said ink bag including a filling lever which is so pivoted, formed and located in said slot as to have a handle arm and a pressure arm, and an ink bag pressure strip positioned proximate the slot in the barrel; of an operating member formed with a body having elastic iaws which elastically grip the barrel and are slidable and turnable thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from the body and terminates in a contact member which extends down and proximate said slot.

7. The combination with a fountain pen having a tubular barrel through which is a slot, an ink bag in the barrel, and means for squeezing said ink bag positioned proximate the slot invthe barrel; of an operating member formed with a body having elastic jaws which elastically grip the barrel and are slidable and turnable thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from the body and terminates in a contact member which extends down and proximate said slot.

8. The combination with a fountain pen having a tubular barrel through which is a slot, an ink bag in the barrel, and means for squeezing said ink bag positioned proximate the slot in the barrel; of an operating member formed with a body having elastic jaws which grip the barrel and are slidable thereon and an elastic pressure arm which extends from the body and terminates in a contact member which extends down and proximate said slot.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WVILLIAM 0. FORD.

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