US2499771A - Writing instrument - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1950 A. F. O'CONNOR WRITING INSTRUMENT .Fil ea Aug. 10, 194

, w a W 6 j M A T um 2 4 T 1 I M0 fi A// A/ A 4/7 F m w w w m T MIVYDI? 77 M d {VP M 6 0 w w 5 22 i atented Mar. "7, 1956 UNITED STATES EFATENT OFFICE WRITING INSTRUMENT Arthur E, QConnor, Chicago, Ill. ApplicationAuguStIO, 1948, Serial No .:43,387

(c1. ram-.46

zcla ms The-present invention relates-to improvements.

in fountain pens and is particularly adaptablefo use with pens of the ballepoint type wherein a dense ink is employed.

One object is to provide improved mflansg whereby the ink may be; selectively urgedinto cooperative relation with the writingelement of the pen.

Another important object is to provideselem; tive means for moving the ink towardthe writing.

element wherein the feed mechanism requires.

A further object is to provide; an improved ink;

feeding mechanism extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture and requiring. but few parts of readily available inexpensive material.

The invention isparticularly wellradapted for use with the axially compressible. ink cartridge shown in the drawings; this type of cartridge:

being also part of the subject. matter of my copending application Serial No. 777,935; filed Octoher 4, 1947, now Patent2,l92,058;. dated'December.

Other objects, advantagesand capabilities of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view through a pen embodying a preferred form of my invention; the feed mechanism being shown in full elevation and portions of the cartridge and tip member being shown broken away for clarity; the feed mechanism being shown in retracted position. and a full cartridge of ink beingshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a view of the structure of Fig, 1, with the feed mechanism shown in its extended position and the cartridge substantially empty.

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the follower used to compress the cartridge.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the follower.

While the feed mechanism of the presentinvention is particularly well adapted for use with the axially compressible cartridge shown in the drawings, it is specifically understood that it may be used also with pens wherein the ink is disposed directly in the bore of the barrel and no cartridge used.

Throughout the specification the words forward end and rear end and their equivalents are intended to mean the writing end and the opposite end of the pen, respectively.

2 In the d in e bar e ieindicetetiby t reference numeral IQ. A bushing i2-is shown removably s c r in the r r an 9 th barrelore nd a. t member Hi how wmil s the forward end of the barrel; awriting; ball1h,

be n rota blv m un d tes f rwa d ll-499i the tip memberwith a duct I B f rmed in the tip member to provide communication between the:

ink in the bar e and heritine a i he de ail d description thus-far being Well known pen. cone struction.

The cartridge 0' com r es x a l mm:

to make of rubber or other suitable fie ible ma.-

pressible elongate hollow member wh h I prefer.

terial and; as shown in Fig. 1, extends lengthwise.

of the barrel bore, with its forward' end 22. re.-

movably secured to the sleeve member 24 of the.

tip member M. The sleeve-like end 22 of the cartridge may be provided with aferrule 25 which latter may be integrated with the cartridge as by stretching the flexible material of the endig.

over the. telescoped ferrule. The ferrule 21; may be made. of vulcanized fibre, plastic or any similar material suitable for a slidingtelescoped fit with.

thesleeve member 24 and, if desired, the ferrule may be interiorly threaded. and the-sleeve menu-.- ber 2:3 exteriorly threaded, if a threaded connection is desired. I

The cartridge All istubular, having an integral closed end wall 25 and side. walls comprising spaced shape-retaining rings 3!) and interme' diate integral relatively thin Wa1ls-32 of concavo; convex cross-sectional configuration; the. concave surface being on the exterior of the wall 32; the walls 3-3 being adapted to foldinwardly as the rings as move toward each other. The barrel.- ill is shown formed with internal threads 3.4, extending from the rear end of the barrel to a point coincident the extreme forward position of the follower hereinafter described The forward end of the barrel is shown formed with internal. threads 36 adapted to register with the extern lly: threaded end-38; of the tip member. T-he bushing, It is how as a c d ica memher hav n t? forward portion externally threaded, as alt-.410; a

