This machine derives in concept from Schickard’s Calculating Clock of 1623 where the Napier’s rod device for that (in the vertical panel) is replaced by the slider Napier’s Rods device in the Omega lid, and the cogged wheels for addition in the base are replaced by the adder in the base, accompanied by other registers (and even a small notebook) for keeping intermediate results. It also reflects some of the work by Moreland published in 1672 who developed several calculating machines drawing on similar principles. The adding machine in the base is similar to the American Locke Adder (see elsewhere in this collection).

This machine derives in concept from Schickard’s Calculating Clock of 1623 where the Napier’s rod device for that (in the vertical panel) is replaced by the slider Napier’s Rods device in the Omega lid, and the cogged wheels for addition in the base are replaced by the adder in the base, accompanied by other registers (and even a small notebook) for keeping intermediate results. It also reflects some of the work by Moreland published in 1672 who developed several calculating machines drawing on similar principles.

An advertisement for the device, in the German magazine Simplicissimus of 9 July 1906 is shown below.²

This machine, manufactured by Justin Bamberger, enjoyed a short production run between the prototype in 1903 and final production around 1906. It is based on a combination of Napier’s rods (in that it contains an inbuilt multiplication table in the lid which enables products between two numbers to be factored into their partial products) by means of the manual sliders which show the multiples of the multiplicand in the small windows, and an adding machine in the base, based on moveable strips, used for either addition and subtraction, or to add together the partial products to give a final outcome of multiplication or division.

This machine derives in concept from Schickard’s Calculating Clock of 1623 where the Napier’s rod device for that (in the vertical panel) is replaced by the slider Napier’s Rods device in the Omega lid, and the cogged wheels for addition in the base are replaced by the adder in the base, accompanied by other registers (and even a small notebook) for keeping intermediate results. It also reflects some of the work by Moreland published in 1672? who developed several calculating machines drawing on similar principles.

There were a number of different designs for the Omega. For example one version of the German machine had an additional dial to act as a further single digit register. This machine was designed for the english speaking market and instead of the single digit dial has the pad to jot down intermediate results.⁴

An advertisement for the device, in the German magazine Simplicissimus of 9 July 1906 is shown below.⁵

http://meta-studies.net/pmwiki/uploads/Misc/Omega_ad.jpg

There were a number of different designs for the machine. For example one version of the German machine had an additional dial to act as a further single digit register. This machine was designed for the english speaking market and instead of the single digit dial has the pad to jot down intermediate results.⁷

This machine, manufactured by Justin Bamberger, enjoyed a short production run between the prototype in 1903 and final production around 1906. It is based on a combination of Napier’s rods (in that it contains an inbuilt multiplication table in the lid which enables products between two numbers to be factored into their partial products) by means of the manual sliders which show the multiples of the multiplicand in the small windows, and a Troncet style adding machine in the base used for either addition and subtraction, or to add together the partial products to give a final outcome of multiplication or division.

There were a number of different designs for the machine. For example one version of the German machine had an additional dial to act as a further single digit register. This machine was designed for the english speaking market and instead of the single digit dial has the pad to jot down intermediate results.⁸

¹ Simplicissimus, Spezial=Nummer, Munchen, 9 July 1906, p. 239. (↑)

² Simplicissimus, Spezial=Nummer, Munchen, 9 July 1906, p. 239. (↑)

³ A somewhat garbled account of the working of the machine can be found at http://www.dallabacoalcomputer.it/antenati.html. A more systematic account based on the manual (in German) but delivered as a set of English Instructions is being developed and will be posted here when ready. (↑)

⁴ A somewhat garbled account of the working of the machine can be found at http://www.dallabacoalcomputer.it/antenati.html. A more systematic account based on the manual (in German) but delivered as a set of English Instructions is being developed and will be posted here when ready. (↑)

⁵ Simplicissimus, Spezial=Nummer, Munchen, 9 July 1906, p. 239. (↑)

⁶ A somewhat garbled account of the working of the machine can be found at http://www.dallabacoalcomputer.it/antenati.html. A more systematic account based on the manual (in French) but delivered as a set of English Instructions is being developed and will be posted here when ready. (↑)

⁷ A somewhat garbled account of the working of the machine can be found at http://www.dallabacoalcomputer.it/antenati.html. A more systematic account based on the manual (in German) but delivered as a set of English Instructions is being developed and will be posted here when ready. (↑)

⁸ A somewhat garbled account of the working of the machine can be found at http://www.dallabacoalcomputer.it/antenati.html. A more systematic account based on the manual (in French) but delivered as a set of English Instructions is being developed and will be posted here when ready. (↑)

http://meta-studies.net/pmwiki/uploads/BambergerOmega.png

This machine, manufactured by Justin Bamberger, enjoyed a short production run between the prototype in 1903 and final production around 1906. It is based on a combination of Napier’s rods (in that it contains an inbuilt multiplication table in the lid which enables products between two numbers to be factored into their partial products, and a Troncet style adding machine in the base used for either addition and subtraction, or to add together the partial products to give a final outcome of multiplication or division.

According to Dallabacoalcomputer.it Di Bruno Ferrighi: The machine is a sophisticated elaboration of “Napier’s rods and is designed by Wilhelm Schickard in 1623, is a refinement of the attempts by Charles Cotterel in 1667 by Gaspard Schott’s Organum Mathematicum with in 1668 and Samuel Morland (1625–1695 ). They published a description of the equipment and illustrate their potential for application in 1673 in a booklet entitled The description and use of two arithmetic instruments. Given the complexity of the operations necessary to perform the operations, construction equipment may precede a period of decades the spread of the machines more reliable and produced on a commercial scale since 1820.

The method adopted was to estimate the calculation of partial products by using customized versions of Napier’s Rods and subsequent addition of partial products obtained at a later time, with a kind of abacus.

The device consists of two sections. The first is essentially a complex that uses the techniques of Napier’s rods and carries products with manual shift of horizontal sliders. These sliders discover the windows and make possible the reading of the multiples of the multiplicand from one to nine. It can therefore determine the product of multiplying the first digit of the multiplier, the multiplicand for the second digit of the multiplier and so on. [http://www.dallabacoalcomputer.it/antenati.html]

There were a number of different designs for the machine. For example one version of the German machine had an additional dial to act as a further single digit register. This machine was designed for the english speaking market and instead of the single digit dial has the pad to jot down intermediate results.