Mechanical Accountant
date: label: date made
content: after 1900
name: label: maker
content: Mechanical Accountant Company
notes: label: Description
content: This key-driven adding machine has a brown metal case and eight columns of nine plastic or ceramic keys. The rightmost three columns of keys are black with white numbers, and the other five columns are white with black numbers. Complementary digits are indicated on the keys. Results appear in a row of nine windows in back of the keyboard. The latest number entered appears in a row of eight windows behind this. A metal lever in front of the keys cancels an entry, but not the total. A crank on the side zeros both sets of windows. The windows are covered with translucent greenish plastic, which is cracking. There are four rubber feet. The machine is marked at the front: Mechanical (/) Accountant.
label: Description
content: This is the earlier “simplex”model of the machine, which was designed to have numbers entered one digit at a time. The simultaneous operation of two columns where a carry is involved results in loss of the carry.
label: Description
content: Compare 323599.
label: Description
content: Joseph Abram Turck of Providence, Rhode Island, assigned three patents to the Mechanical Accountant Company. Turck then went on to work for Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company of Chicago.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: J. A. V. Turck, “Adding Machine,” U.S. Patent 631345, granted August 22, 1899.
label: Description
content: J. A. V. Turck, “Calculating Machine,” U.S. Patent 679,348, granted July 30, 1901.
label: Description
content: J. A. V. Turck, “Calculating-Machine,” U.S. Patent 720,086, granted February 10, 1903.
label: Description
content: J. H. McCarthy, <I>The American Digest of Business Machines</I>, Chicago: American Exchange Service, 1924, p. 550.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Rhode Island, Providence
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Adding Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.317386
label: accession number
content: 230394
label: catalog number
content: 317386
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
label: Other Terms
content: adding machine; Full-Keyboard, Non-Listing,
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cloth (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 14.2 cm x 21.8 cm x 32.3 cm; 5 19/32 in x 8 19/32 in x 12 23/32 in