The Dutch engineer Samuel Leendert Huizer (1842-1899) had quite a few patents from the 1890s for various machines, between them several patens for a keyboard-operated adding machine: Germany (pat. №67678, 9 Mar 1892, and №70750, 31 Jan 1893), Belgium (No. 97493, 8 Dec 1891), France (No. 222997, 15 Jul 1892), Switzerland (No. 5743, 2 Jan 1893), and USA (No. 515228, 20 Feb 1894). Although not implemented in practice, the adding machine of Huizer looks like a very well-designed and useful device, so it deserves our attention.
The adding machine of Huizer (see the nearby patent drawing) has for its object to effect the rapid and accurate addition of long columns of figures and to be a useful auxiliary for all those whose occupation obliges them to effect similar operations.
The number of vertical rods (c), connected to the wheels, may be augmented or diminished according as the machine is to be used for the addition of greater or smaller totals. In like manner the machine may be arranged for another system of numeration, than such as the decimal system, use being made for that purpose of wheels having corresponding numbers of teeth and a number of keys proportionate with the system employed. Thus for example for English money there must be eleven levers with keys and the first drum must bear the numbers 0 to 11, while the number of teeth of the according wheels must be in the proportion of ten to twelve. On the other hand, the third drum for marking the tens of shillings must invariably bear 0, 1, 0, 1.
Biography of Samuel Huizer
Samuel Leendert Huizer was born on 8 May 1842 in Zwijndrecht, a town in the western Netherlands. He was the second child of the bricklayer Pieter Huizer (7 Jun 1798-17 Apr 1863) and Bastiana Pieternella van de Koppel (19 May 1807-16 Mar 1875). Pieter and Bastiana married in May 1840 and had four children: Gerrit (b. 1841), Samuel Leendert (1842-1899), Antonetta Maria (1843-1870), and Adriana Elizabeth (1845-1912).
In 1869 Samuel Huizer was hired by the Dutch East India Company and was sent to Soerabaya, Java island, where he worked for almost 20 years mainly as chief engineer and captain of steamships.
At the end of 1880s, Samuel Huizer returned to the Netherlands and settled in Hague. The next 10 years he devoted to inventing and patenting many machines, as besides the above-mentioned adding devices, he got patents in different countries for machines like: Starting device for tram cars and other traction vehicles (CH3119), Means applicable for use in forming end-flanges on soft metal pipes (GB189816041), Starter for vehicles (CA36788), Apparatus for drying coffee (US483923), Apparatus for filling tubes with viscid or semi-fluid material (US578944), Clothesline for colonial products, such as coffee, cocoa, pepper, etc. (ES11532).
Samuel Huizer married to Trijntje Kramer (29 Oct 1847-4 Sep 1928). They had five children: Hendrik Douwe Pieter (1871-1952), Louise Wilhelmine (24 Dec 1873-14 Sep 1953), Antoinette Maria Gerardine (b. 15 Dec 1874), Nina Bastiana Petronella (24 May 1878-4 Dec 1940), and Samuel Leendert (28 Mar 1885-15 Mar 1938).
Samuel Leendert Huizer died on 27 March 1899 in Gravenhage.