Analog Computing Component - Integrator (Five-Inch Disc)

Analog Computing Component - Integrator (Five-Inch Disc)

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Description
Instruments for finding the area bounded by curved lines (integrators) date from the nineteenth century. This twentieth century example is based on a mechanism invented by British engineer James Thomson and used by his brother William (later Lord Kelvin) in constructing the first harmonic analyzer in 1876. The object shows modifications and refinements made by the American inventor Hannibal Ford to assure high accuracy and durability. It has two stacked balls, held by stiff springs, between a disk and cylinder, each made of hard steel. The balls are held in place by pairs of small rollers in a carriage. This design permitted the carriage to move even when the disk was not moving, a feature that is necessary when integrating with respect to a variable other than time. From about 1915 into the 1940s, Ford's integrators were used by the U. S. Navy in devices for aiming guns on ships.
Reference:
A. Ben Clymer, "The Mechanical Analog Computers of Hannibal Ford and William Newell," Annals of the History of Computing, 15, #2, 1993, 19-34.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
analog computing component
Date made
1918-1955
maker
Ford Instrument Company
place made
United States: New York, Queens, Long Island City
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 10.2 cm x 5.1 cm x 18.2 cm; 4 1/32 in x 2 in x 7 5/32 in
ID Number
1982.0751.06
catalog number
1982.0751.06
accession number
1982.0751
Credit Line
Gift of Ford Instrument Company Division of Sperry Rand Univac
subject
Mathematics
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Mechanical Integrators and Analyzers
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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