Oh, patents! The biro

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Have you ever used a biro? Chances are that you have!  And that you have also biroed your way through more than one letter or form!

The biro is a ball point pen, nowadays, especially in England! And, In France, it’s a bic!

Although the British English and French eponyms both have different eponymous origins, a single patent, granted to Laszlo Jozsef Biro in 1941, and then assigned to Marcel Bich, an Italian /French entrepreneur, lays claim to the invention of the ball point pen and matching pasty ink.  

So, what happened?...

 Laszlo Joszef Biro was a Hungarian Jew who fled to Buenos Aires (Argentina) at the onset of World War II. In 1938 he filed a single US patent application from Hungary titled Fountain pen for pulpy ink, granted as US2265055 in 1941. This patent was also divided, and filed from Buenos Aires as two separate US patent applications, granted as US2258841 titled Fountain Pen in 1941, and as US2416145 titled Writing paste, in 1947

These three US patents, in fact, cover the many details of two important, mega-inventions: a new rotating ball point pen design, and a new, high humidity, high viscosity, ink paste formula. Both of these inventions probably appeared inseparable since they were originally filed as a single patent application, granted as US2265055. However, they were eventually unpacked into separate patents.

Indeed, the new ink paste formula and the new design of the rotating ball point each respond separately albeit cooperatively, to the single problematic situation of dry, caked and inoperable ball point tips of the prior art. That is, the prior art of ink paste resulted in a product that tended to dry too fast, while the prior art of ball point pen designs allowed for the ink to accumulate on the surface of the ball and in the gaps between the ball and its contact circles in the ball housing.  As a result, the ink caked in the housing and around the roller ball, where it dried, in turn resulting in an inoperable pen.

Thus, Biro's inventions (in coordination with his brother who was a chemist) respond to the problematic situation by changing both the ink formula and the design of the ball housing. The ink formula was changed to higher humidity and viscosity, and the design of the ball housing was changed by reducing to a minimum the gap between the two contact circles of the ball within the housing. Thus, in the new Biro design, only a very fine coat of ink could be dispensed onto the ball prior to contacting the writing surface, preventing the prior art accumulation and consequent caking of the rotatable ball.

US2258841 further discloses an ink paste reservoir or cartridge, "obtainable separately" as an accessory, and designed to replace a used cartridge or reservoir; novel and more optimum means of expelling the ink paste to the roller ball; a leaf spring within the housing of the ball designed to “urge the ball” in contact with the curled edges of the housing, or to prevent the prior art looseness of the ball, and consequent accumulation, drying and caking of the ink

As for the French Bic®... it could have been a paper clip... but it would become a very cheap, single-use and disposable, fountain pen, still in use to date, initially using the biro ball-point pen design and ink paste. 

Thus, L. J. Biro escaped... and the family name endures, fully eponymized, at least in the ball-point pens of the UK, and by design in all the pulpy ink, ball-point pens of the world! 

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Below, figure drawings No. 6 and 7, of the unpacked US2258841 Biro fountain pen patent, are included, with an added and layered key to facilitate comprehension and translation. 

Oh, patents! Fountain-pen clip

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The visible part of the pen in your shirt pocket is surely the clip, which bears the brand, logo, or mark of the pen manufacturer. However, the fountain pen clip did not always serve this advertising purpose...

According to William Edgar Moore, the turn of the 19^th century inventor of the pen clip, and twice Assignor to the Parker Pen Company: “the detachable caps on fountain pens frequently split and break at the open end thereof in being forced onto the body of the pen” [L9-12]. This is the reason, he further explains, why pen caps are designed with a reinforcement ring at the open end, permanently attached to the cap material.

Thus, In consideration of the problematic situation of cracked fountain pen caps, and the larger issue of leak-proofing fountain pens,  US1204053 discloses, in 1916, a Clip for fountain-pens that doubles as reinforcement for the pen cap, while offering a design for both securing the clip to the pen, and the pen to a pocket. In turn, the clip means of securing the pen to a pocket -- in an upright position that also prevents the pen from falling to the ground -- , at least indirectly promises to reduce the risk of “escaping ink”.

