May 21, 1895 William B. Purvis of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania received patent number 539,542 for a magnetic car balancing device. His invention allowed the operator of a trolley to control how closely the wheels of the trolley adhered to the track. This was done by magnetizing the wheels which reduced the chances of the trolley jumping the track or the wheels slipping in icy or wet weather.
Over his lifetime, Purvis received ten additional patents. He is also believed to have invented, but did not patent, several other devices.
On January 7, 1890 W.B. Purvis received a patent (419,065) for the fountain pen. Purvis said of his invention “the object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive construction of a fountain pen adapted to general use and which may be carried in the pocket.”
