OR IMPROVED MACHINES FOR EFFECTING OR FACILITATING ARITHMETICAL OPERATIONS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bevan, of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop,
Accountant, for the Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINES FOR
EFFECTING OR FACILITATING ARITHMETICAL OPERATIONS."
Sealed the 27th May 1859, and dated the 3rd December 1858.
PROVISIONAL 'SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bevan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1858..
I, HENRY BEVAN, of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop, Accountant, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINES FOR EFFECTING OR FACILITATING ARITHMETICAL OPERATIONS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of machines, in which series of figures are arranged
either on the peripheries of discs or on plane surfaces, the said discs or
surfaces being capable of such changes of position as to produce, under proper
manipulation, the product of any two numbers which it may be wished to
multiply, as well as to effect other arithmetical operations. I will first
describe the method of construction which I prefer, that is to say, the one in
which the figures are arranged on the peripheries of discs. On the peripheries
of circular or other shaped discs of metal, or other rigid material, two series of
figures, separated by a line, are expressed, indicating the multiples from zero

page_text: to nine, inclusive of the several numbers which the separate pieces are intended
to represent, and which number is expressed on the side of each piece. These
pieces are made to fit into or upon each other at either end, and are also made
capable of being put in one direction only, but in any order in which they
may be required, upon a rod or pin which passes through the centre or axis of
each disc. By turning the pin, certain figures are disclosed within a plate or
covering of rigid material, and then, by merely adding the units, tens, hundreds,
and so forth of the figures so disclosed, the product from zero to nine inclusive
of the number represented by the plates in the order in which they are placed
on the rod may be obtained. This is the simplest method of constructing my
Invention. By the use of several rods, that is to say, as many as may be
required for the operation; each rod carrying the discs similarly arranged as
before explained, the product of any number of figures may be obtained by
the simple process of adding together the units, tens, hundres, and so forth
disclosed within a plate or covering, as before described. The same results as
those furnished by the first form. of my Invention are also obtained by
substituting flat pieces or strips of metal, or other rigid material, for the discs
described. These flat pieces have the same figures expressed upon them as
the discs, and the result of the operation is obtained by the movement of a
tray or slide on which the flat pieces would be arranged.
My Invention may also be modified in the following manner:-Several of
the last described strips are united together, or cut out, or cast in one piece,
which united strips, for the sake of convenience, I shall hereafter call the tally.
On each compartment of the tally are expressed successive representations of
the multiples, from zero to nine, inclusive of the number standing at the head
or end thereof, in the way before described. The tally is not, however, con-
tinuous, but is bent downwards at the commencement of each compartment,
so that the lower group of figures in each compartment stands in a line
-with the upper group of figures in the compartment below it. On the head of
each tally is a figure, and the sum to be multiplied is composed by arranging
the tallies, so that the figures on their heads shall represent the said sum.
The tallies are arranged on a surface carrying as many fixed series of figures
as there are figures in the multiplier, and commencing with zero and rising
up to nine inclusive. A series of flaps, each placed in a line with one of the
last-mentioned figures, is turned down over the figures in the tallies, so as to
cover the said figures. In order to multiply the sum represented in the
figures on the heads of the tallies, it is only necessary to lift up such of the
flaps opposite the fixed series of figures as would represent the multiplier,

