How mechanical counters work

[@Spedley_2142]

I googled to find a quick mechanism and after a brief view I decided to use this idea. Now, 3 hours later I've come to the exact same mechanism as yours! I should have just copied it :) I originally had my set of 3 pairs of gears in different order to yours but after much fiddling your ordering means you do not need gaps between the gears to prevent the mesh catching adjacent gears. Very nice!

[@1003Alfred]

You are the best wood work youtuber! you upload video per week, even more! also, you gave us detail instruction that I don't need to ask you on comment, your work also inspire me to start some really nice projects, when I finsh a piece of work, I can really feel the happiness from my heart, You are my greatest wood work teacher!!!

[@aednil]

lol, love the wordplay in the beginning. "i had many projects, but this is the one that counts" ;-)

[@FoodOnCrack]

Ooooooooooooh... How come that i never thought of this? It looks so stupidly easy now you explained it...

[@sudharani-lg3xw]

FoodOnCrack

[@marte69]

Just watched a bunch of your video's, and had to subscribe, this channel is amazing! If I didn't have two left hands, I'd make one of your machines myself.

[@GarageWoodworks]

I wonder how difficult it would be to make the tens place (or next larger digit) turn gradually as the ones place is rotated one revolution? Instead of an all-or-nothing increment.

[@allenlewis5689]

Believe it or not, that is actually an easier way to construct one of these. Making it increment all at once takes more thought. To make each wheel turn slowly at a constant rate, it would work like a clock with only fully-toothed gears rather than a gear with only 2 teeth.

[@matthiaswandel]

It would be easy to add a "reset knob". Altering the mechanism to actually reset it would be much much more difficult.

[@lekoman]

Hey Matthias, these "how stuff works" videos are some of my favorites of yours... I was just trying to wrap my head around how a torque amplifier (like that used in a ball-and-disk integrator) works, and I wondered about a demo? :)

[@RODALCO2007]

Great project, very nice counter you have build there. Great explanation. That small carry over gear is also called the Geneva gear.

[@redrebel66]

Your like the rainman of wood working. Keep these videos coming!

[@ib9rt]

I did watch the video, hence my comment :-) In the demonstration around 0m22s the wheel clearly overshoots from 9 almost to 7 in one pull. I understand the detent lever is intended to prevent this happening, but it doesn't apparently provide a positive interlock in the same way that the carry mechanisms do between the wheels. It's a nice build, I'm just observing is all...

[@johnkblarg2]

love watching your videos where do you get your ideas from

[@meringu]

the pun at the start deserved you an instant like from me

[@sandpatch133]

There is this great Curta calculator program where you can disassemble the entire calculator via a 3d interface. It is called YACS - Yet another Curta Simulator. You have to download a 3d party program to use the program though. It should help you with figuring out the inner workings.

[@matthiaswandel]

That's what the detent lever is for. Please watch the video.

[@altaccount2005]

Dude let me tell you, your voice is so soothing. I know it’s been 8 years but man I love it

[@Elyasafshweka]

few month ago, I used your gear template generator to make a similar mechanism to operate a digital-analog clock (you can see it on my channel). as usual, the clarity and the simplicity of your designs makes me feel stupid every time :)

[@WigWagWorkshop]

This looks like a run Scroll Saw Project for my workshop, I will have a go at making one of these

[@joeyocom5087]

Curtis Hussey Veeder holds the patent for this counter with internal carry gear October 3 1899. www.google.com/patents/US634073?dq=oct+3+1899&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xPbbVPD3F4e5ggTTnIGQBA&ved=0CCUQ6wEwAQ In 1866, the Root Company was founded in Bristol, CT as a hinge manufacturer. The following year, the company expanded to counting and measuring devices for production, textile equipment and census taking. Almost 30 years later in 1895, Curtis Veeder, the founder of Veeder Manufacturing Company, invented a Cyclometer to record the miles traveled on a bicycle. He promoted the Cyclometer with the slogan, It's Nice to Know How Far You Go. The Cyclometer's success led to a full line of Veeder counting devices. In 1928, the Root and the Veeder Companies merged to form Veeder-Root, Incorporated of Hartford, Connecticut, the largest manufacturer of counting and computing devices in the world.

