Assignment Abstract

In this assignment, I was tasked with choosing an object, mechanism or process and fully explaining how this object came to be, what it’s made of, and how it works. For my project, I chose the BiC pen as my object as it was simple enough that everyone was familiar with it, but still had a complex history of innovation that made it an interesting read. Throughout the paper, I discussed in depth the history of pen technology that lead to the BiC pen, the part makeup of the BiC pen, and the inner workings of the pen.

History of Pens:

From the very first moment in history when humans invented writing, writing utensils have accompanied humanity through each technological, social, and political invention. One of these writing utensils that have been continually used throughout millennia is the pen. As defined by the Cambridge dictionary,  a pen is as a thin device with a sharp point used for drawing or writing with ink (Dictionary of Cambridge). To understand why we use the version of pens we have today, it is important to take a look at the history of pens and observe the technological progression.

Reed Pen

The first pen was used by the Egyptians 4000 years ago around 2000 B.C. (Danzing, R. 2010). This primitive pen was called the reed pen. The reed pen, as shown by Figure 1, consists of a hollowed-out stem of a reed plant with one end sharpened to a fine point (History of Pens 2018). The sharpened end of the pen served as the tip. It could be dipped into a container of ink and the sharp point would hold the ink needed for writing. Egyptians used the reed pen as their primary writing tool as can be seen by the papyrus scrolls on the right (Danzing R, 2010). While reed pens were used for a long time successfully, they had two major problems. The first problem was that the stiffness of the reed body of the pen made it uncomfortable for it to be held for long periods of times by scribes. The second problem was that the reed pen did not particularly maintain the sharp point very well (History of Pens, 2018). Over time, the sharp point would dull and the scribe would either have to re-sharpen it or use a new pen.

Quill Pen:

The two limitations of the reed pen; however, were overcome by the quill pen (Figure 3) which was first used in 600 A.D (History of Pens, 2018). The quill pen consisted of a single body similarly to the reed pen. The difference was that the body was not made from a reed plant but instead of a turkey, geese, or swan feather (History of Pens, 2018). The feather was heat treated to remove any oils that might chemically react with the ink. The lightweight, thin, and soft body of the quill pen made it much easier to manipulate and allowed people to write letters that were finer in resolution and more intricate in design. Another benefit of the quill pen was its ability to store ink. When the quill pen was dipped into a container of ink, some of the ink would fill up the hollow cavity of the feather (History of Pens, 2018). Through this mechanism, the feather acted as an ink storage and allowed scribes to write for longer periods of time before replenishing the ink. Although quill pens were much more durable than the previous reed pens, they still needed routine sharpening.

Steel-Point Pen:

The invention of the steel-point pen also known as a dip or nib pen in 1822 (Figure 4) overcame this issue. The steel-point pen is very similar in shape and function to the quill pen. They both have a hollowed tube in the interior which allows ink to seep into and acts as a small ink container. The first major difference between the steel-point pen and the quill pen was the makeup of the body. While previous pens consisted of a single solid body, the steel-point pen consisted of a body and a steel tip or nib (History of Pens, 2018). Figure 5 shows the thin wooden body of the steel-point pen and the steel nibs that could be interchanged at any time. This brings us to the second major differences and advantage of the steel-point pen over the quill pen. Since the tip of the pen was now made of steel, it could hold an edge that was much sharper than a quill pen for much longer. For the first time in history, writers no longer needed to routinely sharpen their utensil. The alternate name of the steel-point pen (dip pen); however, revealed its limitation.  The steel-point pen was unable to overcome the issue of ink storage. While the hollow tip allowed for some ink storage, the pen needed to be regularly dipped into an ink container for continuous writing (History of Pens, 2018). This was the next inconvenience to go.

Fountain Pen:

The fountain pen invented in 1827 proposed a solution to the ink storage problem that had plagued previous pen designs. It featured an internal ink cartridge and bypassed the need for the pen to be dipped in ink (History of Pens, 2018). The pen was made up of three parts: the main body, the steel tip, and the ink storage. Figure 5 of the patent of an early fountain pen reveals the mechanism that allowed the pen to work. The ink storage compartment was connected to the tip of the pen through a thin hollow tube (Klein and Wynne, 1865). As the pen is used, ink flows down the tube due to gravity until there is no ink left remaining. When this occurs, fountain pens can be refilled in two main ways either through interchangeable pre-filled ink containers or through manually refillable ink cartridges. The same innovation that made the fountain pen so much better than its earlier predecessors also gave it its limitations. In order for the ink to flow from the cartridge to the tip, it was necessary for the ink to be a low viscosity (thickness) fluid. This caused two main problems. First, low viscosity ink took a much longer amount of time to dry and was therefore easy to smudge. Second, the ink flowed quickly and inconsistently through the tip leading inconsistent writing. Other problems included leaks due to unsealed/broken ink cartridges and changes in air pressure (airplane rides) . In addition, if fountain pens were left uncovered, the ink in both the tip and the cartridge would dry up and clump together making it very difficult to clean up (History of Pens, 2018).  

