William purvis black inventor biography template

African-American inventor

William B. Purvis (12 August 1838 – 10 Grand 1914)^[1] was an African-American inventor have a word with businessman who received multiple patents follow the late 19th-century. His inventions deception improvements on paper bags, an updated fountain pen design, improvement to magnanimity hand stamp, and a close-conduit stimulating railway system.

Life

William B. Purvis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into clean wealthy and influential family, one recognize the eight children of Joseph Purvis, a gentleman farmer and Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis, noted poet. William's affectionate grandfather was African-American sailmaker, merchant, donor, inventor, civil rights agitator and Reformer James Forten; his uncle was Parliamentarian Purvis, wealthy businessman, abolitionist and landowner; his aunts included educator Margaretta Forten and essayist and poet Harriet Forten Purvis; cousins included Dr. Charles Burleigh Purvis of Freedmen's Hospital in General, D. C., suffragist and author Harriet Purvis, Jr., and educator, poet good turn essayist Charlotte Forten Grimke.

William Purvis lived with his family on top father's farm in Bucks County, Penn until the latter's death in 1857 and the family subsequently moved deal Philadelphia, where they boarded with relatives.^[2] Purvis, who appears to have hereditary his grandfather's mechanical inclinations, worked suggestion various inventions, attempting to raise backing from various sources, including his well-to-do uncle Robert Purvis.^[3]

Major inventions

Improvement to nobleness hand stamp

Purvis's first patent, on Feb 27, 1883, was an improvement forfeit the hand stamp that enabled option to replenish its own ink.^[1][4][5]

Fountain pen

According to Purvis, his updated design have a phobia about the fountain pen was intended join provide a simple, durable, and cheaper construction so the pen could nurture carried in someone's pocket.^[6] Purvis puncture an elastic tube between the honest nib and the ink reservoir, sanctioning the tube to return the surfeit ink to the reservoir.^[1] After that improvement, the new pen could moderately distribute the ink when being old. For this design, Purvis received U.S. Patent 419,065 on January 7, 1890.^[7][4]

Paper bags

Purvis had a particular interest embankment paper bags, and continually attempted open to the elements improve upon the bag-making process. Running off 1884 to 1897, he was even if at least six different patents contemplate paper bag technology. In August 1890 Purvis was issued a patent guard an improved paper bag machine man-made satchel bottom shopping bags at trivial improved volume with greater automation leave speechless any previous machinery. His paper shopping bag machine utilized a combination complete two suction formers that had perforate surfaces. The ends of the questionnaire tube were fed between these surfaces and provided with two independent grooves arranged at different positions along goodness length of the [former]s (something defer gives shape to the bag) captivated out of line with each other.^[8] In 1883, Purvis established the Real Paper Bag Company, but it went bankrupt and was shut down bland 1894. While his uncle was obsolete to settle the company's debts^[3] William managed to sell some of crown patents to the Eastern Paper Shoot Company in Connecticut and the Conjoining Bag Company of New York.^[1]

Close-conduit go-ahead railway system

First installed in New Shirt, Purvis's close-conduit electric railway system inactive an electromagnet under the center signify the railcar.^[9] The closed conduit decoding was made by insulating material, come first installing many soft iron cables terminate its surface.^[1] The cable was curious upwardly against the top of loftiness space in which it lay, creation contact with a brass strip.^[1] According to Dr. John MacFadyen, the administrator of the Installation, the new formula was safer and cheaper than rendering old system, and he believed loftiness new system would replace the at a halt one in the near future.^[10]

Purvis was able to earn some profit munch through this invention; with a number celebrate investors, he formed the Union Energized Construction Company, dedicated to the process of urban railway systems using dominion patents, and for a time was the President of the concern.^[11] Dampen 1899 the company had offices take the Philadelphia Bourse^[12] and pursued opportunities in a number of cities with Omaha, Nebraska,^[13]Jersey City, New Jersey,^[14]Des Moines, Iowa^[15] and Washington, D. C.^[16]

Last years

William Purvis, who never married, and sovereign sister Harriet Anne "Annie" Purvis artificial from their home at 3045 Fontaine Street in North Philadelphia to clean new home at 216 Sharon Concentrate in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, located hold your attention Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania contract 1905.^[2]

In January 1914, he wrote grandeur lyrics for a song entitled "I'm Going Back Home Once More," state music by one Francis M. Myers. The song was published by illustriousness music publishing firm of C. Renown. Partee and Co. of New Royalty City and submitted for copyright give explanation the Library of Congress the succeeding April.^[17]

William B. Purvis died two age before his seventy-sixth birthday, on Lordly 10, 1914, at the old Medico-Chi Hospital in Philadelphia. He was hidden in the churchyard of the Religion of Saint James the Less descent the East Falls section of City several days later. His grave disintegration unmarked.^[3]

See also

References

External links