Abstract: A capillary writing medium colorant reservoir system for a writing instrument and process for producing the colorant reservoir. The main problem in such colorant reservoirs is the storage time. During this time, the writing capacity of new writing instruments declines since the walls of the writing instruments are, if only slightly, permeable to solvents. In the long run a stored writing instrument thus dries out and loses the major proportion of its original writing capacity. To this end, the invention has a colorant reservoir with an elongated reservoir body made of fibrous material. The reservoir body is surrounded by a sleeve which is permeable to liquids and gases and gives the reservoir body its shape. The reservoir stores colorant to produce liquid writing medium, the colorant being stored between the fibers of the fibrous material of the reservoir body in dry form. A single-part or multipart wick projects from either side of the reservoir body.

Abstract: A conical thread structure &agr;1,&agr;2,t is provided to simplify the removal of threads in plastics sleeve elements 1,2,3,4 and to decrease production cost. The radial distance of the thread elements 50,60,51,61 of said thread structure and of the corresponding form tools, which elements being adjacent in translational z or −z direction, are dimensioned such that, when removed E0,E1,E2 or F0,F1 from the mold each thread element “snaps out” only once and does not snap into a second time.

Abstract: A capillary writing medium colorant reservoir system for a writing instrument and process for producing the colorant reservoir. The main problem in such colorant reservoirs is the storage time. During this time, the writing capacity of new writing instruments declines since the walls of the writing instruments are, if only slightly, permeable to solvents. In the long run a stored writing instrument thus dries out and loses the major proportion of its original writing capacity. To this end, the invention has a colorant reservoir with an elongated reservoir body made of fibrous material. The reservoir body is surrounded by a sleeve which is permeable to liquids and gases and gives the reservoir body its shape. The reservoir stores colorant to produce liquid writing medium, the colorant being stored between the fibers of the fibrous material of the reservoir body in dry form. A single-part or multipart wick projects from either side of the reservoir body.

Abstract: A felt tip pen, marker or liner having a casing, in which a reservoir containing a dry or pasty colored pigment is arranged such that it can be soaked with a liquid dissolving and absorbing the colored pigment. A wick like connecting element capable of capillary action penetrates both ends of the reservoir and is in contact with the dry or pasty colored pigment. The rear end of the wick like connecting element is in contact with a supply of liquid. The liquid is drawn through the wick like element by capillary action and the dry or pasty colored pigment is dissolved and mixed with the liquid as the liquid is drawn through the wick like element. The resulting writing material is drawn to the front end of the wick like connecting element and is deposited in a writing material reservoir. A writing tip capable of capillary action is arranged such that it is in contact with the writing material supply. The writing material is drawn though the writing tip by capillary action.

Abstract: A writing instrument includes a reservoir, a barrel in which the reservoir is received for a longitudinal displacement between a retracted position and a writing position, a push button for actuating the reservoir, and a shift device for moving the reservoir between the positions in which the reservoir is latchable with spring biasing. The shift device has a controlling curved portion arranged fixedly in the barrel and a movable actuating device, the actuating device including the push button and at least one elastically deflectable shift rod arranged to latch with the insert and unlatch from the latter so that latching and unlatching movements of the shift rod are associated with different planes.

Abstract: A writing utensil for three different leads is provided in which due to the use of a special front part and a pusher housing being easily insertable into the same, a conventional writing utensil with only one lead can be converted in a simple and robust fashion to a three-color writing utensil. The pusher housing loosely inserted into the shaft housing, which supports the leads, has a profiled contour and can tilt freely into one of several predetermined tilting positions under the effect of gravity and as a function of the rotary position of the shaft housing in order to bring a selected lead into a ready position from which it can be displaced into the writing position.