William B. Purvis

William B. Purvis was a black inventor and businessman who received multiple patents in the late 1800s. His inventions included an updated fountain pen design, improvement to the hand stamp, and a close-conduit electric railway system.

Major inventions

Fountain pen

According to Purvis, his updated design of the fountain pen was intended to provide a simple, durable, and cheaper construction so the pen could be carried in someone's pocket.[1] Purvis set an elastic tube between the pen nib and the ink reservoir, enabling the tube to return the excess ink to the reservoir.[2] After this improvement, the new pen could evenly distribute the ink when being used. For this design, Purvis received U.S. Patent 419,065 on January 7, 1890.[2]

Close-conduit electric railway system

First installed in New Jersey, Purvis's close-conduit electric railway system set an electromagnet under the center of the railcar.[3] The closed conduit construction was made by insulating material, and installing many soft iron cables on its surface.[3] The cable was attracted upwardly against the top of the space in which it lay, making contact with a brass strip.[3] According to the Dr. John MacFayden, the superintendent of the Installation, the new system was safer and cheaper than the old system, and he believed the new system would replace the old one in the near future.[4]

Improvement to the hand stamp

Purvis's first patent, in 1883, was an improvement of the hand stamp that enabled it to replenish its own ink.[5]

gollark: No gotchas.
gollark: Right, so just make it always copy.
gollark: You utter linear types.
gollark: Be like Haskell. Always copy everything constantly.
gollark: I agree!

See also

References
  1. Swift, Jaye (2010). ..But You Can't Enslave My Thinking...: A Novel of African American Intellect. Canada: BC, Victoria: Wyld Style. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-4269-3277-9.
  2. Helton, Daniel. "Purvis, William B. (1838-1914)". black past. Retrieved 2018-11-25.
  3. "A New Close-Conduit Electric Railway System". Electrical Review. New York. 40: 485. 1902.
  4. Humanities, National Endowment for the (1901-01-30). "The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, January 30, 1901, Image 5". p. 5. ISSN 2151-3465. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  5. "William B. Purvis (1838-1914) • BlackPast". BlackPast. 2018-07-15. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
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