Unknown operation and design of the missing structure above gear b1

Determine the original operation and design of the mechanical structure located immediately above the Antikythera Mechanism’s gear b1, using the preserved mechanical formations on gear b1 and related evidence to reconstruct its intended function and configuration.

Background

Gear b1 is the largest gear on the Antikythera Mechanism’s front side and preserves several mechanical remnants (e.g., long pillars, spacers, and an oblong part) that indicate a supervening structure once existed above it. However, the structure itself is lost and only partial traces survive.

The authors analyze these remains and propose that b1 likely supported a cover disc and additional components necessary for time-measurement procedures, yet they acknowledge that the precise operation and original design of the lost assembly remain unresolved.

References

There are also some poorly preserved mechanical formations on gear b1 (presented further below), remains from a mechanical structure just above gear b1, with unknown operation and design, and totally missing today (also discussed below).

— Is there something missing from the Antikythera Mechanism? Was it a mechanical Planetarium, positioner? or a Luni solar Time calculator device? Reconstructing the lost parts of b1 gear and its Cover Disc (2407.15858 - Voulgaris et al., 8 Jul 2024) in Section 3. Present day missing parts of the Antikythera Mechanism