Addiator




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		"Addiator" type calculators

	Addiator is the trade name of the company which manufactured very popular, small, hand-held mechanical calculators of the same name. In the same way that "hoover" has become synonymous with vacuum cleaner, so "Addiator" became synonymous with this type of calculator. On this page are examples of true Addiators and models from other manufacturers: Addiator Gem Other models Addiator

Front - for addition.

Rear - for subtraction.

Sterling currency Addiator.

121 x 178 x 6 mm (4.75" x 7" x 0.25").

Made in Germany 1920s - 1930s.

This is a British Sterling currency calculator for the old £sd (pounds, shillings, and pence) currency in use before 1971. See the Sterling Currency Calculators section for further details.

One side of the instrument is used for addition and the reverse for subtraction. The stylus advances each column by the number to be added or subtracted, with carry possible to the next column.


	These early Addiators are quite large items, though were the pocket calculator of the day. Later models were much smaller, as shown at the bottom of this page.


		From "Calculating Machines & Instruments", Science Museum, London, about a similar exhibit there: "Made and presented by Addiator Gesellschaft, Berlin. This instrument, which shows the latest development of the Troncet type of arithmograph, was placed on the market in August 1920, and 100,000 examples were sold within a year. It is attractively designed on mass production lines, and various models are made, adapted to different systems of coinage, weights and measures." This type of calculator was introduced by the Frenchman Troncet in 1889. The Addiator was one of the most popular calculators of this sort, and the name is often used to refer to the type generally. They were very popular and many models were manufactured into the 1970s and specialist ones even into the 1980s. They were often much smaller than these early Addiators, see the models at the bottom of this page.

	GEM Harry Mernick has kindly provided these excellent photographs and details of his GEM calculator.



		The calculator set in the zero state.

The calculator in use with the total showing in the result windows of £54 3s 1 1/4d (that is 54 pounds, 3 shillings, and 1 1/4 pennies).

GEM Sterling currency calculator.

Size: 107 x 220 x 6.5 mm (4.25" x 8.7" x 0.25").
Weight: 75 g.

Made in England 1880s - 1900s.

This GEM calculator is an unusual and very early example of the "Addiator" type of calculator. The catalog entry for one which has been on display in the Science Museum in London says that it was patented by J. Guthrie in 1890 (patent specification, 1890. no. 15062) and that it was presented to the museum in 1905.

It is made of wood, probably pine, with varnished card top surface and sliders. There is no zeroing mechanism, the sliders have to be individually returned to zero.

This model is a British Sterling currency calculator for the old £sd (pounds, shillings, and pence) currency in use before 1971. See the Sterling Currency Calculators section for further details.

Grateful thanks to Harry Mernick for supplying the photographs and information of this machine.


	Other models of the "Addiator" type


	*Click on an image here for more pictures and technical details of these "Addiator" type calculators:*


			Addfeet Junior feet & inches calculator.

	The two sides of the Kingson Four Rule calculator with an "Addiator" on one side and a slide rule on the other.