A reconstruction of the differential analyzer in Meccano: the challenges of torque amplifiers, integrators, and backlash

This paper relates the author's early attempts at constructing a simple differential analyzer using Meccano sets, an interest which has remained for more than 30 years. The paper describes how the author constructed a torque amplifier and integrators in Meccano, and how the unavoidable backlash in mechanical systems was addressed.