Ballou Adding Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1860
name: label: patentee
content: Ballou, John
label: maker
content: Ballou, John
notes: label: Description
content: This U.S. patent model for a non-printing lever-set adding machine has a metal casing painted black and a wooden bottom. The curved front of the machine has slots for six movable rings. The part of the case to the right of each ring is marked with the digits from 0 at the bottom of the curve to 9 at the top. A crosswise shaft in the machine carries a series of six toothed metal rings that fit between the openings in the case and serve as finger wheels, ratchets, and registers. The rings are sufficiently thick so that digits can be inscribed around their edges, next to the teeth. One digit of each wheel is visible at the top of the machine, showing the result when numbers are entered by turning rings forward. The left side of each ring has a pin every ten places, which drives the adjacent wheel when carrying is required.
label: Description
content: The inventor of this device, John Ballou, lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. He apparently did not take out any other patents.
label: Description
content: Compare to patent model for Burns Addometer, catalog number MA.308911.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: U.S. Patent 27,418, March 13, 1860.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Ohio, Cincinnati
label: place patented
content: United States: Ohio, Cincinnati
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Adding Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.309323
label: accession number
content: 89797
label: catalog number
content: 309323
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .1 cm x 11.5 cm x 13.9 cm; 1/32 in x 4 17/32 in x 5 15/32 in