History of Pratt & Whitney

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.

Pratt & Whitney Company is founded by Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney.  The founders started the company in Hartford, Connecticut.

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.

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.

William Rogers and George Bond begin development work on a machine that later would establish the ‘standard for the inch’.

A set of master bars accurate to millionths was made at Pratt & Whitney under the supervision of Rogers and Bond.

The famous device known as the Rogers-Bond Comparator was perfected {machine is currently displayed at Smithsonian, in Washington, DC}.

Pratt & Whitney introduces the Standard Measuring Machine, making accurate measurements possible.

The first coin-operated telephone was invented by William Gray, an employee of Pratt & Whitney.

Mark Twain finances the development of the Paige Typewriter.

The "inch" is legally defined as a fraction of the International Meter of the metric system.

Francis Pratt retires.

Amos Whitney retires.

Francis Pratt dies.      The U.S. National Bureau of Standards (NBS) is established.

The Wright brothers successfully fly for the first time.

Machine tolerances to 0.0254 mm (0.001 inches) are achievable.

World War I begins.

Major William Hoke, US Army, perfects a process to produce gage blocks; Pratt & Whitney secures the rights and starts research for mass production.

Amos Whitney dies.

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.

Pratt & Whitney introduces the Supermicrometer product line.

Pratt & Whitney and General Electric introduce the Electrolimit circuit for gage control.

Machine tolerances to 0.00254 mm (0.0001 inches) are achievable.

World War II

Pratt & Whitney moves from Hartford to a new site in West Hartford.

U.S. National Bureau of Standards and Pratt & Whitney begin a series of projects, including the Standards Gage Block Program, to improve precise measuring.

The Model "B" Supermicrometer is introduced.

The Model "C" Supermicrometer and Internal Supermicrometer introduced with digital operation.

Pratt & Whitney acquires the Laseruler division from GCA Corporation.

Pratt & Whitney acquired by Moore Products Co (which is later acquired by Siemens Energy & Automation) and relocated to Plainville, CT

The LabMaster product line is introduced with 0.051 micrometer (2 millionths) accuracy.

Labmicrometer introduced.

Universal Supermicrometer product line introduced.

Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems, Inc. relocates to Bloomfield, CT.