Introducing Edmund Barbour: Inventor, Businessman, and 19th Century Technologist
Edmund Dana Barbour was born in 1841 into an established New England family that included Puritan leader Captain George Barbour, who immigrated to Massachusetts in 1635. Census records show that Edmund D. Barbour became a successful businessman in his own right in Boston – operating a box manufacturing company and investing widely in local real estate.
But Edmund Barbour was also clearly an inventor and tinkerer at heart. During the 1870s, he decided to turn his skills towards addressing a growing economic need – improved calculating machines. As the industrial revolution picked up speed, demands for more robust, reliable, and accurate mechanical office aids skyrocketed. Barbour stepped into this landscape and managed to patent not one, but three exceptionally original and progressive calculating devices in short succession.
While there are no records showing Barbour‘s machines were mass produced or sold, his patents and the preserved original models provide incredible insight into the rapid progress of calculating technology in the mid-late 1800s. Barbour was not only an astute businessman sensing economic opportunities, but a relentless visionary inventor constantly working to push mechanical computing capabilities further.
Overview of Barbour‘s Three Calculating Machine Patents
| Year | Patent No. | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1872 | US 130404 | First direct multiplication machine |
| Rack & pinions to add digit multiples | ||
| 8 Drums with multiple racks | ||
| 1872 | US 133188 | Simplified design |
| Basic printing mechanism added | ||
| Flat sliding carriage over rack gears | ||
| 1875 | US 168080 | Enhanced printing functionality |
| Paper reels, type wheels, ink ribbons | ||
| Triangular machine construction |
As shown in the above table, Barbour‘s first two calculating machine patents in 1872 introduced core innovations like direct number multiplication, rack gear setting of digit factors, and accumulator pinion movement. By his 3rd patent in 1875, Barbour had refocused efforts on pioneering printing capabilities – well before this became standard in computing machinery.
Next we will explore the mechanical operation and key features of each machine design in more detail.
Direct Multiplication Innovation
Barbour‘s first 1872 patent (No. 130404) stood out for introducing the concept of direct multiplication to calculating devices. This meant automatically calculating a number‘s multiples to facilitate rapid multiplication – rather than relying on repetitive manual addition steps for each factor digit.
The mechanism involved setting a unique "multiplying rack gear" for each numeral 0 to 9 around the circumference of eight rotating drums aligned by place values. Each rack gear had a different pattern of teeth or pins representing the digit‘s multiplication table (1x, 2x, 3x etc). By moving a carriage containing a pinion gear linked accumulator across the racks, it would turn to directly add the correct multiples simultaneously.
Let‘s walk through an example to better understand. To multiply 865 by 4 we would:
- Configure the rightmost 3 drums to expose the rack gears for 4x, 6x and 5x respectively
- Ensure accumulator is reset to 0
- Slide carriage left across the racks. The linked pinions would turn to add:
- Units wheel = 4×5=20
- Tens wheel = 4×6 = 24
- Hundreds wheel = 4×8 = 32
- Resulting in number 2024 added in one motion!
- Repeat by properly setting racks and sliding carriage for next digit (6), then 5.
This revolutionary technique enabled much faster multiplication compared to repetitively adding the number to itself. And the preserved patent model uses eight drums (allowing 8 digit numbers) demonstrating substantial calculation capacity for the era.
Adding Automated Printing
In Barbour‘s second 1872 patent (No. 133188), he simplified the design by using flat rack gears instead of drums. But notably also introduced printing capabilities to calculating machines for one of the first times. This involved adding:
- Type wheels to the carriage‘s accumulator mechanism
- Paper feed rollers
- An ink ribbon
- Hinged platens to press paper against the type wheels
Though printing functionality was very basic, it showed Barbour‘s constant drive to make calculations easier, faster and yield permanent printable output. This kind of automated output was first pioneered by Babbage‘s Difference Engine back in the 1830s but had not yet been successfully advanced or commercialized.
Pushing Printing Further
By 1875, Barbour had set his sights firmly on expanding printing capacities. His third calculating machine patent (No. 168080) focused specifically on this goal rather than calculation process improvements.
Some prominent features included:
- Three interlocked rotating print cylinders coordinated vertically using geared contact rollers
- Each cylinder had 9 lengthwise grooves for sliding number markers to set figures
- The cylinders rotated against a curved stationary plate with numbering
- Print type wheels were arrayed vertically to print one numeral per revolution per wheel
- This allowed carrying digits to subsequent wheels and sequential printing of number columns
The model shows the essence of this stepped printing technique – which Barbour impressively engineered entirely mechanically using Victorian age components.
Barbour‘s 3rd calculating machine patent model focused on printing innovations (Image: Smithsonian Institute)
Lasting Influence on Computing Evolution
There remains no evidence Barbour‘s ambitious calculating machines were ever manufactured commercially. But his patents doubtless made waves in the industry and provided inspiration for the next generation of inventors.
In particular, Austria‘s Per Georg Scheutz and son Edvard Scheutz successfully constructed a functioning direct multiplier calculating machine in the 1860s. Many similarities to Barbour‘s original designs suggest the father-son duo were likely aware of his earlier groundbreaking efforts. Some of America‘s great 19th century calculating prodigies, like William S. Burroughs, also surely took notice.
Barbour was an inventor ahead of his time. By 1915 flawed mechanical calculators were commercially produced, but still lacked basic features Barbour conceived of 40+ years prior. It wasn‘t until the 1920s and 1930s that improved electrical machines finally realized the reliable, high-capacity, direct-entry multiplication functions he outlined.
Few details remain about Edmund D. Barbour‘s personal life and pursuits beyond calculating machines. But census and business records show he was a wealthy, civic-minded businessman with the資金and work Shop space to actively experiment. Like other gentleman inventors of the 1800s, Barbour pursued intellectual curiosity and drive to push boundaries without need for commercial viability or profit.
The remaining Barbour patent models preserved in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History stand testament to this unwavering spirit. They will continue inspiring future generations to imagine, tinker and invent technologies that shape our world.