W. E. Moore’s clip for fountain pens comprises two bands for attaching the clip to the fountain pen. One band, at the bottom, completely encircles the pen cap. The other, at the top, clamps partially around the pen cap. And both bands are connected to a spine. Thus, the clip provides brace-like support and protection for pen caps.

The return bent, and resilient clip component ends with a small round ball, designed to secure the pen in a pocket. The patent further specifies that the shape of the clip is unimportant. 

Thus, even if originally, the pen clip was essentially designed to reinforce pen caps, and indirectly to reduce leakage, it has endured, further acquiring prime branding status as the only visible component of a pen in a shirt pocket.

W.E. Moore’s clip for fountain pens was further specified -- sold and manufactured separately from fountain pens.

Below, the figure drawings extracted from US1204053, where I have added and layered a key for ease of comprehension and translation.

Oh, patents! Wirt’s Fountain-pen (cap)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Ah, the endless flow of a fountain of ink...! 

Oh, what a mess...!

To date leak-proofing fountain pens remains an issue, especially in pressurized plane cabins (see for example the post on LouisVuitton’s 2015 fountain pen patent).

In 1894, “escaping ink” appeared as no less of an “annoyance”.  Wirt’s fountain pen cap was designed precisely to “overcome this objectionable action of the pen” [L 20-22, p.1]! Thus, the invention disclosed in US526428, titled Fountain-pen, and granted on Sept. 25, 1894, precisely addresses this leak-proofing issue with the design a special cap.  

The cap disclosed in US526428 includes a longitudinal and recessed component within, designed to receive the pen point and to abut against the nozzle, in view of forming a joint to prevent ink from escaping, when the pen was not in use, or when it was positioned horizontally inside a pocket.  

It is further specified that the longitudinal recessed component inside the cap could be made of flexible or hard rubber, the main purpose being to seal the nozzle when the pen was not in use.

Below, the figure drawings extracted from US526428, including a key, appended and layered onto the sheet for easier comprehension and translation. 

Oh, patents! Fessenden’s fountain marking pen

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Not all fountain pens were designed as fine writing instruments at the end of the 19^th century! For example, Fessenden’s fountain marking pen, was designed with a single ball bearing sphere cooperating with a felt disk for fine marking or "addressing of  boxes, bales or packages of merchandise for shipment or the like”.

Fessenden’s invention, disclosed in US555763, in 1896, consists in providing a marking pen with a reservoir of marking fluid also functioning as the handle of the marking pen (in contrast to a dipping well). The invention further consists of a marking sphere with a single ball bearing, designed to ensure a continuous and uniform line, independently from  the pressure exerted on the pen, and thus to provide clearer markings on a package, box, or bale for shipment.

Finally, and most importantly, a felt disk, inserted inside the semi-spherical encasement of the ball bearing marking sphere, in contact with the periphery of the marking sphere, cooperates both to deliver the marking fluid in a uniform manner to the surface of the sphere, and to wipe it clean of any accumulations of dirt, grit or dust, picked up on the surface of a package, bale or box. The patent further discloses that the felt disk, receiving marking fluid through the contracted neck and nipple of the reservoir, dispenses with expensive fountain pen valves, regulating the flow of ink, while ensuring high efficiency and durability.

Thus, once the marking pen was filled with marking fluid through the top of the pen, the fluid flowed through the contracted and perfectly angled neck of the reservoir, soaking the felt located inside the semi-spherical hood encasing the sphere, in turn evenly distributing marking fluid on the marking sphere, and by the same token wiping the sphere clean of any debris picked up from the surface. 

Interestingly, and with much hindsight, the scope of the invention, as envisioned in 1868, clearly extends the functions of the disclosed fountain marking pen, well beyond packaging (L 43-51, page 2). Perhaps then, that here lies the felt of "felt-tip markers", even if the spherical writing ball has migrated to "stylographs", and the felt now cooperates elsewhere.👠

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Below the extracted figure drawing of the fountain marking pen disclosed in US555763, where I have again added and layered a key for ease of comprehension and translation. 

Oh, patents! Alonzo T. Cross fountain pen

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

If quills required the writer to dip for ink, then the fountain or reservoir pen inventions promised a portable and continuous source of ink. However, before delivering on this promise many details were patented ranging from optimizing the ink flow and protection of the nib, to leak-proofing and methods of storing or adding ink within the pen.

