William Seward Burroughs I facts for kids
.jpg)
William Seward Burroughs I (born January 28, 1857 – died September 14, 1898) was an American inventor. He was born in Rochester, New York. He is best known for inventing an early adding machine. This machine helped make math easier for banks and businesses.
Life of an Inventor
Early Life and Family
William Burroughs grew up around machines. His father was a mechanic. When William was young, his family moved to Auburn, New York. He and his brothers went to public schools there.
In 1879, William married Ida Selover. They had four children together. Their children were Jennie, Horace, Mortimer, and Helen. Mortimer was the grandfather of a famous writer, also named William S. Burroughs.
Becoming an Inventor
In 1875, William started working at a bank. His job involved checking long lists of numbers for mistakes. This was very hard work. William became interested in creating a machine that could add numbers automatically.
He saw some early adding machines at the bank. But these machines often made errors if not used carefully. William loved working with machines more than checking numbers. After seven years, he left his job at the bank.
In the early 1880s, William moved to St. Louis, Missouri. A doctor suggested he move to a warmer place. In St. Louis, he worked at the Boyer Machine Shop. This new job gave him the chance to build his own adding machine.
William wanted his machine to be very accurate. He even drew his designs on metal plates. This helped make sure his drawings were perfect.
He filed his first patent for a "calculating machine" in 1885. This machine was designed to make office math much simpler. By 1890, banks knew about his machines. Many banks started using them.
Starting a Company
In 1886, William Burroughs started his own company. It was called the American Arithmometer Company. After he passed away, his business partner, John Boyer, changed the company's name. In 1904, it became the Burroughs Adding Machine Company.
William Burroughs received an award called the John Scott Legacy Medal. He got this award shortly before he died. Later, he was added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for great inventors.
Besides adding machines, William also invented other things. In 1892, he received a patent for an electric alarm clock.
William Burroughs passed away in Citronelle, Alabama. He was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
Patents
William Burroughs received several patents for his inventions:
- Calculating-machine. Issued August 1888.
- Electric alarm clock. Issued February 1892.
- Calculating machine. Issued September 1893.
