Filling An Ink Pen

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for filling an ink pen having an ink holding chamber and an outlet from the chamber includes: covering the outlet with a first more dense ink holding material; adding ink to the first material; priming the pen; and adding a second less dense ink soaked ink holding material to the chamber.

1 . A method for filling an ink pen having an ink holding chamber and an outlet from the chamber, comprising:
 covering the outlet with a first more dense ink holding material;   adding ink to the first material;   priming the pen; and   adding a second less dense ink soaked ink holding material to the chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 adding ink to the first material is performed after covering the outlet with the first material;   priming the pen is performed after adding ink to the first material; and   adding a second less dense ink soaked material to the chamber is performed after priming the pen.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein covering the outlet with a first more dense material comprises covering the outlet with a foam block. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein adding a second less dense ink soaked material to the chamber comprises unspooling a continuous spooled material into the chamber. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein adding a second less dense ink soaked material to the chamber comprises dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein adding a second less dense ink soaked material to the chamber comprises dispensing ink soaked pieces of foam into the chamber. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising moving the yarn relative to the pen or the pen relative to the yarn, or both, while dispensing the yarn into the chamber. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber comprises dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber in stacked layers, the yarn in each layer oriented substantially perpendicular to the orientation of the yarn in an adjacent layer. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber comprises dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber in stacked layers, the yarn in each layer oriented substantially parallel to the orientation of the yarn in an adjacent layer. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber comprises dispensing ink soaked yarn into the chamber in a pattern of varying density. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein dispensing ink soaked pieces of foam into the chamber comprises dispensing ink soaked pieces of foam into the chamber in a pattern of varying density. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein dispensing ink soaked pieces of foam into the chamber in a pattern of varying density comprises dispensing ink soaked smaller pieces of foam into one part of the chamber and dispensing ink soaked larger size pieces of foam into another part of the chamber. 
   
   
       13 . A method for filling ink pens each having an ink holding chamber and an outlet from the chamber, the method comprising:
 covering the outlet of each of a plurality of pens with a first ink holding material;   adding ink to the first material in each pen;   adding a first quantity of an ink soaked second ink holding material to the chamber of a first pen in the plurality of pens; and   adding a second quantity different from the first quantity of the ink soaked second ink holding material to the chamber of a second pen in the plurality of pens.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising priming each pen. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first ink holding material is more dense than the second ink holding material. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first ink holding material has greater capillarity than the second ink holding material. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first ink holding material comprises a foam block and the second ink holding material comprises yarn. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first ink holding material comprises a foam block and the second ink holding material comprises pieces of foam. 
   
   
       19 . An ink pen, comprising:
 an ink holding chamber;   an outlet from the ink holding chamber;   a print head in fluid communication with the ink holding chamber through the outlet;   a first more dense ink holding material in the ink holding chamber covering the outlet; and   a second less dense ink holding material comprising a continuous length of yarn or pieces of foam in the ink holding chamber over the first ink holding material.   
   
   
       20 . The ink pen of  claim 19 , wherein the first more dense ink holding material comprises a small foam block disposed locally at the outlet and the second less dense ink holding material comprises a continuous length of ink soaked yarn at least partially filling the ink holding chamber. 
   
   
       21 . The ink pen of  claim 19 , wherein the first more dense ink holding material comprises a small foam block disposed locally at the outlet and the second less dense ink holding material comprises ink soaked pieces foam at least partially filling the ink holding chamber.