MULTICAL, 1964
- Inventor
- Based on ODHNER principle
- Invention date
- Unknown
- Manufacturing date
- 1954 (machine n° 408195)
- Manufacturing location
- West Germany
- Manufacturer
- Sold in France by Eclair-Bureau
- Dimensions
- L 19 H 9 W 10
- Reference Number
- 021
History and Functionality
This machine based on the mechanical principle invented by W.T. ODHNER in 1878 allows for the four operations.
It can handle numbers of 10 digits for a total result of 15 digits.
It has a 5 digit lap counter aligned with the result counter and can do multiplication and division by a 5 digit number.
Note that the rotation of the crank links together the result counter with the carriage.
A single eraser resets to 0 the result mechanism and the lap counter.
The lap counter can be disengaged. Resetting the setting mechanism to zero is done manually and is done digit by digit.
About The Inventor
Eclair-Bureau, a company involved in the distribution of mechanical calculators, played a significant role in the history of computing by distributing the "MULTICAL" calculator in 1954 in West Germany. However, the story of the MULTICAL begins with its creators, Otto Meuter and his son Claus.
Otto Meuter, originally involved in the development of slide adders in the early 20th century, found himself at odds with his business partner, Carl Kübler, due to rampant inflation in Germany. This led him to collaborate with Jean Bergmann, a calculator manufacturer, in the 1920s. Under Bergmann, Meuter developed and manufactured slide adders like the Pro Calculo, Pocket Adding Machine, and the Correntator, which were then distributed by Bergmann.
In 1928, Otto Meuter founded his own company, Otto Meuter und Sohn, focusing on slide adders under the brand name Produx. This was a crucial step leading to the development of the Multator/Multical. The 1930s saw Otto Meuter attempting to develop a printing calculator, but it was the design for the Multator/Multical, created with Rudolf Martin in 1940, that would become a landmark. This machine, with fewer parts that could be easily manufactured, was a significant innovation but faced delays in production due to the war. Otto and Claus Meuter were held captive by the Russians, and it wasn't until 1948, when Claus managed to rescue most of the production equipment and bring them to the West, that the stage was set for the rebirth of the company.
In 1950, Otto joined Claus in the West, and together they rebuilt the company. The Produx Multator was presented at an exhibition in Hannover in 1953, marking the beginning of successful production. The Multical, a name used predominantly in France to avoid extra import tariffs associated with the German pre-war name Produx, was one of the names under which the calculator was sold. The MULTICAL, known for its innovative design, was distributed in Paris by Eclair-Bureau.
Otto Meuter retired in 1958, leaving the company in the hands of Claus, who continued to develop new models like the Multator-4 to simplify subtraction and division. However, by 1973, the rise of cheap electronic calculators led to the halt of production. Otto Meuter passed away in 1975, marking the end of an era for a company that had significantly contributed to mechanical calculating technology.
Eclair-Bureau, as the distributor of the MULTICAL in France, played a key role in bringing this innovative calculator to a wider market, making a lasting impact in the field of mechanical calculators during a time of rapid technological change.
