Monroe Model KA Calculating Machine
date: label: date made
content: ca 1930
name: label: maker
content: Monroe Calculating Machine Company
notes: label: Description
content: This full-keyboard, electric, non-printing modified stepped drum calculating machine has a steel frame painted black, with rounded corners. The metal plate under the keyboard is painted green. The six columns of plastic keys are colored black or white according to the place value of the digit represented. A red clearance key is at the bottom of each column. Rods between the rows of keys serve as decimal markers. They are unpainted on one side and painted the same green as the plate under the keyboard on the other.
label: Description
content: A column to the right of the number keys has three keys. One clears the entire keyboard. The other two are set to determine whether or not the keyboard clears after each calculation. Above these are plastic bars which may be depressed for electric addition or subtraction. The machine also operates using a removable crank that fits on the right side and rotates clockwise for addition and counterclockwise for subtraction.
label: Description
content: In back of the keyboard is a carriage that has a row of 12 numeral dials for recording results and a row of six numeral dials behind these, which serve as a revolution register. The revolution register has no carry. Two thin metal rods between the windows for these registers carry decimal markers. The carriage shift lever is at the front of the machine. To the right of the result register is a knob for lifting the carriage. On the right side of the carriage is the zeroing crank for dials on it. The machine has four rubber feet. The motor is attached to the left side of the machine and has an on-off switch. It has a fraying electrical cord attached. The on-off switch for the bell is on the back left of the keyboard.
label: Description
content: A mark on the center back of the machine reads: MONROE (/) Calculating Machine Company (/) New York, U.S.A. A mark on the left bottom edge of the carriage and on the right side of the machine under the carriage gives the serial number A20317. The machine is from after 1924 and before 1939. In the later years, it was known as the KA-120.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: J. H. McCarthy, <I>The Business Machines and Equipment Digest</I>, 1928, pp. 9-29 to 9-33.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Calculating 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.323614
label: catalog number
content: 323614
label: maker number
content: A20312
label: accession number
content: 250163
objectType: label: Object Name
content: calculating machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: aluminum (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cloth (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 19.8 cm x 47 cm x 37 cm; 7 25/32 in x 18 1/2 in x 14 9/16 in