[@colemanadamson5943]

You are a true craftsman.

[@fast7trigger841]

Hi, thanks for the explanation. I’m working on a project and I need to do a two digit counter that counts the distance forward and backward. Can you help me, maybe some other videos or docs that I can view. Many thanks.

[@ib9rt]

Care to reference the exact time index of those 50 seconds in the above video where this mysterious explanation of how the units wheel can't overshoot may be found?

[@i-am-the-slime]

Perfect cold opener!

[@danielcarmi305]

This is very cool! I've always wondered how a Curta Mechanical Calculator works, any chance you can do a video on that subject? I think it uses some sort of notched barrel mechanism, but I never really got to grasp the concept. Thanks for making this video!

[@SchiffschreinerGermany]

Hello Matthias, Also my friends are fans of thy workshop clips. thumbs Up

[@Masheeable]

Mathias spent 50 seconds of a 3:44 video explaining this exact concern of yours, and how it is accomodated. How did you even manage to log on to the internet??

[@Bigdaddyj0nj0n]

Awesome video..!! I love how you thoroughly explained the intricacies of the counter. I was wondering, how hard would it be for an amateur to build one of these but on a much smaller scale? The ones the workers use when counting people at ball games. I'm assuming gears would have to be bought at a watch store??

[@jordanvanwaas2717]

Hey matthias I saw that Steve Ramsey had made a wooden tie it in not an overly hard project but I would want to see you improve on that

[@ib9rt]

Hmm...your units wheel doesn't seem to have anything to lock it place when the advance lever is in the neutral position (the wheel can spin too far and overshoot). Maybe in the Mk II version?

[@12345NoNamesLeft]

Have you done wooden clocks yet ?

[@Zothaqqua]

Literal woodgears. Love it.

[@DB-thats-me]

I wonder if I could suggest a re-visit and upgrade to this counter. By adding an additional rotor, driving the input at one revolution per minute and re gearing rotors 2 & 4 to be 12 step; you get a 'digital clock'! The 10's minute to hour rotor being 12 steps with two carrys per single rotation. With the input marked, the seconds could be shown as well. Here's hoping. :-)

[@alexliu1996]

Geneva gear is really interesting. 0:43

[@matthiaswandel]

I don't have a curta, or any other mechanical adding machine. It would be too much work to try to build one out of wood.

[@BenjaminEsposti]

Lazy! :) But it would be an interesting challenge, right?

[@Dadoo83]

Ever considered making the Antikythera mechanism?!

[@ジョジョさま]

Does anyone know where I can buy a counter where each number is adjustable? Doesn't matter what size it is. I don't like having to click ten times to go up ten or click 100 times to go up 100 so something adjustable would be great. It doesn't even need to be mechanical. It could be something where you turn each number by hand.

[@Chlorate299]

So, wooden difference engine on the way?

[@juliodaniel9728]

It's amazing bro. I think you could make it so better whit a reset button, don't you think? I trying to make a tape counter for a homemade cassette player, and I looking for a reset button mechanism for the counter, greetings from Mexico :D

[@ratchet1freak]

why didn't you add a reset knob? nearly all counters like that have one

[@knartfocker_]

I think it would be cool to see a hexadecimal counter as well, I may just build one some time...

[@AlexanderOlsen]

This is art!!! Keep it up!

[@Khether0001]

I love gears so much! thank you. you are awesome!

[@danielcarmi305]

Well, a complete Curta would take a century and a half to build from wood. But maybe one that has like only a 3 digit capacity. Im not a woodworker, so I don't know how complicated it would be to make. Thanks for the quick response!

[@tomview1]

How most odometers work. Nice one. Except for Smiths Nemag types, they use cunning and trickery, cam lobes and springs.The cam driven odometer counts miles ascending regardless of direction of input.

[@matthiaswandel]

Tom Martin Those use some gearing that makes reverse turns turn forward ahead of the counter. The counter itself works the same way.

[@tomview1]

Incorrect - Smiths nemag uses a cam to drive the odo - converting angular to linear motion. There are no pinion wheels either, rather cam to release the next wheel allowing it to move forward one tenth.

