Odhner Arithmometer pinwheel calculator - video

[Jon]

Odhner Arithmometer pinwheel calculator. Around $200-$700 on eBay, depending on condition.



Previously:

Curta mechanical pocket calculator - photos
Mechanical calculator trying to divide by zero

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odhner_Arithmometer

[Beserkleyboy]

Jon, You've jogged my deep memory! We had a lumber yard in Calif from 1946- 1985, Pearson Lumber Co. We had 3 SCM Marchant bohemoth manual calculators that had been converted to motor drive and 2 electric Monroe smaller versions. On Saturday mornings, our busiest retail day, 4 clerks were behind the counter serving away writing triplicate (w/ carbons) yard orders/invoices. The clatter from the carriages of those machines was deafening! Found this site interesting.
Early Calculators
pic of Monroe attached And you can see a brown truck 'door sign'(steel) on the workshop wall in my avatar...
Cheers,
Jim Pearson

[MeJasonT]

I nicked one of these off a German U-boat
( i should have mentioned i'm 47 and faaaaar to young to take an enigma from the Germans)

[mklotz]

The Arithmometer is a lovely example of fully-exposed precision machinery. Beyond its utility as a math tool, it's gorgeous sculpture in my eyes.

Complex calculators can be beautiful, but simplicity is attractive too. Did you know that the common pocket knife can be used as a planimeter? Read all about it here...

https://spaco.org/Blacksmithing/FinnishPlanimeter.htm

[Beserkleyboy]

HaHa!! My Dad was a Captain in the Army and oversaw a Red Ball Express depot....lots of things went through...HEAPS of typewriters were brought in, to few takers, or so Dad said...sooo, a little black market in Remington typewriters to the locals and a connection or 2 and voila! a big diamond for my mum. I only found this out reading a draft copy of a book he had written after my mum died in 2002...
Cheers