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A Short Description of the EDSAC Type Calculator Circuits Used in LEO
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LEO Computer patent by John Pinkerton (1951). Copy No 1' of a 63 page report on the LEO computer for J Lyons & Company Ltd. including text and ‘small block schematic diagrams’ for submission to the Patent Office. The report has the handwritten and stamped mark ‘88147 Presented 27 July 1951’ as well as being stamped ‘Patent Office Library, 27 July 1951’. Listed in the report and included with it are 65 larger diagrams all stamped ‘Patent Office Library, 27 July 1951’. Held at the British Library, catalogue number Add MS 89294. The British Library catalogue entry Can be found on their website. Research comments: There was always a fear that the work at Lyons would be copied by another business. Significant progress was being made in the development of computers across the world, but the integration into an office environment and in particular the idea of using magnetic tape to buffer data for both input and output to LEO’s mercury delay lines was unique to Lyons. Lyons attempted to encapsulate these ideas into potential patents in the early 1950s even before any machines were built. In the event, circumstances moved too quickly and so did Lyons’ ideas for LEO. The patents were never followed through but together with the 65+ electronic circuit diagrams held at the British Library, Pinkerton’s description of what LEO might be is a valuable insight into their vision for this remarkable machine at that time. (CM) Please Note: This item is not in our collection and is included here for signposting purposes only. This exhibit has a reference ID of CH56371. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History. |
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