Vintage Filling Mechanisms - Sac Fillers Part 2
by Silviu
  Article # 266 Article Type: Technical

Lever fillers
In the previous article about sac fillers I described Crescent fillers, Sleeve fillers , Coin fillers and Twist fillers. This article covers the Lever fillers, Hatchet fillers and button fillers.
I would like to thank Len Provisor for reviewing and editing this article.

Lever fillers:
Walter A. Sheaffer (a jeweler from Fort Madison Iowa) designed the lever filler and patented it in 1908. Sheaffer wanted to improve the odd looking and grip spoiling Conklin crescent filler. His patent included a lever that was fitted in a shallow recess in the barrel. The lever was attached to the barrel by a hinge. This allowed the lever to be flipped to a 90 degree angle to the barrel, thus lowering a pressure bar inside the barrel, which compressed the sac. Returning the lever back to it’s place allowed the sac to inflate and draw in ink.
Here is Sheaffer improved patent from 1912.

Sheaffer improved patent from 1912

Sheaffer began producing it’s first lever fillers in 1912, and this efficient and elegant filling system was soon adopted by many manufacturers becoming an almost industry standard.
Accidents were avoided by a good fit of the lever to the barrel first due to the expansion of the sac itself and later due to sprung pressure bars that pushed the lever upwards keeping it firmly closed. Other various patents to keep the lever in place included the Hatchet filler (described in this article) and Conway Stewart early “flanges” (two little metal rods placed on both sides of the lever) that friction kept the lever in place.
The picture is of an early unnumbered Duro Big Red flanged lever filler (The pen is part of Jonathan Donahaye Conway Stewart collection)

CS Big red Duro

Many companies adopted the lever filling system abandoning others. One of these companies was Waterman, which introduced its first lever filler in 1915 thus abandoning the previous pump, coin and sleeve fillers. Waterman’s lever filler is different from Sheaffer’s in that the lever is placed inside a metal box and the lever hinges to the box instead to the barrel directly.
Here is a picture showing the two different levers: the Sheaffer in green and the brown Waterman. One can easily spot the hinge hole in the Sheaffers barrel near the lever :

And here are the pens: 1924 Jade Radite Sheaffer Lifetime and a later mahogany Waterman 94 from the 30’s:

1924 Jade Radite Sheaffer Lifetime and a later mahogany Waterman 94 from the 30’s

Lever fillers were widely used by many companies in the US, Europe and Japan (although German companies were quick to adopt the piston filler almost abandoning all other filling methods).
Here is a picture of various lever fillers from different manufacturers: L to R – French Meteore 327, French Gold Starry, UK Swan minor 1, UK Conway Stewart 286, Sheaffer combo, MHR Edison, Wahl Doric, Wahl Skyline, Morton, Sheaffer Oversize Balance, Waterman 0555,
Le Boeuf, Aikin Lambert, Conklin Ensemble combo.

lever fillers

Hatchet fillers:
The hatchet fillers were one of the ways companies devised in order to “bypass” Sheaffer’s patent on the lever filler. Hatchet fillers were used by John Holland and by Crocker (though both are named hatchet fillers they do not have the same mechanism).
Crocker Hatchet filler:
Here is a BCHR Crocker hatchet filler from the early 1910’s:

Crocker FP with closed hatchet

From a first glance one might think this is a lever filler …. But:

Crocker with raised hatchet

The lever is attached to a blind cap that screws into the barrel. This way the “lever” is secured - it won’t open by accident. The Crocker company produced blow fillers and hatchet fillers from 1902 to 1931, but the important fact about this company is that it’s owner Seth. S. Crocker started the Chilton Company in 1923 which produced the high quality pneumatic fillers.
John Holland Hatchet filler:
Here is a John Holland hatchet filler (produced 1908 – 1912):

John Holland

The “lever” in this pen is not really a lever. This patent is a combination between the lever filler and the crescent filler. The hatchet is flipped open (it has a hinge like the lever fillers) until it stops flat on the opposite side; there is lies “back to back” to the pressure bar inside the barrel. But now the protrusion that was inside the barrel sticks out of the barrel and pressing it causes the depression of the pressure bar. After the filling procedure is over the hatchet is returned to the original position.

John Holland filling stages

Button fillers:
During the 1910’s, Geo. S. Parker started producing Parker second attempt of self-filling pens (the first attempt was in 1905 with a strange and unsuccessful two hump filler that competed poorly with Conklin’s patent) – the button filler.
This type of filler has a pressure bar inside the barrel. One of the pressure bar end rests against the section, while the other rests against a button at the end of the barrel. Pressing the button causes the pressure bar to curve inside the barrel thus compressing the sac. Usually one has to press the button several times in order to fill the sac. Accidents are avoided by a blind cap that screws on covering the button.
The button filler advantages are that the barrel can retain its original shape without any “additions” (such as sleeves, crescents, levers, hatchets) or openings (coin fillers, matchstick fillers) in the barrel. Leaking in these pens, due to sac deterioration is less prone to cause a mess because of the blind cap, than in lever fillers.
Here is an image of a cut out button demonstrator of a 1950’s East German Garant Silka fountain pen. Following is a picture of the entire demonstrator display of this fountain pen showing all parts used to assemble this pen.

Explained cut-out demonstrator

 

Display demonstrator board

Parker used the button filler for a long period in the Jack-knife, Duofold (original and the 40’s) , Thrift time, Challenger models. The button fillers were produced beside the Vacumatic and even the 51 models.
Here are 3 Parker button fillers - L to R: Lapis flattop Duofold Sr. (1928), red Permanite Streamlined Jr. (1930’s), Thrift time mahogany with white/blue streaks (1932 – 1936).

3 Parkers

Many other companies used the button filler method. Here is one more example of button fillers from Penol (Denmark):
The Penol Company (which stands for Pen Olsen) was founded in Denmark by Christian Olsen. Christian received the distribution rights for Parker in Denmark, Sweden and Norway in 1905. In 1932 a factory was opened and licensed Parker together with Penol pens were produced. It was only natural that Penol used the button filling system in their pens. Production of fountain pens stopped in 1966, but the Olsen Company still represents Parker and distributes Parker products in Scandinavia.
Here is a picture of 3 Penol button fillers – L to R: coral red de Luxe BO aero (1935), green/black marbled Ambassador 5 (1947), black Ambassador Sr. (1946).

penols

The aero Penols have an interesting feature: an ink window like a piston filler, but …
with a button filler mechanism. This is achieved by a transparent part that is attached to the section on one side and to the sac on the other. This transparent elongation of the section allows the in level to be checked like in piston fillers.
Here is the Penol aero with its internal parts exposed:

Penol red aero exploded

The Camel Pen Company produced in 1935 a special button filler that was somewhat different. The pen utilized a pressure bar and a button, but the sac was open on both sides, one side attached to the section and the other to an ink chamber near the other end of the barrel. The button in this pen contained ink pellets, and the pen was filled with water, so no ink pot was needed. The ink pellet and water mixed in the ink chamber enabling the pen to write with ink. When the ink pellets were exhausted one had only to screw in a new button (with ink pellets. The Camel Pen Company survived only for 3 years.
Here is a Camel fountain pen with the special button exposed:

Camel pen

 

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