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The prototype of the calculator - the adding machine - existed more than 300 years ago. Nowadays, complex mathematical calculations can be done with ease by silently pressing the keys of the same calculator or computer, mobile phone, smartphone (on which the corresponding applications are installed). Previously, this procedure took a lot of time and created a lot of inconvenience. But still, the appearance of the first calculating device made it possible to save on the costs of mental labor, and also pushed for further progress. Therefore, it is interesting to know who invented the adding machine and when it happened.

The appearance of the adding machine

Who invented the adding machine first? This person was the German scientist Gottfried Leibniz. Great philosopher and the mathematician designed a device consisting of a movable carriage and a stepped roller. G. Leibniz introduced it to the world in 1673.

His ideas were adopted by the French engineer Thomas Xavier. He invented a calculating machine to perform the four operations of arithmetic. The numbers were set by moving the gear along the axis until the required numbers appeared in the slot, with each stepped roller corresponding to one digit of numbers. The device was driven by the rotation of a hand lever, which, in turn, moved gears and toothed rollers, producing the desired result. This was the first adding machine put into mass production.

Device Modifications

The Englishman J. Edmondzon was the one who invented the adding machine with a circular mechanism (the carriage performs an action in a circle). This device was created in 1889 based on the apparatus of Thomas Xavier. However, there were no significant changes in the design of the device, and this device turned out to be just as bulky and inconvenient as its predecessors. Subsequent analogues of the device also committed the same sin.

It is well known who invented the adding machine with a numeric keypad. It was the American F. Baldwin. In 1911, he introduced a counting device in which numbers were set in vertical digits containing 9 digits.

The production of such counting devices in Europe was established by engineer Carl Lindström, creating a device that was more compact in size and original in design. Here the stepped rollers were already positioned vertically rather than horizontally, and, in addition, these elements were arranged in a checkerboard pattern.

In the territory Soviet Union The first adding machine was created at the Schetmash plant named after. Dzerzhinsky in Moscow in 1935. It was called a keyboard (KSM). Their production continued until and then was resumed in the form of new models of semi-automatic machines only in 1961.

During these same years, automatic devices were also created, such as VMM-2 and Zoemtron-214, which were used in various fields, while the work was characterized by great noise and inconvenience, however, this was the only device at that time that helped cope with a large volume of calculations.

Now these devices are considered a rarity, they can only be found as museum exhibit or in the collection of lovers of antique technology. We examined the question of who invented the adding machine, and also provided information about the history of the technical development of this device and hope that this information will be useful to readers.

Designed for accurate multiplication and division, as well as addition and subtraction.

Desktop or portable: Most often, adding machines were desktop or “knee-mounted” (like modern laptops); occasionally there were pocket models ( Curta). This distinguished them from large floor-standing computers such as tabulators(T-5M) or mechanical computers ( Z-1 , Charles Babbage's Difference Engine).

Mechanical: Numbers are entered into the adding machine, converted and transmitted to the user (displayed in counter windows or printed on tape) using only mechanical devices. In this case, the adding machine can use exclusively a mechanical drive (that is, to work on them you need to constantly turn the handle. This primitive option is used, for example, in "Felix") or perform part of the operations using an electric motor (The most advanced adding machines - computers, for example "Facit CA1-13", use an electric motor for almost any operation).

Exact calculation: Arithmometers are digital (not analogue, such as logarithmic ruler) devices. Therefore, the calculation result does not depend on the reading error and is absolutely accurate.

Multiplication and division: Arithmometers are designed primarily for multiplication and division. Therefore, almost all adding machines have a device that displays the number of additions and subtractions - a revolution counter (since multiplication and division are most often implemented as sequential addition and subtraction; for more details, see below).

Addition and subtraction: Adding machines can perform addition and subtraction. But on primitive lever models (for example, on "Felix") these operations are performed very slowly - faster than multiplication and division, but noticeably slower than the simplest ones summing machines or even manually.

Not programmable: When working on an adding machine, the order of actions is always set manually - immediately before each operation, you should press the corresponding key or turn the corresponding lever. This feature of the adding machine is not included in the definition, since there were practically no programmable analogues of adding machines.

