What is the formal name for the pinwheel calculator mechanism?
Answer
stepped drum calculator
The mechanism underlying the pinwheel calculator is formally known as the stepped drum calculator. This name derives from the central component: a rotating cylinder, or drum, which features pins arranged in steps or varying heights. When this cylinder engages with the counting gears, the stepped arrangement allows for the direct transfer of the exact numerical value to the result register, inherently handling carry-over operations as part of the mechanism's action. This design represented a significant mechanical advancement over earlier, perhaps less robust, methods that relied solely on simple keys or overly complex gear trains found in some preceding European models.
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