Av IMPROVED CALCULATING MACHINE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund D. Barbour, of the City of Boston,
in the State of Massachusetts, of the United States of America,
for the Invention of "Av IMPROVED CALCULATING MACHINE.”
Scaled the 10th October 1872, and dated the 15th August 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Edmund D. Barbour at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 15th August 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
D. BARBOUR, of the City of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, of
the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CALCULATING MACHINE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I really
believe myself to be the first and true Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edmund D. Barbour, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the figures and letters of
reference placed thereon, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section on
dotted line a, a, of Figure 4; Figures 2 and 3 are sliding rack bars for
adjusting the cylinders; Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the case;
Figure 5, plan of registering slide; Figure 6, section through regis-
tering slide; Figure 7, arrangements of cog teeth for decimal system
on periphery of cylinders developed in a plane; Figure 8, plan of erasing
device.
My Invention relates to an improved calculating machine, which can
be adapted to the decimal, duodecimal, or any other numerical system
to computations in compound numbers, such as those pertaining to
weights, monies, and measures, to decimal and vulgar fractions, -to
arranging accounts, to extracting the square and cube roots, and to
performing all other arithmetical operations.
"
The Invention consists,-.
Firstly. In the arrangement of a series of cylinders revolving upon
a shaft or plates sliding in parallel grooves, in close proximity, but
independently of each other, with cog teeth distributed in rows upon
their peripheries or faces by predetermined calculations, so that when
the said cylinders or slides are arranged. in certain relations to each
other certain rows of the cog teeth of the different cylinders or plates
are brought in line, and by means of a registering device having pinions
which are caused to engage with the cog teeth of the cylinders or plates,
a sliding movement of said register communicates motion to dials,
-causing the-dials-to turn as many parts of a revolution, as there are
cog teeth engaged on the cylinders or plates.
Secondly. In the construction of a registering slide composed of
two plates secured together with a space between, and having pinions-
arranged on the bottom plate with their teeth projecting through it
a sufficient distance to engage with the cog teeth of said cylinders or
plates, and also connecting between said plates with spindles having
dials attached, so that the movement of each pinion produced by its
contact with the cog teeth of the cylinders or plates may be registered
and indicated upon the dials...

page_text: plates in a certain relation to each other, preparatory to performing
any arithmetical operation by the action of the said registering device,
herein-after fully described.
Fourthly. In the means employed for the purpose of revolving the
cylinders or moving the plates simultaneously when required.
Fifthly. In the arrangement of levers with pawls and ratchet wheels
connected to said registering device for effecting the carrying of tho
tens.
Sixthly. In the attachment of supplementary dials to the registering'
device, and means for obtaining the quotient in division.
All of which will more fully appear from the following description,
in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
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"
i
A, Figures 1 and 4, respresents the case or frame in which the
5 machinery operates; B, B, Figures 1 and 4, cylinders revolving loosely
on the shaft C. These cylinders have upon their peripheries raised
teeth or cogs arranged according to the nature of the computations.
to be performed. Figure 7 shows their arrangement for computations
on the decimal system developed on a plane. In this arrangement the
digits 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., are each multiplied by all the digits respectively,.
and the results are represented by the number of teeth in the different,
lines in the order of their multiplication. For instance, 1 is multiplied
by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., and the corresponding number of teeth
are found on the right hand or units side of the cylinder. 2 is mul-
tiplied by the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., and the results 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, .
14, 16, and 18, are found on the cylinders, the units of the multiplied
results being on the right-hand side, and the tens on the left-hand side.
-3-is multiplied by 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., and the results 3, 6, 9, 12, &c., are
found on the cylinder, the units of the multiplied results being on
the right and the tens on the left, as before described, and the other
digits are treated in the same way..
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Instead of employing cylinders for this purpose endless chains or
_plates of metal or other equivalent devices may-be-substituted.
D, D, Figures 1 and 4, are spur gear wheels of ninety teeth attached
to-one side-of-each -cylinder;-these-wheels-are-geared-to-the-sliding
bars E, E, Figures 1, 3, and 4, which havo-handles or knobs exe; by

