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Marchant Model DRB8 Calculating Machine

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Marchant Calculating Machine Company
Description
This full-keyboard, non-printing electric duplex pinwheel calculating machine has a metal case painted black and eight columns of black and white color-coded plastic keys. A red clearance key is at the bottom of each column. The underlying keyboard is painted green. Between banks of keys are metal rods for decimal markers. Right of the number keys are red plastic ADD and CLEAR keys, as well as an unmarked red key. When the add key is depressed, the keyboard clears after each operation. Above the clear key are subtraction and addition bars. Right of these is a black lever for use in division. Left of the number keys is the switch for turning on the motor.
In back of the keyboard is a movable carriage with two registers. The upper register has 13 dials and is used to find results as on a usual Marchant machine. The lower register has 15 dials and will total results obtained in the upper register if a lever on the left side of the carriage is set at T. Behind this are eight windows for showing digits entered, a lever that may be set at multiplication or division, and seven windows for the revolution register. There are two black keys next to the carriage to clear the registers, as well as a TOTAL CLEAR key to the left of the revolution register. A metal carriage shift handle is at the front, and the motor is at the back. The machine has a black cord.
A metal plate attached to the left side of the machine reads: MARCHANT. A metal tag on the base has a tag with the serial number: DRB8-1157. Stamped on the base is the number 10060. A mark on the back top of the machine reads: MANUFACTURED FOR (/) THE (/) MARCHANT (/) CALCULATING (/) MACHINE CO. (/) SIMPLICITY (/) ACCURACY (/) SPEED. a metal tag on the motor reads: WESTINGHOUSE ELEC. & MFG. CO. Another mark on this tag reads: 139238.
The style of the MARCHANT label on the side of the machine indicates that it dates before 1933.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Victor Comptometer Corporation
1931
ID Number
MA.323610
catalog number
323610
accession number
250163
maker number
DRB8-1157
Object Name
calculating machine
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
rubber (overall material)
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 19 cm x 33 cm x 45.5 cm; 7 15/32 in x 13 in x 17 29/32 in
place made
United States: California, Oakland
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Calculating Machines
Science & Mathematics
National Museum of American History
Subject
Mathematics
Record ID
nmah_690719
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-0d62-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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Marchant Model DRB8 Calculating Machine
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