NEW Inventions

John J. Loud, an American, received the first patent for a ballpoint pen in 1888. However, it was not commercially successful and eventually his patent expired. László Bíró, a lawyer and occasional inventor from Hungary, wanted a pen that could write on rough materials as well as paper. He made significant improvements to the design and invented a practical ballpoint pen, which appeared in 1943. Bíró's frustration with fountain pens, which required constant refilling and often caused smudges, led him to create a pen using fast-drying ink similar to newsprint ink, which wouldn't flow from a normal pen nib. Helped by his brother Georg, Bíró devised a roller-ball tip with a tiny ball-bearing that would roll over the paper surface, picking up ink from the ink cartridge inside and applying it to the paper on the outside.

While on holiday, the Bíró brothers met an amiable old man who suggested they try to market the pen in Argentina. The RAF had meanwhile taken up their idea because they saw its potential for high-altitude flying, where fountain pens were prone to leaking. This adoption by the RAF marked an important step in the pen's development.

When Milton Reynolds and Francis Horne started selling ballpoint pens in 1945, they quickly became popular worldwide. The invention of the ballpoint pen is often credited to László Bíró because of his important improvements to the design. At the same time, Parker Pens and other manufacturers were developing their own versions. Parker, notably, introduced a tungsten carbide textured ball-bearing to improve reliability.

Despite initial setbacks, by the end of the 1950s, BIC had become a dominant player in the ballpoint pen market, eventually overshadowing earlier manufacturers and revolutionizing writing instruments. BIC's success was partly due to their aggressive marketing and distribution strategies, as well as their focus on producing affordable and reliable pens.

A ballpoint pen is a writing tool that uses a small rotating ball to put ink on paper, allowing for smooth and controlled writing. Ink in ballpoint pens is often pushed by a piston, spring, and capillary action to keep the ink flowing consistently. Fountain pens have caps and the ink flows smoothly from the tip. The ballpoint pen uses a rolling action and capillary action to release ink, making it more convenient for daily use. The downside of ballpoint pens is that the ink can dry out if the pen is left open for too long. Ballpoint pens are easy to write with and are useful for many writing tasks, from taking notes to signing papers. They are a precise writing tool that has changed the way we write since it was invented. Every second, more than 125 ballpoint pens are sold, making it one of the most popular writing tools in the world. All ballpoint pens can be refilled, which makes them a more eco-friendly choice compared to throwaway pens. The ballpoint pen has a small rotating ball at the tip. If the ink doesn’t flow well, it can get clogged and may need cleaning or replacing. This common writing tool has revolutionized the way we write, offering a convenient and reliable method of writing.

New sentence

・Bíró's frustration with fountain pens and his use of fast-drying ink. 

・The contribution of Georg Bíró in devising the roller-ball tip. 

・The development by Parker Pens and their introduction of a tungsten carbide textured ball-bearing

・「The RAF had meanwhile taken up their idea because they saw its potential for high-altitude flying, where fountain pens were prone to leaking.」

・「BIC's success was partly due to their aggressive marketing and distribution strategies, as well as their focus on producing affordable and reliable pens.」