Ideal (Bamberger)

Concentric Toothed Disc Adding Machine (ca. 1905)

This "adding machine" by J. Bamberger, Munich, is extremely rare, and it is unclear how many of these were ever made (the brass plaque above the machine indicates that a patent was filed by Bamberger). The small adding machine works similarly to the Summus, but the principle is much simpler: When setting, one of the six concentrically arranged number disks is moved with the setting pin, whereby the respective number disk is released from its blocking beforehand by pulling one of the 6 buttons (for the digits 1 - 100,000) mounted below the setting disk. The black numbers are used for addition, the red numbers for subtraction. If "9" is exceeded, a tens transfer to the next higher number disk takes place (probably via an internal "driver"). Above the row of knobs, there is a zeroing knob on the left, which is pulled to the right for zeroing, thus releasing the locks of the six number disks; when actuated with the setting pin, all six number disks lock in the "0" position one after the other. The machine, very pretty due to the two-tone materials, is decorated with floral arabesques and a border molding.