Mabie Todd Split-Lever Fillers

[Gedion]

I've bought an old Mabie & Todd Fountain pen that has a split-lever for filling the pen. Mr. Lambrou's book

mentions the system briefly. Can anyone explain a bit about how they work and perhaps where patent diagrams may be

had? Do I need to do anything other than replace the sac?

 

Thanks

[Bo Bo Olson]

Split lever?

A picture would be nice.

 

My Lambrou book is in German, how many pages in on the Mabie Todd section is this split lever? In German 'split lever' would be a different name.

 

Lever I know.

Changing a lever sac is not hard, many can tell you in the repair section.

[Gedion]

I'm sorry I misreferenced. The reference i meant is from "Mabie in America" page 14 by David Moak that reads as follows:

 

"Apparently, the first lever device used by MT & Co. was a compound lever system patented in 1918 by Tagiro Tanimura, a Japanese citizen living in Wyoming. This lever system required no spring. It was used for a very short time and was replaced by Homer Catucci's 1919 patent for the lever system utilizing a notch in the lever which fits over a wire in the lever slot. The issue number of a patent similar to Tanimura's, granted to Felix Riesenberg.......was later used with Tanimura's Swallow pens, but the pens do not have the same split-lever as the early ones."

 

I was able to replace the sac but the lever doesn't seem to seat correctly. I'm not sure if both sides of the lever should press on the sac when filling the pen. It doesn't seem to reseat correctly. I don't see the benefit of having the lever in two pieces.

 

I ran across a Waterman Eternal in a antique store with a similar lever but is described on page 42 of Mr. Lambrou's book and pictured on the next page pen # 8, 11, and 12 as a Ink-View pen with a "double action lever" I have no idea how this one works as it has no sac.

 

The Mabie Todd photos are included.

 

The final photo is the Waterman "double action lever"

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gedion]

I'm sorry I misreferenced. The reference i meant is from "Mabie in America" page 14 by David Moak that reads as follows:

 

"Apparently, the first lever device used by MT & Co. was a compound lever system patented in 1918 by Tagiro Tanimura, a Japanese citizen living in Wyoming. This lever system required no spring. It was used for a very short time and was replaced by Homer Catucci's 1919 patent for the lever system utilizing a notch in the lever which fits over a wire in the lever slot. The issue number of a patent similar to Tanimura's, granted to Felix Riesenberg.......was later used with Tanimura's Swallow pens, but the pens do not have the same split-lever as the early ones."

 

I was able to replace the sac but the lever doesn't seem to seat correctly. I'm not sure if both sides of the lever should press on the sac when filling the pen. It doesn't seem to reseat correctly. I don't see the benefit of having the lever in two pieces.

 

I ran across a Waterman Eternal in a antique store with a similar lever but is described on page 42 of Mr. Lambrou's book and pictured on the next page pen # 8, 11, and 12 as a Ink-View pen with a "double action lever" I have no idea how this one works as it has no sac.

 

The Mabie Todd photos are included.

 

The final photo is the Waterman "double action lever"

 

This is double posted because the photos didn't upload on the first try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shangas]

Nothing to contribute except for the fact that I have never heard of a split-lever fountain pen. I'm learning something new every day!

[Tweel]

I thought I'd heard of it, as I began reading this, but realized that "Waterman" came to mind -- as mentioned above. The Ink-Vue filler is described on Richard Binder's "Filling Systems" reference page, if it helps.

 

Something old is new, at least to me!

 

-- Brian

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thanks...almost everything is invented,and does it the hard way,

 

the next steps make it simpler...but if you don't patent, and get on the market someone gets around your patent or slips into the market before you, with something close.

[watch_art]

here's my idea based on your photos...

 

[dlmoak]

The patent image for the split lever is in the upper right corner of page 118 in Mabie in America if you have that book. The patent number is 1267288 issued 5/21/1918 if you wish to look it up on the US Patent website.

[Carrie]

There's quite a few bits about patents in the Pen History sub-forum. Might be worth looking for details of the patent in there or seeing if anyone knows about it.