In US209959, titled Improvement in fountain pens and granted on Nov. 18 1878, Alonzo T. Cross, primarily addresses the issue of ink flow, and incidentally the adjustability of the invention to various pens, as well as a certain degree of leak-proofing.

The invention discloses an air-tube with a small hole on its side and a friction joint enabling to adjust the amounts of air admitted into the ink chamber to regulate the flow of ink to the nib using gravity. The reservoir also cooperates with a delivery tube which may be further adjusted (extended or retracted) according to the size (and height of the nib). Finally, the air-tube is also equipped, at its lower end, with a small plug and pin enabling to wick any accidentally incoming drops of ink, using capillary action, when the air pressure system is set in motion from the top of the pen using the vent cap and the pen is prepared for use. 

Again, for ease of comprehension and translation, and in the manner of the Alonzo T. Cross handwritten patents (e.g.; CA10682, CA17448) I have keyed the components of the invention and layered the key onto the patent figure drawing, both of which are appended below. 

Oh, patents! More Alonzo T. Cross patents

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Just three more Alonzo T. Cross patents: an early (1879) handwritten fountain patent filed and granted in Canada (CA10451); a stylographic fountain pen patent filed and granted in Great Britain in 1896, including the 1897 amended specification (GB189614093) ; and a fountain pen filling device filed and granted in the US, at a much later date in 1920 (US1348211).  

Hyperlinks are provided to the original patent documents on file at the USPTO (United States Patent & Trademark Office) and the EPO (European Patent Office).  

CA10451 (A) ― 1879-09-12 – improvements on fountain pens /Perfectionnements aux plumes fontaines [Handwritten document]

GB189614093 (A) ― 1896-08-01 - Improvements in Stylographic Fountain Pens.

US1348211 (A) ― 1920-08-03 - Fountain-pen-filling device

Oh, patents! Alonzo T. Cross fountain pens, stylographs and mechanical pencils

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

In 2016, and since 1971, the Cross™ Company [ATX], specializing in fine instruments of writing, is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ  stock exchange.

150 years ago, circa the 1880s, Alonzo T. Cross, son of the founder of the Cross™ Company, incorporated in Providence, Rhode Island in 1846, applied for a series of US Letters Patent. The Letters patent were awarded for the invention of fountain pens, also called stylographic pens, mechanical pencils or crayon holders using endless screws, and the enameling or “japanning” of hollow articles such as pencil or crayon holder tubes. Two fountain pen patents were also filed and granted in Canada. The Canadian patents are handwritten documents with annotated drawings.

The French titles given to the Canadian Cross™ patents are respectively: Perfectionnements aux plumes-fontaines for Improvements on fountain pens (1879 CA10682) and Plume-fontaine for Fountain or reservoir pen (1883 CA17448), thereby adding yet another quilled French term for “fountain pen” and the English variation “reservoir pen”.

The term “japan” for “enamel” and corresponding verb form “japanning” in US303817 is also noteworthy!  The patent disclosed improvements to the art of enameling small hollow surfaces such as crayon or pencil tubes.

The following is a list of the Alonzo T. Cross fountain pen, mechanical pencil and japanning patents, awarded in the US and Canada:

1873 US140477 Pencil cases

1877 US189304 Fountain pen

1878 US199621 Fountain pen

1878 US209959 Fountain pen

1879 CA10682  Inprovements on fountain pens / Perfectionnements aux plumes-fontaines [Handwritten document]

1880 US225691 Stylographic fountain pen

1880 US227416 Stylographic fountain pen

1880 US229305 Fountain pen 

1880 US232804 Stylographic Pen

1881 US244194A Stylographic pen

1882 US263392 Lead and crayon holder

1883 CA17448 - Fountain or reservoir pen / Plume-fontaine [Handwritten document]

1894 US296537 Crayon holder

1884 US296539 Crayon holder

1884 US303624 Stylographic fountain Pen

1884 US303817 Method of enameling or Japanning hollow articles

1897 US595373 Fountain Pen

1900 US657483 Fountain pen

1901 US714283 Fountain pen

1908 US900833 Fountain Pen

Click on the hyperlinked patent numbers to see the ornate and beautiful technical drawings of the Cross™ fountain pens, mechanical pencils and crayon holders! 

