Marchant Model ACT10M Calculating Machine
date: label: date made
content: ca 1942
name: label: maker
content: Marchant Calculating Machine Company, Inc.
notes: label: Description
content: This full-keyboard, non-printing electric proportional gear calculating machine has a metal case painted black and ten columns of green and white color-coded plastic keys. There is a red tabulator set key at the bottom of each column. These keys are numbered from 1 on the right to 10 on the left. The underlying keyboard is gold. Between banks of keys are rotating metal rods for decimal markers.
label: Description
content: Right of the number keys are auto divide and stop keys, subtraction and addition bars, shift keys for use in multiplication, and a reverse key. In front of these are clearance keys for the tab set and the dials. Right of these is a column of ten keys for automatic multiplication and two carriage shift keys. Above the number keys is a row of ten windows to show a number set up (the decimal markers extend from between the number keys to between these windows).
label: Description
content: Behind the entry register is a movable carriage with an 20-window result register and an 11-window revolution register. The registers on the carriage have sliding decimal markers. The motor is at the back of the machine, inside the case. Numbers are represented by the rotation of sets of gears on three shafts under the carriage. The machine sits on a stand (1988.0313.02) and has a black rubber cord.
label: Description
content: A mark on the back of the machine reads: MARCHANT. A mark on the bottom reads: ACT10M-186265. A property tag at the front reads: PROPERTY OF (/) ESSA (/) 132015. A tag at the back reads: NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS (/) 510780.
label: Description
content: In July 1966, part of the National Bureau of Standards merged with the Coast & Geodetic Survey and the Weather Bureau to form the Environmental Science Services Administration. In 1970, the activities of the ESSA were transferred to the newly extablished National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, which was part of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (formerly NBS). This machine was transferred to the Smithsonian by NOAA.
label: Description
content: Compare to Harold T. Avery’s 1940 U.S. patents 2,216,659, 2,211,736, and 2,217,195. See SCM Collection for related trade literature. The model ACT10M apparently was produced from 1940 until 1948.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: “Operating Instructions Marchant Calculators,” Oakland: Marchant Calculating Machine Company, 1942 (1979.3084.106).
label: Description
content: “Model ACT-10M,” Oakland: Marchant Calculators, Inc., Form AC-4 (1979.3084.107.2)
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: California, Oakland
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Calculating Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1988.0315.01
label: catalog number
content: 1988.0315.01
label: accession number
content: 1988.0315
label: maker number
content: ACT10M-186265
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 21.8 cm x 38.4 cm x 37 cm; 8 19/32 in x 15 1/8 in x 14 9/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 31 in x 41 in x 32 in; 78.74 cm x 104.14 cm x 81.28 cm