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Steve
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Very cool mechanical adder

10/01/2007 5:28 PM

This guy built a mechanical adding machine using wood and marbles. The thing is a blast to watch! http://tinyurl.com/2s58bb (YouTube video). If he sold these in geek toy stores, I'd buy one!
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All About M.E.
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Engineering Fields - Mechanical Engineering - By Degree Engineering Fields - Manufacturing Engineering - By Profession Popular Science - Weaponology - By Interest United States - Member - Member Since My Inception

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#1

Re: Very cool mechanical adder

10/01/2007 10:46 PM

Now that's cool to watch. I'd jump on the wagon and buy one too...

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Hendrik
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#2

Re: Very cool mechanical adder

10/02/2007 5:30 AM

I cannot open the link. please describe it for us.

Is it something like an abacus?

Have you seen the Zim calculator?

It is a piece of wood with 5 holes in it for the fingers. Calculations is done by counting. Then it has a blade attached to a string - Erase memory!

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Johnjohn
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Popular Science - Cosmology - New Member United States - Member - New Member

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#6
In reply to #2

Re: Very cool mechanical adder

10/03/2007 8:46 PM

Hi Hendrick,

This thing is a binary adder which adds up to a maximum of 63 (he could have gone further but just decided to stop there). It's just a series of wooden rockers (transfers). If you add 1 + 1 you get 0 with a transfer to the next column. Really a neat little gadget.

-John

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PWSlack
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United Kingdom - Member - Indeterminate Engineering Fields - Control Engineering - New Member

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Location: In the bothy, 7 chains down the line from Dodman's Lane level crossing, in the nation formerly known as Great Britain. Kettle's on.
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#3

Re: Very cool mechanical adder

10/02/2007 5:45 AM

SImple and very, very clever.

Fascinating post!

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HUX
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Location: UK S.Northants
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#4

Re: Very cool mechanical adder

10/02/2007 10:50 AM

I love this, and the follow-on links from his site. I just love the net!
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coconutpete
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#5

Re: Very cool mechanical adder

10/03/2007 7:23 PM

Very clever be great to have one on your desk could use it everyday

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All About M.E. (1); coconutpete (1); Hendrik (1); HUX (1); Johnjohn (1); PWSlack (1)

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