page_text: means of these sliding bars each cylinder is moved independently of
the others one ninetieth part of a revolution for each graduation marked
upon the bars. F, F; is a rod having the gear wheels which engage
with the wheels D, D, for moving the cylinders simultaneously by
means of the knob or handle G which is graduated on its periphery
at g for regulating the desired movements. The wheels f, f, are
deprived of a portion of their teeth so that when the knob G is at
zero, the wheels D, D, will pass, clear of the wheels f, f, when moved
by the handles e, e, or i, i.
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H, H, Figures 1-and 4, are wheels of nine teeth attached to each
cylinder and geared with the sliding bars I, I, Figures 1, 3, and 4, for
the purpose of turning the cylinders,one-ninth. of a revolution for cach
graduation marked upon the bars I, I.
J, J, Figures 5, 6, and 8, is the registering slide formed of two
plates with a space between, secured together by the screws j, j, passing 1
through pillars k, k; this slide is moved to the right or left in guides
L, L, Figures 4 and 6. Between the plates J and J, and at equal
distances apart are arranged shafts or spindles M, M, Figures 1 and 6,
carrying the dials M², M', and having small handles m, mi, on the
upper end. Upon the spindles M are beveled gear wheels n which
engage with -pinions N arranged in the plate J¹. These pinions-N-
engage with the raised teeth or cogs upon the peripheries of the
cylinders B, B, träversing the units of one denomination, and the
tens of the next lower denomination at a single-step: The slides-
are so arranged in the guides L that they may be raised, throwing a
the pinions N out of gear with the teeth on the cylinders, so that
the_slide_maybe moved in either direction_without_acting upon
the dials. Other means may be adopted for gaining this end, as the
pinions N may be made to slide upon their axes, or any other well-
known disgearing mechanism may be employed. Upon the spindles Ma
-are also-secured-the-reversed--ratchet-wheels-P-and--P, Figure-5,-and-the-
projection p.
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.
R, R, Figure 5, are levers pivoted to the slide J, J, at 8, and having
arms and r¹. These levers are brought into contact with the pro-
jections pat every revolution of the spindles M and dials M, and by 3
the action of the projections one of the arms or is placed in a
position to be tripped by one of the studs t, t, Figure 4, arranged in
the guides L when the registering slide is moved. By the tripping

page_text: of the arm or r³, motion is communicated through the rods s' which
are attached to the levers R, and the pawls U, U', and ratchet wheels P
or P², thereby moving the dial on the left one-tenth of a revolution.
In this manner the tens are carried. This pawl U, U', is double-acting
to operate when the slide is moved in either direction, and the double
ratchet wheels P and P are reversed to correspond; V, V, Figure 5,
are ratchet wheels pivoted to the plate J, having a dial upon their faces.
These wheels are operated by means of a single tripping pawl v,
Figures 1 and 5, when the registering slide is moved from right to
left. In this way the quotient in division is registered.
Figure 8 represents the canceling or erasing device for restoring
the several dials to zero, and consists of a slotted rack 20 sliding on
pins y, y, and having teeth or cogs arranged on one of its edges which
engage with the cog wheels z, x, on the spindles M. These wheels.
have ninc teeth and one blank, the blank being directly opposite the
zero of the dials. The detent pawls,, are attached to the slotted
bar to and move with it, thereby engaging and releasing each dial
as required. These pawls prevent any backward movement of the
spindles M, which may be produced not only by the action of the
pawls U, U, but from any other cause, the pawl to the right of each
wheel, and pointing towards it, being brought in contact with that
wheel when the slide is moving over the teeth on the cylinders from
left to right, and the pawl to the left of the wheel x being brought in
contact with that wheel when the slide is moving from right to left.
:

