John Jonathan Pratt, the first American to invent a typewriter for sale to the public, was absolutely instrumental in the development, sale, and success of the Hammond typewriter. He may be the most overlooked inventor in typewriter history. From his home in Centre, Alabama in 1860 he invented a type writing machine, capitalizing on his […]

In reviewing patent 267367, which lists the inventor as John Jonathan Pratt, and assigns it to the Hammond Typewriter company, I noticed a statement about the reversibility of a carriage mechanism. The patent, which was applied for on February 19th, 1879, and was granted on November 14, 1882, is notable for several reasons but I […]