Purvis, William B.
1838-1914 · Contribution: 1883-1897
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
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Held roughly a dozen patents; his fountain-pen feed mechanism improved everyday writing tools, and his paper-bag machinery was sold to major manufacturers.
Life & background
African-American inventor and businessman born Aug 12, 1838 in Philadelphia, PA, into a prominent abolitionist family (mother Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis; uncle Robert Purvis). Formed the Union Electric Construction Company. Died Aug 10, 1914.
Sources
- African American Registry; The Black Herald
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