January 19, 1736 was born an outstanding Scottish engineer, mechanical inventor James Watt, whose works laid the foundation for industrial revolution first in England and then all over the world. We decided to talk about Watt's five inventions.
Steam engine
In the truest sense of the word, James Watt was not the first person to invent the steam engine. A similar device was described by Heron of Alexandria in the 1st century AD. Real steam turbine was invented much later, in medieval Egypt, by an Arab engineer of the 16th century, who proposed a method of rotating the skewer by the force of the steam flow directed to the blades fixed on the rim of the wheel. James Watt invented the universal steam engine by improving the Newcomen steam engine used in Watt's day to pump water from coal mines. The first such significant innovation was the insulated condensation chamber: James Watt filed a patent for his invention in 1769. At the same time, the document stated that he did not invent a new steam engine, but a steam engine, the temperature of which was always equal to the temperature of the steam. The next improvement was aimed at making the piston in the cylinder perform useful work not by atmospheric pressure, but by steam pressure. Later, he also insulated the steam cylinder, and in 1782 he invented the double-acting machine, which quadrupled the output of the steam engine, resulting in a 75% saving in the cost of coal. In addition to various other improvements to steam engines, Watt also invented the centrifugal governor, which automatically controlled the speed of the machine, the pressure gauge, and the throttle valve.
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steam hammer
In addition to the steam engine and improvements to it, Watt also invented the steam hammer. The inventor received a patent for it in 1784, immediately after receiving a patent for a steam engine. This device was equipped with a flywheel to drive the lever hammer common at that time. The first of Watt's hammers weighed 54.5 kilograms and rose to a height of 8 inches (203 millimeters). Watt then built a lever steam hammer with a weight of about 380 kilograms of falling parts, producing 300 blows per minute. The steam hammer was one of the most important machines of its time and dominated engineering for 90 years.
copy press
In 1780, Watt invented and patented the portable copy press, which consisted of a box that contained compartments for pencils, pens, rulers, and paper, as well as a special compartment for carbon paper. The metallized box contained a supply of ink and water for 24 copy sheets. A metal cover was used to clamp the original sheet. Prior to the start of work, the copy sheets were aged for 12 hours in a special composition. The actual copying was carried out by turning the handle of the device, which rotated two brass rollers located in the lower part of the case. The original document was placed on the copy plate between the lifting covers. It was pressed against damp carbon paper to obtain an impression, and thus a mirror copy of the document was obtained on the carbon sheets, which, after 24 hours of drying, was ready for use. The company founded by Watt produced similar machines until the end of the 19th century, it was used in their work by such famous people like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
In his advanced years, the inventor also worked on a machine for copying sculptural works, an eidograph - a mechanical device that allows you to accurately copy bas-reliefs, medallions, statues and other things of the most complex shape.
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Watt's parallelogram
A mechanism invented by Watt in 1784 to give the piston of a steam engine a rectilinear motion. The parallelogram consists of two horizontal levers pivotally attached to the ends of a vertical lever, which is fixed in the center of the bridge beam and has the ability to rotate. By turning the vertical lever, uneven movement in corners is compensated. Nowadays it is used on the rear axle in some car suspensions.
Power measurement
Watt suggested using the concept of "horsepower" as a measurement of power. This unit of measure was used in most calculations until 1882, when the British Association of Engineers decided to name the unit of power by the name Watt - Watt. This was the first time in the history of technology that a unit of measurement was given its own name.
On account of Sebastian, there were several patents for the processing of agricultural products, and John also noted in the same area, patenting a machine for cleaning and preserving corn. In addition, John designed an unusual ventilation system for one of the cafes - fans of palm leaves installed on each table were set in motion by water supplied through pipes. James was also a skilled mechanic, but in 1871 he decided to change his profession and became a restaurateur, opening a small saloon in Daytona. His institution quickly gained popularity in the city, but instead of prosperity, it brought losses to the owner.
