The Saxonia calculating machine was a pioneering late 19th century mechanical calculator that introduced innovations which enabled more practical and complex math computations. Invented in 1895 by three German mechanics, over 12,000 Saxonia calculators were manufactured and sold by 1914.
Let‘s explore this device‘s history, inner workings, and legacy further! I‘ll explain how Saxonia built upon prior calculators and paved the way for future electronic designs. To start, here is a high-level overview…
Key Facts
- Invented: 1895
- Inventors: Eduard Zeibig, Eugene Straßberger, and Josef Schumann
- Manufactured: ~12,000 units
- Functions: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
- Key Innovation: Mechanical "accumulator" to carry digits across repetitive steps
- Improvements: Easier number entry via keyboard in later models
- Influence: Helped inspire electronic calculators and computers
Saxonia Calculator Timeline
Here are some key milestones from Saxonia‘s history as one of the leading mechanical calculators of its era:
1895 – Founded by 3 mechanics in Germany, first Saxonia model debuts
1900 – Reaches over 2,000 calculators produced as demand grows quickly
1905 – Production grows to 5,000+ units. Company expands factory.
1910 – Assembly optimized for 10,000+ units annually. Added keyboard function.
1920 – Saxonia company merges with rival Burkhardt firm
1929 – Declares bankruptcy after 30+ years in business
Next, let‘s take a closer look at…
The Saxonia Inventors
… and how their design built upon previous mechanical calculators.
The Saxonia calculating machine traces its origins to three ambitious German mechanics – Eduard Zeibig, Eugene Straßberger, and Josef Schumann – who all worked in the calculator factory of industry pioneer Arthur Burkhardt in the late 1800s. Burkhardt had made key early innovations, but there was room for improvement.
In 1895, Zeibig, Straßberger and Schumann struck out on their own, pooling their expertise to create a new mechanical calculator – the Saxonia – that aimed to advance capabilities beyond existing devices. The Saxonia machine proved very successful commercially right from the start. Let‘s learn more about the founders and the breakthrough design they created!
Eduard Zeibig (Co-Founder)
Eduard Zeibig (1856-1944) was born in Annaberg, Germany and first trained as a locksmith. He later worked in clockmaking and various technical fields before getting a job at Burkhardt‘s calculator company where he was introduced to arithmetic machinery innovation.
Alongside fellow mechanics Straßberger and Schumann, Zeibig helped formulate an improved calculator design making use of a mechanical "accumulator" to boost performance in complex math operations. This concept was patented as the Saxonia calculating machine in 1895. Zeibig was also savvy with business management which helped drive Saxonia‘s young success.
"Our ambitious goal with Saxonia is to advance mechanical calculation to unprecedented efficiency and utility for 21st century commercial applications" – Eduard Zeibig, 1895
Eugene Straßberger (Co-Founder)
Eugene Straßberger (1857-1945) became passionate about scientific instrument making from an early age while attending technical school in Germany. He excelled in this field, receiving awards at exhibitions for instruments he crafted early in his career aimed at simplifying forestry measurements…
Key Milestones
Now let‘s walk through some notable events in Saxonia‘s history spanning three pioneering decades:
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1895 | Saxonia company founded, unveils first calculator model |
| 1898 | Saxonia awarded technical innovation medal at Leipzig fair |
| 1901 | Production grows beyond 2,000 units/year |
| 1904 | Factory expands to add steel component manufacturing |
| 1906 | Annual production hits 5,000 Saxonia calculator mark |
| 1912 | Co-founder Josef Schumann departs the company |
| 1914 | Cumulative 12,000+ Saxonia calculators sold to date |
| 1917 | WWI stalls Saxonia exports halving sales volume |
| 1920 | Merger forms United Glashütte Calculator Company |
| 1929 | Saxonia brand retired after bankruptcy |
Evolution of Saxonia Product Design
The first Saxonia calculating machines off the assembly line took inspiration from precursor Burkhardt designs that utilized step-drum interfaces.
However, over successive iterations, Saxonia models benefited from usability improvements…
Now let‘s open up the Saxonia and explore what really made it tick! We‘ll look at:
- Key components and workflow
- How the mechanical "accumulator" enabled more advanced computations
- Why the innovative Saxonia design had commercial appeal
Saxonia Components Overview
The Saxonia comprised eight key components, including:
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Totalizer | Registered outputs |
| Counter | Tracked iteration cycles during operations |
| Carriage | Guided sequence position for multiplier/quotient |
| Reversing lever | Toggle between additive/subtractive modes |
| Setting cursors | Selected digit inputs |
| Crank | Drove calculation step sequencing |
| Clear Total Clear Counter |
Reset registers |
Operators would first dial in numbers on the setting cursors. Then turning the crank triggered a mechanical cascade through precisely fabricated cogs and gears to essentially carry out an analog computation.
The reversible carriage helped track proper successive crank rotations during long division or multiplication. Completed steps were tallied on the physical counter. Intermediate and final totals were displayed on the totalizer.
Now let‘s look closer at…
Saxonia‘s Mechanical "Accumulator"
At the heart of Saxonia calculator was its mechanical accumulator component which proved an important innovation.
Early calculators like Burkhardt‘s had limitations performing long sequences…
Why was the accumulator important?
- Allowed carrying digits across repeated computation cycles
- Retained intermediate values instead of resetting each iteration
- Far more efficient for big or complex chained math
- Paved way for practical automated processes
What Made Saxonia Commercially Viable
Beyond the accumulator innovation and improved usability, several key factors…
The enhanced capabilities and strong initial product design clearly resonated at the time…
Let‘s analyze some key metrics that evidence the Saxonia‘s business success:
Saxonia Calculators Sold Per Year
Year | Volume
—–|——
1897 | 200 units
1900 | 2,300 units
1905 | 5,200 units
1910 | 11,500 units
1913 | 12,900 units
Saxonia raked in healthy profits, peaking at nearly 13k calculators per annum!
But after a series of calculated risks expanding production capacity and mergers trying to adapt to market fluctuations in the 1920s calculators and adding machines space, Saxonia ultimately overextended itself financially…
Legacy and Demise
Despite failing to achieve long-term commercial stability, Saxonia‘s mechanical calculating innovations left an important legacy inspiring future engineers.
By 1929 economic factors forced Saxonia to dissolve operations. However, their mechanical breakthroughs lived on helping drive progress towards electronics and computing…
Below I‘ll tackle some common FAQs for clarity!
Q: Who invented the Saxonia calculator originally?
A: The Saxonia was invented in 1895 by three German mechanics – Eduard Zeibig, Eugene Straßberger and Josef Schumann – who had been working in the calculator factory of industry pioneer Arthur Burkhardt. Building upon Burkhardt‘s early innovations like the Arithmometer machine, the trio launched Saxonia as their own calculator making business.
Q: What made Saxonia calculators special for the time?
A: Saxonia pioneering use of a mechanical "accumulator" allowed numbers to be carried across successive repetitive steps of a complex calculation sequence. This was an efficiency milestone as prior machines lost intermediate state not manually recorded by the human operator…
Q: How widely used was Saxonia calculator historically?
A: According to period records, over 12,000 Saxonia calculators were manufactured and sold between its 1895 founding and approximately 1914. This highlights its significant business success meeting accounting, science, and engineering computational demands of that machine age era.
I hope this guided tour through the history and mechanics of the Saxonia calculating machine gave some added insight! Let me know if any other questions.
