Waterman was an American inventor and insurance salesman. Waterman was also the first to place a clip on the cap of the pen. Waterman was an interesting man. Leaving school at sixteen he worked as a carpenter, a publishing agent, a shorthand teacher. However, by the age of 43 he was settled as an insurance salesman, when confronted with a problem, adversity turned to advantage. When he was faced with a little technical problem with his pen, he was set to finding a solution. Working with his brother Elijah to help build a series of prototype tubes that they channeled to varying shapes, the pair eventually came up with a design that worked by balancing the effects of gravity and capillary action to allow the proper amount of ink to flow downwards. He filed a patent application in March 1883 and it was granted, on 12th February 1884. L.E. Waterman was ready to go set up his business in New York. Lewis assembled the pens