Basic Research and Investigation: 1725: A French inventor, Falcon, patented a knitting machine controlled by a perforated card. 1804: Another French inventor, Jacquard, patented a knitting and weaving machine controlled by a punched card. 1916: An American Inventor, Scheyer, patented a continuous- path machine for cutting cloth in the garment industry that was controlled by perforations in a roll of paper similar to that used to operate a player piano. Incubation Period: 1930: A patent was issued to Max Schenker for a method for controlling the operation of machine tools by punched cards. 1946: John Parsons proposed the development of a nu- mercially controlled jig-boring machine to manufacture inspection templates for helicopter blades. Commercial Development: 1948: The U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to the Parsons Corp, to investigate the feasibility of numerically controlled machine tools. 1949: MIT was issued a contract by the Parsons Corp, to develop a prototype model of a numerically controlled milling machine. 1951: MIT was awarded the prime contract by the U.S. Air Force to continue development of a numerically controlled milling machine. 1952 : The first prototype of a numerically controlled machine tool, a modified vertical milling machine, was demonstrated at MIT. 1953: MIT made the results of its research and development work on numerically controlled machine tools available at no cost to all Interested companies. 1954: A contract was awarded to the Giddings & Lewis Co. to develop a commercial numerical control system for machine tools. Commercial Growth: 1955: The first commercial numerically controlled machine tools were exhibited at the National Machine Tool Show. 1955: The U.S. Air Force placed initial orders for numerically controlled machine tools. 1957: Numerically controlled machine tools were placed in operation at various Air Force contractor's plants throughout the country. 1960: Five percent of machine tools on display at the National Machine Tool Show were equipped with numerical control systems. 1962 : The development of low-cost, point-to-point numerical control positioning systems expanded the application of numerical control in the machine tool field. 1963: The introduction of solid-state electronic controls with modular circuit construction increased the reliability of numerical control systems significantly. 1965 : Most of the machine tool manufacturers exhibited numerical controlled equipment at the National Machine Tool Show. EXHIBIT 76. CHRONOLOGY OF THE DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NUMERICALLY CONTROLLED MACHINE TOOLS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==