Ball-point Pen:

The ball-point pen invented by Hungarian newspaper editor Lazlo Biro in 1931, made major improvements over the fountain pens of the time. Biro’s ballpoint pen (similar to Figure 6) consisted of three components: the steel outer casing, the ink cartridge, and ball-point tip. Biro noticed that newspaper ink dried much faster than the fountain pen ink and lead to less smudging (History of Pens, 2018). He worked with chemists to develop a new type of fast-drying ink based on the newspaper ink that could be used with pens. The problem was that this ink was a high viscosity fluid that made it unusable with fountain pens since it couldn’t flow between the ink cartridge and the tip. To overcome this issue, Biro invented the ball-point tip. The tip consisted of a ball and socket joint and a tiny tube that connected with the ink cartridge as shown in Figure 7. Just like with fountain pens, ink would fall through the tube due to gravity, but this time it would fall on top of the steel ball. Then as the tip of the pen slid along the paper, the ball would roll and distribute the ink that lay on top into the paper (History of Pens, 2018). Early versions of the ball-point pen made by Biro were expensive and suffered from a major leaking problem which made them very unpopular and lead to Biro’s company going bankrupt.

Biro’s ball-point pen patent was purchased by Baron Marcel Bich. His company Société BIC S.A., commonly referred to simply as BiC worked off of Biro’s original design to come up with the BiC Crystal Pen (shown in Figure 8) in 1945 (History of Pens, 2018). The BiC Crystal Pen consisted of a transparent, plastic hexagonal body, a transparent plastic ink cartridge, a metal ball-point tip, and a plastic cap. BiC used the principals of mass production in combination with cheap materials to come up with a much cheaper version of Biro’s pen.

BiC Crystal Pen Makeup:

The Bic Crystal pen can be broken apart into the exterior and interior. The exterior consists of the plastic connection piece, the barrel, the cap, and the stopper. The interior consists of the cupper ball holder, the metal ball and the ink cartridge.

Exterior

Plastic Connection Piece (Figure 10)

The plastic connection piece is what connects the metal ball and the ball holder to the ink cartridge. It is made of a conic shape in the bottom, a large cylinder in the middle, and a small cylinder at the top.

1. The cone at the bottom of the pen is responsible for housing both the cupper ball holder and the ball inside of it. As seen in figure 9, the inside of the conic section is hollow.
2. The large cylinder in the middle acts as middlemen between the ink cartridge and the cupper ball holder. Ink flows from the cartridge to the large cylinder and then to cupper ball holder. The large cylinder is also small enough in diameter to fit inside the mouth of the barrel for extra stability.
3. The small cylinder at the top fits outside of the ink cartridge and guides the ink through the plastic connection piece.

Figure 10: Plastic Connection Piece. Retrieved from http://thinkbic.com/

Barrel (Figure 11)

The barrel is the polystyrene plastic cover the envelopes the ink cartridge. The shape of the barrel is that of a long hexagonal cylinder. This precise shape creates a sturdy structure and makes it very hard for the pen to roll off of uneven surfaces. The bottom of the barrel tapers to a cone that fits over the large cylinder of the plastic connection piece. Last but not least, the transparent polystyrene plastic of the barrel allows consumers to see the ink cartridge inside the barrel and determine the amount of ink remaining.

Figure 11: Barrel. Retrieved from http://thinkbic.com/

Cap (Figure 12)

The clip is a removable plastic piece that covers the plastic connection piece, the cupper ball holder, and the metal ball. It has hollow conic shape that is large enough at the base to fit the barrel and small enough at the tip to fit the plastic connection piece. The purpose of the clip is threefold. First, it allows the pen to be clipped to objects like folders, notebooks, and pockets. Second, it stops the pen from rolling off uneven surfaces. Third, it protects the ink from drying and thickening.

Stopper  (Figure 13)

The stopper is a small hollow cylindrical piece that fits at the end of the barrel. The diameter of the stopper is smaller than the diameter of the barrel so that it fits snugly inside the barrel. At the top of the cylinder is a circular protrusion with a diameter matching that of the barrel. The purpose of the stopper is as a preventive measure against ink spills. If the ink cartridge is damaged, the stopper will not allow the ink to escape the barrel of the pen.

