I‘d like to introduce you to the fascinating inventor Frederick Fuller. Over a 57 year career starting in the late 1800s, Fuller pioneered devices that helped automate routine business tasks. He was incredibly prolific – earning over 25 patents that ushered in modern conveniences like automatic employee timekeeping, cash registers, and bank check processors.
Let‘s explore this mechanical mastermind‘s background and some of his seminal inventions that accelerated business technology.
Farm Shop Tinkering Foreshadowed Prolific Inventing Career
Fuller was born in 1861 in Norwich, Connecticut. His grandfather owned a broom factory, which exposed Fuller to machinery at a young age. By age 10, he had picked up basic metal working skills using his grandfather‘s wood lathe.
This early fascination with gadgets was the perfect training for Fuller‘s future inventing career. When family business troubles forced Fuller to leave school early, he worked odd jobs at factories and mills. This let Fuller study equipment up close to understand mechanical engineering principles.
Inventing an Automatic Time Tracker and Wage Computer at Just Age 27
Fuller married Rebecca Bell in 1881. Seeking better job prospects, Fuller began dabbling in inventions. In 1886, he conceptualized a machine to track employee hours automatically using time cards. It could then calculate wages owed.
Fuller secured a business investor to build a prototype "time recorder" and patented the device in 1888 at just 27 years old! Though the business failed, this marked Fuller‘s entrance into serious inventing.
Cash Register Partnership Led to Launch of Union Cash Register Company
In 1889, Fuller started working at a company producing specialty manufacturing machines. After seeing their bulky cash register model, Fuller sketched ideas for major improvements like easier operation and tamper resistance.
Fuller soon partnered with the owner‘s son George Griswold – combining Fuller‘s mechanical genius with Griswold‘s business savvy. The duo received two patents on their sturdier, more user-friendly cash register.
Sensing a market need, they launched the Union Cash Register Company in 1889 to sell their patented registers. Sales steadily climbed, reaching over $3 million annually by 1904!
| Year | Major Patent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1888 | US379865 | Automatic time recorder and wage computer |
| 1897 | US585468 | Improved cash register |
| 1897 | US585565 | alternate cash register design |
| 1934 | US1946906 | Bank check endorser and clearing system |
Recruited by NCR to Innovate Cash Registers over 8 Years
By 1907, the field was dominated by National Cash Register (NCR), which acquired Union Cash Register. Impressed by Fuller‘s inventiveness, NCR recruited him as an inventor in 1909.
Over 8 years at NCR, Fuller introduced major cash register advances like:
- First register with an electromagnet bell to enable remote theft signaling
- Custom printed receipt formatting for different business types
- Lighter materials to reduce weight
- Cost-saving standardized parts
Appointed Chief Inventor within 3 years, Fuller forged lifelong ties at NCR. He befriended executive Thomas Watson, who later became IBM‘s legendary first CEO.
Chief Inventor Roles Drove Major Success with Remington Cash Register and IBM Bank Processor
In 1917, Fuller joined rival firm Remington Arms as Chief Cash Register Inventor. He quickly developed an improved model which found commercial success.
In 1927, Fuller‘s old colleague Watson convinced the 66 year old inventor to join IBM. Fuller brought unmatched experience across mechanics, electronics, printing and business machine applications.
At IBM, Fuller filed patents exploring sophisticated new concepts like photo-electric sensing. However, his most celebrated invention was the 801 Bank Proof machine introduced in 1935. This automated system revolutionized critical bank check processing tasks like listing checks, endorsements, clearings, and ledger entries.
The 801 machine cemented Fuller‘s legacy as a driver of automation – evolving from early time recorders to complex accounting data processing late in his career.
Lasting Impact: 57 Year Inventing Career Spawned Devices Critical for Modern Business
When Fuller retired in 1943 at age 82, he wrapped up a shockingly prolific 57 year inventing career. His patented inventions ran the gamut – from weighing scales to inventory tabulators.
Fuller served as a bridge from early industrial machines through to automated 20th century business systems. Beginning with simple time recorders, Fuller‘s inventions gradually took on more complex accounting, supply chain, and data processing challenges.
Frederick Fuller‘s tireless drive to conceive better machines left an enduring mark on industry. His pioneering commercial registers and processors helped optimize efficiency for modern corporations. More broadly, Fuller embodied persistent innovation – progressing human technology across nearly six decades!
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Frederick Fuller. Please let me know if you would be interested in learning about any other lesser-known inventors who changed business!
