Accession No
3927
Brief Description
planimeter, by J. Amsler, Swiss, c.1912
Origin
Switzerland
Maker
Amsler, J.
Class
calculating; drawing
Earliest Date
1912
Latest Date
1912
Inscription Date
Material
metal (steel); plastic; wood; hide (leather); cloth (velvet)
Dimensions
box length 315mm; breadth 56 mm; height 36mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Donated, 1992.
Inscription
‘J. Amsler
52284’ (instrument)
‘MILLER PRIZE
awaded to
A.J.S. PIPPARD
STUD. INST. CE.
by
The Institutional Civil Engineers
Session 1912-1913’ (case)
Description Notes
Planimeter in velvet-lined fitted box.
Condition good; complete.
References
Events
Description
Planimeters are mechanical instruments designed to solve the common problem of computing the area of an irregular closed shape. The first instrument designed to do this was made by J.M. Hermann, a Bavarian engineer in 1814. Tito Gonella of Florence independently invented a similar instrument in 1824 using a wheel and cone arrangement.
FM:42478
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