Purvis, William B.

1838-1914 · Contribution: 1883-1897

Inventor

Improved fountain pen with an elastic feed tube that returned excess ink to the reservoir for even ink flow; also paper-bag-making machines, a self-inking hand stamp, a bag fastener, and a close-conduit electric railway system

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Technology & Engineering

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Quick facts

Born
1838, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Active since
1882
Category
Technology & Engineering
Best known for
Improved fountain pen and paper-bag machinery

Impact on the world

Purvis improved everyday tools, the pen people wrote with and the machines that made paper bags, turning practical inventions into commercial successes.

An alternative history

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