Historical review

Models of adding machines

Felix adding machine (Museum of Water, St. Petersburg)

Adding machine Facit CA 1-13

Adding machine Mercedes R38SM

Models of adding machines differed mainly in the degree of automation (from non-automatic, capable of independently performing only addition and subtraction, to fully automatic, equipped with mechanisms for automatic multiplication, division and some others) and in design (the most common models were based on the Odner wheel and Leibniz roller) . It should immediately be noted that non-automatic and automatic cars were produced at the same time - automatic ones, of course, were much more convenient, but they cost about two orders of magnitude more than non-automatic ones.

Non-automatic adding machines on the Odhner wheel

“Arθmometer of the V. T. Odner system”- the first adding machines of this type. They were produced during the life of the inventor (approximately 1880-1905) at a factory in St. Petersburg.
"Union"- produced since 1920 at the Moscow Factory of Calculating and Writing Machines.
"OriginalDynamo" produced since 1920 at the Dynamo plant in Kharkov.
« Felix » - the most common adding machine in the USSR. Produced from 1929 to the end of the 1970s.

Automatic adding machines on the Odhner wheel

Facit CA 1-13- one of the smallest automatic adding machines
VK-3- his Soviet clone.

Non-automatic Leibniz roller adding machines

Thomas adding machines and a number of similar lever models produced until the beginning of the 20th century.
Keyboard machines, e.g. Rheinmetall Ie or Nisa K2

Automatic adding machines on a Leibniz roller

Rheinmetall SAR - One of the two best calculating machines in Germany. His distinctive feature- a small ten-key (like on a calculator) keyboard to the left of the main one - used to enter a multiplier when multiplying.
VMA, VMM are its Soviet clones.
The Friden SRW is one of the few adding machines capable of automatically extracting square roots.

Other adding machines

Mercedes Euklid 37MS, 38MS, R37MS, R38MS, R44MS - these computers were the main competitors of Rheinmetall SAR in Germany. They worked a little slower, but had a large number functions.

Usage

Addition

Set the levers to the first term.
Turn the handle away from you (clockwise). In this case, the number on the levers is entered into counter summation.
Place the second term on the levers.
Turn the handle away from you. In this case, the number on the levers will be added to the number in the summation counter.
The result of the addition is on the summation counter.

Subtraction

Set on levers minuend.
Turn the handle away from you. In this case, the number on the levers is entered into the summation counter.
Set the subtrahend on the levers.
Turn the handle towards you. In this case, the number on the levers is subtracted from the number on the summation counter.
The result of the subtraction on the summation counter.

If the subtraction results in a negative number, the bell rings in the adding machine. Since the adding machine does not operate with negative numbers, it is necessary to “undo” the last operation: without changing the position of the levers and console, turn the handle in the opposite direction.

Multiplication

Multiplying by a small number

Set the first multiplier on the levers.
Turn the handle away from you until the second multiplier appears on the spin counter.

Multiplying using the console

By analogy with multiplication by a column, they multiply by each digit, writing the results with an offset. The offset is determined by the digit in which the second multiplier is located.

To move the console, use the handle on the front of the adding machine (Felix) or the arrow keys (VK-1, Rheinmetall).

Let's look at an example: 1234x5678:

Move the console all the way to the left.
Set the multiplier on the levers with a larger (by eye) sum of numbers (5678).
Turn the handle away from you until the first digit (to the right) of the second multiplier (4) appears on the spin counter.
Move the console one step to the right.
Do steps 3 and 4 similarly for the remaining numbers (2nd, 3rd and 4th). As a result, the spin counter should have a second multiplier (1234).
The result of multiplication is on the summation counter.

Division

Consider the case of dividing 8765 by 432:

Set the dividend on the levers (8765).
Move the console to the fifth space (four steps to the right).
Mark the end of the whole part of the dividend with metal “commas” on all counters (the commas should be in a column before the number 5).
Turn the handle away from you. In this case, the dividend is entered into the summation counter.
Reset the spin counter.
Set the divider (432) on the levers.
Move the console so that the most significant digit of the dividend is aligned with the most significant digit of the divisor, that is, one step to the right.
Turn the knob toward you until you get a negative number (overkill, indicated by the sound of a bell). Turn the knob back one turn.
Move the console one step to the left.
Follow steps 8 and 9 to the extreme position of the console.
The result is the modulus of the number on the spin counter, the integer and fractional parts are separated by a comma. The remainder is on the summation counter.

