The Leibniz Cylinder or Leibniz System is a system that is based on a fluted cylinder. Each streak is of a different length, depending on the number it represents. Thus, if a roll is cut longitudinally, through the area representing 0, the section will be that of a cylinder. But if it is cut through the area representing 9 the section will be a cog with 9 teeth.
History
In the 17th century , Pascal invented the world’s first calculator . It was a rather uncomfortable small wooden box with a row of numbered discs on the lid, with holes to insert your fingers and rotate them. Each disc had a window, and there was a whole row of windows under the row of discs: units, tens, hundreds, thousandths, etc. were lined up from right to left.
When one wheel made a complete turn, the other wheel to its left advanced. However, the Pascalina had several drawbacks and was not entirely reliable. In 1670 the German philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz perfected this machine and invented one that could also multiply.
It was not until the 19th century that “serial” mechanical calculators began to be built, because although the concepts were already established, previous technology could not put them into practice. Machines were mainly built following either Leibniz’s cylinder system, or Odhner’s wheel system or the system devised by Leon Bollée for all of them mechanical systems.
Functioning
The system is based on a fluted cylinder. Each flute is of a different length, depending on the number it represents. To carry out the movement of the cylinders there are movable toothed wheels , this mobility is used for assigning values, using buttons for this purpose. Once the value is indicated, by means of a crank we will produce the necessary movement to carry out the operation (addition or subtraction depending on the direction of rotation).
