Edwin G. Bates
Edwin G. Bates was an American inventor and patent attorney who developed the Bates numbering machine, a tool for organizing office documents.
The Bates Numbering Machine
In the late 19th century, increasing volumes of paperwork in business and legal settings made manual page numbering inefficient. Bates's machine addressed this issue by streamlining the process of applying unique identifiers to documents.Bates's invention improved on existing numbering devices by introducing a self-inking mechanism and self-rotating rotating number wheel. Previous numbering devices utilized a wheel mechanism which had to be manually advanced.
The invention quickly gained popularity in law firms, courts, business offices, and the government. By eliminating the need for manual numbering, it reduced errors and improved the efficiency of document handling. The Bates Manufacturing Company produced thousands of machines for widespread use.
Later years and legacy
In the mid-1890s, Edwin G. Bates left Bates Manufacturing Company and later organized a competing firm, originally known as the Bates Machine Company. In 1909, that company adopted the name “Bates Numbering Machine Company,” prompting litigation. A federal court held that the name caused public confusion because “Bates Numbering Machine” had become associated exclusively with the earlier company’s product, and enjoined its use under unfair-competition principles.The Bates Numbering Machine Company was later sold to William C. Roberts and renamed the Roberts Numbering Machine Company.
The Bates Manufacturing Company continued with Edison, selling the company in 1921 to Clarence S. A. Williams, who served as president of the company until 1958. The company stayed in the Williams family until Thomas M. Williams sold it to the General Binding Corporation in 1993.
Edwin G. Bates died in 1907. His numbering system continued to be used after his death, and its principles were later integrated into digital tools for PDF and electronic record indexing.