Blaise Pascal: The Pascaline mechanical calculator
The Pascaline mechanical calculator.
To spare his father, a royal tax commissioner in Rouen, endless hand additions, Pascal began a mechanical adding machine at 18 or 19. Its key invention is the *sautoir*, a gravity-assisted carry lever that advances the next wheel by one when a wheel passes nine, so carries ripple across all digits without jamming. About fifty prototypes and twenty finished machines were made; nine survive, and in late 2025 a Christie's sale of one was suspended when France moved to declare it a national treasure.
IP note
Royal privilege of 22 May 1649 — exclusive right to make calculating machines in France.
Recognition
First calculating machine produced in quantity; ~9 survive.
What this means for a student inventor in India
[Editor: 120–200 words connecting this story to the Indian route — Section 6 (any true inventor may apply), provisional vs complete specification, disclosure at fairs (Section 31), renewals, and who owns what when a school is involved. Link to the relevant MYCrave guide.]
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Sources
[Editor: list the 2–4 primary sources from the research notes for this entry, with the date checked.]
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