A Simple, Inexpensive Recorder Pen It has recently become necessary to modify the standard Perkin-Elmer infrared pen holder, as a result of continual pen clogging when recording slow scans. The recorder pen holder described is made from a ball point pen refill, is extremely easy to assemble, and may he adapted to several of the Perkin-Elmer instruments (i.e., I.R. 621, I.R. 337). Thus, the utility of the pen holder lies not only in its immediate applicability to high resolution studies, hut also to the more routine student uses. The holder was assembled by soldering together two pieces of '/,-in. copper tubing m illustrated in the figure. The oorvature ( A ) is necessary to insure a continual supply of ink from the plastic cartridge of the ball point pen refill. Piece ( B ) fits nicely into the usual instrument pen holder when wranned with maskine taDe to the rewired (-7 mm) diameter. As a < of the low o&t df ball point pen refills, one ;an keep several on hand a t all times and thus eliminate any loss in research time. I n addition, there are a variety of points (fine, medium, etc.) and colors from which to choose. I n our studies, a fine point refill was employed along with normal 8'/% X lll/2-in. (coarse-grain) typing paper. Such paper is indeed inexpensive and its use coupled with the pen described could reduce labor* tory operating expenses.
850
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Journol of ~hemicolEducation
Recorder pen designed for use on the Perkin-Elmer model 621, and related instruments. Piece A hos o m o l l indenture at the curvature to insure Rt in the normal pen holder.
