| Isaac Adams | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 16, 1802 Rochester, New Hampshire |
| Died | July 19, 1883 Sandwich, New Hampshire |
| Children | Julius Adams |
Isaac Adams (August 16, 1802 – July 19, 1883) was a United States inventor.
He was born in Rochester, New Hampshire to Benjamin Adams and Elizabeth Horne Adams in 1802. His education was limited, and at an early age he was a operative in a cotton factory. Afterward he learned the trade of cabinet maker, but in 1824 went to Boston and sought work in a machine shop.
He invented the Adams Power Press in 1827. It was introduced in 1830. The machine "worked a revolution in the art of printing," and beginning in 1836, became the leading machine used in book binding for the rest of the century, and was distributed worldwide. It substantially reduced the cost of book production, and made books more widely available.
With his brother Seth, a noted sugar refiner, Isaac Adams engaged in the manufacture of printing presses, sugar mills, steam engines (stationary and marine), steam boilers and other machines, and formed the company I. & S. Adams in 1836.
He was a member of the Massachusetts Senate in 1840, and the Emigrant Aid Company. His last years were spent in retirement. He died in 1883.