Before the information age, forward-thinking inventors created mechanical calculating gadgets to simplify routine arithmetic. One little-known innovator, Jabez Burns, patented an “addometer” in 1858 featuring geared wheels and levers for summing numbers. Though it never reached production, his device demonstrated impressive sophistication.
Overview of Jabez Burns and His Adding Machine Creation
Jabez Burns (1826–1888) was a 19th century inventor who designed one of the earliest versions of a mechanical adding machine. His hand-powered prototype leveraged gears and registers to incrementally calculate columns of figures. While commercial adoption eluded him, Burn‘s pioneering design embodied nascent concepts that later evolved into indispensable office helpers.
The Evolution of Calculation Leading Up to Burns
The tedium of pen-and-paper arithmetic long troubled businesses and academics. In 1642, French mathematician Blaise Pascal created a mechanical calculator using interlocking gears called the Pascaline. While limited, it inspired subsequent tinkerers to experiement with various aids.
In the 1840s, German inventor Johann Christoph Schuster independently formulated his own adding machine dubbed the “Schuster-Rechner.” Schuster‘s device utilized a moveable carriage and chained gear wheels. So by Burns’ era, rapid progress was acceleratingacross Europe and America toward automating cumbersome math.
The Mechanical Functionality Behind Burns’ Design
Burn’s adding machine contained rows of digit dials on wooden frames, along with brass gear assemblies. Adjusting the various knobs propagated the counts through intricate series of toothed wheels interconnected with carry mechanisms.
Specifically, turning the units dial rotated a pinion gear to drove a registrar dial via mating gears in proportion. When values exceeded 10, a clever slack linkage lifted sequential pins that pivoted additional counting dials leftward like abacus beads. While archaic in nature, the complexity of this mechanical system was remarkable.
Table 1 – Timeline of Jabez Burns‘ Major Life Events
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1826 | Born in New York State |
| 1850s | Works as cart man and bookkeeper |
| 1858 | Patents adding machine |
| 1864 | Founds Jabez Burns & Sons company |
| 1888 | Passes away |
Burns’ Other Inventions and Ventures in Coffee Production
In addition to arithmatic contraptions, Burns harbored a passion for innovating around coffee. He patented roastings methods, grinders, and commercial production equipment.
In 1864, Burns leveraged this experience to launch Jabez Burns & Sons for manufacturing an enhanced coffee roasting unit of his own design. The trademark later got aququired by an larger outfit in 1964. But his namesake brand lives on even today according to the company’s website.
So in many ways, Burn‘s true commercial success centered around coffee rather than calculation. Yet his adding machine clearly seems nearest to his heart as an enduring mechanized embodiment of numerical process.
Why Burns Adding Device Was Significant Despite Minimal Adoption
While Burns‘ adding machine never sold widely, it pioneered key concepts that prospered later including:
Incremental digit setting – The stepwise adjustment of individual number dials via precision mechanics
Chained calculation – Carrying digits higher based on gear ratios just like long addition
Mechanical memory – Saving running totals in registers to accumulate
These core innovations manifested later in 1890s machines from Swedish inventor Willgodt T. Odhner. Odhner heavily borrowed these notions for his influential line shaft adder. Though unprofitable for Burns, his design philosophy helped shift attitudes on automated computation.
What Became of Burns‘ Adding Machine?
Unfortunately, Burns passed away in 1888 shortly after finalizing his adding device, so never witnessed influence over time. However his original prototype survives at the Smithsonian National Museum, symbolizing his drive to mechanize processes.
While Burns remained obscure, studying such pioneers illuminates how today‘s information era built upon visions of data mechanization. The next time you use a calculator or spreadsheet, remember the early thinkers experimenting with mechanical calculation including the industrious Mr. Jabez Burns!
