Construction of a Gel Pen

Brandon Calero

City College of New York

ENGL 21007

Professor Elizabeth Von Uhl

March 14, 2020

Introduction———————————————————————————————3

What is a Pen————————————————————————————–3

History of the Pen———————————————————————————3

Body——————————————————————————————————–5

Type of Pen—————————————————————————————–5

Structure Format———————————————————————————–5

Component Breakdown—————————————————————————5

Conclusion————————————————————————————————6

Reference Page—————————————————————————————–7

Introduction

What is a Pen

A pen is a writing utensil many of us take for granted. Using ink stored in a cartridge, the pen draws the ink out of the cartridge into the tip which may have various shapes. This tip is then pressed onto a piece onto a material in order to create stains which may be formed into anything the user desires. This is a major advancement for us as humans as it can store information, showcase ideas, and develop other ideas.

History of the Pen

The history of pens can be traced back to ancient egypt as the first pen was created there.

The first documented version of a pen was a pen made from plants like bamboo. The reed pen was used to write on papyrus and parchment paper (The Journal Shop, 2018) created back then in order to write without carving stones. It was created by hollowing the material, carving a tip for ink or other fluids to write to flow, then filling the pen with said fluid. To use it you would need to squeeze the pen in order to let the fluid flow onto the paper(The Journal Shop, 2018). This was the original version of the pen which can be seen as very similar to the pens we use now which began the evolution of the modern pen. 

After this development began the quill pen most people think of when considering old pens. These were created by drying a feather and shaping the hardened tip(The Journal Shop, 2018). To use this pen you would need to dip the quill into ink and then write which was an advantage over writing while squeezing like with the original reed pens people used to use making it a very impactful development in the ways pens are used. Yet they had one major issue, which was the need to constantly sharpen them (The Journal Shop, 2018). 

This led to the more modern looking  innovation of the pen created by John Mitchell(The Journal Shop, 2018).Steel Point Pens were created in order to have a more reliable version of the quill point creating a sturdier pen which functioned in the same way as the quill yet was sturdier and much cheaper than the former(The Journal Shop, 2018).  After this came the development of the automatic ink descending we take advantage of with the creation of the fountain pens. This pen was created by Petrache Poenaru, a Romanian inventor(The Journal Shop, 2018). This was made to remedy the constant need to dip your pen while writing. This was an important development in order to construct the pens we have today(The Journal Shop, 2018). Lastly we have the ballpoint pen we use everyday. Pens used to be prone to smudge paper when writing(The Journal Shop, 2018). This caused a Hungarian Journalist named  Lazlo Biro to begin developing a new type of pen using quick drying ink in order to remedy this(The Journal Shop, 2018). This pen was sturdier and able to be used in many places that fountain pens could not which lead to its popularity(The Journal Shop, 2018). Many alterations of these pens were created. This includes the Gel pen created by a company called Sakura Color Product Corporation; in order to make the words written more vibrant and easier to see(History of Gel Pens). These were necessary steps to get today’s modern pen.

Body

Type of Pen

To view the inner workings of an object we will need one to deconstruct. Using a Signo Gel Pen created by Uni-Ball we will analyze the different parts that make a pen work.

Structure Format

The format for the pen is the following:

Top: Button (Exterior), Clip (Exterior), Thrust Device (Interior)

Middle: Barrel (Exterior), Grip (Exterior), Gel Container (Interior)

Bottom: Nose Cone (Exterior), Tip (Interior), Spring (Interior)

Component Breakdown

There are various components needed for this pen to function, each has its own value and specifications for how they work and can be directly influenced by each other. Starting from the top we first look at the Button. This is made up of 2 different sub parts in order to function. The thrust device, Spring, and the actual external button to press. Primarily the spring offers resistance to retract the tip of the pen. The other part of the pen is the button which just gives control to start other functions. But the sub part that makes all of this work is the thrust device. Activating with the press of the external button, the thrust device spins and locks to a ledge which pushes down and locks the pen in place resisting the spring at the bottom. Pressing the button again would make the button spin back to its original position allowing for the spring to push the cartridge back into place. Attached to the top button is the clip which is more of an accessory and allows for the pen to be stored in pockets with more ease (Karleen A. 2020). Going down there is the barrel of the pen. It’s use is as a container to hold the cartridge as well as keeping the different parts together. On this exterior there is a grip. This helps the user hold onto the pen with a softer dented material that makes it easier to grip. The ink cartridge allows for the ink to be stored in order for constant use rather than the dipping that was used in the past. Connected to this is the ballpoint tip. This tip has a small ball which constantly spins in order to gather fresh ink by revolving and gathering wet ink while writing to prevent the pen from drying mid sentence. Lastly there is the nose cone. It is a simple component which only holds the spring in place, conceals the tip of the cartridge, and attaches to the barrel. All of these combine for a properly functioning modern pen. When any of these parts are missing the pen is unable to function.

Conclusion

To recap a pen has a very extensive history. Many developments have caused the development of the modern pen. Using the different small developments to create a tool for creative expression as well as documentation. It is a fascinating thing to see how many different advancements can be made on a simple tool that we take for granted.

References

The History of Pens: The Journal Shop. (2018, June 20). Retrieved April 10, 2020, from https://www.thejournalshop.com/thejournal/history-of-pens/

[Photograph of a Reed Pen] (n.d) http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org/detail.aspx?id=2631

[Photograph of Quill Pen] (n.d) https://www.farmersalmanac.com/quill-pens-scribed-american-history-2221

[3D model of  Dip Pen and Container] (n.d) https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/dip-pen-ink-container-3d-model-1224773

[Image of Uni-ball Pen] (n.d) https://www.amazon.com/Uni-ball-Signo-Retractable-0-7mm-Medium/dp/B07RHW1LMB

History of Gel Pens. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2020, from http://www.historyofpencils.com/writing-instruments-history/gel-pen-history/

A., K. (2020, April 2). Parts of a Pen: Anatomy of Ballpoint, Stick & Fountain Pens. Retrieved April 10, 2020, from https://www.pens.com/blog/parts-of-a-pen/