Notes

Literature

Organization and technology of accounting mechanization; B. Drozdov, G. Evstigneev, V. Isakov; 1952
Calculating machines; I. S. Evdokimov, G. P. Evstigneev, V. N. Kriushin; 1955
Computers, V. N. Ryazankin, G. P. Evstigneev, N. N. Tresvyatsky. Part 1.
Central Bureau Directory technical information instrumentation and automation; 1958

Links

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 extras). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
Photos of the Arithmometer VK-1 (Schetmash), including from the inside (enlarge by clicking the mouse)
Arif-ru.narod.ru - Large Russian-language website dedicated to adding machines (Russian)
Photos of Soviet adding machines on the website of Sergei Frolov (Russian)
rechenmaschinen-illustrated.com: Photos and brief descriptions of many hundreds of models of adding machines (English)
(English)

(from the Greek αριθμός - “number”, “counting” and the Greek μέτρον - “measure”, “meter”) - a desktop (or portable) mechanical computing machine designed for accurate multiplication and division, as well as for addition and subtraction.
Desktop or portable: Most often, adding machines were desktop or “knee-mounted” (like modern laptops), occasionally there were pocket models (Curta). This distinguished them from large floor-standing computers such as tabulators (T-5M) or mechanical computers (Z-1, Charles Babbage's Difference Engine).
Mechanical: Numbers are entered into the adding machine, converted and transmitted to the user (displayed in counter windows or printed on tape) using only mechanical devices. In this case, the adding machine can use exclusively a mechanical drive (that is, to work on them you need to constantly turn the handle. This primitive option is used, for example, in “Felix”) or perform part of the operations using an electric motor (The most advanced adding machines are computers, for example “Facit CA1-13", almost any operation uses an electric motor).
Precise calculation: Adding machines are digital (not analog, such as a slide rule) devices. Therefore, the calculation result does not depend on the reading error and is absolutely accurate.
Multiplication and Division: Arithmometers are designed primarily for multiplication and division. Therefore, almost all adding machines have a device that displays the number of additions and subtractions - a revolution counter (since multiplication and division are most often implemented as sequential addition and subtraction; for more details, see below).
Addition and Subtraction: Adding machines can perform addition and subtraction. But on primitive lever models (for example, on the Felix) these operations are performed very slowly - faster than multiplication and division, but noticeably slower than on the simplest adding machines or even manually.
Not programmable: When working on an adding machine, the order of actions is always set manually - immediately before each operation, you must press the corresponding key or turn the corresponding lever. This feature of the adding machine is not included in the definition, since there were practically no programmable analogues of adding machines.

Story

Approximately 5th - 6th century BC.
The appearance of the abacus (Egypt, Babylon)

Around 6th century AD
Chinese abacus appears.

1623
The first calculating machine (Germany, Wilhelm Schickard). It consists of separate devices - summing, multiplying and recording. Almost nothing was known about this device until 1957, so it did not have a significant impact on the development of computer engineering.

1642
Blaise Pascal's eight-bit adding machine. Unlike Schiccard's machine, Pascal's machine became relatively widely known in Europe and until recently was considered the first calculating machine in the world. In total, several dozen cars were produced.

1672 - 1694
The first adding machine was created (Gottfried Leibniz, Germany). In 1672, a two-bit machine appeared, and in 1694, a twelve-bit machine. Leibniz’s invention is extremely important from a theoretical point of view (firstly, he created the standard architecture of the adding machine, which was used until the 1970s; secondly, he created the “Leibniz roller”, on the basis of which the Thomas adding machine was made), but it was not widely used in practice. received because it was too complicated and expensive for its time.

