# Getting to the (Ball)Point (DD-304)

> A ballpoint pen dispenses thick, oil-based ink over a hard ball, usually steel, brass or tungsten carbide, seated in a socket at the tip. As the ball rolls across the paper, it picks up ink from the reservoir on one side and lays it down on the other, while also acting as a cap that keeps the ink inside from drying out. John J. Loud patented a ballpoint on October 30, 1888, for marking leather, but it was too coarse for letters. Hungarian newspaper editor László Bíró, noticing that newspaper ink dried fast and didn't smudge, developed a pen with viscous ink and filed for a British patent on June 15, 1938. He and his brother György later moved to Argentina, where their pens went on sale. The footage shows close-ups of pen tips, the ball and a pen being machined.

- Department: Tech
- First published: 2024-08-19
- Last updated: 2024-08-19
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/getting-to-the-ballpoint/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **Oct. 30, 1888**: John J. Loud patents a ballpoint pen
- **June 15, 1938**: László Bíró files his British patent

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=getting-to-the-ballpoint

## Quick facts

- **DD-304-F01**: Ballpoint tips use steel, brass or tungsten carbide balls. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Hard ball tip))_
- **DD-304-F02**: László Bíró filed his British patent in 1938. _(Write-up · Exhibit E (Bíró's 1938 patent))_

## Write-up

A ballpoint writes with a tiny rolling ball. John J. Loud patented a ballpoint in 1888; László Bíró's 1938 design caught on.

1. **Hard ball tip**: The ball is usually steel, brass or tungsten carbide.
2. **Rolling ink**: As the ball rolls, it carries ink from the reservoir onto the paper.
3. **Thick ink**: Ballpoints use viscous, oil-based ink that dries quickly on paper.
4. **Loud's 1888 patent**: John J. Loud patented a ballpoint on October 30, 1888.
5. **Bíró's 1938 patent**: László Bíró filed for a British patent on June 15, 1938.

## Related case files

- [Print Precision (DD-005)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/print-precision/): I paired it with more engineering of putting ink on paper
- [No.1 or No.2 (DD-239)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/no1-or-no2/): I linked another writing tool

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: 'Prevents it from smudging and allows for quick drying': mostly right. The ink is viscous and soaks into paper quickly; I'd still expect some smudging on glossy paper.

## Video: Getting to the (Ball)Point: A Ballpoint Writes With a Tiny Rolling Ball

- Duration: 26.8 s · Published: 2024-08-19
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/C-4GxuSN-JP.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Ballpoint pens work through a simple yet efficient mechanism. Inside the pen there's a small metal ball usually made of brass, steel or tungsten carbide. Seated at the tip of the pen, this ball rotates freely in its socket acting as a buffer between the ink reservoir and the writing surface. As you press the pen to paper and move it, the ball turns picking up ink from the reservoir and depositing it onto the paper in a smooth controlled manner. The ink used is oil based which prevents it from smudging and allows for quick drying. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: What are ballpoint balls usually made of?**  
A: They have to resist wear. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Hard ball tip) · Wikipedia: Ballpoint pen)_

**Q: How does the ink reach the paper?**  
A: The ball also seals the reservoir. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Rolling ink) · Wikipedia: Ballpoint pen)_

**Q: What kind of ink do ballpoints use?**  
A: Bíró got the idea from newspaper ink. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Thick ink) · Wikipedia: Ballpoint pen)_

**Q: Who patented a ballpoint in 1888?**  
A: It was meant for marking leather. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Loud's 1888 patent) · Wikipedia: Ballpoint pen; Google Patents: US392046A, Pen (John J. Loud, 1888))_

**Q: When did László Bíró file his British patent?**  
A: June 15, 1938. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Bíró's 1938 patent) · Wikipedia: Ballpoint pen)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Ballpoint pen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballpoint_pen)
- [Google Patents: US392046A, Pen (John J. Loud, 1888)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US392046A/en)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Getting to the (Ball)Point." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-304, last updated Aug 19, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/getting-to-the-ballpoint/