Oh, patents! Valory’s fountain pen (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The second 19^th century fountain pen patent on record at l’INPI’s 19^th century database of patents, awarded to Victor Adolphe Valory, is FR9497, titled Plumes capsulaires pour écrire et dessiner. This patent was filed on Feb. 8, 1850 and granted on April 27, 1850 for 15 years. The leaflet contains 5 pages. No drawings were included. [Below the upper portion of the title page.)

FR9497 - top portion of the title page

The term plumes capsulaires appends to the list of quills (plumes): plume à reservoir, stylo-plume, plume sans fin, plume perpétuelle, plume éternelle or plume auto-alimentée used in French as quilled terms for “fountain pen”.

Otherwise, browsing through the leaflet, it is quite extraordinary to see that the form for disclosing an invention in 1850 appears substantially resonant with the one that exists to date. Indeed, FR9497 includes the following familiar sections: objet, motifs, principes and description for organizing disclosure of the invention.  And such sections in 2016, in the USA, are each outlined in the provisions of the Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 and in the Federal Code Title 35, and in Europe in the provisions of  the EPC (European Patent Convention).  [Below extracts from pages 2 and 4 of the leaflet showing the headers used for organizing disclosure of the invention, in 1850 France)

FR9497 - Page 2 - Section headers Objet Motifs, Principes

FR9497 - Page 4 - Section header - Description

Thus, what is so striking is that the regulated manner of disclosing an invention, stating the purpose of the invention, the problematic situation in which it arises, and proceeding with succinct, then detailed, description of the embodiment(s) of the invention, echoes through the centuries.

Otherwise, deciphering and transcribing the details of this invention, as disclosed in FR9497, a handwritten 19^th century patent, remain too labor intensive for the present purposes. What is certain, however is that, in 1850, the quill (plume) was undergoing revolutionary changes in Europe and the US, as it became more practical and portable, containing its own ink, and more long lasting as it was made of metal, rather than of different bird feathers, depending on the writing, or drawing tasks. 

However, even if transformation and industrialization of the quill, from bird feather, to ink-containing instrument of writing are now complete, the term "quill" (plume) endures in French... in reference  to fountain pens, which are mostly still called "stylo-plume" in 2016.

References

INPI
www.inpi.fr

INPI 19th century database
http://bases-brevets19e.inpi.fr/ 

INPI - FR9497
http://bases-brevets19e.inpi.fr/Thot/FrmLotDocFrame.asp?idlot=334121&idfic=0129435&resX=1485&resY=770&init=1&visionneuseHTML5=0

US CFR Title 37
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/consolidated_rules.pdf 

US CF Title 35
http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/consolidated_laws.pdf 

EPC - European Paetnt Convention 
http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/html/epc/2013/e/ma1.html 

Oh, patents! Valory's fountain pen (1)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The website of France’s patent office l’INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Intellectuelle) includes a searchable 19th century patent database. The documents contained within it are scans of the original handwritten documents.

A search for 19th century French fountain pen patents (called variously plume à reservoir, stylo-plume, stylographe, plume sans fin, plume perpétuelle, plume éternelle or plume auto-alimentée) returned two patents granted to the same inventor: Victor Adolphe Valory.  

Monsieur Valory was a jewelry maker residing in Caen, and then in Paris, France.

The first patent, FR7007, titled Genre de plume dite Stylographe, was filed January 3, 1848, and granted for 15 years on March 13, 1848 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce. The handwritten leaflet contains 8 pages. 

Below, a copy of the top of the first page, and the figure drawing of the mid 19th century, metal-nibbed  fountain pen, termed "Genre de Plume dite Stylographe" included in landscape format as page 7 of the leaflet.

Some (possible) very labor-intensive deciphering and transcription of the handwritten patent document is required to understand the details of the disclosure of this invention, whose record can be treasured, and perused, almost 200 years later. Take a peek at FR7007, here!

