ANATOMY and MECHANISM of a BALLPOINT PEN

 

The modern ballpoint pen is one of the most precious inventions used by almost everyone around the globe. It was a revolutionary idea of creating a writing instrument bearing a ball that was constantly coated with an oil-based, instant-drying ink. It was discovered to eliminate the problems associated with the age-old fountain pen.

In accordance to history, László Bíró, a Hungarian newspaper editor, was quite tired of having to incessantly refill the fountain pen with ink. He, then, noticed that the ink used in the newspaper dried up at a much faster rate than the ink used in fountain pen. He set out to create a pen that could hold this kind of ink. Instead of a nib, the pen used a ball bearing which would have its own reservoir of ink. Thus, the ballpoint pen was born.

Today, ball pen dominate the writing industry and are one of the most staple and intrinsic part of our daily lives. The ballpoint pen has clicked this well because of two major reasons. First, the ink that is used is quick-drying that prevents it from smudging. Second, the different retractable and twist designs allow greater ease of portability. The ink used in ballpoint pens is also cheap to produce and lasts longer when compared to other dye-based inks.

In this article, we shall take a look at the different components that the ballpoint pen is made of.

ANATOMY of a BALLPOINT PEN

Although ballpoint pens come in different designs, the basic apparatus remains the same. It is made up of three primary parts- nose cone (tip), barrel, and ink chamber.  The nose cone holds the tip of the ink cartridge in position when the cartridge is extended for writing. The pen barrel encases the inner, moving parts of the pen and gives it a stylish appearance. The ink chamber or the ink cartridge stores the ink and precisely extends it through the tip for writing.

In case of a retractable ballpoint pen, additional springs and a thrust instrument are incorporated. Finally, a ballpoint pen can also come with a cap that is used to cover the front part of the pen containing the nose cone.

MECHANISM of the BALL BEARING

The ball bearing of a ballpoint pen is a tiny metal sphere that is generally made from brass, steel or tungsten carbide. As the balls moves across paper, the ink is drawn from the cartridge and as the ball rotates in its socket, the ink gets transferred from the ink chamber on to the paper. As one-half of the bearing ball is pressed onto the paper to release ink, the other half gets coated with ink inside of the pen. This creates a continuous cycle of coating of the ball, rotation of the ball and transference of the ink. The result is a consistent and smooth flow of ink that allows one to write or scribble without any pause.

Retraction Mechanism: Although not present in all ballpoint pens, the retraction mechanism is very common. The tip of the pen is extended or retracted either with the help of a click or a twist system. This makes the experience of using a ballpoint pen easier and more convenient.

CONCLUSION

The ballpoint pen technology has evolved and improved since the 19^th century. It is a simple yet fundamentally complex design that has made life easier. The details of this pen might be insignificant to all but it is what has helped make writing a seamless experience.