The Story of Marchant Calculating Machine Company and Its Impact

The Marchant Calculating Machine Company was founded in 1911 by Henry E. Marchant, who had a vision to create machines that could simplify and speed up mathematical calculations.

The company's first product was the Marchant Arithmometer, a mechanical calculator that could perform basic arithmetic operations.

Marchant's machines quickly gained popularity due to their reliability and accuracy, earning the company a reputation for quality.

By the 1920s, Marchant Calculating Machine Company had become a leading manufacturer of mechanical calculators, with a wide range of models available for various industries.

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The Marchant Calculating Machine Company produced a range of calculating machines, but one of the most notable models is the Marchant ACT-10M.

This machine uses a proportional gear mechanism, also known as the "Silent Speed", which was introduced by Harold Avery in 1934. It has a moving carriage with a 20-digit register and an 11-digit counter.

The ACT-10M has a full keyboard with 10 columns and an input display register. All the control keys and switches are located to the right of the keyboard.

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Here's a quick overview of the keys and switches on the ACT-10M:

The ACT-10M was made from about 1942 until 1948, when the design was modernized. It has serial number 283,020, which means it was one of the last ones made.

Advertisements were a vital part of Marchant Calculating Machine Company's marketing strategy. The company used various types of advertisements, including postcards, leaflets, and brochures, to promote its products.

The Marchant Calculating Machine Company Exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair in New York was showcased on a postcard. The postcard was genuine Curteich, Chicago, and dated 1939.

Marchant Calculating Machine Company also used leaflets to advertise its products. The Silent Speed Leaflet, dated 1947, was a 93mm × 208mm leaflet that promoted the Marchant Silent Speed Calculator.

Veenman's K.I.B., a Dutch company supplying office equipment, featured Marchant calculators in its 8-page booklet, Veenman's Brochure, dated 1947.

Marchant Figuremaster was promoted on a Dutch-language flyer, dated the 1950s, with a size of 203mm × 272mm.

German postcards, such as the Marchant Postcard, dated the 1950s, were used to promote new variants of the Figurematic.

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The Marchant Calculating Machine Company has a rich history that spans over a century. Founded in 1910 by Rodney and Alfred Marchant, the company was initially based in Oakland, California.

The Marchants' entrepreneurial spirit led them to market Odhner-type pinwheel machines in the USA after Rodney's encounter with them in Europe in 1905. They founded Marchant Bros in 1911 and later incorporated the company, renaming it the Marchant Calculating Machine Company Inc.

The company's early success was marked by the release of the Standard machine in 1913, which came in two register sizes. Two years later, an electrically driven version was made available, making calculations even more efficient.

In 1917, the company released the Pony, a smaller and lighter machine that was 20% smaller in size than the Standard. However, due to patent challenges, the Marchants had to develop a new mechanism, which was later adapted by engineer Carl Friden in 1921.

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The Marchant Calculating Machine Company was founded by Rodney and Alfred Marchant in 1911 in Oakland, California, after Rodney encountered Odhner-type pinwheel machines in Europe in 1905.

Their first machine, the Standard, was released in 1913, coming in two register sizes, and an electrically driven version was made in 1915.

The Pony, released in 1917, was significantly smaller and lighter than the Standard.

Due to patent challenges, the Marchant brothers had to develop a different mechanism, which led to the adapting segment design in 1921.

The models XL and XLA, released in 1923, used this mechanism, with the XLA still having the register and counter on the moving carriage.

The XL had the counter in a fixed position to the right of the input, and many models and variations were made based on the XL.

In the early 1930s, the Great Depression forced the company to reduce the number of models and variants from 40 to just 2, with the XL being one of them.

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Carl Friden left the company around 1930 to found his own calculator company in San Leandro.

A new mechanism was designed by Harold Avery, and the first machines based on this mechanism were released in 1934, called "Silent Speed".

Marchant continued to produce models using only this mechanism until the 1960s, with improved versions being released after the war.

The company was eventually bought by Smith Corona in 1958, and they moved into electronic desk calculators, but ultimately stopped making calculators in the early 1970s.

Marchant calculators had patents filed for them, but only a small selection of these patents are available.

The patents were filed for Marchant calculators, which is a testament to the innovative designs and features of these calculators.

