Universal Model 5 Adding Machine
date: label: date made
content: 1906
name: label: maker
content: Universal Accountant Machine Company
notes: label: Description
content: This full keyboard printing manually operated adding machine has a metal and glass case, with the metal painted black. The keyboard is covered with green felt. There are nine columns of black and white color-coded plastic number keys, with a red clearance key at the bottom of each column. Two of the clearance keys are missing. The key stems for the number keys are bent to ensure that the keys form columns. A button on the left clears the entire keyboard. There is also a lever to the right of the keyboard. When it is shifted up, the keyboard automatically zeros after addition. When it is shifted down, the keyboard remains set after an addition, so that the lever also serves as a repeat key. A crank in the right side of the machine drives it. Behind the keyboard are nine white numeral dials that show the result through glass windows in the case. When the repeat lever is shifted up, the clearance button is depressed and the operating crank is brought forward, and the total decreases (it seems likely that this is supposed to zero the adding wheels).
label: Description
content: At the top of the machine is a printing mechanism, with a two-colored ribbon. The carriage is 33 cm. wide, 46 cm. with the handles. The eight platen positions are set manually by release levers at the top. This is a blind printing machine, with the paper or paper tape emerging at the top so that it is visible to the operator. It has a two-color ribbon. A bell on the carriage handle rings when one approaches the bottom of a piece of paper.
label: Description
content: The machine is marked at the front: UNIVERSAL (/) ACCOUNTANT MACHINE CO. (/) St. LOUIS, MO. (/) PAT.APR.20,1897, PAT.NOV.28, 1899, PAT.JULY 24, 1900 (/) PATENTS APPLIED FOR. It is marked behind the keyboard, over the result dials: Universal. It is marked on paper behind the carriage: No UAM (/) CO 5.
label: Description
content: Universal Accountant Machine Company was organized by 1898 and purchased by Burroughs Adding Machine Company in 1908. The model originally sold for $300, with electric drive $75 extra. It was introduced in about 1905. Burroughs discontinued production of the machine.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: J. H. McCarthy, <I>The American Digest of Business Machines</I>, Chicago: American Exchange Service, 1924, p. 544.
label: Description
content: E. Martin, <I>The Calculating Machines (Die Rechenmaschinen)</I>, trans. P. A. Kidwell and M. R. Williams, Cambridge: MIT Press, 1992, p. 148.
label: Description
content: The Universal Accountant Machine Company, “1905 Model” and “Universal Adding Machines,” Warshaw Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Missouri, St. Louis
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Adding Machines
label: See more items in
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.323591
label: catalog number
content: 323591
label: accession number
content: 250163
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: fabric (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 cm x 45 cm x 54 cm; 14 31/32 in x 17 23/32 in x 21 1/4 in