Baldwin calculating machine
Date1897-1907
Inventory Number1997-1-0246
ClassificationCalculating Machine
Subject
Attributed to
Frank S. Baldwin
1838 - 1925
Cultural Region
Place of Origin
Dimensions18.5 × 29.3 × 20.1 cm (7 5/16 × 11 9/16 × 7 15/16 in.)
Material
Accessoriesinstruction manual (in object file); history of instrument (both in very poor condition)
DescriptionThe calculating machine is encased in a rectangular wooden box. There is a metal key hole on the outside of the bottom half of the box and a metal latching mechanism attached to the outside of the top of the box. Inside, the calculator is fixed in a black metal faceplate that covers the internal workings of the calculator.
At the bottom right-had corner of the black calculator face is a metal crank with a black handle. Above the crank is a small metal plate engraved "MUL" with an arrow pointing to the right and below the crank is a small metal plate engraved "DIV" with an arrow also pointing to the right. The arrows serve to indicate that the crank will be rotated counterclockwise to perform division and subtraction and clockwise to perform multiplication and addition.
In the center of the calculator is a metal drum with eight bands on it. Each band can be rotated in a forwards manner. Above the drum is a black carriage that can slide back and forth. At the bottom of the carriage, closest to the drum, is a set of sixteen numeral display windows (small circular holes in the black casing) through which a single numeral from 0 to 9, in black on a white back ground, can be seen. The display circles are partitioned by five red plastic arrows. There is a red arrow after two places from the right, and then there are three arrows after each of the next three windows leaving two at the leftmost end. At the rightmost end of the carriage, in line with these display circles is a metal crank with a black plastic handle.
The eight moveable bands on the metal drum are used to select what numeral will be displayed in the eight display circles located directly above them. Each band consists of fourteen blank increments, and ten increments marked in black with the numerals from 0 to 9 in increasing order from bottom to top. There is a metal band that runs underneath the numeral display circles, excluding the two rightmost ones. It has three tracks in it supporting a horizontally sliding metal piece. Each track is the length of three numeral displays and, excluding the leftmost two windows, the tracks are positioned every three display circles. Directly above each band on the drum is a set of eight numeral display windows.
Above this set of numeral displays is another set of nine smaller numeral display windows. Every three windows there is a red plastic arrow beginning with one all the way to the right. There is also a metal crank with a black plastic handle attached to the rightmost end of the carriage in line with these displays. There is another metal band running the length of the displays with a three-numeral long track supporting a metal sliding piece beneath the three rightmost and the three leftmost displays.
Each band on the metal drum is perforated into a series of small squares. Next to some of the squares is a small raised metal dot. To the left and in front of the drum is a small metal button. To the right of the drum is a rotating gear wheel half embedded in the metal face-plate of the calculator.
The Baldwin Calculator Brochure has been digitized and is available here. The brochure contains information about Mr. Baldwin's patents, the function and capacity of the calculator, and it’s pricing.
Also, Mr. Baldwin's patent letters can be accessed in digital copy here.
At the bottom right-had corner of the black calculator face is a metal crank with a black handle. Above the crank is a small metal plate engraved "MUL" with an arrow pointing to the right and below the crank is a small metal plate engraved "DIV" with an arrow also pointing to the right. The arrows serve to indicate that the crank will be rotated counterclockwise to perform division and subtraction and clockwise to perform multiplication and addition.
In the center of the calculator is a metal drum with eight bands on it. Each band can be rotated in a forwards manner. Above the drum is a black carriage that can slide back and forth. At the bottom of the carriage, closest to the drum, is a set of sixteen numeral display windows (small circular holes in the black casing) through which a single numeral from 0 to 9, in black on a white back ground, can be seen. The display circles are partitioned by five red plastic arrows. There is a red arrow after two places from the right, and then there are three arrows after each of the next three windows leaving two at the leftmost end. At the rightmost end of the carriage, in line with these display circles is a metal crank with a black plastic handle.
