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KF5JRV > TECH 27.11.16 21:55l 32 Lines 1497 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 5533_KF5JRV
Read: GUEST
Subj: Mechanical Accountant Company
Path: IW8PGT<IR2UBX<DB0RES<WA7V<CX2SA<N0KFQ<KF5JRV
Sent: 161116/1315Z 5533@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQ6.0.13
Mechanical Accountant Company
This little known competitor appeared on the key-driven calculator scene
around 1902. Located in Providence, RI and producing what is probably the
earliest key-driven machine with two registers, it seems to have survived
until at least the mid 1920s. Very little is known about model or serial
number chronology or the history of the company.
Our only sources of information is the American Digest of Business Machines
and Martin. Apparantly the side mounted short-stroke clearing lever would
zero both dial-sets, each of which was protected from external contaminants
by a clear, full-width, curved plastic piece. In contrast, both the
Comptometer and Burroughs machines had their plastic protectors mounted
beneath apertures in the register cover.
Both Martin and McCarthy tell us that the upper set of dials was for the
"last item set up on the keyboard" while a bar at the bottom of the
keyboard is for clearing the "register dials only". Unfortunately, this
last seems to be in error. We have it from Larry Wilheim who has two of
these rarities...
"...the bar across the bottom clears the individual item or top dial."
In discussing this machine, Martin states flatly "the designer is
J.A.V.Turck" who joined Felt & Tarrant at some point before 1913.
How this competitor managed to stay in business well into the 1920s
producing so few machines and without their original designer seems
a mystery.
73 Scott KF5JRV
KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
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