page_text: its spindle M as many parts of à revolution as there are teeth engaged
on the cylinders. The dials M' attached to the spindles M, now show
through openings in the slide J the result of the multiplication by the
first figure of the multiplier.
To multiply by the second figure of the multiplier turn the handle G
either way until the proper figure appears, and draw the slide J another
step to the right. The openings on slide J now show the second.
multiplication performed and added to the first. To multiply by the
other figures of the multiplier repeat what was done with reference to
the second figure, and the cumulative result of the repeated multipli-
cations will successively appear at the openings in the slide J.
.
The tens are carried as follows:-Whenever a spindle M with its
dial M³ has made a complete revolution, the projection p on the spindle
directly opposite to the zero on the dial moves the lever R to the left,
and throws the arm r into a. position where it may come in contact
with the studs t, t, in the guides L; these studs when the slide J is
drawn to the right move the arms back to their original position,.
after the pinions N have traversed all the teeth below them on the
cylinders, and communicate motion to the extent of one-tenth of a
revolution by means of rods 8, pawl U, and ratchet P, to the next left-
hand-spindle and dial. By this arrangement there is never more than.
one ten of each denomination to carry at a time, and the carrying of
that is kept back by the lever R until the next left-hand spindle, being
no longer turned by its own pinion.N, is ready to receive the-tens from
below.
The difficulty heretofore experienced in constructing calculators so
that the units,-tens,-hundreds,-&c.,-might-all-commence-to-be-operated-
upon together, and yet bring the carried tens into their proper places,
is now I believe obviated for the first time.
The working parts of the machine now being described. are-arranged-
for the. decimal system, the teeth and figures. upon the bars, cylinders,
pinions, ratchets, dials, &c., being all in accordance with that order, but
by a different arrangement of the teeth and corresponding alterations in
the other parts, the octonary, nonary, duodenary, or any other numerical
system can be substituted. The working parts, teeth, &c., can also be a
arranged so that the computations in compound numbers may be per-
formed, such as those pertaining to weights, monies, measures, fractions,

page_text: &c. Nor is there any limit to the calculating power of these machines,
it being only necessary to increase the number of cylinders and their
corresponding parts which are alike throughout the machine.
This machine is I believe the first that multiplics truly and directly
instead of doing so by repeated additions. This desirable result is
accomplished by the peculiar arrangement of the teeth upon the
cylinders, and it is obvious that the teeth might be arranged in the
same way upon slides or other equivalent devices.
Addition is performed as follows:-The knobs i, i, and G, and
consequently the cylinders being set to zero, so that there are no
teeth in the path of the pinions N, draw out the knobs e, e, until the
first of the sums to be added appears on the bars E, E, then draw the
slide J one step to the right, and the openings on the top plate J will
show the figure transferred from the bars to the dials; then throw the.
pinion N out of gear with the teeth on the cylinders and return the
slide to its first position until the second sum to be added is made to
appear on the bars E, and then draw the slide to the right one step tho
second time. Repeat the process for each amount to be added, and the
correct amount will-appear at the openings..
In subtraction draw out the knobs e, e, until the larger sum appears,
on the bars E, then draw out the slide J one stip to the right, and the
openings on top of the slide show the figures to the dials; then set
the knobs'e, e, so as to indicate the smaller amount, and move the
slide back to its original position. The openings show the correct
remainders.
i
Division is performed as in practice by operating first upon the
left-hand figures of the dividend until they are reduced to a remainder
smaller than the divisor, and then adding the other figures one by one
from the dividend until the final remainder is shown smäller than the
divisor. First, place all the figures of the dividend upon the dials M³,¨
either by turning the knobs m, m, on the tops of the spindles, or by
transferring them from the knobs-e, e, taking care to have the left-
hand figure of the dividend appear upon the left-hand dial of the
slide J. Then draw out the knobs e, e, until the divisor appears on
the bars E, E, directly under the figures of the dividend which are
first to be divided, then move the slide J-one-step-from-right-to-left
which will subtract the divisor from the first figures of the dividend;.
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page_text: =
then throw the pinion N out of gear and move the slide back again,
repeating the to-and-fro movement of the slide until a smaller sum
than the dividend appears in the openings.
"
The number of times that the slide J is drawn from right to left,
will be shown on the first of the dials V, and will stand as the first
left-hand figure of the quotient. To the remainder first obtained add.
another figure from the dividend by moving the slide another figuro.
to the left, and then draw the slide from right to left and back again,.
repeating the operation until the second remainder appears on tho
dials M', and the second figure of the quotient appears on the second
of the dials V. To this second remainder add another figure of the
dividend, and continue in the way described until all the figures of
the dividend have been brought into the calculation, the quotient will
appear on the dials V in its proper order, and the final remainder will
appear on the dials M¹.
The effect of moving the slide J from right to left instead of the
other way, will be to revolve the spindles M and dials M¹ in a direction
opposite to that turned in multiplication, and cause the projections p
to place the arms in such a position that contact with the studs t, t,
when the slide moves from right to left, communicate motion through
rods 8, pawl U, and ratchet P1, to the next.left-hand spindle-and-dial,
moving that spindle and dial one-tenth of a revolution, and taking off
one from the tens place. Multiplication can also be performed by
using the knobs e, è, instead of i, i, and only using the first nine rows
of teeth on cylinders B marked b, d, in Figure 17, and then reversing
the operation described for division; but in that case the result is
not so directly obtained; as the slide. J. must move from left to right
and back again as many times as one is contained in cach figure of
the multiplier. As however my machine can be adapted in that way,
I do not confine myself to the use of knobs i, i, cylinders B, and
connections in multiplication, but intend to construct. calculators-so-
that multiplication, as well as addition, subtraction, and division, can
"be performed on knobs e, e, and on that portion of the cog teeth
attached to the peripheries of the cylinders or the faces of the plates,
which is necessary for the purpose, viz., the first scries of teeth ranging
from one tooth to nine teeth, marked b, d, Figure 7..
It is also my intention to use two registering slides instead of one
where they are preferred;. the arms r, pawls U, and ratchets P, being

