American Adding Machine, Model 1 or 3
date: label: date made
content: 1915
name: label: maker
content: American Can Company Adding Machine Division
notes: label: Description
content: This lever-set printing manual adding machine has an etched steel case painted black. Seven levers that move in circular arcs between slots in the front of the case. The case is painted along the edges of the slots with the digits from 0 to 9 (large and in black and white) and 9 to 0 (small and in red). The large digits are used in addition, the small ones in subtraction. Corresponding to each digit is a corrugation or depression in the cover. Digits are set by placing the index finger in the corresponding depression and raising the lever by the thumb until it is stopped by the finger. They are entered by moving down a metal handle with a wooden knob on the right side. If the red clear key to the left of the levers is pressed down, moving the knob zeros the machine.
label: Description
content: The result appears in eight windows above the levers. Another handle, on the left side, zeros digits set incorrectly. The printing mechanism at the back top of the machine prints up to eight digits. This example has no paper tape. There are four rubber feet.
label: Description
content: Compare 1986.0894.01. The American adding machine was introduced in 1914, and models 1 and 3 were made previous to October, 1917. By 1924, American adding machines were made by the American Adding Machine Company of Chicago.
label: Description
content: The machine is marked on a plaque attached to the front: AMERICAN (/) ADDING MACHINE (/) AMERICAN CAN COMPANY (/) ADDING MACHINE DIVISION (/) CHICAGO, ILL. No. It is also marked there: PAT. AUG. 27, 1912 (/) OTHER PATS. PEND. It is marked under the levers: PAY ROLL DISTRIBUTION - SEE INSTRUCTIONS.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: J. H. McCarthy, <I>The American Digest of Business Machines</I>, Chicago: American Exchange Service, 1924, p. 27, 518.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
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
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mr. J. Tendler
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.316199
label: accession number
content: 224213
label: catalog number
content: 316199
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: aluminum (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 26.8 cm x 29 cm x 44 cm; 10 9/16 in x 11 13/32 in x 17 5/16 in