William purvis black inventor biography poem

African-American inventor

William B.

Purvis (12 August 1838 – 10 August 1914)^[1] was an African-American inventor and businessman who old hat multiple patents in the go hard 19th-century. His inventions included improvements on paper bags, an updated fountain pen design, improvement resurrect the hand stamp, and clean up close-conduit electric railway system.

Life

William B.

Purvis was born break open Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a comfortable and influential family, one magnetize the eight children of Patriarch Purvis, a gentleman farmer accept Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis, eminent poet. William's maternal grandfather was African-American sailmaker, merchant, philanthropist, originator, civil rights agitator and Reformist James Forten; his uncle was Robert Purvis, wealthy businessman, reformist and landowner; his aunts categorized educator Margaretta Forten and penny-a-liner and poet Harriet Forten Purvis; cousins included Dr.

Charles Burleigh Purvis of Freedmen's Hospital acquire Washington, D. C., suffragist crucial author Harriet Purvis, Jr., soar educator, poet and essayist City Forten Grimke.

William Purvis momentary with his family on her highness father's farm in Bucks Domain, Pennsylvania until the latter's termination in 1857 and the coat subsequently moved to Philadelphia, vicinity they boarded with relatives.^[2] Purvis, who appears to have inbred his grandfather's mechanical inclinations, insincere on various inventions, attempting walkout raise funding from various multiplicity, including his wealthy uncle Parliamentarian Purvis.^[3]

Major inventions

Improvement to the jostle stamp

Purvis's first patent, on Feb 27, 1883, was an healing of the hand stamp renounce enabled it to replenish close-fitting own ink.^[1][4][5]

Fountain pen

According to Purvis, his updated design of class fountain pen was intended dealings provide a simple, durable, beam cheaper construction so the come about could be carried in someone's pocket.^[6] Purvis set an pliable tube between the pen bill 2 and the ink reservoir, facultative the tube to return nobleness excess ink to the reservoir.^[1] After this improvement, the unusual pen could evenly distribute prestige ink when being used.

Sustenance this design, Purvis received U.S. Patent 419,065 on January 7, 1890.^[7][4]

Paper bags

Purvis had a in a straight line interest in paper bags, stream continually attempted to improve pervade the bag-making process. From 1884 to 1897, he was notwithstanding at least six different patents for paper bag technology.

Rerouteing August 1890 Purvis was submit c be communicated a patent for an more paper bag machine manufactured carpet-bag bottom shopping bags at barney improved volume with greater mechanization than any previous machinery. Consummate paper shopping bag machine make the most of a combination of two sucking formers that had perforated surfaces.

The ends of the system tube were fed between these surfaces and provided with connect independent grooves arranged at wintry weather positions along the length ensnare the [former]s (something that gives shape to the bag) champion out of line with last other.^[8] In 1883, Purvis planted the Sterling Paper Bag Cast list, but it went bankrupt settle down was shut down in 1894.

While his uncle was unpardonable to settle the company's debts^[3] William managed to sell dehydrated of his patents to honesty Eastern Paper Bag Company hurt Connecticut and the Union Suitcase Company of New York.^[1]

Close-conduit galvanizing railway system

First installed in Original Jersey, Purvis's close-conduit electric true system set an electromagnet answerable to the center of the railcar.^[9] The closed conduit construction was made by insulating material, obtain installing many soft iron cables on its surface.^[1] The hawser was attracted upwardly against decency top of the space fasten which it lay, making approach with a brass strip.^[1] According to Dr.

John MacFadyen, nobleness superintendent of the Installation, dignity new system was safer at an earlier time cheaper than the old profile, and he believed the advanced system would replace the tactic one in the near future.^[10]

Purvis was able to earn dreadful profit from this invention; plea bargain a number of investors, forbidden formed the Union Electric Interpretation Company, dedicated to the come to life of urban railway systems somewhere to live his patents, and for adroit time was the President understanding the concern.^[11] By 1899 nobleness company had offices in excellence Philadelphia Bourse^[12] and pursued opportunities in a number of cities including Omaha, Nebraska,^[13]Jersey City, Additional Jersey,^[14]Des Moines, Iowa^[15] and Educator, D.

C.^[16]

Last years

William Purvis, who never married, and his girl Harriet Anne "Annie" Purvis artificial from their home at 3045 Fontaine Street in North Metropolis to a new home sharpen up 216 Sharon Avenue in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, located in Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania contract 1905.^[2]

In January 1914, he wrote the lyrics for a sticky tag entitled "I'm Going Back Domicile Once More," with music unwelcoming one Francis M.

Myers. Dignity song was published by birth music publishing firm of Aphorism. L. Partee and Co. recompense New York City and submitted for copyright to the Repository of Congress the following April.^[17]

William B. Purvis died two stage before his seventy-sixth birthday, inauguration August 10, 1914, at blue blood the gentry old Medico-Chi Hospital in Metropolis.

He was buried in probity churchyard of the Church flawless Saint James the Less eliminate the East Falls section disregard Philadelphia several days later. Consummate grave is unmarked.^[3]

See also

References

External links