1800s Strange Mystery Device- Possible Early Mechanical Calculator?

[Michael Earnhardt]

Hello everyone, my name is Michael Earnhardt.  I am new to this forum, and I was hoping that some of yall might could shed some light on an antique device I have encountered.  I have attached to this message 8 photos of the device, and I don't know if it is a calculator or adding machine at all, but I figured yall might could steer me in the right direction. 

Any help or advice you might have  is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to speaking with yall.  Thank you for your help, and for reading- Best Regards, Michael Earnhardt

[Arthur Rosen]

Hi Michael,

Only three photos showed up.

On Sun, May 7, 2023 at 10:26 AM Michael Earnhardt <215.2...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello everyone, my name is Michael Earnhardt.  I am new to this forum, and I was hoping that some of yall might could shed some light on an antique device I have encountered.  I have attached to this message 8 photos of the device, and I don't know if it is a calculator or adding machine at all, but I figured yall might could steer me in the right direction. 

Any help or advice you might have  is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to speaking with yall.  Thank you for your help, and for reading- Best Regards, Michael Earnhardt

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[Paulos, Richard G]

Looks home made to me. The buttons look hand cut out of wood. The metal counter on the front is quite similar to bicycle odometers that were accessories for bicycles from the 1880s to the 1970s. Cyclo was one British brand that resembles the counter. Lucas (the Prince of Darkness) made them in the same shape. They would be bolted to the bicycle front wheel axle. A pin clamped to a spoke would flick the star wheel every wheel revolution. Many were calibrated to a particular wheel size to be somewhat accurate. By 1970, most were plastic. Some had 2 number sets for reset-able daily trip meter and lifetime odometer. I would guess there were variants used for all kinds of industrial purposes.

Rick

________________________________________
From: oldcalcul...@googlegroups.com <oldcalcul...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Arthur Rosen <artro...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 7, 2023 2:07 PM
To: oldcalcul...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [External] Re: [oldcalculatorforum] 1800s Strange Mystery Device- Possible Early Mechanical Calculator?

Hi Michael,
Only three photos showed up.

On Sun, May 7, 2023 at 10:26 AM Michael Earnhardt <215.2...@gmail.com<mailto:215.2...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Hello everyone, my name is Michael Earnhardt. I am new to this forum, and I was hoping that some of yall might could shed some light on an antique device I have encountered. I have attached to this message 8 photos of the device, and I don't know if it is a calculator or adding machine at all, but I figured yall might could steer me in the right direction.

Any help or advice you might have is greatly appreciated, and I look forward to speaking with yall. Thank you for your help, and for reading- Best Regards, Michael Earnhardt

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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to oldcalculatorfo...@googlegroups.com<mailto:oldcalculatorfo...@googlegroups.com>.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/oldcalculatorforum/f684a5e4-a7e1-4d00-ad5f-f69ca59c7c13n%40googlegroups.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/oldcalculatorforum/f684a5e4-a7e1-4d00-ad5f-f69ca59c7c13n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

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TAX ADVICE DISCLOSURE: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS under Circular 230, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments), unless otherwise specifically stated, was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (1) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (2) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any matters addressed herein.

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[calcucris]

It certainly looks like an elaborate counting device. With the three pictures available, I can't really tell what's on the keys in neigbouring columns, but assuming that two columns of keys operate one gear rack coming out the front, it should then have had five of these counters on the front, to count five categories of things ... It may be a patent model, perhaps? Where did this surface, US or Europe ?

Best wishes,

Cris

[Michael Earnhardt]

Hello!  Yes, I had attempted initially to post the 8 photos, but google seemed to only allow 3 at the time- it kept telling me "my message was too long".  Here are the other photos, and if anyone needs additional photos, I can supply those as well.  Thanks!

[Michael Earnhardt]

More Pictures

[Michael Earnhardt]

Hi Rick!  That is very interesting posting about the early Veeder Bicycle Odometers.  Oddly enough, although I am quite an avid typewriter enthusiast, my current specialty is actually antique bicycles, so when you mentioned the early Veeder odometers, I knew exactly what you were referring to.  The counter on this device, does closely resemble those used as early odometers.  That is also a good point you made regarding how it looks hand made or home made.  When I saw it, I was under the impression that it looks like something that could have been custom built for a specific application or specific facility.  Although it is well built, there are certain elements such as the hand-painted numbers on the keys, and that they are made of wood, as well as a less refined construction of the outer wooden casing, that corroborate this notion of being hand or home made.  You will also notice on the side of the device are a series of pulleys, almost as it this device was connected to and interfaced with a much larger piece of equipment using the pulleys.   Thanks!  -Michael

[Michael Earnhardt]

Hello Cris!   I have posted some additional photos to this thread.  You mention how it appears this device should have a total of 5 counters on it, but only one remains.  I agree with this idea, because if you look closely at some of the photos, you can see on the front of the wood case, the ghosted outline of where it looks like additional counters were mounted.  They however, appear to have been mounted less resiliently, and have therefore been lost over time.  The key tops appear very weathered and worn, which makes me question if this was a patent model, which would have seen only very limited use.  I get the impression, that this device may have seen many years of use perhaps.  I'll tell you where I got it.  I bought it at a local antique/junkers place, here in Western/central North Carolina.  I believe it is local to this region, and at the time this device was built in the 1890s-1900s, this region was the textile and furniture capital of the world, and most every town, even small ones, had at least 1,2, or 3 mills in it.  I question if this may be a piece of equipment from such a mill as that.  Of all of those old-time mills, only about half are still standing, having been going out of business and demolished for the last 30 years, and of those still standing, maybe only half of those are still operating.  So my best guess currently, is that it may have been some sort of interface for a piece of mill equipment, but I really don't know.  Thanks!  -Michael