1822

Charles Babbage designs a calculator. The concept of this machine was that it should be operated by punched cards (see Jacquard 1801) and the results printed on paper. To print the results was something revolutionary in this time. Babbage thinks however that the technology at that day will not be sophisticated enough (precision of tooling etc.) to have him realize such a machine. A small scale model however is shown at a meeting of the Society.

Mechanical (tolerances), financial (subsidies) and differences of opinion with his chief engineer  - Joseph Clement a tool engineer and draftsman, a rare combination in these days - are causing the project to be shelved in 1833. But the concept of the machine is of course extremely advanced and probably too far out of most peoples league  for this days to even think about. Or let alone conceptualize.
In 1990-1991 Reg Crick en Barry Holliday - two engineers of the Science museum in London - will reconstruct the calculating section of the Difference Engine.