page_text: the unit figure of the multipliers being selected from the bottom compartment,
the tens from the compartment next above, and so on. By adding together
the numbers disclosed by the lifted flaps, the addition being performed
vertically, the product sought will be obtained.
In each of the foregoing descriptions the final process of addition may be
so arranged by the disposition of the figures, that the operation may be
performed either vertically, horizontally, or obliquely.
· For convenience of description, I have described my Invention as used for
effecting multiplication, but by methods of manipulation, which I do not think
it necessary to describe, my Invention may be applied for effecting or facili-
tating other arithmetical operations. My machines may be made to present
the result of the operation, so that the said result may be read off or printed
in the following manner :-Instead of the figures herein-before described on
the peripheries of discs, or on the tallies, I place a series of teeth, equal to the
number of units in the said figures, the said teeth constituting racks, which
engage with and effect the rotation of toothed wheels, to an extent equal to
the number of teeth in the said racks. Each wheel acts on another wheel,
representing the tens, or next highest place, the said action being effected by
a long tooth on the wheel engaging once during each revolution with the
wheel representing the next highest place above it, so as to move it through
one-tenth of a revolution. By the arrangement described, the result of the
operation may be presented in figures, which may either be read off or printed
from after the manner of printing type.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Bevan in the Great Seal Patent Office on
27th May 1859.
on the
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BEVAN, of Shrewsbury, in the County of Salop, Accountant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Bevan, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Bevan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Bevan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might.
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "NEW
OR IMPROVED MACHINES FOR EFFECTING OR FACILITATING ARITHMETICAL OPERA-
TIONS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Bevan,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Bevan, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :—
My Invention consists of machines in which series of figures are arranged
either on the peripheries of discs or on plane surfaces, the said discs or surfaces
being capable of such changes of position as to produce, under proper manipu-
lation and the mere process of simple addition, the product of any two numbers
which it may be wished to multiply, as well as to effect or facilitate other
arithmetical operations.
I will first describe the method of construction which I prefer, that is to say,
the one in which the figures are arranged on the peripheries of discs. On the
peripheries of circular or other shaped discs of metal or other rigid material
two series of figures separated by a line or space are expressed, indicating the
multiples from zero to nine, inclusive of the several numbers which the
separate pieces are intended to represent, and which number is expressed on
the side of each piece. These pieces are made to fit into or upon each other
at either end, and are also made capable of being put in one direction only,
but in any order in which they may be required upon a rod or pin which
passes through the centre or axis of each disc. By turning the pin certain
figures are disclosed within a plate or covering of rigid material, and then by
merely adding the units, tens, hundreds, and so forth of the figures so disclosed,
the product from zero to nine, inclusive of the number represented by
the plates in the order in which they are placed on the rod, may be obtained.
The method just described is the simplest way of constructing my Invention.
By the use of several rods, that is to say, as many as may be required for the

page_text: operation, each rod carrying the dises similarly arranged as before explained,
the product. of any number of figures may be obtained by the simple process
of adding together the units, tens, hundreds, and so forth, disclosed within a
plate or covering as before described. The same results are also obtained by
substituting flat pieces or strips of metal or other rigid material for the discs
described. These flat pieces have the same figures expressed upon them as the
discs, and the result of the operation is obtained by the movement of a slide or
slides which traverse the surface of the flat pieces, the latter being previously
placed on a tray made to receive them.
My Invention may also be modified in the following manner:-Several of
the last described strips are united together or cut out or cast in one piece,
which united strips, for the sake of convenience, I shall hereafter call the
"tally." On each compartment of the tally are expressed successive represen-
tations of the multiples from zero to nine, inclusive of the number standing at
the head or end thereof in the way before described. The tally is not, however,
continuous, but is bent downwards at the commencement of each compart-
ment, so that the lower group of figures in each compartment stands in a line
with the upper group of figures in the compartment below it. The sum to be
multiplied is composed by arranging the tallies so that the figures on their
heads shall represent the said sum. By the movement of several slides which
traverse the surface of the tallies in a similar way to the slide previously
described, the result of an operation is obtained by simple addition for as many
figures as there are tallies used (representing the multiplicand), and as many
as there are compartments in the tallies (representing the multiplier). Instead
of the moveable slides, moveable strips or flaps of some rigid material may be
used with the same result. In each of the foregoing descriptions the final
process of addition may be so arranged by the disposition of the figures, that
the operation may be performed either vertically, horizontally, or obliquely.
I have already explained that the figures expressed on the discs or tallies
are the multiples or repetitions of the multiples from zero to nine, inclusive
of the several numbers which the separate discs or tallies are intended to
represent.
For convenience of description, I have described my Invention as used for
effecting multiplication, but by methods of manipulation, which I do not think
it necessary to describe, my Invention may be applied for effecting or facili-
tating other arithmetical operations.
I claim as my Invention the new or improved machines for effecting or
facilitating arithmetical operations herein described, that is to say, machines

page_text: in which series of figures are arranged in connection with the other parts
of the machine so that by means of moveable slides or flaps or strips,
such figures only are disclosed as are required in the final process of
addition.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bevan, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
HENRY BEVAN. (L.S.)