And business qualities James had nothing to do with it - just the cashiers constantly stole, hiding part of the proceeds. The dismissal did not help: new ones came to the place of dishonest cashiers, who also could not resist the temptation. The constant turnover of staff almost ruined Ritty, and as a distraction, he went on a cruise in Europe.
The first cash register was designed as an anti-theft device.
On the ship, James became interested in powerful marine machines and became friends with the chief mechanic. During the tour of the engine room, he looked at the automatic counter of propeller shaft revolutions as if spellbound, and suddenly the thought came to his mind: “If this mechanism is capable of recording the movements of the propeller, why not do the same with money?”. The idea captured Ritty so much that he significantly shortened his trip to Europe and soon returned home. There, James pitched his idea to his brother John, and together they built a primitive machine for counting money: two rows of keys, each of which marked a certain amount, and an hour dial with two hands (for dollars and cents). The brothers improved the second model by replacing the dials with classic discs, and it was for this design that US patent number 221360 was received on November 4, 1879. The third model, called Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier, already knew how to show the buyer a “punched” sum, and the fourth hole punched the total on a paper tape. It was she who became the first mass-produced cash register.
Despite the success, by 1881 Ritty realized that this was not his business and returned to his small cafe. He sold the patent to Jacob Eckert, who in 1884 ceded the company to John Patterson, one of the first buyers. cash registers. Patterson renamed the firm the National Cash Register Company. Now it is NCR Corporation, a multi-billion dollar retail hardware and software solutions company. Of course, modern NCR technology has almost nothing in common with the first Ritti apparatus. Except for one quality: she is still incorruptible.
The invention of the cash register belongs to Ritty James from the city of Dayton (Ohio, USA).
He decided in 1871 to become a restaurateur and opened a small saloon in Daytona. This institution very quickly became popular, but the owner constantly brought only losses instead of profit.
The managerial qualities of Ritty James were completely irrelevant here, the problem was the eternal concealment and theft of part of the proceeds by the cashiers. The dismissal of these employees did not help at all, new employees came to their place, who also could not resist the temptation to steal.
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The constant turnover of staff practically ruined Ritty, in order to distract himself from problems, he went on a European cruise. James Ritty became interested on the ship in the powerful machines that set the ship in motion, and struck up a friendship with the chief mechanic.
During the next tour of the ship's engine room, he looked with great interest at the automatic counter of revolutions of the propeller shaft, and a wonderful idea suddenly dawned on him: “Why not use this principle when calculating cash receipts?”
This idea captured him so strongly that he decided to interrupt his own European trip and return home. James Ritty told his brother John at home about his idea, and together they built a simple apparatus for calculating money. There were two rows of keys on it, each of which denoted a specific amount of money, and an hour dial with two hands: one for cents, the second for dollars.
The Ritti brothers modernized the next model of the cash register, they replaced the dials with disks, which by our time have already become classic.
The third model of the cash register, called “Ritty the Incorruptible Cashier”, already knew how to show the customer the amount of the purchase, and the fourth on paper tape knocked out the total with small holes. She subsequently became the first serial model of the cash register.
But, despite the success of his own invention, James Ritty realized in 1881 that he was not at all interested in this and returned to his small cafe. He sold his patent for cash registers to Eckert Jacot, who in 1884 transferred the company to Patterson John, one of the earliest buyers of cash registers.
Subsequently, Patterson renamed the company the National Cash Register Company.
NCR Corporation today is a multi-billion dollar corporation that produces cash registers and for trade software. Of course, the modern technology of NCR Corporation has almost nothing in common with the very first cash registers of James Ritty, except that these devices are also impossible to bribe.
How the propeller of a steamboat helped the invention of the cash register, why its first model looked like a watch, what its creators have in common with the Wright brothers, and what else interesting they designed, read in the History of Science section.
Brothers of all trades
The parents of the future inventors of the apparatus, Leger and Mary Ann Ritty, were natives of Alsace, then - and before the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 - belonged to France together with Lorraine. These two rich industrial regions will be a “bone of contention” between the German Empire and France for a long time: in 1918 France will receive them, during World War II Germany will annex them again, and in 1944 the lands will again return to France.
