Accession No

6032

Brief Description

Brunsviga pinwheel mechanical calculator, previously belonged to George Udny Yule, by Grimme, Natatlis and Company, German, c. 1895

Origin

Germany; Brunswick

Maker

Grimme, Natalis and Company

Class

calculating

Earliest Date

1892

Latest Date

1895

Inscription Date

Material

metal (tin; steel; brass; at least 3 others); wood; paper; plastic (tape); leather; string

Dimensions

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated on or before 02/02/2005. G.U. Yule purchased it in 1895.

Inscription

‘No 1183 Brunsviga’(on top)

‘Grimme, Natatlis & Co.
Braunshweig – Brunswick
Patente: W.T.Odhner:
Deutschland 64925.
Belgien 91812.
England 13700.
Oesterreich 45532.
Schweden 3264.
Norwegen 2117.
Schweiz 4578.
Ungarn 96363.
Russland
Luxemburg
Vereingte Staaten v.N.A.
’(on left side)

‘Manfactured in Brunswick
British Patent No 13700 (1890)
Sale Wholsale Agent
’(faded on reverse)
‘Chas Bradbury
249 High Holburn
London. W.C.
’(on reverse)

‘BRUNSVIGA CALCULATOR CO.
4, ST PAUL’S CHURCHYARD,
LONDON, E.C.4.
AND AT: 26 BROWN STREET,
MANCHESTER.
’(on label on base)

‘Bought July(?) 1895 for
£ 1(?)2 – 12- 0
G. U. Yule St. Johns Coll Cambridge
’(on fading paper underneath base)

Description Notes

Brunsviga pinwheel mechanical calculator, by Grimme, Natatlis & Co., German, c. 1895. Previously property of George Udny Yule.

Black-painted brass body.Main body has crank handle emerging from the right side, the handle turns clockwise for addition and multiplication or counter-clockwise for subtraction and division. The 9 input digits are numbered 0-9 with lines marked after the 3 and 6. The slider at the bottom can be moved into 7 separate locking positions, released by pressing a grey metal lever. The slider has 21 output digits, 13 on the right and 8 on the left. There are two reset dials on either end of the slider. The calculator sits on a wooden base that has a note written on the base of it in Yule’s handwriting.

The lid is tin, painted black but flaking badly. There are two keys attached to the lid with string.

Condition: good/fair (fully operational); complete (lid in poor condition)

References

Mikey McGovern; 'Mechanical calculation'; Explore Whipple Collections online article; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; University of Cambridge: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/calculating-devices/mechanical-calculation

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