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Ten Key Adders Ten
key adders became popular in the mid 1950's, from a variety of
manufacturers. This group includes adding machines of the portable design type with only a 10-key keyboard (modern calculator keypad). While
the Burroughs 10-key (Series J) was a popular machine, it never had the success
of the Burroughs Portable or the machines made by some of its competitors, like
Victor. As one might expect, these machines were sold primarily to existing
Burroughs customers, almost as an update to their older Burroughs adders. There
were many models over the years built around the design of the first J
machine. There were several
multiplying versions such as the J700 and the infamous (a nice looking machine
that would run for about a month before breaking down) J800 machine. In the 1950/60s, the machines were redesigned on the outside and given new plastic cases. Usually gray in color, for a limited period of years the machines came in several pastels (blue, green, salmon, beige). Interestingly,
it is very difficult to find Series J machines. Perhaps because they were
replaced with the new electronic calculators, they may have been perceived more
as junk than antiques and simply discarded. It is more common to find older J machines like those pictured than the
later models with the gray plastic cases. The
basic mechanism for the Series J machines, a unique type bar/accumulator
construction, was sold to several companies (as an assemble) for use in their
products as the printing section. The
J mechanism was selected after extensive reliability tests for high-speed
printing. Series
J – Ten-key machines in the
200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 model ranges Date range -- 1954-1975 Original Price -- $100-$300 Today’s
Value -- $50-$200
Model J214
With the case off...
My favorite, one of several color case machines (1950s) - they came in brown, blue, gray, green, and a funny tomato soup red. |
