Burt's 1829 patented typographer was a predecessor to the modern-day typewriter. The Burt typographer was the first constructed and operating type-writing machine patented in America. The record of the patented invention in the United States patent office spells out that it is the first time in any country that a working typewriting machine was actually constructed. It had a hand-operated print character assembly and an endless band paper conveyor with an escapement control. The original patent was signed by President Andrew Jackson and Secretary of State and future eighth President Martin Van Buren. The model of the patent was lost in the 1836 Patent Office fire. Burt did research for an appropriate name for his invention and settled with "typographer" which ultimately became the hyphened word "type-writer" in 1874. This was its name until the hyphen was removed in 1919, becoming then just "typewriter".