1820
The first serial commercial adding machine, that is, used not for demonstration to the scientific community, but for sale and subsequent use in practice. (produced by K. S. K. Thomas). In general, this adding machine was similar to the Leibniz adding machine, but had a number of design differences. Similar machines were produced until the 1920s, and a similar design equipped with a keyboard was produced until the 1970s.
A typical example of a Thomas lever adding machine is the one shown on the Bunzel-Delton website.

1846
Kummer's calculator (Russian Empire, Poland). It is similar to Slonimsky's machine (1842, Russian empire), but more compact. It was widely used throughout the world until the 1970s as a cheap pocket-sized abacus.

1873 - 1890
Odhner's adding machine (1873 - experimental model, 1890 - beginning serial production). Odhner's adding machines were produced virtually unchanged until the 1970s (perhaps even until the 1980s).
A typical Odhner adding machine is the Felix - the most common Soviet adding machine.

1876 - 1881
Chebyshev's adding machine (1876 - adding machine, 1881 - multiplying and dividing prefix). Chebyshev's adding machine was the first to implement automatic multiplication by the method of sequential addition and carriage movement, as well as a highly reliable method of transmitting tens using a planetary mechanism. However, this adding machine was not widely used because it was inconvenient to use.

1885
Burroughs (USA, W. Burroughs) The first two-period adding machine with full-key input and a printing device.

1887
Comptometr (USA, Dorra Felt) - the first serial one-period summing full-key machine. Comptometers were produced with minor changes until the 1960s (1970s?) They were poorly suited for subtraction, multiplication and division, but adding not very long numbers was faster on them than on any other machines (including, probably, modern calculators).

1893
Millionaire is the first (and possibly only) mass-produced multiplying machine. For multiplication, I used “multiplication table” plates; multiplication by any number was done with one turn of the handle. Multiplying machines were produced until the 1930s, then they were supplanted by more convenient and universal (albeit slower) computing machines.

1910 (according to some sources - 1905)
Mercedes-Euklid (Mercedes-Euclid), model I, Germany - the first adding machine with a transfer device based on the "proportional rack" principle. Machines on proportional racks are characterized by reliable transfer, the ability to work at high speed and low level noise during operation (if other devices also operate quietly). It is on this principle that the fastest adding machines are built - Marchant Silent Speed (Merchant).
At the same time, Mercedes-Euklid (Mercedes-Euclid), model I" is the first (or at least one of the first) adding machines with semi-automatic division (the machine is capable of automatically calculating the current digit of the quotient).

1913
Mercedes-Euklid (Mercedes-Euclid), model IV, Germany - apparently the first widespread adding machine with a full-key keyboard. The first full-key adding machine was released by Monroe (1911), but it actually entered the market only in 1914.
MADAS (Acronym: Multiplication, Automatic Division, Addition, and Subtraction) is the first adding machine with fully automatic division. Perhaps it was released not in 1913, but in 1908.

1919
Mercedes-Euklid (Mercedes-Euclid), model VII, Germany - apparently the world's first automatic computer.

1925
Hamann Manus, mod. A (Hamann Manus, Germany) - the appearance of adding machines based on a wheel with a switching latch. These adding machines were complex, but the mass of their rotating parts was small, so they could work at relatively high speeds.

1932
Facit T (Facit T, Sweden) is the world's first adding machine with a ten-key keyboard. A ten-key keyboard is smaller than a full-key keyboard, but it is more complex in design and works slower. Subsequently, based on the Facit TK model, the widespread Soviet adding machine VK-1 was released.

1950s
The rise of computers and semi-automatic adding machines. It was at this time that it was released most of models of electrical computers.

1962 - 1964
The appearance of the first electronic calculators (1962 - experimental series ANITA MK VII (England), by the end of 1964 electronic calculators were produced by many developed countries, incl. in the USSR (VEGA KZSM)). A fierce competition begins between electronic calculators and the most powerful computers. But the appearance of calculators had almost no effect on the production of small and cheap adding machines (mostly non-automatic and manually driven).

1968
Production of the Contex-55 began, probably the latest model of adding machines with high degree automation.

1969
Peak production of adding machines in the USSR. About 300 thousand Felixes and VK-1s were produced.

1978
Around this time, production of Felix-M adding machines was discontinued. This may have been the last type of adding machine produced in the world.