References

INPI

www.inpi.fr

INPI - 19th century database

http://bases-brevets19e.inpi.fr/

INPI - FR 7007

http://bases-brevets19e.inpi.fr/Thot/FrmLotDocFrame.asp?idlot=331619&idfic=0121709&resX=1631&resY=770&init=1&visionneuseHTML5=0 

Oh, letters patent! Klein & Wynne fountain pen

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Early patents (in 15^th century Europe) were called Letters Patent, which means “Open Letter” (from the Latin term “patens”, a form of the verb “patere”, meaning “to uncover, expose or open”), in contrast to sealed letters). Thus, in general, Letters Patent were akin to Decrees, officially signed by the highest authorities and addressed to “whom it may concern”.

Early US patents were also called Letters Patent, and US 68445 titled Fountain pen, and granted on Sept. 3, 1867 to M. Klein and H.W. Wynne, is no exception. Addressed “To all whom it may concern”, in Decree style "Be it known that...", these Letters Patent disclose a “new and useful improvement to fountain pens”.

The invention improvement consisted in a small air opening (C) at the top of the ink reservoir (A), with a valve (B) and a spring (D), connected to a rod (E) enclosed within the body of the holder, the bent tip of which was designed to be actuated by the writer to release a flow of ink through a tiny hole L, above the nib (K). Thus, opening the valve (B), using the rod tip (F), to let some air into the ink reservoir caused the ink to flow to the nib, whereas closing the valve, actuating the rod tip anew,  prevented air from entering for the purposes of releasing ink to the nib.

The original drawing, included as part of the US 68445 Letters Patent, appears here to the right.

Relying on the principles of atmospheric pressure, this invention disclosed a way to improve ink flow to the nib, thus presumably facilitating the physical process of writing.

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Considering the next 150 years of patenting activing in the domain of fountain pen leak-prevention, one might legitimately wonder whether the Klein & Wynne fountain pen leaked. 

However, this matter is unspecified  and  un-addressed in the US 68445 Letters Patent, where the point was simply to get the ink to flow. 

Oh, patents! Vuitton fountain pen

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The metal nib dip pen became connected to an ink reservoir circa 1867. This transformed nib dip pens into fountain pens, as the connection to an ink reservoir provided ink flow to the nib, in such a way that writers no longer had to dip into ink with their nibbed pens.

Louis Vuitton’s US patent application US2015298487, titled Fountain pen, was filed on Oct. 22 2015!  That's150 years later! What more could possibly be patented in regards fountain pens?

It turns out that fountain pens tend to leak either under conditions of increased air-pressure during travel in a plane or under conditions of increased heat when a pen is used and the user transfers body heat to the pen. So, the issue of leaking fountain pens remains unresolved, despite several ingenious solutions of the prior art.  

Some fountain pens, for example, are manufactured with a cap that cooperates with the ink-flow valve, so that when the cap covers the nib, it effectively closes off the flow of ink to the nib. 

However, this solution does not resolve the issue of leaking ink when the cap is not covering the pen.  Otherwise, the  leak-proof cap mechanism tends to be obstructive to the flow of ink. So, there is a definite issue that still needs to be addressed.

Extracted from US2015298487

The Louis Vuitton patent application, US2015298487, titled Fountain pen addresses these specific leak prevention issues of the prior art, specifically offering a patented solution that will work regardless of pressure and heat conditions, with the cap on or off, and that additionally does not obstruct the flow of ink. The patented solution consists of a striker (un percuteur in French).

The striker, located at the junction between ink-flow valve and  inner reservoir of ink, functions to further regulate the flow of ink to the nib and to prevent leaking.  It comprises a stepped tubular tongue with a diameter that is smaller than the ink cartridge. 

The  striker cooperating with the ink-cartridge thus operates independently from the pen cap cooperating with the ink valve, and consequently affords extra leak protection,

Below the abstract for US2015298487, titled Fountain pen. Above, the patent figure drawing of the fountain pen and below a patent figure drawing of the striker. 

Extracted from US2015298487

A fountain pen comprising: an elongate hollow body defining an inner chamber designed to receive an ink container; a nib disposed at a first end of the hollow body; and a connection part connecting the inner chamber to the nib and defining an ink flow passage extending along a longitudinal axis, the connection part comprising a valve opening and closing the ink flow passage, designed to selectively open and close the ink flow passage. The connection part comprises a striker interposed between the valve and the inner chamber and designed to engage with the ink container and allow a flow of ink between the ink reservoir and the nib.