Figure 13: Stopper. Retrieved from http://thinkbic.com/

Interior

             Cupper Ball Holder (Figure 14)

The cupper ball holder is a small metallic piece that houses the metal ball. It is made up of a conical shape and a cylindrical shape. The conical shape is hollow on the inside to fit the ball but narrow at the tip so that the ball does not fall out. The cylindrical shape directly fits inside the conic shape of the plastic connection piece. In the same way that the plastic connection piece is a connection between the ink cartridge and the ball holder, the ball holder is a connection between the plastic connection piece and the ball.

Ink Cartridge (See Figure 9)

The ink cartridge is a thin hollow, transparent, cylindrical plastic piece that resides within the barrel. The purpose of the ink cartridge is simple; it contains the ink that the pen uses. The ink cartridge is directly connected to the plastic connection piece as explained in the plastic connection piece section.  

Metal Ball (See Figure 9)

The metal ball is a very small sphere made of tungsten carbide. It directly fits into the cupper ball holder. The purpose of the ball, as explained in the ball-point pen section is to drag ink as it rolls from the plastic connection piece to the paper.

Conclusion:

Although today we do not often think about the writing instruments that we use, there is a deep history about the technological progression of writing instruments. We have upgraded from the very simplistic reed pens to the ball-point pens we use today through centuries of technological improvements in engineering, material science, and manufacturing. The BiC Crystal pen through its simple design combined the best characteristics from all previous pen designs; it had the cost of a reed pen, the light weight and comfortable grip of a quill pen, the durability of a steel-point pen, and the convenience of a fountain pen. Considering all of that, it is really no surprise that the BiC Crystal is the most wide-used pen in the world.

References:

Bich. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from http://thinkbic.com/

Danzing, R. (2010, September 22). Pigments and Inks Typically Used on Papyrus. Retrieved March 11, 2019, from https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2010/09/22/pigments-and-inks-typically-used-on-papyrus/

History of Dip Pens. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from http://www.historyofpencils.com/writing-instruments-history/dip-pen-history/

Joszef, B. L. (1945). U.S. Patent No. US2390636. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Klein, M., & Wynne, H. W. (1865). U.S. Patent No. US68445A. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/pen

Quill Pen. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_316228

Rothman, L. (2015, October 29). Ballpoint Pen History: Why the Invention Was Such a Big Deal. Retrieved March 11, 2019, from http://time.com/4083274/ballpoint-pen/

The Greatest Pen Inventions of all Time. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from https://www.penheaven.co.uk/blog/the-greatest-pen-inventions-of-all-time/

The History of Pens | The Journal Shop. (2018, June 20). Retrieved March 11, 2019, from https://www.thejournalshop.com/thejournal/history-of-pens/

Self Reflection:

Acknowledge your and others’ range of linguistic differences as resources, and draw on those resources to develop rhetorical sensibility.

When writing this paper, I tried to avoid any complicated words that a general audience might not understand. If I did use such words, I used a parenthetical definition to define them.

Enhance strategies for reading, drafting, revising, editing, and self-assessment.

To enhance the reading process, I chunked information into many paragraphs. This makes the paper more digestible for readers. I could definitely work more on the drafting and revision process; however, since I only made one draft for the essay. Having only one draft is not ideal for revision, so in the future I will try to spread out the work and create multiple drafts.

Develop and engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.

It is always helpful to gain an outside perspective into your own writing. The class peer-review was very helpful because I started to see the words that needed definitions. It made me understand what it meant to write for a general audience.

Engage in genre analysis and multimodal composing to explore effective writing across disciplinary contexts and beyond.

In composing my paper, I chunked information based on historical context and material makeup. For the historical context, each major innovation in pen technology got its own paragraph. For the material make-up, the interior and exterior got their own sections and each part of the pen was explained in detail in their own paragraphs. I made sure to include many pictures throughout the technical description to illustrate the evolution of the pen, the mechanism of the ball-point pen, and the parts of the BiC pen.

Formulate and articulate a stance through and in your writing.

Since this paper was informative in nature, there was no need to articulate a stance. I simply gathered and summarized information to inform readers about the history of pen technology and the inner workings of the BiC pen.

Practice using various library resources, online databases, and the Internet to locate sources appropriate to your writing projects.

All the sources used in this paper were online sources gathered from Google searches. It was difficult to find journal articles on the history of pens, so I instead used specific websites dedicated to informing viewers about the history of writing utensils. Some of the sources used also included museum websites.

Strengthen your source use practices (including evaluating, integrating, quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, synthesizing, analyzing, and citing sources)

I summarized and paraphrased information throughout the essay. I did not use quotations as much because I felt that that it would slow down the flow of information. I wanted the writing to flow very smoothly and if I quoted information, then I would have to slow down and analyze or explain the quote.