1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

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Foureyes
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1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Foureyes »

I am researching the development of handheld/desktop calculators and would be grateful for any help on an unusual mechanical device I remember being used by some boys at Housie during my time there - 1948-1955. I have searched Google but cannot find it, but a keyword would help.
It fitted into the hand and the frame was made of metal and was quite thin. There were a series of vertical sliders, each with holes numbered 0-9. It was operated by a stylus which was inserted into the appropriate hole and then moved (I think) downwards. If the resulting figure exceeded 9 the stylus was then used to track sideways to the next column. As you can see, my memory is a bit hazy, but, hey, it was a long time ago!
As I recall, it was quite expensive so only a few people had one.
I emphasis that it was entirely mechanical (handraulic, as they say), there was no question of electrical operation.
Any help gratefully received,
David :shock:
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Katharine »

It sounds something like a development of an abacus, but I can’t say any more than that.

If you have ever seen someone using an abacus skilfully it is surprising how quickly they can do it, and, of course, get the right answer. Even more surprising is seeing someone make the same movements without a physical abacus and still get the right answer!
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LongGone
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by LongGone »

Foureyes wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 5:22 pm I am researching the development of handheld/desktop calculators and would be grateful for any help on an unusual mechanical device I remember being used by some boys at Housie during my time there - 1948-1955. I have searched Google but cannot find it, but a keyword would help.
It fitted into the hand and the frame was made of metal and was quite thin. There were a series of vertical sliders, each with holes numbered 0-9. It was operated by a stylus which was inserted into the appropriate hole and then moved (I think) downwards. If the resulting figure exceeded 9 the stylus was then used to track sideways to the next column. As you can see, my memory is a bit hazy, but, hey, it was a long time ago!
As I recall, it was quite expensive so only a few people had one.
I emphasis that it was entirely mechanical (handraulic, as they say), there was no question of electrical operation.
Any help gratefully received,
David :shock:
I owned one of these, though a bit later than you described. It worked just as you said. This link isn’t exactly the same, but pretty close.
https://www.mercari.com/us/item/m126981 ... 3cQAvD_BwE
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Foureyes
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Foureyes »

Mike,
Many, many thanks. :D That is EXACTLY the information I was looking for.
I can remember being very envious of a contemporary who owned one of these.
David :shock:
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Foureyes »

Katharine,
A good guess concerning the abacus, but as LongGone has shewn this little machine had a different genesis.
But I do agree with you about the speed of skilled abacus operators. I well remember the Chinese shopkeepers in places such as Change Alley in Singapore who were really, really fast. When they went clickety-click (etc) on their abacus and then said, "that's a special price for you, Tuan, twenty-five dollars thirty" it was impossible for the bewildered Brit to argue because he or she had absolutely no idea how the calculation had been made.
David :shock:
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by loringa »

Foureyes wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 5:22 pm I am researching the development of handheld/desktop calculators and would be grateful for any help on an unusual mechanical device I remember being used by some boys at Housie during my time there - 1948-1955. I have searched Google but cannot find it, but a keyword would help.
It fitted into the hand and the frame was made of metal and was quite thin. There were a series of vertical sliders, each with holes numbered 0-9. It was operated by a stylus which was inserted into the appropriate hole and then moved (I think) downwards. If the resulting figure exceeded 9 the stylus was then used to track sideways to the next column. As you can see, my memory is a bit hazy, but, hey, it was a long time ago!
As I recall, it was quite expensive so only a few people had one.
I emphasis that it was entirely mechanical (handraulic, as they say), there was no question of electrical operation.
Any help gratefully received,
David :shock:
Damn - I had one of these until quite recently but I think I must have thrown it out when I last moved house (2011). It was exactly as you describe it and was, I think, known as an 'addiator'. The key word to include when searching is probably 'mechanical'. This website may help: http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/ ... ators.html
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by loringa »

Foureyes wrote: Sun Aug 22, 2021 5:47 am I well remember the Chinese shopkeepers in places such as Change Alley in Singapore who were really, really fast. When they went clickety-click (etc) on their abacus and then said, "that's a special price for you, Tuan, twenty-five dollars thirty" it was impossible for the bewildered Brit to argue because he or she had absolutely no idea how the calculation had been made.
David :shock:
... or in Bugis Street perhaps? :-)
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Foureyes »

During two tours in Singapore I never went near Bugis Street - not even once out of curiosity!!
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by sejintenej »

Katharine wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 9:53 pm It sounds something like a development of an abacus, but I can’t say any more than that.

If you have ever seen someone using an abacus skilfully it is surprising how quickly they can do it, and, of course, get the right answer. Even more surprising is seeing someone make the same movements without a physical abacus and still get the right answer!
I suspect that you saw Mrs Macarian's pupils on Blue Peter. The primary school pupils were using the implements but those in their first year at secondary school just used fingers. Her lessons were discontinued because the school could not afford the one lesson per week time. They were using Sorobans which are Japanese equivalent of the Chinese abacus but different in that the soroban works in units of five instead of ? ten. She taught me and my soroban is beside my desk alongside my ancient slide rule.
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Katharine »

sejintenej wrote: Sun Aug 22, 2021 8:19 pm
Katharine wrote: Sat Aug 21, 2021 9:53 pm It sounds something like a development of an abacus, but I can’t say any more than that.

If you have ever seen someone using an abacus skilfully it is surprising how quickly they can do it, and, of course, get the right answer. Even more surprising is seeing someone make the same movements without a physical abacus and still get the right answer!
I suspect that you saw Mrs Macarian's pupils on Blue Peter. The primary school pupils were using the implements but those in their first year at secondary school just used fingers. Her lessons were discontinued because the school could not afford the one lesson per week time. They were using Sorobans which are Japanese equivalent of the Chinese abacus but different in that the soroban works in units of five instead of ? ten. She taught me and my soroban is beside my desk alongside my ancient slide rule.
No I did not see it on Blue Peter, I was actually thinking of pupils I have taught, both Chinese in Brunei and a Japanese girl in England - who may have been using a soroban. I was a long time advocate of a slide rule!
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by jhopgood »

Katharine wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:51 pm I was a long time advocate of a slide rule!
Still have mine.
For a long time I opposed the use of calculators in schools as GIGO. If you have no idea of the answer, how do you know if the calculator is correct?
I taught my children long division as their primary school teacher in Amsterdam advocated the calculator.
Futile conversation. I was not impressed.
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by Katharine »

Two real advantages of a slide rule were that you had to make a rough estimate to decide where the decimal point was, and also you couldn’t get an answer with apparently six significant figures from a starting point with two or three sig figs.

Yes I’ve still got mine, correction both of mine. I had a 5” one for lower secondary teaching as well as the 10” for higher levels.
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Re: 1950s HANDHELD CALCULATOR

Post by sejintenej »

jhopgood wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 9:52 pm
Katharine wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 5:51 pm I was a long time advocate of a slide rule!
Still have mine.
For a long time I opposed the use of calculators in schools as GIGO. If you have no idea of the answer, how do you know if the calculator is correct?
I taught my children long division as their primary school teacher in Amsterdam advocated the calculator.
Futile conversation. I was not impressed.
I also learned long division and multiplication in primary school. When I went to CH aged 9 they never ever touched on those.
One of my professional exams a compulsory question was to work out various foreign exchange options using complicated exchange rates and big amounts. Of course each one had to be worked out to completion but the use of any type of calculator was banned. A right pig!!!
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
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