In 1935 Hungarian brothers Lazlo and Georg Biro invented the first non leaking ballpoint pen. Lazlo was a chemist and Biro was a newspaper editor.Lazlo Biro applied for patents in 1938 and 1940 with the European Patent Office. In 1938, the newly formed Eterpen Company manufactured the Biro pen. Lazlo eventually sold the patents to Eversharp. The ballpoint pen was first invented and patented in 1888 by John Laud. Laud's was too course for letter writing but could be used on rough surfaces and it leaked. Lazlo noticed that the type of ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He decided to create a pen using quick-drying ink instead of India ink. The thicker ink, though, would not flow from an ordinary pen nib and Biro had to devise a new type of point.The ballpoint pen, commonly called the 'biro' became popular in Great Britain during the late 1930s. As Biro had neglected to obtain a North American patent for the pen, he missed the lucrative opportunity of manufacturing the pen in the US. In addition, this enabled the British government to purchase the licensing rights.In 1939, the Royal Air Force needed a new type of pen because the conventional fountain pen leaked when fighter planes flew at high altitudes with reduced pressure. During World War II, the ballpoint pen was widely used by the military forces because of its toughness and ability to survive the battle environment. By the mid-1940s, pens of this type were widely used throughout much of the world. The press hailed the success of the biro because you could write for a year with it without refilling. Since none of the inventors or Eversharp patented this in the U.S they became the second to largely produce ballpoint pens and it came into a high competition between Parker Pens and Eversharp. Once these pens were massed produced a lot leaked and many were returned. It would not be until 1945 when frenchman Bich would come along and discover the real potential for the ball point pen.
pen picture:
http://cache.eb.com/eb/thumb?id=62971
pen design:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/gifs/Ballpointpen.GIF
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