Technician Description: Schneider K15 Ballpoint Pen

Brandon Valentin

City College of New York

ENGL 21007

Ms. Rodwell

March 29, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. Introduction ——————————————————pg 4
2. Description—————————————————————pg 4

2.1 External Components —————————————pg4

2.1.1 Cap —————————————

2.1.2 Barrel —————————————

2.1.3 Clip —————————————

2.1.4 Ring —————————————

2.2 Internal Components —————————————

2.2.1 Push Button —————————————

2.2.2 Cartridge —————————————

3. Future/ Innovation ———————————————————pg 5
4. Conclusion ——————————————————————pg 

Introduction

The creation of the pen has essentially facilitated the very basis of our civilisation. It is through writing that we have been able to create, share, and learn. Pens have allowed us to obtain and distribute knowledge to one another.

There are numerous types of pens available in the 21st century. The first pen invented as a basic tool to write with was the Reed pen made by the Egyptians around 2000 BC. These early pens were made from hollow, tubular stems. One end of this tool was cut into the shape of a pen nib or point and then the stem was filled with a writing fluid that would flow down to the point when squeezed. Many years later the idea of writing became more popular and the first ink pen was created called the “quill pen.” Of all types of pens, the quill pen was in use for the longest period of history from the 7th century to the 19th century. Europeans used bird feathers to produce this tool. The feathers were dried up to remove any oils in the feather that would interfere with the ink. Next, the end of the feather was shaped with a knife to a point. The point was then dipped into an inkwell. Then the pen can write until the ink dried out and would need to be dipped in the inkwell again. The quill pen reign ended when John Mitchell developed a machine that made steel-point pens on a mass scale in 1822. The steel point pen was still an ink pen and functioned the same as the quill. However, the steel-point pen was sturdier and much less expensive than the quill pen. The inconvenience of the steel point pen due to only being able to write for a few seconds before dipping the pen in ink brought about the idea of the fountain pen. It was first Petrache Poenaru, a Romanian inventor, who invented the very first fountain pen in 1827. However, the flow of the ink was not properly regulated and resulted in either no ink at all or blotting. In 1884 Lewis Edson Waterman developed a three-channel ink feed fountain pen. The design ensured a smooth flow of ink during writing, and revolutionized the pen into a portable tool. The ballpoint pen was a turning point in the innovation of the pen that takes us to modern day. In the later 1930s a Hungarian journalist by the name of Lazlo Biro invented the first ballpoint pen. As a journalist, he was all too familiar with the annoyance of ink smudging on paper from the fountain pen. He came up with the idea to use quick-drying ink instead of the usual India ink and to introduce a small metal ball that rotated. As the ball would rotate, ink would constantly cover the ball. The ball would work to keep the writing pen from drying out and would distribute the ink smoothly. 

Description

Parts will be listed starting from the exterior to the interior workings of the Schneider K15 ballpoint pen. 

External Parts 

Part: Cap

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Figure 1: 

 The tip is a pointed part located at the front of the pen and the spring is a subpart of the tip 

The cap is made of plastic and has a length of 2.7 inches and width of 0.4 inches. This pen can be of 3 colors, such as blue, red, and black. The cap has a tip that holds the extended cartridge in place while writing. The metal spring is another sub part located in the cap that keeps the cartridge retracted until the pen is ready to be used. 

The tip of the Schneider K15 ballpoint pen is a blue plastic part that covers the cartridge located on the front end of the pen. The tip of the pen is also used to hold the extended cartridge in place while writing. The spring is used to keep the cartridge retracted until it is ready to be used and in that case the spring works in tandem with the push button to retract the cartridge after it is extended. 

Figure 3: The cartridge is a part that holds ink, the ballpoint is a subpart that distributes the ink. 

The cartridge is a metal piece that holds the ink used for writing located inside the pen. Located at the tip of the cartridge is the ballpoint. The ballpoint is a ball that rotates so it can run along a surface smoothly and also collects a steady amount of ink while it rotates. This is convenient so the writer does not have to constantly dip their pen in ink. When the cartridge is extended out of the tip the pen is ready to write. 

Figure 4: The push button is a part located at the end of the barrel and contains two subparts: Thrust tube and Thrust device.

The purpose of the push button is to extend or retract the cartridge. Extending and retracting the cartridge gives the writer control of their pen and prevents accidents such as writing on yourself or unnecessary markings in your writing. The silver metal push button has two subparts. The first subpart is the plastic thrust device. The function of the thrust device is to act like a lock for the cartridge. When the push button is pressed the thrust device turns and releases the cartridge and then locks the cartridge in place. The second time the button is pressed the thrust device repeats the process of releasing and locking the cartridge but the second press retracts the cartridge. The second subpart of the push button is the plastic thrust tube. The purpose of the thrust tube is to hold the thrust device and the cartridge in place as the push button is pressed. 

Figure 5: The Barrel of the pen is a part located on the back end of the pen and 

The barrel of the pen is a blue plastic part that houses the cartridge, push button and its subparts. The barrel is the longest part of the pen. 

The clip is a silver metal part connected to the barrel of the pen that is intended to fasten the pen onto any thin object, such as a notebook or even a shirt. The secondary purpose of the clip is to prevent the pen from rolling on a flat surface. The clip is a very convenient addition to the pen that writing tools such as the pencil does not have so that you can avoid dropping and losing the pen.

Figure 6: The clip of the pen is a silver metal part connected to the barrel 

Figure 7: Ring located in the middle of the pen between the barrel and the tip.

The ring is a silver metal designed part that shows the visible difference between the barrel and the tip. The ring also makes it easier to locate where to seperate the barrel and the tip so you can refill the cartridge with ink if necessary. 

The advantage of the Schneider K15 is that since it is made of both metal and plastic parts it is durable and cheap. This pen can be used in writing notes, letters, or even professional papers. The future of the ballpoint pen will focus on developing new inks and better designed pens that are more comfortable and longer lasting. Manufacturers will continue to use plastics and metals so that high quality pens can be made at the lowest possible cost.  

References

Best Response Media, (2017, October 26). History of Pens. The journal shop. https://www.thejournalshop.com/thejournal/history-of-pens/ 

Beck, (2009, October 12). Building Success Ballpoint Pen. Building success. http://buildingsuccess.pbworks.com/w/page/12916734/Project%203%20-%20Description%20Writing