s ould po i 42 at its ear snared-an axial aperture 44 extending through the bushing; the bushing being adapted to be screwed into the rear end of the barrel until the shoulder portion 42 abuts the end of the barrel. An actuating member 46 comprises a rod-like portion 48 extending through the aperture 44 and normally extending rearwardly of the bushing. A disc-like member 50 of larger diameter than the diameter of the portion 48 may be integrally formed with the forward end of the member 48 adapted to normally abut the forward end of the bushing, whereby to limit the rearward movement of the actuating member 45. A follower 52 is disposed within the barrel adapted for movement longitudinally thereof and comprises a cylindrical member formed with peripheral threads 54 adapted to register with the threads 34 of the barrel; the follower normally being in closely adjacent relation with the end wall 28 of the cartridge. As best shown in Fig. 1, I prefer to use a friction-reducing member 55 intermediate the follower 52 and the end wall 28 of the cartridge and which is shown as a circular disc of relatively thin material in fiatwise abutting relation with the end wall 28 and formed with a centrally disposed rearwardly extending boss 56 adapted to engage the forward surface of the follower 52. The use of the member 55 'will be understood to be optional.

A conical extension spring 58 is disposed intermediate and is affixed adjacent its opposed ends to the member 53 and the rear face of the follower 52, respectively, whereby upon rotation of the actuating member 46 in a, given direction the spring will rotate and will in turn rotate the follower 52 in the same direction, causing the latter to move lengthwise of the barrel into or out of compressive relation with the cartridge. The cross-sectional configuration of the wire used in the spring 58 may be round, fiat, square or any other suitable shape and it is to be understood that the spring is not used as a compression memher but as a medium to rotate the follower capable of being retracted into a compact shape and extendable to a desired length to accommodate the extreme forward position of the follower. I contemplate the use of a spring 58 having a free length slightly greater than that indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings whereby the spring will at all times urge the actuating member 46 in a rearwardly direction. The opposed ends of the spring may be non-rotatably affixed to the actuating member and the follower by welding or by any other of the numerous methods of non-rotatably fastening a spring to a member.

After the several parts of my invention have assumed the general positions shown in Fig. 2, it will be understood that a new cartridge will replace the empty one. To apply a new cartridge the actuating member 46 may be rotated in a direction adapted to return the follower to the general position shown in Fig. 1, after which the tip member [4 may be removed from the barrel and the cartridge removed and replaced by a filled cartridge.

Whereas I have shown internal threads 34 formed in the wall of the barrel bore, I co-ntemplate the use of a sleeve-like member which may be internally threaded if desired and telescoped into the barrel bore without departing from the scope of my invention. Whereas I have shown a bushing [2 in the rear end of the barrel I contemplate an equivalent structure wherein the rear end of the barrel I is formed with an integral apertured end wall.

While a preferred embodiment of my inven tion has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a writing instrument comprising an elongate barrel formed with internal threads, a tip member at the forward end of the barrel provided with a writing element, and an ink supply in the forward portion of the barrel in communication with said writing element; means for selectively urging said ink supply toward said writing element comprising a follower rearwardly adjacent said ink supply formed with a peripheral portion adapted to register with said threads, an actuating member rotatably mounted in the rear end of said barrel, and an extension spring intermediate and having its opposed end portions aflixed in non-rotating relation with said follower and said actuating member, respectively; said follower being adapted to rotate and move forwardly in the barrel in response to the rotation in one direction of said actuating member whereby to urge said ink supply toward said writing element.

2. In a writing instrument comprising an elongate barrel formed with internal threads, a tip member at the forward end of the barrel provided with a writing element, an axially col.-- pressible elongate cartridge in the forward portion of the barrel adapted to be charged with ink and cooperatively connected with said writing element; means for selectively urging said ink toward said writing element comprising a follower rearwardly adjacent said cartridge formed with a peripheral portion adapted to register with said threads, an actuating member rotatably mounted in the rear end of said barrel, and an extension spring intermediate and having its opposed end portions aflixed in non-rotating relation with said follower and said actuating member, respectively; said follower being adapted to move forwardly into axially compressive relation with said cartridge in response to the rotation in one direction of said actuating member whereby to urge the ink toward said writing element.

ARTHUR F. O'CONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 799,297 Betzler Sept. 12, 1905 1,756,811 Brownsberger Apr. 29, 1930 2,196,379 Bender Apr. 9, 1940 2,376,222 Barlow May 15, 1945 2,438,786 Moore Mar. 30, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 386,298 Great Britain 1931

Images