[@matthiaswandel]

Tom Martin Watch the video on one of these.kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWivnKRthZuCpLOIhers the ratchet ahead of the counter. Counter still works the same way (though i was wrong about the reversing gear)

[@tomview1]

No pinion gears though. There is a spring plate under the odo group, as the odo wheels turn a cam on the wheel releases the next wheel from the spring plate.

[@Pockemon6920]

Como doblar tubo DE 1/4"

[@pauljs75]

I wonder how the zeroing mechanism works on some trip odometers or on tape cassete players. Can't be too complicated since it was fairly common.

[@Thelothuo]

+pauljs75 Well, if nobody's answered...If the number wheels had some force on them to keep them unbalanced, resetting them would only entail disconnecting the carry gears. Like if the tumblers were weighted on one side, resetting would just be disconnecting the carry gears and letting the number wheels right themselves. Gravity probably wouldn't be used for its dependence on orientation, but if the counters were oddly-shaped like a cam, a roller applying pressure could spin them back to a certain angle. Since a lot of the counters has carry gears inside the counting cylinders, disconnecting may have been done by pushing the set of carry gears so they no longer bridged two counter wheels (To the right, I guess). Since they stay connected to at least one gear at all times, they also don't misalign and won't start showing you half-numbers.

[@pauljs75]

Thelothuo Spring loading and using a cam follower on the drums in some form after disengaging the carry gears seems to make sense. Just never gutted that part on an old cassette player to get a good look.

[@Alexvreidy]

Great video!

[@RockinGuy1994]

Awesome Job

[@iCombustibleLemon]

The next challenge is a Reset button. The Reset button takes the little wheels away and pooch the big wheels in the zero position. Sorry for my bad school English :D

[@jbz3]

This one counts! Great pun!

[@carolcleaver-hesser7935]

For my electronic PLC (Programmable Logic controllers) teacher, Mr.P

[@mikewilliams-no9cm]

Lol cant believe you came up when I started searching. I want to make a counter to measure lengths of rope Anyone have any ideas?

[@markmorawski4287]

WHICH hand tally counter up to 9999 will not skip or mess up at all

[@mrghm]

Can you make a wood slot machine

[@seameus91]

Cool! But it would be awesome if you made a clock in a similar way :O

[@ledal99]

I wish I was this smart what kind of education do u have

[@chrisr1241]

Genius!

[@kamuy_1337]

can you build a wooden lawn mower?

[@nelsonze7115]

very very cool

[@st8pl8guy]

Interesting, but not very practical. Only use I see for this is an educational tool to show how counters work, and I think you nailed that aspect. See, I can do woodworking puns too! ;-)

[@timschulze4580]

Are you from Germany? You have a strange manner pronouncing the "ch" in mechanical.

[@zaharin4o3]

Amazing!!!

[@iDennis95]

i bet your house is full of wooden chair, furniture. disk fo dinner wooden forks knives and spoons:p nice work btw keep it going

[@douglas787]

Cool

[@Fwumiko]

Makes me think of slot machines...

[@goldenelfboots4595]

Disappointed in that the auto subtitling has been turned off.

[@kriszenn1125]

its really just levers

[@ThanhNguyen-tl6ve]

𝚒𝚝𝚜𝚗𝚘𝚗 𝚘̈𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚗 𝚊̊ 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚎

[@heloyu2012]

Turn the wheels slower so we can see!

[@DJzSith]

No need to point out. I was a complete idiot. Left my speakers muted.

[@ghost_ship_supreme]

Everyte I come to your channel I want to build something new...

[@bepsibeverage4231]

It's very cool but ill never forgive you for that god awful pun at the beginning.

[@You_took_my_crutches_away]

Lol yeah

[@timothymcswain6235]

it surprised me you would use a rubber band instead of a spring , go figure

[@patdeoTV028]

Fourteeth

[@jordanvanwaas2717]

Please

[@danielpapp5901]

It is aluminium...

[@richard2mitchell]

Lol nice pun *it counts* lol.

[@patdeoTV028]

Nachet

[@st8pl8guy]

Don't be ridiculous. Where are you going to find a wooden lawn to mow? ;-)

[@omerimen2101]

Ooooooooo

[@muhammadhusnain644]

SO BOWRING. MUHMMAD HUSNAIN.