The eight moveable bands on the metal drum are used to select what numeral will be displayed in the eight display circles located directly above them. Each band consists of fourteen blank increments, and ten increments marked in black with the numerals from 0 to 9 in increasing order from bottom to top. There is a metal band that runs underneath the numeral display circles, excluding the two rightmost ones. It has three tracks in it supporting a horizontally sliding metal piece. Each track is the length of three numeral displays and, excluding the leftmost two windows, the tracks are positioned every three display circles. Directly above each band on the drum is a set of eight numeral display windows.
Above this set of numeral displays is another set of nine smaller numeral display windows. Every three windows there is a red plastic arrow beginning with one all the way to the right. There is also a metal crank with a black plastic handle attached to the rightmost end of the carriage in line with these displays. There is another metal band running the length of the displays with a three-numeral long track supporting a metal sliding piece beneath the three rightmost and the three leftmost displays.
Each band on the metal drum is perforated into a series of small squares. Next to some of the squares is a small raised metal dot. To the left and in front of the drum is a small metal button. To the right of the drum is a rotating gear wheel half embedded in the metal face-plate of the calculator.
The Baldwin Calculator Brochure has been digitized and is available here. The brochure contains information about Mr. Baldwin's patents, the function and capacity of the calculator, and it’s pricing.
Also, Mr. Baldwin's patent letters can be accessed in digital copy here.
Signedunsigned
on the cover of the instruction manual: BALDWIN 1902 CALCULATING MACHINE
Curatorial RemarksAlthough the instrument itself is unsigned, the accompanying documentation indicate strongly that the instrument is made by Baldwin.
Instruction manual is in object file and has not been scanned.
FunctionThe calculating machine can be used to perform all the basic arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The number to be operated upon is input to the calculator using the metal drum. Each of the disks on the drum can be rotated in a forward manner to set the numeral in the larger set of numeral displays immediately above.
In order to add, users turn the main crank (in the bottom right hand side of the machine casing) clockwise until it is in the MUL position (either one or one half revolutions depending on what position the crank is in at the beginning). To subtract, users do the same in the counterclockwise direction until the crank is at the DIV position. In order to multiply and divide, a second number is input in the upper numeral displays (a multiplier or divider) by moving the carriage from side to side and using the metal drum.
The Baldwin Calculator Brochure has been digitized and is available here. The brochure contains information about Mr. Baldwin's patents, the function and capacity of the calculator, and its pricing.
In order to add, users turn the main crank (in the bottom right hand side of the machine casing) clockwise until it is in the MUL position (either one or one half revolutions depending on what position the crank is in at the beginning). To subtract, users do the same in the counterclockwise direction until the crank is at the DIV position. In order to multiply and divide, a second number is input in the upper numeral displays (a multiplier or divider) by moving the carriage from side to side and using the metal drum.
The Baldwin Calculator Brochure has been digitized and is available here. The brochure contains information about Mr. Baldwin's patents, the function and capacity of the calculator, and its pricing.
ProvenanceFrom the Howard Aiken Computation Laboratory, Harvard University, 33 Oxford Street, picked up on March 13, 1997.
Compagnie Nationale des Machines de Bureau
Date: circa 1945
Accessories: two instruction booklets for a similar model made by British company Friden Calculating Machine Co. (in English)
Object number: 1990-5-0027
Felt and Tarrant Manufacturing Company
Date: 1887-1900
Object number: 5400
CASIO Computer Company, Ltd.
Date: 1970-1980
Accessories: vinyl pouch with folded over snap cover and hanging loop; batteries
Object number: 1995-1-0012
Gebrüder Haff
Date: 1960-1969
Accessories: plush-lined, hard green case
white card with instrument information in case
Object number: 1999-1-0005
Reliable Typewriter & Adding Machine Company
Date: circa 1930
Accessories: leather case with folding cover; metal operation stylus
Object number: 1990-5-0024
Thomas de Colmar
Date: circa 1860
Accessories: two instruction books (in French) dated 1856, 1860; explanatory article by F. Reuleaux (in German) dated 1892
Object number: 1990-5-0026
