Index to Subjects

Types of Ancient and Modern Machines Page
General knowledge lacking[5]
Key-driven machine, first of the modern machines[6]
Recording, the primary feature of adding machines that print[7]
Validity and priority of invention[8]
Description of Pascal’s invention[11]
Constructional features of the Pascal machine[12]
Increased capacity of modern calculator[13]
Patent office a repository of ineffectual efforts[14]
The Early Key-Driven Art
First attempt to use depressable keys for adding was made in America[17]
Description of Parmelee machine[18]
Foreign digit adders[18]
Single-digit adders lack capacity[19]
Some early U. S. patents on single-digit adding machines[20]
Calculating machines in use abroad for centuries[21]
First key-driven machines no improvement to the Art[21]
Description of the Hill machine[22]
Hill machine at National Museum[25]
Inoperativeness of Hill machine[25]
High speed of key drive[26]
Camera slow compared with carry of the tens[26]
Hill machine merely adding mechanism, incomplete as operative machine[29]
Chapin and Stark patents[29]
Description of Chapin machine[29]
Inoperativeness of Chapin machine[30]
Description of Stark machine[33]
Inoperativeness of Stark machine[37]
Nine keys common to a plurality of orders[37]
Description of Robjohn machine[38]
First control for a carried numeral wheel[41]
Description of Bouchet machine[42]
Bouchet machine marketed[43]
Misuse of the term “Calculating Machine”[43]
Description of Spalding machine[47]
Prime actuation of a carried wheel impossible in the Spalding machine[49]
The Key-Driven Calculator
Theory versus the concrete[50]
All but one of the generic elements solved[51]
Originality of inventions[51]
A conception which led to the final solution[52]
Evolution of an invention[55]
Trials of an inventor[55]
The first “Comptometer”[56]
Felt patent 371,496[56]
Description of Felt calculator[59]
Recapitulation of Art prior to Felt calculator[60]
Why Hill failed to produce an operative machine[61]
Idiosyncrasies of force and motion increased by use of keys[61]
Light construction a feature[62]
Operative features necessary[62]
Classification of the features contained in the early Art of key-driven machines[63]
Carrying mechanism of Felt’s calculator[63]
Transfer devices[64]
Carrying mechanism versus mere transfer devices[64]
Details of Felt carrying mechanism[65]
Manufacture of the Felt calculator[69]
Trade name of Felt calculator[70]
Felt calculator exhibit at National Museum[70]
Significant proof of Felt’s claim of priority[75]
Rules for operation an important factor of modern calculator[76]
Early Efforts in the Recording Machine Art
First attempt to record arithmetical computation[79]
Description of Barbour machine[80]
Barbour machine not practical[81]
Description of Baldwin machine[82]
Baldwin’s printing mechanism[89]
First key-set crank-operated machine and first attempt to record the items in addition[90]
Description of Pottin machine[91]
Early efforts of Wm. S. Burroughs[95]
General scheme of Burroughs’ first inventions[96]
Brief description of machine of early Burroughs’ patents[97]
All early arithmetical printing devices impractical[101]
Practical method for recording disclosed later[102]
Inoperative features of early recording mechanism[105]
Adding mechanism attached to typewriter[105]
Description of Ludlum machine[106]
Ludlum machine inoperative[108]
First Practical Recorders
Burroughs a bank clerk[111]
Felt interested in recorder Art[111]
Felt’s first recording machine[113]
Felt recording mechanism combined with his calculating machine[113]
Description of Felt’s first recorder[114]
First individualized type impression combined with printing sector[115]
First practical arithmetical recorder[116]
The first sale of a recording adding machine on record[116]
Features of first practical recorder[119]
Description of Felt’s second recorder[120]
Felt principle of printing adopted by all manufacturers of recorders[124]
Wide paper carriage for tabulating[124]
The wide paper carriage machine[127]
Litigation on tabulator patents[127]
“Cross Tabulating”[128]
Felt recorder in “Engineering” of London, England[131]
Total recording a Felt combination[131]
Legible listing of items and automatic recording of totals first achieved by Felt[132]
The key-set principle more practical for recorders[135]
Description of first practical Burroughs recorder[137]
Date of use of first practical Burroughs recorder[140]
Introduction of the Modern Accounting Machine
Opposition to the use of machines for accounting[144]
Banks more liberal in recognition[145]
Improvement slow for first few years[146]
The High-Speed Calculator
Felt improvements on Comptometer[149]
Scientific distribution of functions[150]
Power consumed by old carrying method[151]
Cam and lever carrying mechanism[152]
One-point carrying cam impossible[153]
Felt’s improved method of carrying[153]
Gauging and controlling prime actuation[154]
Alternating stop scheme[155]
Multiplex key action[156]
Control of the carry by the next higher actuator[156]
Forced simultaneous key action old[157]
Forced simultaneity applied to a calculator impossible[157]
Flexible simultaneity of key action a Felt invention[158]
Duplex Comptometer[159]
Introduction of full-stroke mechanism[159]
Error signal keyboard[160]
Locking of the other orders by a short key-stroke[161]
Inactive keys locked during proper key-action in cash register[161]
Inactive keys not locked during proper key-action in “Comptometer”[161]
“Controlled-key Comptometer”[162]
The mass of recorder inventions patented[163]
But few of the recorder patents of value[163]
Reserve invention as good insurance[164]
Erroneous advertising[164]
Error key[166]
Sub-total[166]
Repeat key[166]
Locked keyboard[166]
Quick paper return[166]
Paper stop[167]
Cross tabulating[167]
Item stop[167]
Motor drive[168]
Distinguishing marks for clear, totals, and sub-totals[168]
Adding cut-out[168]
Self-correcting keyboard[169]
Split keyboard[169]
Dual action keyboard[169]
Non-add signal[170]
Selective split keyboard[170]
Selective printing cut-out[171]
Grand totalizer[171]
Alternate cross printing[171]
Determinate item signal[172]
Subtraction by reverse action[172]
Selective split for keyboard[172]
Rapid paper insert and ejector[172]
The Bookkeeping and Billing Machine
Early combinations[174]
First practical combination[177]
Moon-Hopkins Billing machine[177]
Napier’s Bones first direct multiplier[181]
First direct multiplying machine[181]
Description of Barbour Multiplier[182]
Description of Bollee machine[188]
Bollee’s principle commercialized[189]
[A Closing Word]

Footnotes:

[1] Note: The title of this book does not coincide with the above argument, but in view of the common use of the term “calculating” its application is better understood.

[2] Note: As all the drawings of the Felt patent are not reproduced here, the cam is not shown.

[3] Note: All the drawings of the Pottin patent are not shown here.

[4] In making this comparison, the reader should be careful not to confuse the later key-set crank-driven type like that of Pottin described in the preceding chapter. It was the old key-driven type of cash register which contained the forced simultaneity of key-action.

Transcriber’s Notes:

The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up paragraphs and so that they are next to the text they illustrate.

Typographical and punctuation errors have been silently corrected.