R.w. Whitney Fountain Pen Co., Cleveland, O.

[DanDeM]

Watched this auction chug along with three bidders. The pen has no cap and as the auction was closing the highest bid was $35. Entered a $60, “Oh what-the-hell” bid because the material and workmanship looked good, the nib looks great, the brand is unfamiliar to me, it was made in Ohio (Seems I’m now collecting pens from that state — Betzler & Wilson, Wiedlich/Star, Pick, Holland), etc.) and the filling system seemed worth a closer look. My bid was not only inadequate, but apparently naive. The auction closed at more than $150…and the pen has no cap!

The RMHR and slip cap suggests manufacture around 1910 or so. Does anyone have any info on the R.W. Whitney Pen Co.? Any ideas about the filling system? The company secured a patent, #544,707 on Aug. 20, 1895 for a feed, but as far as I can find, nothing for the odd fill device.

And, R. W. (Ruel William) Whitney was apparently a bit os a scholar. In 1903 the Imperial Press of Cleveland published his “newly paraphrased” version of Omar Khayyám’s Rubalyat.

The pics were lifted from the auction.

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss2/DanDeM38/Ruel%20William%20Whitney/1.Whitney_zpskv4bl3m1.jpg

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss2/DanDeM38/Ruel%20William%20Whitney/2.Whitney_zpshm2gryy3.jpg

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss2/DanDeM38/Ruel%20William%20Whitney/3.Whitney_zpsurj1esfu.jpg

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss2/DanDeM38/Ruel%20William%20Whitney/4.Whitney_zps0tca7xyx.jpg

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss2/DanDeM38/Ruel%20William%20Whitney/5.Whitney_zpskkvuc7py.jpg

http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss2/DanDeM38/Ruel%20William%20Whitney/6.Whitney_zpssvubjltq.jpg

Edited October 20, 2015 by DanDeM

[kirchh]

Patent 1,133,349. The band slides causing a pawl to depress a pressure bar. The secondary feature is a safety catch. Note that this example is apparently pre-patent-grant.

 

Whitney also patented a lever filler with a novel, and terrible, pressure bar design.

 

--Daniel

[kirchh]

Company was in business by 1897, and seems to have lingered perhaps until the early teens.

 

--Daniel

[DanDeM]

Patent 1,133,349. The band slides causing a pawl to depress a pressure bar. The secondary feature is a safety catch. Note that this example is apparently pre-patent-grant.

 

Whitney also patented a lever filler with a novel, and terrible, pressure bar design.

 

--Daniel

 

Both worthy of Rube Goldberg.

Thanks.

[DanDeM]

Company was in business by 1897, and seems to have lingered perhaps until the early teens.

 

--Daniel

 

He was advertising pens utilizing his 1895 patent as early as 1896.