The Fountain Pen Patent Archive

The instruments that put ink under pressure

19th century pen

A patent drawing of an early fountain pen shown in longitudinal cross-section, illustrating a cylindrical handle with a removable cap, an internal ink bag connected to a tapering tube with a spring-loaded valve and pressable key, and a lower holder containing a sponge that feeds ink to the pointed nib, with a protective outer case sheathing the assembly.FOUNTAIN-PENHugh K. McClelland · April 17, 1855Patent drawing showing four views of a 19th-century fountain pen holder: an assembled pen with nib and barrel labeled A, E, and I; a sectional cutaway showing internal tubes D, F, and G; an exploded view of separated parts B, C, E, F, G, H; and the pen with its protective cover I in place.FOUNTAIN-PENGeo. W. White · September 4, 1855Patent drawing showing a cylindrical fountain pen with an internal rod-and-valve mechanism, a sliding outer sleeve, a screw-in nib holder with two pivoted side plates, and a protective cap tube, along with detail views of the serrated cut-off valve and the nib assembly.FOUNTAIN-PEN.A. F. Warren · October 6, 1857Technical patent drawing of a dip pen with an ink reservoir attachment clasped to its underside, shown in full assembled view (Fig. 1) and in several detail cross-sections of the nib, valves, and clasping sides (Figs. 2-9).FOUNTAIN-PENG. W. Woolley · December 4, 1860Two patent drawings of a 19th-century fountain pen: Figure 1 shows a hand holding the assembled pen with a tapering nib, and Figure 2 shows a cutaway internal view revealing a central rod, conical stopper, rocking lever, spring, and air-vent plug mechanism inside a tubular case.FOUNTAIN-PENJoseph Weller · September 29, 1863A patent drawing showing a hand holding a fountain pen writing on paper, with detailed cross-section and valve component diagrams labeled with letters A through h.FOUNTAIN-PENG. J. Nolty · April 26, 1864Patent drawing of an 1865 fountain pen showing the assembled instrument, an internal cross-section revealing a sliding tubular feeder and thimble-like stopper, and detail views of the spoon-shaped feeder tip that contacts the underside of the nib.FOUNTAIN-PENGeorge F. Hawkes · October 17, 1865Patent drawing of an 1865 fountain pen showing an exterior perspective view (Fig. 1) with a threaded cap, tapered barrel, and nib assembly, and a sectional side view (Fig. 2) revealing the internal ink fountain, pipe, lever, and spring mechanism labeled with letters A through S.FOUNTAIN-PEN.Levi M. Sandford, James P. Beebe · November 21, 1865Patent drawing showing a slender hard rubber fountain pen in cross-section with an internal piston rod, threaded valve mechanism, and a separate key and cap shown alongside.IMPROVEMENT IN FOUNTAIN-PENSG. A. Becker · January 25, 1870Patent drawing of an 1884 Waterman fountain pen shown in longitudinal cross-section, revealing the ink barrel, feed bar with a grooved channel, nib, and protective cap, alongside a small circular cross-section diagram labeling the groove and fissures.FOUNTAIN-PEN.Lewis E. Waterman · February 12, 1884Patent drawing of a 19th-century fountain pen shown in cross-section (Fig. I) with labeled parts a, b, c, d, i, j, k, l, m, an enlarged detail of the plug and tip (Fig. II), and a cross-sectional end view of the collar (Fig. 3).FOUNTAIN-PEN.Noyes F. Palmer · March 9, 1886Patent drawing showing a hand gripping a cylindrical fountain pen while writing, with additional cutaway diagrams revealing the internal elastic ink reservoir, presser bar, thumb button, locking nut, and eccentric plug holding the pen nib.FOUNTAIN-PENJohn Raynald · October 21, 1890Patent drawing of a hard rubber fountain pen showing the assembled pen with nib in Figure 1, a cross-sectional side view revealing the internal feeder-bar and diamond-shaped obstruction plug in Figure 2, a circular cross-section in Figure 3, and two views of a modified pyramidal obstruction plug with a hook-like finger extension in Figures 4 and 5.FOUNTAIN-PEN.William W. Stewart · August 24, 1897