Editing Ballpoint pen (section)

===Origins===
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| footer = At left, an authentic Birome made in Argentina by Bíró & Meyne. At right, Birome advertisement in Argentine magazine ''Leoplán'', 1945.
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The concept of using a "ball point" within a writing instrument to apply ink to paper has existed since the late 19th century. In these inventions, the ink was placed in a thin tube whose end was blocked by a tiny ball, held so that it could not slip into the tube or fall out of the pen.

The first [[patent]] for a ballpoint pen<ref>Collingridge, M. R. ''et al.'' (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–20" ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 69</ref><ref>[Japes P. Mannings, "Reservoir, Fountain, and Stylographic Pens"], ''Journal of the Society of Arts'', 27 October 1905, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_7pJAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1150 p. 1150]</ref> was issued on 30 October 1888 to [[John J. Loud]],<ref>Great Britain Patent No. 15630, 30 October 2008</ref> who was attempting to make a writing instrument that would be able to write "on rough surfaces—such as wood, coarse wrapping paper, and other articles"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US392046 |title=Patent US392046 – op weym – Google Patents |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=18 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518191334/http://www.google.com/patents/US392046 |url-status=live }}</ref> which [[fountain pen]]s could not. Loud's pen had a small rotating steel ball held in place by a socket. Although it could be used to mark rough surfaces such as leather, as Loud intended, it proved too coarse for letter-writing. With no commercial viability, its potential went unexploited,<ref name="About"/> and the patent eventually lapsed.<ref name="1940s"/>

The manufacture of economical, reliable ballpoint pens as are known today arose from experimentation, modern chemistry, and the precision manufacturing capabilities of the early 20th century.<ref name="bpp encyc"/> Patents filed worldwide during early development are testaments to failed attempts at making the pens commercially viable and widely available.<ref name="web"/> Early ballpoints did not deliver the ink evenly; overflow and clogging were among the obstacles faced by early inventors{{Who|date=February 2023}}<!-- Who? -->.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> If the ball socket were too tight or the ink too thick, it would not reach the paper. If the socket were too loose or the ink too thin, the pen would leak, or the ink would smear.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Ink reservoirs pressurized by a piston, spring, [[capillary action]], and gravity would all serve as solutions to ink-delivery and flow problems.<ref>Collingridge, M. R. et al. (2007). "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–2005". ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 80</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Webshark Ltd. – www.webshark.hu |url=http://www.herend.com/herald/012/eng/eletmod.htm |title=A porcelán-arany csoda |publisher=Herend |access-date=11 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012134119/http://herend.com/herald/012/eng/eletmod.htm |archive-date=12 October 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

[[László Bíró]], a [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] [[newspaper]] editor (later a naturalized Argentine) frustrated by the amount of time that he wasted filling up fountain pens and cleaning up smudged pages, noticed that inks used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He decided to create a pen using the same type of ink.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bíró enlisted the help of his brother György, a dentist with useful knowledge of chemistry,<ref>Collingridge, M. R. et al. (2007) "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–2005". ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 81</ref> to develop viscous ink formulae for new ballpoint designs.<ref name="bpp encyc"/>

Bíró's innovation successfully coupled viscous ink with a ball-and-socket mechanism that allowed controlled flow while preventing ink from drying inside the reservoir.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/> Bíró filed for a British patent on 15 June 1938.<ref name="About"/><ref>"The first complete specifications appear to be UK 498997, June 1938 and UK 512218, December 1938; his rather basic Hungarian patent 120037 was dated April 1938." Collingridge, M. R. et al. (2007). "Ink Reservoir Writing Instruments 1905–2005". ''Transactions of the Newcomen Society'' 77(1): pp.&nbsp;69–100, p. 80</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bhl.org.uy/index.php/La_Birome |title=La Birome |access-date=10 February 2023 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210121720/https://bhl.org.uy/index.php/La_Birome |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1941, the Bíró brothers and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, fled Germany and moved to Argentina, where they formed "Bíró Pens of Argentina" and filed a new patent in 1943.<ref name="About"/> Their pen was sold in Argentina as the "Birome", from the names Bíró and Meyne, which is how ballpoint pens are still known in that country.<ref name="About"/> This new design was licensed by the British engineer [[Frederick George Miles]] and manufactured by his company [[Miles Aircraft]], to be used by [[Royal Air Force]] aircrew as the "Biro".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maksel |first=Rebecca |title=If You Like Ballpoint Pens, Thank the R.A.F. |url=https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/ballpoint-pens-RAF-180955537/ |access-date=2020-12-30 |website=Air & Space Magazine |language=en |archive-date=28 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228135430/https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/ballpoint-pens-RAF-180955537/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ballpoint pens were found to be more versatile than fountain pens, especially in airplanes, where fountain pens were prone to leak.<ref name="How ballpoints work"/>

Bíró's patent, and other early patents on ballpoint pens, often used the term "ball-point fountain pen".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vYr8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA570 |title=Patent Log: Innovative Patents that Advanced the United States Navy |first1=Douglas E. |last1=Campbell |first2=Stephen J. |last2=Chant |year=2017 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-105-62562-6 |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Books]] }}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2474300 |title=Ball point fountain pen |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331121151/http://www.google.com/patents/US2474300 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2966417 |title=Red ball point fountain pen inks and colorants therefor |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=6 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506122136/http://www.google.com/patents/US2966417 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.google.com.ar/patents/US2592406 |title=Fountain pen of the ball point type |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=31 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331122307/http://www.google.com.ar/patents/US2592406 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2486869 |title=Ball-point fountain pen |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=12 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512005833/http://www.google.com/patents/US2486869 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US2390636 |title=Writing instrument |publisher=[[United States Patent Office]] |access-date=30 March 2017 |via=[[Google Patents]] |archive-date=30 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430035748/http://www.google.com/patents/US2390636 |url-status=live }}</ref>