A Nickel-Plated Low-priced Arithmetical Godsend (1922)

JF Ptak Science Books  Quick Post

The small $25 miracle/godsend to number crunchers everywhere was this small, nine-place, sliding-digit chain-adder mechanical calculator, set in nickel-plated metal, and which we see in this fantastic and half-bizarre ad in Illustrirte Zeitung for June 1922. The instrument was about eight inches long and came in its owns hard case, and was a very good instrument for the lowish-end market.  The add of course is fantastic. ("Die Erloesung" could I guess be transliterated as "Deliverance!" from the drudgery of making calculations by hand.) 

 

"The ARITHMETIC UNIT are "ToothWheels" on a common axle. They are moved
forward by the toothed column levers pulled down with the stylus.  Two
versions with 9 or 13 columns exist.  Hans Sabielny, Dresden / Germany
improved the »RapidComputer«  made by Adding Maschine, Michigan / USA,
got patents for and let it produce as »COMPTATOR« by Schubert & Salzer
in Chemnitz.  From 1922 he produced it in his own factory in Dresden."
           --http://public.beuth-hochschule.de/hamann/smalladd/comp.html

Also see:  http://www.mechanicalculator.com/small-adders/chain-adders/6903554