How Do Lever Fillers Work?

[SujiCorp12345]

Hi,

 

I recently bought an Esterbrook J that I'm expecting next week or so. I'm aware that the Esterbrooks don't use a converter and fill their sacs using something called a lever filler. I was wondering if someone could elaborate on how that works. Like, how would I use that mechanism to fill from a bottle? My apologies if the procedure is elementary.

 

-Thanks,

Suji

 

 

P.S. Are there any types of fountain pen inks that should be avoided in order to keep the sac from being damaged??

[TimTheZaj]

My understanding is that the lever is connected to a pressure bar, which when the lever is pulled out depresses the sac. When it is pulled in a vacuum is created and ink is sucked up. And no there isn't anything that should ''damage'' the sac, except the usual staining inks. Have fun. I certainly did with my first lever fill.

[takkun]

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/fillers/lever.htm

More than you ever want to know about lever fillers.

The bulk of vintage pens (and some modern, like the Hero pens) contain a flexible rubber (or some substitute sac as a reservoir. Lever fillers use their namesake to push down on a bar running the length outside the sac that squeezes it empty.

 

Basically to fill, you cycle the lever, wait 5 seconds, repeat until no air bubbles are coming out. Easy!

 

Usual caveats apply for pen ink. No drawing/drafting/india ink, which solidify and clog any fountain pen.

 

I see by your sig that you've got a number of German piston-fillers. They're easy to maintain, but some of the more unusual filing systems make filling fun, for me at least!

[katerchen]

Imagine an eye dropper. How you pinch the rubber part together to suck up fluid into to tube.

 

In this case the lever does the pinching for you.