But none of these wars will affect the Ritty family - they will have long been living in Dayton, Ohio, and selling herbs in a small pharmacy. True, there they will be overtaken by another war, a civil war (1861-1865). Because of her, their son James, born in 1836, will not be able to complete his medical education and will go to serve in the cavalry. He would fight for three years and then retire honorably in 1864 with the rank of captain.
The sons of Leger and Mary Ann Ritty grew up as talented mechanics: three out of five (there were six children in total, including sister Louise) even patented several inventions. The eldest, Sebastian, came up with steel wheel"for agricultural needs and transport", and harrow which is better famous models loosened the soil, and its teeth were cleaned mechanically. John came up with corn cleaning machine and assembled an interesting air cooling system in a local cafe - with the help of palm leaf fans. This makeshift air-conditioning system was installed at each table and was powered by water, which John brought to it through pipes.
Not only the Ritty family was famous for inventions: the city of Dayton itself was a real city of inventors. One of the largest in the state, it was home to dozens of patents, and in some years (for example, 1890) even outstripped all other US cities in their number. The Wright brothers, by the way, were also from there, however, they were born later than the Ritty brothers.
By screws
Returning from the war, James saved up money and founded his own saloon in his native Dayton, "The merchant of pure whiskey, good wines and cigars." But financial affairs did not go smoothly, and the reason for this was not the lack of an entrepreneurial spirit. The establishment was a success, but the sellers stole and concealed part of the proceeds, embezzling the buyers' money and not recording anything about the transaction. The layoffs did not solve the problem: some unscrupulous workers were replaced by others who were no less susceptible to temptations.
Dayton in 1870
Ruger, A. Chicago, Merchants Lithography Co., 1870 Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division
Saddened, James Ritty boarded a steamer and set off on a journey to Europe. And then luck came to him. In the engine room, where the mechanic let James out of friendship, the merchant was intrigued by a device that counted the number of revolutions of a steamship propeller. Hastily returning to Dayton, Ritty decided to make a mechanism that counts money on the same principle, and turned to brother John for help. Together they made three prototypes, and the third was patented on November 4, 1879.
The machine did not have drawers to store money – it just counted how much passed through it and recorded the number and amount of transactions. Accepted money was displayed on a clock-like dial, where instead of hours and minutes there were dollars and cents. The patented third model could already show the buyer the "broken" amount, and the fourth literally punched the check, making holes in the paper tape according to the amount.
The Incorruptible Cashier's Path to Success
A boxless machine couldn't protect the money from criminals should they decide to attack the establishment, but at least it didn't hide some of the proceeds. True, he was still dependent on people, because he only counted the money that passed through him. But few people in those days could appreciate the advantages of such a mechanism, and cash registers sold poorly, although James and John Ritty began to produce them in large quantities.
Cash register made in Ohio in 1904
Wikimedia Commons
After a couple of years of setbacks, the brothers decided to sell the patent. In 1882, it was bought for $6,500 by several investors, among them Jacob Eckert, a glassware and Chinese porcelain merchant from Cincinnati. Two years later, the rights to the company were bought by John Patterson, who for the first time in the world made from the sale of cash registers successful business, founding (National Cash Register Company). James Ritty, by the way, was not at all upset about this, maintained friendly relations with Patterson and participated in some meetings of the company. He understood that this was not his calling, and returned to his former occupation, opening a new saloon in the building former school English and French for girls, calling it Pony House.
The saloon in Dayton flourished, and Ritty ordered a chic bar counter for him from expensive tropical wood, Honduran mahogany, with beautiful carvings and decorations. This counter is still preserved when the building was dismantled in 1967, it was moved to another Dayton bar. Ritty worked there until old age, and so forever remained in the town, and died of a heart attack in 1918. But the most enviable fate awaited his "Incorruptible Cashier", which, as we remember, sold well in the able hands of Patterson and laid the foundation for an entire company. National Cash Register Company exists to this day, bringing in billions of dollars in profit a year from the sale of cash registers and software.
