History Arithmometer

1 history

1.1 design
1.2 first machine
1.3 production
1.4 ease of use , speed
1.5 models
1.6 prices
1.7 development costs

history










design

thomas started work on machine in 1818 while serving in french army had great deal of calculations. made use of principles previous mechanical calculators stepped reckoner of leibniz , pascal s calculator. patented on november 18, 1820.

this machine implements true multiplication where, pulling on ribbon, multiplicand entered on input sliders multiplied one-digit multiplier number , uses 9 s complement method subtracting. both of these features dropped in later designs.

first machine

the first machine built devrine, parisian clockmaker, , took him year build. but, in order make work, had modify patented design quite substantially. société d’encouragement pour l’industrie nationale given machine review , issued positive report on december 26, 1821. known prototype of time 1822 machine on display @ smithsonian institution in washington, d.c.

production

manufacturing started in 1851 , ended around 1915. there 5,500 machines built during sixty-year period; 40% of production sold in france , rest exported.

the manufacturing managed by:

thomas de colmar himself until death in 1870, son thomas de bojano until 1881 , grandson mr. de rancy until 1887. misters devrine (1820), piolaine (1848), hoart (1850) , louis payen (around 1875) engineers responsible building machines. machines manufactured during time have logo thomas de colmar.
louis payen bought business in 1887 until death in 1902; these machines have logo l. payen.
veuve (widow) l. payen took on business @ husband s death , sold in 1915 logos l. payen, veuve l. payen , vlp. alphonse darras built of these machines.
alphonse darras bought business in 1915 , manufactured last machines. added logo made of letters , d interlaced , went l. payen logo.

during part of manufacturing, thomas differentiated machines capacity , therefore gave same serial number machines of different capacities. corrected in 1863, giving every machine own unique serial number starting serial number of 500. why there isn t machine serial number in between 200 , 500.

from 1863 1907 serial numbers consecutive (from 500 4000) then, after patenting rapid zeroing mechanism in 1907, veuve l. payen started new numbering scheme @ 500 (the number of arithmometers had built old scheme) , @ serial number 1700 when sold business alphonse darras in 1915. alphonse darras went old serial numbers (while adding approximately number of machines made veuve l. payen) , restarted @ 5500.

ease of use , speed

an article published in january 1857 in gentleman s magazine best describes it:

m. thomas s arithmometer may used without least trouble or possibility of error, not addition, subtraction, multiplication, , division, more complex operations, such extraction of square root, involution, resolution of triangles, etc...

a multiplication of 8 figures 8 others made in eighteen seconds; division of sixteen figures 8 figures, in twenty 4 seconds; , in 1 minute , quarter 1 can extract square root of sixteen figures, , prove accuracy of calculation...

the working of instrument is, however, simple. raise or lower nut-screw, turn winch few times, and, means of button, slide off metal plate left right, or right left, whole secret. instead of reproducing operations of man s intelligence, arithmometer relieves intelligence necessity of making operations. instead of repeating responses dictated it, instrument instantaneously dictates proper answer man asks question. not matter producing material effects, matter thinks, reflects, reasons, calculates, , executes difficult , complicated arithmetical operations rapidity , infallibility defies calculators in world.

the arithmometer is, moreover, simple instrument, of little volume , portable. used in many great financial establishments, considerable economy realized employment.

it considered indispensable, , used clock, formerly seen in palaces, , in every cottage.

models

the various models had capacities of 10, 12, 16 , 20 digits gave results ranging 10 billion (minus 1) 100 quintillion (minus 1). 2 machines built outside range:

the first prototype (the 1822 machine) had capacity of 6 digits though machine described in 1820 patent 8 digits machine.
the piano arithmometer capacity of 30 digits, allowing numbers 1 nonillion (minus 1), built 1855 exposition universelle de paris , part of ibm collection of mechanical calculators. jules verne must have been quite impressed machine because in novel paris in twentieth century, after mentioning pascal , thomas de colmar, talks of mechanical calculators huge pianos keyboards of keys deliver answers instantaneously can play them!

the last 10-digit arithmometers built in 1863 serial numbers 500–549. after smallest machines 12-digit machines.

all machines, regardless of capacity, 7 inches (18 cm) wide , 4 6 inches (10 15 cm) tall (the tallest ones had incline mechanism). 20-digit machine 2 ft 4 in (70 cm) long while length 10-digit machine around 1 ft 6 in (45 cm).

prices

a 12-digit arithmometer sold 300 francs in 1853, 30 times price of table of logarithms book , 1,500 times cost of first-class stamp (20 french cents), but, unlike table of logarithms book, simple enough used hours operator without special qualifications.

an advertisement taken magazine published in 1855 shows 10-digit machine sold 250 francs , 16-digit machine sold 500 francs.

development costs

in 1856, thomas de colmar estimated had spent 300,000 francs of own money during thirty years perfected invention.