Comptograph
date: label: date made
content: ca 1890
name: label: maker
content: Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company
notes: label: Description
content: This printing key-driven adding machine machine has a cherry case, a steel mechanism, steel keys with German silver and plastic key tops, and steel dials at the front that record the result. The eight columns of keys have nine keys in each column. The celluloid discs in the key tops are color-coded for cents (the two rightmost columns that are white), dollars to hundreds of dollars (the three middle columns that are turquoise), and thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars (the two leftmost columns that are white). Complementary digits are indicated on the discs. Nine numeral dials show the result through a single glass window in a metal piece at the front of the machine. A zeroing knob with lever is on the right side at the front. The printing mechanism is at the back, with a roll of paper tape above it. The paper tape is held down by a heavy curved wire. The wooden container for the paper tape folds down, covering the printing mechanism for transfer.
label: Description
content: The machine has serial number 189, indicated at the center of the machine in front of the numeral wheels. It is marked on a metal tag on the right side of the machine: COMPTOGRAPH (/) PATENTED (/) JULY. 19. 87. 366945 [. . .] NOV. 25 90. 441,233 (/) FELT & TARRANT MFG. CO. (/) 52-53 ILLINOIS ST. (/) CHICAGO. The patent numbers and patent dates given are the first and last of those listed.
label: Description
content: This device is from the collection of Felt & Tarrant Manufacturing Company, as passed down to Victor Comptometer Corporation. It is described as #18 in that collection, an “improved narrow printing comptograph.”
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: U.S. Patents 568020 and 568021.
label: Description
content: Accession Journal 1991.3107.06.
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 Victor Comptometer Corporation
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.323634
label: catalog number
content: 323634
label: maker number
content: 189
label: accession number
content: 250163
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 34.5 cm x 24.7 cm x 42.5 cm; 13 19/32 in x 9 23/32 in x 16 23/32 in