The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-19
Machines That Are
| Almost Human
The Adding Machine
b y E. C. TAYLO r

~
w ROUGHS got tired OF keeping
books. So he studied mechanics,
took a bench in a machine shop
and invented one of the most fa-
miliar robots, the adding machine.
This robot doesn't resemble hui
man being in any way, but it per-
forms mathematical computations
more rapidly and far more accu-
rately than the human brain. 1t
cannot think for itself, but it has
the power of obeying instructions
and if the instructions are correct
ly given, it's answer Is inevitably
correct. This machine cannot make
a mistake. Its human master can
and frequently does.
The chance of error in giving the
adding machine its instructions,
however, is much less than the
chance of error by human beings to
whom the task of making the COM
putations might be intrusted.
All business now relies on these
robots for adding, subtracting, null
tiplicatiOn, division and tabulation.
simple arithmetic. Some print the
totals on paper and another type
shows the totals on dials.
Sets of wheels are shifted as
keys are punched on the keyboard
of the machine. These keys are
numbered from l to 8, with tenth
key for zero. The machine takes
care of the numerical order of the
numbers. For instance, if the num-
ber % enters into the computation,
the 2 key is first depressed, then
the key and the mechanism takes
care of their order to make them
read %.
Some models can add two or
more columns at the same time,
also add the totals for all the col
umns together.
When asked to subtract, some of
| these robots use complementary
numbers on their keyboards; that
Is, the key number also will have
a number ] on it, and the proc
ess of addition is reversed. The
robot multiplies by consecutive ad,
dition. 1t divides by subtracting
the divisor from the number to be
divided as many times as the di-
visor is contained in that number.
The operation is automatically reg
istered on the counting wheels as
the quotient.
The calculating machine, similar
to the adding machine but consid-
erably more complicated, is gener-
ally used for multiplication and di-
vision, because 1t performs these
! computations more quickly than
does the adding machine The cal
culating machine most widely used
does not keep a printed record of
its computations. 1t indicates the
result on dials.
One type of the calculating robot
! causes the items in the computa-
tion to appear Immediately on dials
when the keys are depressed. the
operation of a crank clearing the
figures off the dial faces when the
computation is completed.
AL four arithmetical operations
are performed on this robot as vari-
ations of simple arithmetic. But
the counting wheels are so ar
ranged that they take short cuts
over the simpler adding machine.
On another type of the calculat
| ing robot the amounts to be com
puted are first set up on the key
board and the operation of the ma
chine either by hand or electric
motor effects the calculation.
Some Of these machines show the
figures to be computed on dials be
fore the computation Is made, to
guard against human error in sub
mitting the problem to the robot.
TOtaling dials show the total in
addition, the product in multiplied
tion, the minuend or remainder in
subtraction and the quOtient in d.
vision.
A calculating robot that prints a
complete record of all its compu-
tatiOns has recently been invented.
II prints the factors, figures out
and prints the answer and accu-
mulates the total of all the answers
with a single operating stroke.
Separate dials on it's face show the
multiplier in multiplication and the
divisor in division as check
against error. This machine is ca
pable of twenty multipications a
minute.
This latest calculating robot is
used extensively in business. It
keeps books, makes out bills, cred
it's partial payments and keeps an
accurate record of balances, doing
the work Of corps of bookkeep-
ers, and making no mistakes of it's
own.