Slide rule workshop V

Chris' mystery slide rule Nr. 6

MOUZIN slide rule

excerpt from “Rechenschieber - eine Dokumentation” by Dieter von Jezierski
Another important material used for slide rules was anodized light metal, particularly aluminum. Certain firms, such as Ecobra and Pickett & Eckel specialized in anodized slide rules. Other makers, for example Reiss and Mouzin (France), offered metal slide rules at one time or another.

Data copied from “Rechenschieber - eine Dokumentation” by Dieter von Jezierski, p.27:

  • On page 31 a French slide rule MOUZIN is mentioned.
  • It should be a metal slide rule
  • I have never met this name or seen an example.

Questions:

  1. Who has a MOUZIN in his/her collection?
    Philibert Mouzin is known for his “Instruction sur la manière de se servir de la règle à calcul” various editions from 1823 to 1844, in which he describes a slide rule ‘made of wood or copper’ (page 9 in 4th edition). The cursor can also be made from copper (page 109 in 4th edition) Andries de Man
    He never mentions in the manuals that he himself made a slide rule, but that they are made and sold by Lenoir, Mabire, (Lenoir's successor), then Gravet. The engraving in the manual is a Soho Lenoir 25 cm (Collardeau model). Marc Thomas
    There is no mention of a slide rule made by Mouzin in French catalogues of the time. Marc Thomas
    Ph. Mouzin was a lawyer in Dijon and introduced himself also as a mathematician. Marc Thomas, JOS Vol 20 Nr. 2 (2011) p.4
    A 19th century ‘Mouzin’ from Dijon is associated with at least 4 metalware-related French patents: December 1825 (steam engine), November 1834 (nails), 1839? (forge), 1875 (sieve) Andries de Man, Marc Thomas
    Maybe Dieter von Jezierski confused Damien and Mouzin: Damien did make aluminium slide rules in the years 1930—1950. Marc Thomas
    or was it H. Morin, who made (or just sold?) a metal tachymetric slide rule some time after 1870—1880 and before 1910. See also UKSRC Gazette 6 p.7 Andries de Man
    Considering all this, my opinion is that there is no Mouzin slide rule ... Marc Thomas
     
  2. Type of metal?
    Damien made aluminium slide rules. Marc Thomas
    H. Morin's metal tachymetric slide rule was made from German silver, a.k.a. new silver, nickel silver, alpaca, white brass, Neusilber, nieuwzilver(Dutch).
    German silver consists of about 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc, has a specific gravity of 8.8 and a melting point of 1110°C. See Tim McCreight, “The complete metalsmith: an illustrated handbook”, 1991, page 11 and 175 Andries de Man