Ink pen device

Claim 2

An ink pen device comprising: an ink pen having a pen nib and an ink tank for supplying ink to the pen nib; means for supporting the ink pen for upward and downward axial movement thereof; means for shifting the ink pen downward to move the pen nib into a predetermined writing position and upward to move the pen nib out of the writing position; and changeover valve means receptive of sources of positive and negative pressurized air and connected to said ink tank and responsive to the shifting of the ink pen by the shifting means for directing positive pressurized air into the ink tank during downward movement of the pen nib into the writing position and for directing negative pressurized air into the ink tank during upward movement of the pen nib out of the writing position to simultaneously effect an ink pen shift with a pressure change.

Claim 3

An ink pen device according to claim 1, wherein said shifting means comprises first and second shifting members for effecting the shifting of the ink pen and wherein said changeover valve means comprises a slidable valve spool for alternatively selecting the positive or negative pressurized air source and means mechanically coupling the valve spool to the shifting members.

Claim 4

An ink pen device according to claim 2, wherein said shifting means further comprises an electromagnet for actuating said shifting members.

Claim 5

An ink pen device according to claim 1, wherein means for supporting comprises a sleeve receptive of the ink pen therein for sliding movement along the longitudinal axis of the ink pen, a spring disposed between the ink pen and the sleeve for biasing the ink pen downward therein, a plurality of leaf springs connected between the sleeve along the longitudinal axis of the ink pen against the spring force thereof, and means connected to the sleeve to force same downward against the spring force of the leaf springs.

Claim 6

An ink pen device comprising: an ink pen having a pen nib and an ink tank for supplying ink to the pen nib, said ink tank having a cap including at least a portion thereof comprising an elastic wall for manual deformation; a hose having one end connected to said ink tank; means for coupling the hose to a fluid supply including a first coupling member having a fluid passage therethrough and connected to the other end of said hose, a second coupling member having a fluid passage therethrough and releasably engageable with said first coupling member to connect same thereto and receptive of the fluid supply to communicate same to said hose when engaged with said first coupling member, a normally closed valve disposed in each fluid passage of said coupling members to open and close the fluid passages and means disposed in each of said coupling members for effecting the opening of the valves in the coupling members in response to the engagement and connection of the coupling members to each other.

Claim 7

An ink pen device comprising: an ink pen having a pen nib and an ink tank for supplying ink to the pen nib, said ink tank having a cap including at least a portion thereof comprising an elastic wall for manual deformation; a hose having one end connected to said ink tank; means for coupling the hose to a fluid supply including a first coupling member having a fluid passage therethrough and connected to the other end of said hose, a second coupling member having a fluid passage therethrough and releasably engageable with said first coupling member to connect same thereto and receptive of the fluid supply to communicate same to said hose when engaged with said first coupling member, a normally closed valve disposed in each fluid passage of said coupling members to open and close the fluid passages and means disposed in each of said coupling members for effecting the opening of the valves in the coupling members in response to the engagement and connection of the coupling members to each other.

Claim 8

An ink pen device according to claim 5, wherein the valves each include a valve spool and wherein the valve opening means comprises a spring in each coupling member biasing the valve spool closed and a projecting member projecting from each valve spool and extending towards the engaging portions of each coupling member and engageable with each other when the coupling members are engaged to push the valve spools into an open position against the action of the springs.