Original Odhner Calculating Machine
date: label: date made
content: ca 1950
name: label: maker
content: Aktiebolaget Original Odhner
notes: label: Description
content: This Swedish lever-set non-printing pinwheel calculating machine has a metal frame painted black, with eight metal pinwheels and a metal base. Numbers are set by rotating the pinwheels forward, using levers that extend from the wheels. Digits inscribed on the frame next to the rotating pinwheels show the number set, as well as a set of windows above the pinwheels that shows these digits.
label: Description
content: The carriage at the front of the machine has eight windows for the revolution counter on the left and thirteen windows for the result register on the right. The revolution counter has tens carry. Cranks at opposite ends of the carriage zero the registers on the carriage. Pushing down a lever at the front releases the carriage. Metal buttons may be pushed down to move the carriage one unit left or right.
label: Description
content: A crank with a wooden knob on the right side of the machine rotates clockwise for addition and multiplication and counterclockwise for subtraction and division. Thin metal rods above the registers carry decimal markers. A black plastic lever is next to the result register. A bell rings when the result changes sign (negative to positive or positive to negative).
label: Description
content: A mark on the top of the machine reads: AKTIEBOLAGET (/) Original-Odhner (/) GOTEBORG SVERIGE. A mark on the back reads: No 39-279039. A second mark there reads: MADE IN SWEDEN.
label: Description
content: According to the <I>Odhner History</I>, the model 39 was in production in 1944. An instruction pamphlet received with the machine (1978.2290.02) is dated 1949. The donor dated the machine to about 1950.
label: Description
content: According to the accession file, the donor of this object, George K. Lucey, flew U.S. Army planes during World War II, and was a navigator for TWA for 22 years.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Henry Wassen, <I>Odhner History</I>, Gothenburg, Aktiebolaget Original-Odhner, 1951.
label: Description
content: Accession file.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Sweden: Västra Götaland, Gothenburg
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Calculating Machines
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of George K. Lucey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1978.2290.01
label: accession number
content: 1978.2290
label: catalog number
content: 336873
label: maker number
content: 39-279039
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 12.8 cm x 32 cm x 14 cm; 5 1/32 in x 12 19/32 in x 5 1/2 in