Pinwheels

In 1875 Stephen Baldwin patented the pinwheel principle and a few years later Wilgodt Theophil Odhner patented a pinwheel machine. They did this independently of each other.

Several companies especially in Sweden, Germany and USA build pinwheels until the seventies of the 20th century.

Almost all pinwheels are FOR SALE, except Brunsviga-Trinks and Original Odhner24.

  • Brunsviga

    Brunsviga (4)

    In 1892 Odhner sold his patent rights of pinwheel calculators to Grimme, Natalis & Co A.G. in Braunschweig in Germany (this firm was producing sewingmachines since 1860). This company manufactured the pinwheel calculators under the name Brunsviga (first as Trinks-Brunsviga; Franz Trinks was the constructor of the company). In 1927 the company changed its name in Brunsviga and in 1959 Brunsviga was merged into Olympia Werke (a typewriter company).
     
  • Original Odhner

    Original Odhner (2)

    W.T. Odhner built his first pinwheel in 1872 in a factory of Nobel in St.Petersburg (Russia). They used the name Original-Odhner. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 his son Alexander had to move the production into Sweden. There they founded the Aktiebolaget Original-Odhner. In 1942 Aktiebolaget Aetvidabergs Industri (Facit-calculators) bought the company. They built calculators until 1972.
     
  • Others

    Others (2)