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So, watching an episode of The Repair Shop earlier and an old boy brings in his Triumphator Calculator in, rescued from his work in the mid 1950s.
Anyway, I was intrigued in to the design and operation of said calculator so googled and well done STW, top three search results (no surprise really)...
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/triumphator-mechanical-calculator/
This is what you need:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curta
I’ve actually seen one, in a specialist dealer in scientific instruments in Glastonbury.
A bit out of my price bracket, though. I discovered them in one of William Gibson’s later books.
That’s incredible Count!
Just checked out eBay. Gulp.
Here's mine again with its cover removed
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Wow. Mind blowing!
What gets me, is how on earth do you start designing something that complex?
I’m guessing not from scratch... so perhaps an evolution from earlier, less capable versions?
My dad had a couple years ago. Long since tossed in the trash though, or possibly turning to sludge in the garden somewhere. Used to have hours of fun repeatedly summing pi until it wrapped around. It made a brilliant noise.
This was before the days of, well almost anything really.
When you operate it with the cover removed and can see the logic flow they aren't actually that complex. Its a collection of pin wheels (the gold coloured ones in the centre) which are effectively wheels with a protruding peg that incrementally increases or decreases the smaller output numbered wheels depending on the direction of rotation.
The clever part is the number selector on the pin wheels themselves and the various reset/clear mechanisms.
Here’s mine ☺️
Tried selling it on here a few years ago but glad I didn’t. A Xmas cracker electric calculator is functionally better in every way, but this is just wonderful to use.
Someone has recreated the Curta calculator on Thingiverse for 3D printing. I'd love to have a go at it, but apparently your settings have to be spot on and even then it's quite an undertaking - probably something more for the winter nights...
The mechanical systems for naval gun control were incredible. Shafts, gears, cams, gyros, making machines that weighed tons and could aim the guns consistently despite the ship rolling pitching and changing course. See https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/05/gears-of-war-when-mechanical-analog-computers-ruled-the-waves/
That’s incredible
Look up the ‘Antikythera Mechanism‘ if you like that sort of thing. (It’s an astronomical calculator)
My primary school in Wantage had 8 Curtas back in the early 60s. I occasionally wonder what happened to them. My next school had a bunch of the windy up ones like Rusty’s.
I still have lot of different slide rules that really ought to sell.
I really want a Curta but can't justify it in on any basis!
They're all rubbish compared to my alethiometer.
here is one of my Curtas (also pictured with a vintage Pentax manual camera lens as a size comparison...they are an engineering marvel and the back story to how they came about is fascinating
Oh, and I did say one of my Curtas...I am lucky enough to have a set of 6 with consecutive serial numbers...
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I don't need the actual result of a calculation, I have some guys at OFQUAL predict the answers for me.
Jeez Uncle Zask that’s just unnecessary
Another curta owner here, was my dad's and loved using it when I was a youngster so much so he gave it to me when I moved out.
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I'd love a Curta - it would go with my modest collection of Hewlett Packard calculators and slide rules.
And I also found Curta through William Gibson's Pattern Recognition!
I nearly stole a plastic crate of those from school calculators in the first post.
Built myself up to it sneaked in the the classroom.
Gone.
Gutted.