Vintage mechanical calculator - photo

[Jon]

Vintage mechanical calculator.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...r_fullsize.jpg





Previously:

Curta mechanical pocket calculator - photos
Odhner Arithmometer pinwheel calculator - video
Mechanical calculator trying to divide by zero

[JoeVanGeaux]

Looks like an old Friden.

[Beserkleyboy]

We had 3 Marchant hand crank models, converted with a motor hung off the carriage, and 2 smaller electric Monroe models at our lumber yard in Pleasant Hill, CA in the 60s. We did not replace them till the mid-late 70s! Folks would come in just to see the clerks clattering away, shifting the carriage...thanks for the memories...again..
Jim

[hemmjo]

When I was a kid, my friend's dad had one with the hand crank in his home office. We spent hours pushing the buttons on that machine. As I recall the bigger the number you keyed in the harder it was to turn the crank, but the more gratifying the noise was when you turned it.

[Toolmaker51]

Friden maybe, Burroughs was my impression with that little ten-key off the side.
Either way no match for more elegant and compact Comptometer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comptometer

This wikipedia photo identical to what my Aunt used, tallying AR's/AP's well into the full size desk electronic calculator era. Worked there 50+ years, retired and took The Comptometer home and did a little home business with it. It has been serviced but NEVER required repairs, used 5 [and probably a few 6] week days; by her only.
This machine, despite all the keys can outrun another skilled operator on a digital. I think the trick lies in dual numbered keys, instead of separate = + - % X /.
Due that operational design, requirement is better than average mathematics skills, to enact proper sequences.

[Duke_of_URL]

Used to move these beasts around from desk to desk at my father's office as a kid. Heavy monsters. It took mechanical geniuses to design these things and really sharp techs to keep them working.

[VinnieL]

I remember when all the banks had them at each teller station.

[hemmjo]

I remember when all the banks had them at each teller station.

Yep, I remember that also, scary things is, soon to come will be the question, "Grandpa, what is a teller?"

[jdurand]

I was once in the control room of a large facility (visitor, not the time I was programming the controls) and they had one of those calculators. I entered a non-terminating division and hit GO. It was a clunking and click'n and a clack'n away when one of the operators can running over a pulled the plug. He thought I'd broken it.

sorry.

I have a very old manually operated many digit dial calculator, very nice (and works without batteries!).