Gonnella

Coplanar toothed pulley adding machine

1859

The Florentine professor of mathematics Tito Filippo I. B. Gonnella (1794-1867) is most likely the builder of this very solid, finely crafted toothed pulley adding machine. A second Gonnella's adding machine with key input is in Florence in the Museo di Storia della Scienza. Both machines are described in Gonnella's book of 1859. In 1816 the scientist, who received his doctorate in Pisa, published a treatise on the production of graduations for mathematical instruments. In 1818 he became a member of a Florentine commission that was to draw up the new cadastre for Tuscany at the request of Grand Duke Leopold II. From 1829 to 1850 Gonnella Reine taught mathematics and mechanics at the "Accademia di Belle Arti" in Florence, then pure mathematics until 1854. In 1851 he presented his Planimeter at the World Exhibition in London and received a First Class Medal for it. In 1861 Gonnella was awarded another medal for the two adding machines at the Tuscany Exhibition.

Gonnella's name is not found on the machine, only the engraving "I.P.C. Firenze", which probably refers to the workshop that put Gonnella's design into practice on his behalf. Given the singularity of the machine, machine no. 59 could also be interpreted as a possible indication of the year of origin. In 1859, Gonnella's small book was also published, the original of which is also available in the library of the Arithmeum. The machine presented here corresponds completely with that description.