At the meeting of the British Association in 1840, the Astronomer Royal described a new calculating machine which had been invented by Mr. Fowler, to facilitate the labours of the guardians of a Poor Law district in Devonshire, in calculating the propor tions in which the several divisions were to be assessed. The mechanism was much the same as in many other machines of a similar character : but there was a peculiarity in the notation adopted for the special object held in view. Instead of the common decimal notation, it had a ternary notation ; that is, the digits became not tenfold hut threefold more valu able in their course from right to left. Thus, in such a notation, 1 and 2 express one and two as in the common system ; but 10 express (not ten, but) three, 11 express four, 12 express five, and so on. The relative number of teeth in some of the wheels of the machine would depend on which notational system is employed.
Dr. Roth's Automaton Calculator, intro duced about the year 1841, has many modi fications suited to the performance of different calculations. The machine for performing addition, subtraction and multi plication consists of a narrow oblong box, with a metal plate on the top, which is divided into nine indexes and semicircular notches. The first six, from left to right, serve for the numbers from hundred thousands to units : the last three are appropriated to shillings, pence, and farthings. Round each index are engraved figures, from 0 to 0 ; and the semi circular notches contain teeth which cor respond with the figures. Under each notch is a *miller hole, in which the result of the calculation appears at the end of the opera tion. In using the instrument, a metal point is inserted in the teeth of such figures in the indexes as are required to be brought into action, and each point is brought down to 0 ; the result is then read off from the circular opening in which it appears recorded. The interior mechanism consists chiefly of a simple combination of toothed wheels and springs. This machine has been used in some offices to facilitate calculations ; and also as a register of the number of strokes or of rotations in machines.
A new calculating or rather numbering machine was invented and patented by Mr. Lewthwaite in 1847; for numbering railway tickets and pawnbrokers tickets, paging books, and similar purposes, and printing numbers in any consecutive or serial form. The mechanism is complicated hut ingenious. The thief parts consist of figure-wheels, driving wheels, and key-stops. The figure-wheel is a wheel with ten teeth, the outer facets or ends of which are stamped or typed with the ten digits from 0 to 9 ; the driving-wheel is also a wheel with ten teeth, which work between the teeth of the figure-wheel; and the key-stop is a kind of lever, one end of which catches successively in the teeth of the figure driving Wheel. If the machine were only required to number up to 9, comprising only one digit or place of figures, only one figere-wheel would be required ; but if tvtd, three, four, or five plates of figures be necessary, expressing tehs, hlihdreds, thouSands, and lens of thou sands, then two; three, four, or five figure wheelS would be required. There are one
driving-wheel and one key-Stop to each figure wheel: All the figure-wheels ate placed upon one axis, bn whith they revolve independently of Bitch other; the sanie may be said of all the driving-wheels; and all the key-stops : each driving-wheel moving its appropriate figure-wheel, and each key-stop being similarly limited. By working a crank handle all the ten facets Of the units' figure-wheel come in suceeCSibn downwards, and stamp or impress their device by a small inking apparatifs. When figure 9 is produced, the key-stop catches into the Wheel so as to bring the tens' figtire-iviseel also into action ; and tivo wheels then work together, producing the numbers 10; 11, 12, &c. At every complete revolution of the units' wheel, the tens' wheel makes one tenth of a revolution ; at every complete revolution bf the tens' wheel, the hundreds' wheel Makes one-tenth of a revolution : and so on consecutively. It is obviously a sort Of cloak-work Mechanism; with figures at the ends of the cogs capable of being brought into such a position as to print their results Upon paper: In 1849 a Caldulating Machine was intro duced before the British Association, invented by M. Slovinski, a Pole. It consists of a thin bog Covered by a metal plate, in which are ten circular apertures ; the digits from d to 9 are marked near these holes, and toothed *heels are placed behind them. The upper Part of the instrument is used for addition and the lower for subtraction ; and the pro cesses aid performed by causing a rotation of the wheels which correspond to the digits to he added or subtracted. The multiplication instrument consists of a shallow rectangular box, containing cylinders which are made to revolve by knobs that protrude through the box. The Cylinders have printed tables of figimes on their circumference, and there are also index figures which appear through sinall holes over the axes of the cylinders. Besides theSe index holes there are nine other rows of holes, eight in a row, at which appear the resultg of the multiplication. The instrument can perform all sums up to millions multiplied by Millions.
A principle of numerical reckoning is adopted in Whiffeii's Registering machine, patented in 1850. It consists of a and a systeni of *heel-wotk, to be attached to the trap-door of ship's coal weighing machines. The object i8 to determine the number of times that the door is opened for the discharge of coals. The same object, it is conceived, may be attained in respect to the filling of grain measures ; but there is nothing essen tially new in this : it is but an application of the principle of the WEIGHING MACHINE.
A remarkable apparatus for registering votes by ballot is described under VOTING