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The Fountain Pen Patent Archive

The instruments that put ink under pressure

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A.t. cross

Patent drawing of a 19th-century fountain pen in longitudinal section showing the nib, air-tube, ink reservoir, and vent cap, with side cross-section views of the adjustable tube components.

Improvement in Fountain-PensAlonzo T. Cross · November 19, 1878

United States patent drawings and specifications are works of the U.S. government and are in the public domain — they were never copyrighted. Download them, print them, frame them. Our commentary and descriptions are © 2026 The Fountain Pen Patent Archive.

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