APRIL 17/NISSAN 9

1924:  

Birthday of Joseph Gerber, Austrian inventor who escaped to the US and patented:

1.     the Gerber Variable Scale which was called "the most revolutionary engineering tool since the slide rule."

2.     the world's first digital drafting machine, or "photoplotter," which was used in over 75% of the television circuit boards manufactured in the 50's.

3.     the GERBERcutter S-70, a fully automated cloth-cutting system, that was credited with saving the US clothing industry in the late 60's.

4.      the computer-assisted equipment in the '80s that allowed opticians to produce eyeglasses in about an hour.

National Medal of Technology