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Torchi, Luigi

Torchi Application Letter (1834)- Courtesy of the Istituto Lombardo di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Milan, Italy

(*  in 1812(?), †  in 18??)

1 Leben

• LUIGI TORCHI managed a wood carpentry shop outside Milan. Nothing is known about his life, but that he had attended just the elementary school and was able to play church organ.

2 Werke

• In 1834 he was awarded a golden medal assigned by the Istituto Lombardo di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti for a calculator he had created from pieces of wood and steel wire.
  
• In 1837 he also invented a 'cart', powered by the water stream, to tow longboats along a canal. For this invention Torchi was a awarded a second medal, in silver in 1838. In 1859 he invented an improved pendulum-level.
  

2.1 Maschinen, Geräte

• A three operation calculator Torchi Rechenmaschine
  
• Brera Astronomical Observatory offered him 1000 Lire to build an improved prototype of his machine, in metal. Apparently he never build it.
  
• We have few documents about this machine. The astronomer Schiaparelli found it in poor conditions in 1872. The only existing drafts and concise descriptions say that it was a full-keyboard machine that performed additions, subtractions and multiplications.
  

2.2 Patente

3 Literatur

• Anon., “Macchina aritmetica inventata ed eseguita da Luigi Torchi milanese”, Gabinetto di scienze, arti ed industria , Supplemento a: La Fama, rassegna di scienze, lettere, arti, industria e teatri, Milano, P. Cominazzi, 1836-1840, Tab. X
  
• P. Broglia, L. Mussio, “Il calcolo alla specola di Brera”, in: L’informazione territoriale e la dimensione tempo, VII Conferenza Nazionale dell’ASITA, Verona, 28 - 31 ottobre 2003, vol. 1, pp. 512-528.
  
• G. Piola, F. Carlini, Relazione della Commissione Aggiudicatrice, non datata. Archivio Storico dell’Istituto Lombardo di Scienze e Lettere. Concorsi a premj d’industria agricola e manifatturiera, 1834, titolo VI, cartella n.5/34, “Aritmetiche macchine”.
  
• Soresini 1977 S. 27

4 Weblinks

•  Rechenmaschinen Illustrated
•  Silvio Hénin: La macchina calcolatrice del falegname Luigi Torchi

5 Sonstiges

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