Jump to content

László Bíró: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
add
Removed questions and other non-encyclopedic material from the beginning of the page
Line 50: Line 50:
{{Eastern name order|Bíró László József}}
{{Eastern name order|Bíró László József}}


'''László József Bíró''' ({{IPA-hu|ˈlaːsloː ˈjoːʒɛf ˈbiːroː}}, {{Lang-es|Ladislao José Biro}}; 29 September 1899 – 24 October 1985) was the [[inventor]] of the modern [[ballpoint pen]].<ref name=AZ>{{cite book|last=Stoyles |first=Pennie |title=The A to Z of Inventions and Inventors |author2=Peter Pentland | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=n9FZuxigkTkC&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#PPT21,M1|pages=18|isbn=1-58340-790-1|year=2006|accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref>Who was Ladislao José Biro, how did he invent the ballpoint pen and how did it help in World War II?
'''László József Bíró''' ({{IPA-hu|ˈlaːsloː ˈjoːʒɛf ˈbiːroː}}, {{Lang-es|Ladislao José Biro}}; 29 September 1899 – 24 October 1985) was the [[inventor]] of the modern [[ballpoint pen]].<ref name=AZ>{{cite book|last=Stoyles |first=Pennie |title=The A to Z of Inventions and Inventors |author2=Peter Pentland | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=n9FZuxigkTkC&printsec=frontcover&hl=hu#PPT21,M1|pages=18|isbn=1-58340-790-1|year=2006|accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref>


Bíró was born in [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]],<ref name=Patent/> in 1899 into a Jewish family. He presented the first production of the ballpoint pen at the Budapest International Fair in 1931.<ref name=Patent>{{cite web|title=Golyó a tollban – megemlékezés Bíró László Józsefről|language=Hungarian|url=http://www.mszh.hu/kiadv/ipsz/199608/biro.html|work=Hungarian Patent Office|accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref> While working as a journalist in Hungary, he 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. Working with his brother György,<ref name=AZ/> a [[chemistry|chemist]], he developed a new tip consisting of a ball that was free to turn in a socket, and as it turned it would pick up ink from a cartridge and then roll to deposit it on the paper. Bíró patented the invention in Paris in 1938.
Bíró was born in [[Budapest]], [[Hungary]],<ref name=Patent/> in 1899 into a Jewish family. He presented the first production of the ballpoint pen at the Budapest International Fair in 1931.<ref name=Patent>{{cite web|title=Golyó a tollban – megemlékezés Bíró László Józsefről|language=Hungarian|url=http://www.mszh.hu/kiadv/ipsz/199608/biro.html|work=Hungarian Patent Office|accessdate=2008-07-22}}</ref> While working as a journalist in Hungary, he 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. Working with his brother György,<ref name=AZ/> a [[chemistry|chemist]], he developed a new tip consisting of a ball that was free to turn in a socket, and as it turned it would pick up ink from a cartridge and then roll to deposit it on the paper. Bíró patented the invention in Paris in 1938.

Revision as of 17:45, 29 September 2016

For the Romanian weightlifter, see László Bíró (weightlifter).
László Bíró
Bíró, c. 1978
Born
László József Bíró

(1899-09-29)29 September 1899
Budapest, Austria-Hungary
Died24 October 1985(1985-10-24) (aged 86)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
NationalityHungarian
Other namesLadislas Jozsef Biro
Ladislao José Biro
CitizenshipHungarian, Argentine
Known forInventor of the ballpoint pen
SpouseElsa Schick
ChildrenMariana
The native form of this personal name is Bíró László József. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

László József Bíró (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈlaːsloː ˈjoːʒɛf ˈbiːroː], Template:Lang-es; 29 September 1899 – 24 October 1985) was the inventor of the modern ballpoint pen.[1]

Bíró was born in Budapest, Hungary,[2] in 1899 into a Jewish family. He presented the first production of the ballpoint pen at the Budapest International Fair in 1931.[2] While working as a journalist in Hungary, he 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. Working with his brother György,[1] a chemist, he developed a new tip consisting of a ball that was free to turn in a socket, and as it turned it would pick up ink from a cartridge and then roll to deposit it on the paper. Bíró patented the invention in Paris in 1938.

Birome's advertising in Argentine magazine Leoplán, 1945

During World War II, Biro was forced to flee the Nazis. In 1943 the brothers moved to Argentina. On 10 June they filed another patent, issued in the US as US Patent 2,390,636,[3] and formed Biro Pens of Argentina (in Argentina the ballpoint pen is known as birome). This new design was licensed for production in the United Kingdom for supply to Royal Air Force aircrew, who found they worked much better than fountain pens at high altitude.[4][5]

In 1945 Marcel Bich bought the patent from Bíró for the pen, which soon became the main product of his Bic company, which has sold more than 100 billion ballpoint pens worldwide. In November of that same year, promoter Milton Reynolds introduced a gravity-fed pen to the U.S. market. The Reynolds Pen was a sensation for a few years, until its reputation for leaking and competition from established pen manufacturers overtook it. Bíró's patent was based on capillary action, which caused ink to be drawn out of the pen as it was deposited on the paper. Because the Reynolds workaround depended on gravity, which cannot be patented, it did not infringe but required thinner ink and a larger barrel.[6]

László Bíró died in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1985. Argentina's Inventors' Day is celebrated on Bíró's birthday, 29 September.

On 29 September 2016, the 117th anniversary of his birth, Google commemorated Bíró with a Google Doodle for "his relentless, forward-thinking spirit".[7]

Bíró's invention Birome

"Biro" trademark

A ballpoint pen is widely referred to as a "biro" in many countries, including the UK, Ireland, Australia and Italy.[8][9] Although the word is a registered trademark, it has become genericised.

References

  1. ^ a b Stoyles, Pennie; Peter Pentland (2006). The A to Z of Inventions and Inventors. p. 18. ISBN 1-58340-790-1. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  2. ^ a b "Golyó a tollban – megemlékezés Bíró László Józsefről". Hungarian Patent Office (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  3. ^ "US2390636 "Writing Instrument"" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-08-05.
  4. ^ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tB67nC_W7oEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Unleash+Your+Creativity&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Unleash%20Your%20Creativity&f=false
  5. ^ Bevan, Rob; Tim Wright (2004). Unleash Your Creativity: Secrets of Creative Genius. p. 82. ISBN 1-904902-17-0. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  6. ^ Rosenberg, Robert Leonard, "The Ventures and Adventures of an Errant Entrepreneur". Milton (Ball-Point) Reynolds (1892–1976), University of Washington Ph.D. thesis (1971), Milton Reynolds papers http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/findaids/docs/papersrecords/ReynoldsMilton1240.xml.
  7. ^ "Ladislao José Biro's 117th birthday". Google.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  8. ^ Room, Adrian (1983). Dictionary of Trade Name Origins. Routledge. p. 41. ISBN 0-7102-0174-5. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  9. ^ "Biro nell'Enciclopedia Treccani" (in Italian). Retrieved 2013-05-22.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=László_Bíró&oldid=741788444"