page_text: put upon one side for computations in addition and multiplication, and
the arms ¹³, pawls U¹, and ratchets P³, being put upon the other slide
in subtraction and division, adjusting and applying the means already
described so as to produce this result.
It is obvious that a printing devico can be attached to and advan-
tageously used in connection with this machine for printing, and
thus, permanently. recording the results of the different arithmetical
operations.
Whenever also it should be found desirable to punch or perforate
the results instead of printing" them, a series of punches can be used
in which the figures are represented by combinations of straight and
curved lines, which are more easy to cut than the common Arabic
numerals.
The moving backward and forward of the registering slide J can be
done by means of a lever attached to the case-A; but as its construction
and operation is obvious it is omitted in the Drawings. Where the
cylinders B, or their equivalents, are small it may be found desirablo
to have them slide backward and forward and to have the register
remain stationary instead of having tho cylinders stationary, and the
register slide.
Having thus fully described my Invention, what I claim and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is,―
First. I claim in a calculating machine a series of cylinders, slides,
or their equivalents, cach cylinder having upon its periphery rows of
teeth parallel to each other and to the axis of the cylinders, the teeth
in the various rows being so arranged that when the required rows
on the different cylinders are brought into. line by the revolution of
-the-cylinders, such-line-will-represent -by- the number and arrange-
ment of its teeth the number which it is desired to transfer to tho
dials of the register, substantially as described.
.D
Secondly. In combination with the cylinders B, or their equivalents,
having the cog teeth distributed on their periphery, I claim broadly
the registering slide J-with pinions-N, engaging- the-cog-teeth of the
cylinders, and communicating the motion of said pinions by suitable
mechanism to the registering dials, substantially as described.

page_text: Thirdly. In combination with the cylinders B, the graduated racks E
and I, for placing the cylinders in the position necessary to operate
upon the pinions N, in such a way as to register the desired results
upon the dials M of the slide J when the latter is moved, substantially
as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fourthly. In combination with the cylinders B, the shaft F, and
pinions f, and graduated handle G, for the purpose herein described.
Fifthly. In combination with the registering device J, the project-
ions P, levers 7, connecting rods &³, pawl U, ratchet wheels P, dials M',
and the studs t, for the purpose herein set forth.
Sixthly. In combination with the registering device J, tho supple-
mentary ratchet dials V, and pawls v, for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund D. Barbour, havo herc-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, Anno Domini
One thousand eight hundred and soventy-two.