An office is generally a room or area in which people work and conduct business. The office machine is any invention whose purpose is to aid that work. Below is a list of common office machines with background information and history on each individual office machine.
Calculators & Adding Machines
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William Seward Burroughs invented and patented the first workable adding and listing machine in St. Louis, Missouri in 1885. Before we had calculators we had slide rules. In 1632, the circular and rectangular slide rule was invented by Oughtred. An office machine that calculates is a god sent to accountants everywhere.
Carbon Paper
In 1806, carbon paper was invented by Pellegrino Turri of Italy. However, the term "carbonated paper" was first used in 1860, when Englishman, Ralph Wedgwood was issued a patent for his "Stylographic Writer." Carbon paper used to be common sight offices however, today it is outmoded.Check Books & Check Protectors
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The earliest record of a mechanical check protector is an 1872 advertisement for the National Safety Check Punch, which was patented by Cory & Brown on May 17, 1870, and sold by J. B. Parks of New York, NY.
Coffee Makers
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The modern-day espresso machine was created by Italian Achilles Gaggia in 1946. Gaggia invented a high pressure espresso machine by using a spring powered lever system. The photo to the left is of a coffee maker circa 1850 displayed at the British Library in London, England.
Computers
Mary Bellis
A very common office machine is the computer. Many inventors contributed to the history of computers and a computer is a complex piece of machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a separate invention.
Copy Machines
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In 1780, steam engine inventor James Watt obtained a British patent for letter copying presses, which James Watt & Co. produced beginning in that year.
Fax Machine
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The technology for fax machines was invented a long time, however, fax machines did not become popular with consumers until the 1980s and are now a common office machine.
Fluorescent Lighting
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Friedrich Meyer, Hans Spanner, and Edmund Germer patented a fluorescent lamp in 1927.
