Ottico Meccanica Italiana
Società Anonima Ottica Meccanica Italiana (OMI) was an optical equipment maker in Rome. The company was founded by Umberto Nistri in about 1924.[1] Nistri had previously founded Società per Azioni Rilevamenti Aerofotogrammetrici (SARA) with his brother Amedeo in 1921.[2] SARA conducted aerial surveys for cartography, and designed some of their own equipment. OMI designed and made equipment for surveying and photogrammetry, including aerial cameras[3] and later more general aeronautical instruments.[4] Not surprisingly, given the period the firm was active, the products included military ones, including a machine-gun camera for training gunners by filming the target 'shot' with a gun-shaped cine camera in exercises.[5]
The exact relationship between SARA and OMI seems to have varied; patents up to about 1935 are in the name of 'Ottica Meccanica Italiana S.A.',[6] while later ones are in the name 'S.A. Ottico Meccanica Italiana e Rilevamenti Aerofotogrammetrici',[7] suggesting the two companies may have merged for a period, but this distinction is not consistent in all patent filings.
OMI was eventually purchased in 1981 by the aircraft company Agusta,[8] but several patents were still filed in the name OMI, up to 1987.[9]
SARA was reformed as Società Aerofotografie e Rilevamenti Aerofotogrammetrici S.p.A after the Second World War, by the sons of Amedeo Nistri, and still operates.[2]
Notes
- ↑ Landini, E.T. and Travaglini, (2001) Le Fabbriche della conoscenza Roma Tre nel territorio e nella riqualificazione dell’area Ostiense (Factories of Knowledge: Roma Tre in the territory and the redevelopment of the Ostiense Region); catalogue of an exhibition of industrial architecture, at the Università del Studi Roma Tre, 23-30 January 2001. Page 52 discusses OMI's headquarters, built in 1937. Sources vary as to the exact date of OMI's foundation; many others say 1926.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 SARA Nistri S.r.l. company website
- ↑ Add survey refs here!
- ↑ Add general aero instr refs here!
- ↑ Add gun-camera ref here!
- ↑ British Patent 363204 of 1931, Compass for aircraft and the like, granted to 'Ottica Meccanica Italiana S.A.'
- ↑ French Patent 892483 of 1944, Perfectionnements aux gyroscopes électriques de direction, granted to 'S.A. Ottico Meccanica Italiana e Rilevamenti Aerofotogrammetrici'.
- ↑ Italy - Aviation Industry at GlobalSecurity.org (in the last paragraph).
- ↑ Italian Patent 1171548, Perfezionamento nei sistemi di misura del livello di liquidi del tipo capacità (Improvements in liquid level measurement systems of the capacitance type), granted to Ottico Meccanica Italiana S.p.A.
