Lang Sales Register
date: label: date made
content: 1890
name: label: patentee
content: Lang, William
notes: label: Description
content: This small device has a tin case painted yellow and green on top and red around the edge. The top of the case has four wheels drawn on it, each of which has the digits from 1 to 9 drawn around the edge. The digits go clockwise for the first and third circles (marked “Cents” and “Dollars” and counterclockwise for the second and fourth circles (marked “Dimes” and “Dollars”). At the top of each circle, at the zero position, is a window that reveals a rotating disc below. The discs are rotated using thumbscrews that protrude from the back of the instrument. An arm on top of each circle points to a digit on the wheel. The discs advance when they are rotated in the direction of increasing digits and remain fixed when the arrows are moved back to zero.
label: Description
content: The machine is marked on the front: SALES REGISTER. It is also marked there: E.J. HOADLEY (/) MANUFACTURER OF SPECIALTIES IN CONFECTIONERY. HARTFORD, CONN, U.S.A..
label: Description
content: The Brooklyn City directory for the year ending May 1, 1890 lists ten men named William Lang. It seems likely that the William Lang who took out this patent was the William Lang who founded William Lang Company of Brooklyn and who patented a wide range of goods, including a speed-indicator, a curtain-pole ring, a box fastener, a watch case, coin-controlled vending apparatus, a pocket lighter and, with his son William A. Lang, a tuning-peg.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: U.S. Patent 431365, July 1, 1890. The patent indicates that a model was submitted.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Brooklyn
label: place patented
content: United States: New York, Brooklyn
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
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.309335
label: accession number
content: 89797
label: catalog number
content: 309335
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
label: Object Type
content: Patent Model
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: tin (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.2 cm x 17.8 cm x 7.6 cm; 7/8 in x 7 in x 3 in