Here is only a small selection of the patents that were filed for Marchant calculators.

The Marchant Calculating Machine Company was a pioneer in manufacturing calculating machines in the early 20th century. Their manufacturing process was detailed in a four-part series in The American Machinist from 1917 to 1918.

Frank A. Stanley's series, "Manufacturing a Calculating Machine in a Western Shop", provided a step-by-step guide on how to manufacture the Marchant Standard or Pony. The process involved precision and attention to detail, reflecting the high standards of the company.

The casing of the Standard or Pony was formed using punches and dies, as detailed in Stanley's 1919 book, "Punches and Dies", published by McGraw Hill Book Co. This innovative approach allowed for efficient and accurate production of machine parts.

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The Marchant nameplate was a distinctive feature on their pinwheel machines, and it's easy to spot on the front of the extending-segment machines, specifically the XL, XLA, and some full-keyboard models.

These machines often had a large Marchant nameplate on the rear, which was also used on the sides of some full-keyboard models.

An early "Silent Speed" logo was featured on the patent label on the underside of the ACT10.

The Marchant logo, by contrast, was used on the rear of the later Figurematic machines.

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The manufacturing process for calculating machines was a complex and detailed process, as seen in a four-part series by Frank A. Stanley in The American Machinist from 1917-1918. The series, titled "Manufacturing a Calculating Machine in a Western Shop", provided a step-by-step guide to manufacturing the Marchant Standard or Pony.

In the early 20th century, manufacturing calculating machines involved the use of punches and dies, as detailed in Frank A. Stanley's book "Punches and Dies" published in 1919 by McGraw Hill Book Co. This book provided a comprehensive overview of how parts of the casing of the Standard or Pony were formed.

The manufacturing process required great precision and attention to detail, as evident from the series in The American Machinist. Frank A. Stanley's expertise in the field was evident in his ability to break down the process into manageable steps.

The use of punches and dies was a crucial part of the manufacturing process, allowing for the mass production of parts for the calculating machine.

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The Marchant factories and buildings have a rich history. The company first bought ground for its first factory in 1914.

Ground was purchased for the first factory, marking the beginning of Marchant's manufacturing operations. The company's growth was evident as it started building a new plant in 1915.

A devastating fire destroyed the Marchant factory on November 29, 1919. The factory was rebuilt, and the company continued to expand its operations.

Marchant's expansion into the new west was well-planned, as evident from the book "How to Win the Markets of the New West" published in 1947. This strategic move helped the company tap into new markets and opportunities.

The company's operations continued to grow, and a new plant was built in Emeryville, as seen in the photo of Plant No. 2. This expansion allowed Marchant to increase its production capacity and meet the growing demand for its calculators.

In 1958, Marchant moved into its new World Headquarters Building, marking a significant milestone in the company's history.

The Marchant Calculating Machine Company was founded in 1911 by Rodney and Alfred Marchant in Oakland, California. They started by manufacturing pinwheel calculators, which were similar to the Odhner arithmometer.

Their first machine was the Standard, which came in two register sizes. In 1915, an electrically driven version was made.

The company's first machines were similar to the Odhner arithmometer, but they later developed a new mechanism called the adapting segment design, which was introduced in the Pony model in 1917.

This mechanism was used in the models XL and XLA, released in 1923. The XLA had the register and counter on the moving carriage, while the XL had the counter in a fixed position to the right of the input.

The Marchant Calculating Machine Company continued to produce calculators using the adapting segment mechanism until the 1930s, when the Great Depression forced them to reduce their product line.

In 1934, the company introduced a new mechanism called "Silent Speed", which was designed by Harold Avery. This mechanism was used in the "Figuremaster" and "Figurematic" calculators, and later in the "Transflo" calculators.

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The Silent Speed mechanism was notable for its speed, running at 1,300 cycles per minute. This was faster than most other calculators of the time, and made the Marchant calculators highly regarded for their speed and accuracy.

The Marchant calculators also had a unique feature: their result dials moved at speeds proportional to the digit in the corresponding column of the keyboard. This was a departure from other calculators, which had result dials that moved at a single speed.

The Marchant calculators were also notable for their complexity, with many layers of levers, linkages, and latches beneath the keys. This made them more difficult to service and repair than some other calculators, such as the Friden STW.