Arithmometer
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The arithmometer was the first digital mechanical calculator strong and reliable enough to be used daily in an office environment. This calculator could add and subtract two numbers directly and perfo
Arithmomètre built by Louis Payen around 1887
Detail of an arithmometer built before 1851. The one-digit multiplier cursor (ivory top) is the leftmost cursor
One of the first machines with a unique serial number (10-digit machines with serial numbers from 500 to 549) built around 1863
Front panel of a Thomas arithmometer with its movable result carriage extended
Pascaline
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The Pascaline is a mechanical calculator invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642. Pascal was led to develop a calculator by the laborious arithmetical calculations required by his father's work as the super
Arithmometer
…where he had to do a great deal of calculations. He made use of principles from previous mechanical calculators like the stepped reckoner of Leibniz and Pascal's calculator. He patented it on November 18, 1820. This machine implemented a true multiplication where, by just pulling on a ribbon, the multiplicand entered on…
A Pascaline signed by Pascal in 1652
Top view and overview of the entire mechanism. This version of Pascaline was for accounting.
Four Pascalines and a clone from Lépine on display at the CNAM museum in Paris
Detail of the carry mechanism and of the sautoir