History

Founders

Amos Whitney (1832-1920), U.S. mechanical engineer and manufacturer, organized Pratt & Whitney in 1860 with Francis Pratt. He employed W. A. Rogers and G. M. Bond in 1879 to develop the Rogers-Bond comparator, credited with rescuing mechanical science and industry from inconvenience. He also established policies leading to successful training of apprentices there and eventually became president, he retired at age 69 in 1901 when the company was acquired by Niles-Bement-Pond Company. He was born Oct. 8, 1832, Biddeford, Maine, and died Aug. 5, 1920, Portland, Maine.

Francis Pratt (1827-1902), U.S. mechanical engineer and machine-tool manufacturer. Francis Ashbury Pratt was the founder of Pratt & Whitney. He founded the company with Amos Whitney in 1860 in Hartford, CT. He is credited with being first to permit production of fine gear work. He manufactured machine tools and tools for gun making and sewing machines. He promoted interchangeable parts and the adoption of standard system of gages for the United States and Europe. Among several machine-tool patents, his most important was for planing metal (July 28, 1869). He was born Feb. 15, 1827, Jay, NY, and died Feb. 10, 1902, Hartford, Connecticut.

History of Pratt & Whitney - American Made Precision Machinery Since 1860
1860	Pratt & Whitney Company is founded by Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney. The founders started the company in Hartford, Connecticut.
1861	American Civil War starts, and Pratt & Whitney begins manufacturing guns and gun making machinery. Pratt & Whitney put into practice the concept of interchangeable parts that had been pioneered by Samuel Colt, Elijah Root, Amos Whitney’s cousin Eli, and others. Their method depended on the use of accurate gages. At this time, there was no standard for the commercial inch.
1869	Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney hire Worcester Warner to design cutting gear machines and Ambrose Swasey to build telescopes {Warner & Swasey eventually left Pratt & Whitney to form their own company}. Pratt & Whitney is formally incorporated in the State of Connecticut with $300,000.
1879	William Rogers and George Bond begin development work on a machine that later would establish the ‘standard for the inch’.
1880	A set of master bars accurate to millionths was made at Pratt & Whitney under the supervision of Rogers and Bond.
1882	The famous device known as the Rogers-Bond Comparator was perfected {machine is currently displayed at Smithsonian, in Washington, DC}.
1885	Pratt & Whitney introduces the Standard Measuring Machine, making accurate measurements possible.
1889	The first coin-operated telephone was invented by William Gray, an employee of Pratt & Whitney.
1890	Mark Twain finances the development of the Paige Typewriter.
1893	The "inch" is legally defined as a fraction of the International Meter of the metric system.
1898	Francis Pratt retires.
1901	Amos Whitney retires.
1902	Francis Pratt dies. The U.S. National Bureau of Standards (NBS) is established.
1903	The Wright brothers successfully fly for the first time.
1910	Machine tolerances to 0.001 inches (0.0254 mm) are achievable.
1914	World War I begins.
1918	Major William Hoke, US Army, perfects a process to produce gage blocks; Pratt & Whitney secures the rights and starts research for mass production.
1920	Amos Whitney dies.
1925	Frederick Rentschler approaches Pratt & Whitney, looking for funds and a location to build his new aircraft engine. Pratt & Whitney loans him $250,000, the use of the Pratt & Whitney name, and space in their building. This was the beginning of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company. Pratt & Whitney's first engine was called the Wasp, completed on Christmas Eve 1925. The Wasp developed 425 horsepower on its third test run. It easily passed the Navy qualification test in March 1926, and by October the Navy had ordered 200 engines. The Wasp exhibited speed, climb, performance and reliability that revolutionized American aviation.
1926	Pratt & Whitney introduces the Supermicrometer product line.
1929	Pratt & Whitney and General Electric introduce the Electrolimit circuit for gage control. Frederick Rentschler, ended his association with Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool and formed United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, the predecessor to today's United Technologies. His agreement allowed Rentschler to carry the name with him to his new corporation.
1930	Machine tolerances to 0.0001 inches (0.00254 mm) are achievable.
1938	World War II
1939	Pratt & Whitney moves from Hartford to a new site in West Hartford.
1957	U.S. National Bureau of Standards and Pratt & Whitney begin a series of projects, including the Standards Gage Block Program, to improve precise measuring.
1963	The Model "B" Supermicrometer is introduced.
1974	The Model "C" Supermicrometer and Internal Supermicrometer introduced with digital operation.
1988	Pratt & Whitney acquires the Laseruler division from GCA Corporation.
1991	Pratt & Whitney acquired by Moore Products Co (which is later acquired by Siemens Energy & Automation) and relocated to Plainville, CT
1992	The LabMaster Standard & Universal Model 175 product line is introduced with 0.051 micrometer (2 millionths) accuracy utilizing laser interferometry.
1996	The Labmicrometer Model 200,900,1600 product line is introduced for long-length measuring applications utilizing laser interferometry.
1998	Universal Supermicrometer Model 501 & 504 product line introduced. A high accuracy internal & external bench micrometer.
2003	Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems, Inc. relocates to a larger facility in Bloomfield, CT.
2006	The Labmaster Universal Bearing Measuring Instrument is introduced.
2008	Pratt & Whitney is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by A2LA.
2009	Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems introduces the PC Supermicrometer bench micrometer system with 1 micro-inch resolution.
2011	Pratt & Whitney introduces the long length Labmaster Universal Model 1000A (Automatic).
2012 2013	Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems introduces the long length Labmaster Universal Model 1000M. Pratt & Whitney Calibration Laboratory expands scope of accreditation of ISO/IEC 17025 by A2LA.

Pratt & Whitney History
The history of the company from 1860 to 1930 is detailed in the book Accuracy for Seventy Years 1860-1930. Some blank pages have been omitted.
Pages 1 to 19	(1.00M)
Pages 21 to 53	(4.54M)
Pages 55 to 71	(4.21M)
Pages 73 to 93	(4.15M)
Pages 95 to 118	(4.69M)

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