How a Simple Felt-Tip Marker Works
A 1953 design for a handheld marking tool that uses a porous tip to deliver ink from an internal reservoir.
Original patent title: “Marking device”
A 1953 design for a handheld marking tool that uses a porous tip to deliver ink from an internal reservoir. Granted to Individual in 1955 with 13 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The device functions as a primitive felt-tip marker. It consists of a hollow body that acts as an ink reservoir, containing a fibrous material saturated with marking fluid. A porous tip is held in contact with this reservoir, allowing ink to flow through the fibers via capillary action onto a surface. The design ensures a steady, controlled release of ink for writing or drawing.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover markers using pressurized ink delivery systems.
- Does not cover pens that use ball-point rolling mechanisms.
- Does not cover electronic or digital marking devices.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation lies in the use of a porous, fibrous wick that maintains consistent ink flow through capillary action without needing a complex pumping mechanism.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Permanent markers
Highlighters
Dry-erase markers
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents the early evolution of the modern felt-tip marker, a tool that replaced messy inkwells and fountain pens in many commercial and artistic applications. It helped standardize the portable, disposable marking technology used in offices and schools globally.
Filed
April 22, 1953
Granted
July 19, 1955
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major stationery manufacturers like Newell Brands (Sharpie) and Pilot Corporation continue to refine the material science of the porous tips and ink formulations based on these fundamental principles.
Market impact
This design helped transition the market away from traditional dip pens and toward the convenience of self-contained, portable marking instruments. It laid the foundation for the multi-billion dollar global marker and highlighter industry.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The device functions as a primitive felt-tip marker. It consists of a hollow body that acts as an ink reservoir, containing a fibrous material saturated with marking fluid. A porous tip is held in contact with this reservoir, allowing ink to flow through the fibers via capillary action onto a surface. The design ensures a steady, controlled release of ink for writing or drawing.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in the use of a porous, fibrous wick that maintains consistent ink flow through capillary action without needing a complex pumping mechanism.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover markers using pressurized ink delivery systems.
- Does not cover pens that use ball-point rolling mechanisms.
- Does not cover electronic or digital marking devices.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
This patent is in the public domain
See the Freedom to Build guide — what is free to use, what is not, and how to cite this patent.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
23/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$4K – $14K
Midpoint $9K · expired or expiring · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Rosenthal, S. N. (1955). How a Simple Felt-Tip Marker Works (U.S. Patent No. 2,713,176). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2713176/magic-marker-permanent-marker-rosenthal
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US2713176"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
Semantically similar
You might also find these interesting
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Simple Felt-Tip Marker Works cover?
A 1953 design for a handheld marking tool that uses a porous tip to deliver ink from an internal reservoir.
Who owns patent US 2713176?
Individual owns this patent, granted in 1955.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 2713176 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 13 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents the early evolution of the modern felt-tip marker, a tool that replaced messy inkwells and fountain pens in many commercial and artistic applications. It helped standardize the portable, disposable marking technology used in offices and schools globally.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover markers using pressurized ink delivery systems.
Same assignee
More from Individual
Patent monitoring