INKSTANDS. Utensils for holding ink for the convenience of dipping a pen into them. They were formerly chiefly made of horn, but now generally of glass or metal. It is not our intention to describe the ordinary kinds, that are familiar to every eye, but only the recent elegant improvements which have been made upon them.
Edwards's Patent Inkstand is one of great convenience and stability, and not very liable to get out of order. It is represented in the subjoined en graving, which affords a sectional view of the interior. a a shows the top and bottom of an external cylindrical casing of bronze, b is the ink imbibed by a quantity of loose hair or wool, contained in a cylindrical glass cup c c, of considerable thickness, the upper part of which is dosed by a glass pis ton d, accurately ground to fit the cylinder, and so as to permit it to move easily up and down. On the upper surface of the glass piston, a hollow screw e with a disc of metal at the end, is made to operate by downwards, when the top piece f is turned by the finger and thumb ; the latter turns the solid screw, and causes the hollow screw to advance or recede with a sliding motion, so as to press uniformly upon the piston without the friction of turning against its surface. At the lower part of the reservoir, an aperture is made, into which a tube is fixed that conducts the ink to a little pen-supplying cup g, when the wool is compressed by a turn of the screw, forcing down the piston. The little cup, previously empty, is thus instantly supplied with fresh ink, with no more trouble than taking up a pen ; and should a little more ink be forced into the cup than is necessary, by carelessly turning the screw too far, it runs over, and is caught in the little saucer shown below. When the inkstand is not in requisition, a half turn of the screw the reverse way causes the ink to flow back again, as the wool being thereby relieved of the pressure, re-absorbs the fluid. The ink being thus returned into the reservoir, none can be spilled, even if upset ; it is preserved from the contact of the air, consequently from drying up, as well as from dust, and it may be instantly brought into use whenever required. These are decided advantages, which peculiarly recommend it for the use of persons travelling.
Patent Caoutchouc Inkstand.—Mr. Doughty, the ingenious manufacturer of pens with ruby and rhodium nibs, having discovered the injury that those pens received from being incautiously struck against the glass of common inkstands, contrived to manufacture an interior bottle of Indian rubber, of nearly the form of the external ornamental case, as shown in the annexed section of one of his elegant inkstands. The stopper is of a conical form, and is so fixed in the
screwed head or cap as to have a little lateral play therein, which admits of its adapting itself exactly to the conical neck of the inkstand, and when screwed down, prevents the possibility of leaking; and that the ink may not corrode the metal stopper, the latter is coated with gold or platinum.
Horsley and Cooper's Patent Inkstand.—The peculiarity in this invention consists in the forming of convenient and perfectly air-tight stoppers, in a substance not liable to corrode. It is effected by bringing into contact two circular discs of glass, the flat surfaces of which being ground to true planes, are opposed to each other and united by a central pivot, rivetted to a bar of metal fixed above them, across the mouth of the vessel. Each plate has an aperture of proper dimensions for dipping the pen, and the upper plate is provided with two projecting studs, at equal distances from the central pivot'. The thumb and fore finger being applied to these two studs, the upper disc is easily turned either to the right or left ; one way brings the apertures opposite to each other, which opens the inkstand, and being moved the other way, the unperforated part of the upper disc is slided over the stationary aperture of the lower, and perfectly closes it. The • surfaces are slightly oiled, which renders the motion smooth and easy, and the sealing perfect.
Fig. 1. affords a perspective view of an inkstand of this kind, made of very thick cut glass; the discs or stoppers of which are sur rounded by in metallic ring, and kept down in their places by an horizontal metallic bar, into which the pivot of the discs is fitted. In this figure it will be perceived that the inkstand is shut, the aperture in the upper plate being over the unperforated part of the lower. On turning the studs a quarter round, they are stopped by strikingagainst the cross bar, when the holes coincide, (as shown in the annexed sections), by which the inkstand is opened. Underneath the bar (which is shown by a transverse section) a steel spring is fixed,which keeps the discs in close yet easy contact. The advantage of this contrivance con sists in the facility and expedition with which the inkstand may be opened and closed air tight, the simplicity of and the incorruptibility of the materials.