Luigi Torchi

Luigi Torchi invented the first direct multiplication machine in 1834.[1] This was also the second key-driven machine in the world, following that of James White (1822).[2]

Not to be confused with Luigi Torchi (musician).

Luigi Torchi
Born1812 (1812)
Italy
NationalityItalian

Very little is known about the inventor and the machine. We only know that he was a carpenter; his machine was awarded of a gold metal from the Imperial-regio istituto lombardo di scienze, lettere e arti in Milan in 1834. A document of such occasion provides the known details of the machine, where a second document shows a drawing of the machine itself. However, no detailed documents about how it worked are known to exist.

The machine was exhibited in Brera between 1834 and 1837; it was later found by Giovanni Schiaparelli in bad conditions. After that, are not known further information about the machine.

Bibliography
  • Silvio Hénin, Two Early Italian Key-Driven Calculators, IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, vol. 32, no. 1, 2010, pp. 34–43.
  • Silvio Hénin, Early Italian computing machines and their inventors. Reflections on the History of Computing. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2012. 204–230.
  1. Luigi Torchi History of Computers and Computing
  2. Roegel, Denis. "Before Torchi and Schwilgué, There Was White." IEEE Annals of the History of Computing 38.4 (2016): 92–93.
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