Sheaffer Pen Filling Systems |
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Sheaffer Touchdown Filler
In 1912 Sheaffer Pens rose to prominence as a leading pen manufacturer due to its invention of the lever filling system. During the war very few pen manufacturers came up with new pen models, and by the 1940s their filling system was out of date. In 1949 though, Sheaffer invented a new filling system called the Touchdown. It featured a rubber sac inside a metal tube, which inflated and deflated when the tube was manually pumped. This action forced out any remaining ink in the pen and then drew in new ink. The touchdown was very similar in operation to the previous Vac-Fil system, and essentially was a reworking of the Pneumatic pump filler released by Chilton in 1924.
Sheaffer Snorkel Filler
In 1952 Sheaffer invented the Snorkel filling system. It was a very intricate system, but it was reliable, easy to use and efficient. The Sheaffer Snorkel design reworked the touchdown filler by adding a pipe which appeared from under the feed (known as the snorkel). This sytem meant you didn’t need to dip the nib fully into the ink well. Instead you would dip the snorkel into the ink, which reduced the amount of mess to be cleaned up.
Sheaffer Snorkel TM
The Sheaffer TM or ‘Thin Model’ was introduced in 1950, a slimline pen that initially used the Touchdown filler system. When the Snorkel was invented in 1952, it became standard on all Sheaffer TM pens. When the Sheaffer TM used the Touchdown filling system, the pen had a see through section behind the nib. This disappeared with the Snorkel due to the additional snorkel pipe. Additionally, because the TM was very slimline the Snorkel sac had to be very small.
The TM Snorkel ranged from $7.95 to £100 ( a solid gold version). The Sheaffer signature dot was used only for the more expensive Triumph models. During the reign of the TM snorkel, Sheaffer introduced their branded pens for the first time without a gold nib point. This allowed Sheaffer to sell its fountain pens at much lower prices. During the early 1900s a gold nib was considered an essential part of the pen.
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