Mechanical 4 Bit Zuse Z1 Adder

This model is based on the interactive web simulation by Jakob Mischek (https://zuse-z1.zib.de/simulations/z1/adders/wg), which in turn is based on drawings in a patent application by Zuse. I made some necessary adjustments to avoid plates getting stuck and designed all of the control mechanisms, plus some more accessible input switches.

Instead of individual files for every part I'm providing a Blender file where you can explore the mechanism in motion, export the parts as you need them, and make necessary adjustments to reprint things. It consists of around 280 parts, excluding spacers and washers that are necessary on every layer, and will require a lot of dis- and reassembly to get everything working correctly, so be warned that building and tuning this will be a lengthy process.

Demo video:

Extra materials required:

• M3 set screws (around 20)
• M4 bolts and nuts (6)
• 4mm dowels (around 6-8 meters)
• 6mm dowels (around 1 meter)

Can be printed as well but I would recommend getting a box of M4 washers.

STL Export parameters to get the right scale:

Operation notes, if you actually make this:

• Turn the crank counter-clockwise to operate. The rest position is when (if looking at the input/output side) the plates have been moved towards you and to the right.
• When in the rest position, move the input handles right to set them to 1, left to set them to 0. The upper input is automatically reset to 0 during operation, the lower one is not.
• There is an extra pin on the right side that can be pushed in while the plates are moved to the left, this will make the result be looped back into the lower input operand. Depending on how good the machine runs this may or may not work well, but if it does, make sure the input pins of that operator are all 0 before the next cycle, otherwise the machine WILL jam