Many full scale machines were built, derived
directly or indirectly from Bush's prototype, including
at the Aberdeen Proving Ground (used for ballistics
calculations), University of Pennsylvania, University of
Sydney, Oslo University, Gothenburg Sweden (1950) and in
Lenningrad. By 1939 four large Differential Analyzers had
been built in the UK - (at Manchester
University, Cambridge
University, Queen's University Belfast, and the
Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough).
A Meccano differential analyzer was built in Toronto by
Beatrice (Trixie) Worsley (a former student of Hartree in
Cambridge). not much is known about this machine, but some
information can be found in Smillie (2004) and
also online here
and here.
A very poor picture of the machine appeared on page 4 of
the Toronto Globe and Mail for December 15, 1951. See also
Williams
(1994), Williams (1997), Worsley
(1948), and Worsley
(undated).
A Meccano differential analyzer with four integrators,
designed by Arthur Porter, was built at the Royal Military
College of Science and used for teaching purposes.
A Meccano differential
analyzer with two integrators was built by Prof. J. C.
Cooke at the University of Malaya, Singapore and was
featured in the Meccano Magazine for January 1951. See Anon. (1951). A brief mention also appeared in the 1949-50
Annual Report of the University of Malaya (Anon. (1950)) where
the number of integrators is specified as three, with a
fourth soon to be added.
Model machines were built at Macclesfield Grammar School,
Radley College, and Pocklington School, York.
Dr Gary Tee of the Mathematics Department, University of
Auckland has conjectured
that at least 15 Meccano machines were in operation
between 1934 and 1950.
Summary of Meccano
Differential Analyzers
Summary
of
Meccano Differential Analyzers
| Date |
Who
|
Where
|
Integrators
|
Reference
|
Notes
|
| Dec 1933 |
Porter, A.
|
Manchester
University
|
1
|
Porter, A. private
communication.
|
Proof of concept
model to validate torque amplifier design.
|
1934
|
Hartree, D. R.
& Porter, A.
|
Manchester
University
|
3
|
Hartree
(1935)
|
First usable
Meccano DA with single stage (non-Meccano) torque
amplifiers. Used Bonds helical gears.
Fourth integrator with dual stage torque amplifier
added later.
|
1935
|
Lennard-Jones, J.
E., Wilkes, M. V., & Bratt, J. B.
|
Cambridge
University
|
5
|
Lennard-Jones
(1939)
|
Used two stage
torque amplifiers. Moved to New Zealand in
1950. Now at MOTAT
in Auckland, New Zealand.
|
1937-1939
|
Worthy,
W.
D.
|
Pocklington School,
York
|
2
|
Worthy, P., private
communication.
|
Built by William
"Digby" Worthy, a 14 year old student at
Pocklington school. No torque amplifiers. Used
belt drives for interconnect. Later exhibited at
English Electric Company
|
1937
|
Massey, H. S. W.,
Wylie, J., Buckingham, R. A., & Sullivan, R.
|
Queen's University,
Belfast
|
4
|
Massey (1938)
|
Mostly custom, but
used all Meccano spur gears. Helical gears from
Bonds. Moved to University College, London in
1938. Destroyed in an air raid. According to Crank (1947),
less accurate than the Cambridge model.
|
| <1939 |
Howlett, J.
|
L.M.S. Railway
Research Laboratory
|
unknown
|
Hartree (1946)
|
Unknown if this had
any Meccano content. (May have followed
Howlett to the War Office Projectile Development
Establishment.) |
unknown
|
Wormersley, J. R.
|
Armament Research
Department, Woolwich.
|
unknown
|
Croarken
(1990) |
Destroyed in air
raid in early 1940s.
|
unknown
|
Benson, Capt. J. |
Coast Artillery
Experimental Establishment, UK
|
unknown
|
Hartree (1946)
|
Substantial Meccano
content.
|
unknown
|
Sloane, R. W.
|
General Electric
Co. Research Laboratories, UK
|
unknown
|
Hartree (1946) |
Acquired by Air
Defence Research and Development Establishment
(later called Radar Research and Development
Establishment).
|
1942
|
Wood, A. M.
|
Birmingham
|
2
(6 planned)
|
Wood (1942)
|
Only two
integrators ever completed.
|
unknown
|
Stone, R
|
Macclesfield
Grammar School
|
unknown
|
Crank (1947)
|
Built "several
years ago" according to Crank.
|
1948
|
Porter, A.
|
Royal Military
College of Science
|
4
|
Porter, A., private
communication. |
Used for teaching
purposes.
|
1948
|
Worsley, B.
|
Toronto
|
3
|
Worsley Archives
|
Used for teaching
purposes.
|
1951
|
Cooke, J. C.
|
Singapore
|
3-4
|
Anon. (1950)
|
|
1957
|
Barton, J. C.,
Campbell, D. A., & Read, R. C.
|
University College
of the West Indes
|
2
or more
|
Barton (1957)
|
Used for physics
calculations.
|
unknown
|
Eyres, N.
|
Radley College
|
2
|
Fargus, D., private
communication.
|
No torque
amplifiers. Still in existence.
|
|
Summary of
Full Scale Differential Analyzers
Date
|
Who
|
Where
|
Integrators
|
Reference
|
Notes
|
1931
|
Bush, V.
|
MIT
|
6
|
Bush (1931) |
The first
differential analyzer.
|
1935
|
Hartree, D. R
|
Manchester
University
|
4, later 8
|
Hartree
(1938b)
|
First full scale
machine in Europe. Built by Metropolitan-Vickers.
|
| 1935 |
|
University of
Pennsylvania |
10 |
Travis (1932) |
Two polar input
tables. Based on Bush's drawings.
|
| 1935? |
|
Aberdeen Proving
Ground |
10 |
|
Similar to
University of Pennsylvania. |
1938
|
|
Cambridge
University
|
8
|
|
Copy of the
Manchester machine. Built by Metropolitan-Vickers.
|
|
|
Courtaulds
Laboratories
|
8
|
Asprey
(1990)
|
|
| 1940 |
Beard |
|
6 |
Beard (1942) |
Aquired in early
1940s by Valve Reasearch Department of Standard
Telephones and Cables. |
| 1942 |
Bush, V. |
MIT |
18 |
Bush (1945) |
The Rockefeller DA,
electro-mechanical. Programmed from paper tape.
|
1944
|
|
Oslo University |
12
|
|
|
|
|
Lenningrad
|
6
|
|
|
1944
|
|
General Electric
|
14
|
Kuehni (1944)
|
Optical servos.
|
|
|
University of
Illinois
|
|
|
Ball and disk
integrators.
|
|
|
University of
California |
|
|
Copy of General
Electric machine.
|
|
|
University of
California Radiation Laboratory
|
12
|
|
Ball and disk
integrators.
|
1951
|
Ashdown, G. L., and
Selig, K. L.
|
Elliott Brothers
|
6
|
Ashdown
(1951)
|
Ball and disk
integrators, magslips, photo electric curve
followers.
|
1951
|
Myers, D. M and
Blunden, W. R.
|
University of
Sydney
|
10
|
Myers (1951)
|
M-type electrical
transmission between the units.
|
|
|
University of
Gothenberg
|
|
|
|
|