Mono Monday: Inventions 20th Century

Laszlo Josef Biro was a Hungarian-Argentine inventor who patented the first commercially successful modern ballpoint pen (biro) in 1938.


While working as a journalist, Bíró noticed that the ink used in newspaper printing dried quickly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He tried using the same ink in a fountain pen, but found that it would not flow into the tip, as it was too viscous.

Bíró László's brother was a chemist, and they experimented together and tried to make a new type of pen. They combined a new type of viscous ink and a ball-socket mechanism with a smaller ball, this time, which prevented ink from drying inside the pen and controlled the flow of ink. The ball was placed in a socket at the tip of the pen but it could rotate freely, collect ink from the reservoir and leave it as a mark on the surface across which it is dragged. They presented their pen at the Budapest International Fair in 1931 and patented it in 1938.

Note:
John J. Loud invented a ballpoint in 1888 which could be used on rough surafaces like leather or wood. it proved to be too coarse for letter-writing. With no commercial viability, its potential went unexploited and the patent eventually lapsed.


Although I love my ink pens, biros are so useful and I keep one in every room and in my bag and backpack!
Now I also know where the word 'biro' comes from, from the name of the inventor!  If you would like to see the alpine scene a little more clearly, just enlarge the photo.

My biro here is made by the Swiss company Caran d'Ache and depicts a Swiss scene in the paper cutout style. Here is a link to this particular design: 
https://swiss-souvenirs-watches.ch/collections/swiss-souvenirs-caran-dache/products/swiss-souvenirs-849-papercut-ballpoint-pen-with-etuie


Thank you to Laurie54, for her weekly mono challenges.