Odhner Arithmometer
The Odhner Arithmometer was a very successful mechanical calculator invented by W. T. Odhner originally patented in Russia in 1878 and first manufactured in 1890. Odhner thought of his machine in 1871 while repairing a Thomas' Arithmometer and decided to replace its heavy, bulky Leibniz cylinder by a lighter, smaller pinwheel disk. Thomas' and Odhner's arithmometers look completely different but they share the same user interface except for the Thomas Addition-Subtraction lever that is missing and replaced by making the crank handle bidirectional. Turning the handle clockwise one turn performs an addition, one turn counter-clockwise performs a subtraction.
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History
Odhner developed the first version of the mechanical calculator that bears his name in 1874 and it was patented in several countries in 1878 – 1879. In 1876, he agreed to build 14 machines for Ludvig Nobel his employer of 18 years, which he delivered in 1877. At that time, he opened his own workshop in Saint Petersburg, Russia and this is where that, in 1890, the serial production of an improved version of his arithmometer began. In 1891 Odhner opened a branch of his factory in Germany, but he had to sell it in 1892 to Grimme, Natalis & Co. because of the difficulty of having two manufacturing facilities so far apart. This German made machine was sold under the name Brunsviga and became very successful on its own. After Odhner's death, in 1905, his sons Alexander and Georg and son-in-law Karl Siewert continued the production and about 23,000 calculators were made until the factory was forced to close down in 1918.
The Legacy
The company was nationalized during the Russian revolution of 1917. At this time, the Odhner family went back to Sweden and continued the manufacturing of the calculator under the Original Odhner name. In 1924, the Russian government moved the old production facility to Moscow and restarted production under the Felix Arithmometer name which went on well into the 1970s.
In 1950, with millions manufactured, the Odhner arithmometer's descendants were the most popular mechanical calculators ever made[1]. As an example, the production of one of them, the Felix arithmometer, peaked at 300,000 made during the year of 1969[1].
Odhner's arithmometer was copied, manufactured and sold by many other companies all over the world. In Germany there was Thales, Triumphator, Walther and of course Brunsviga. In England there was Britannic and Muldivo. In Sweden Multo and of course Original Odhner. In Russia Felix and in Japan Tiger and Busicom which, incidentally, was made famous because Intel created the first microprocessor, the Intel 4004, while desiging one of their calculators in 1971.
References
External Links
- John Wolff's web museum - Pin-wheel Calculators
- rechenmaschinen-illustrated - The Odhner Arithmometer
- http://home.comcast.net/~wtodhner/calcs.html - Odhner Calculator, Memorial site
- Arithmetical Machines & Instruments / 19th Century - 1880s patents