Baldwin Calculating Engine

Object Details

patentee

Baldwin, Frank S.

Baldwin, Frank S.

Description

This is the U.S. Patent Office model for a printing pinwheel calculating machine patented by Frank S. Baldwin of St. Louis, Mo., in 1875. The machine has a brass base, two open brass pieces on each side that form a frame, and a brass, steel, and wooden mechanism. A cylindrical drum mounted horizontally on the frame is 11.5 cm. (4-1/2”) in diameter and 5 cm. (2”) in height.

Both ends of this drum are perforated with six round holes. The drum slides along the shaft into a series of position and may be fixed in place by a small lever. Along the surface of the drum are three slots in which levers slide. The levers may be set at any digit from 0 to 9. Moving a lever from 0 to a given number moves a steel arc that pushes the corresponding number of pins above the surface of the cylinder opposite the lever. Rotating the large cylinder rotates a series of intermediate wheels in proportion to the number of raised pins.

These wheels are linked to a set of seven cogwheels, each having ten teeth. On the outer edge of each tooth is a number in type, the numbers ranging from 0 to 9. These cogwheels are linked to a second set of three larger cogwheels that also have digits in type. These wheels may be intended to indicate the multiplier. The front of the two sets of type-wheels has a brass cover that contains a manually operated printing mechanism. The machine has no paper or ribbon

The machine is marked on the large cylinder next to the slots for the three levers: F.P. Baldwin (/) St. Louis, Mo.

Baldwin applied for his patent September 8, 1873. A few examples were manufactured and sold by the Reliance Machine Works of Philadelphia.

Compare to a production model of the machine, MA.310229.

References:

U.S. Patent 159244, February 2, 1875.

“Baldwin’s Arithmometer,” Philadelphia, Reliance Machine Works, about 1875.

P. A. Kidwell, “The Adding Machine Fraternity at St. Louis: Creating a Center of Invention, 1880–1920,” IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 22 #2 (April–June 2000), pp. 4–21.

Location

Currently not on view

1875

date patented

1875 02 02

ID Number

MA.252698

catalog number

252698

accession number

49064

Object Name

calculating machine

Object Type

Patent Model

Physical Description

steel (overall material)

brass (overall material)

wood (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 13.5 cm x 13.5 cm x 23 cm; 5 5/16 in x 5 5/16 in x 9 1/16 in

place made

United States: Missouri, St. Louis

place patented

United States: Missouri, St. Louis

See more items in

Medicine and Science: Mathematics

Calculating Machines

Science & Mathematics

National Museum of American History

subject

Mathematics

Record ID

nmah_694172

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-5176-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa