Pen Construction 1
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SectionThe section is really the linchpin of the pen. It is where all of the important parts of the pen come
together. The feed and nib are placed together in proper alignment and press-fitted into the front of the section. The sac is trimmed to fit inside the
pen and then stretched over a nipple or reduced-diameter cut on the rear of the section. Some pens, like the Sheaffer lever fillers, had a transparent band in the section. This allowed the user to tell when the pen was running low on ink, and was a trick that partially made up for the fact that sac pens couldn't be made transparent like Vacumatics or other sacless pens. Picture courtesy of Penoply FeedThe job of the feed is to get the ink from inside the pen out to the point and nib. The feed also has to supply a return path for air to enter the pen to take the place of the departing ink. Feed design is fairly critical, and it took many years for inventors to develop practical designs. One of the problems that the feed must cope with is widely varying ink flow rate. This can be caused by changes in temperature, humidity, type of ink, and pen usage. Most feeds have comb cuts or internal pockets for accumulating excess ink and keeping it from blotting the paper during writing. Follow this link for more information.
SacSacs were made from rubber, although later penmakers would use more exotic polymers. If ink is left to dry in a sac pen, it will leave a hard residue that can petrify the sac. Any collector trying to fill the pen for the first time in twenty years or so will feel a nasty crunch as the sac splits and this signifies that it is time for a replacement. A good tip to avoid this is to clean out your pens before you put them away for an extended period. Lever & Barrel The lever is held in the barrel by a small pin or retaining ring. Older pens may have a lever box of metal surrounding the lever. When the lever is pulled out, it bends a J-shaped metal bar running the length of the barrel, which compresses the sac and expels its contents. When the lever is released, the J-bar snaps back in place, and the sac expands to its original shape, drawing in ink as it does so. On many pens, the barrel is finished off with a decorative screw or ‘jewel’, typically resembling the tassie. A flashy looking jewel was often a cheap way to finish off a barrel or cap, less labour intensive than tapering to a point. Button fillers, vacuum fillers, and bulb fillers have 'blind caps' at the end which can be removed to get at the works. Follow this LINK for more information.
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Sunday August 08, 2004 17:52 +0200 |
