Hatchet filler
In reality two completely different filling systems are called hatchet filler, as they were given this name by their respective manufacturers. The first is the one used by Holland from 1908 to 1912. The filling always involved the use of a pressure bar placed at a slit, except that in this case the slit was left open on one side, while on the other side a 'P' shaped lever was placed.
The lever was hinged on one of its extremes (the stem of the "P") at the end of the slit, and returned with the protruding part inside the body of the pen, on the bottom of the same. For the filling the lever was extracted and tilted of 180°, to be able to go to press on the pressure bar using the protruding part; once brought the lever in position of pressure in substance the mechanism becomes analogous to the crescent filler, with the advantage of not having protruding sections (but with the disadvantage of a certain fragility and mechanical complexity).
The second system is the one used by Crocker around 1910, in this case the bottom itself is anchored to a lever, which raised in a vertical position compresses the sac. To be used the bottom was unscrewed, after which the lever could be operated. Holding it screwed in, the lever was locked in the rest position, thus avoiding accidental pressure.
Entrambi questi sistemi si possono annoverare fra i vari tentativi di creare un sistema di compressione del sacchetto basato su meccanismi che si distinguessero da quelli brevettati dagli altri produttori. Data la relativa complessità realizzativa e la tutto sommato scarsa efficienza tecnica, entrambi non hanno avuto alcun seguito significativo. La loro rarità li rende però interessanti dal punto di vista collezionistico.
Brevetti correlati
- Brevetto n° US-1214310, del 1917-01-30, richiesto il 1916-09-18, di Stormont Josselyn, Crocker. Precursore dell'hatchet filler.
- Brevetto n° US-RE14397, del 1917-11-27, richiesto il 1917-07-18, di Stormont Josselyn, Crocker. Caricamento hatchet filler.
- Brevetto n° US-1390366, del 1921-09-13, richiesto il 1919-12-03, di Roderick J. Mackenzie, Crocker. Caricamento hatchet filler.
- Brevetto n° US-1567059, del 1925-12-29, richiesto il 1924-11-25, di Stormont Josselyn, Crocker. Variante dell'hatchet filler.