Since 1910: A Brief History of Marchant Calculators

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1933 - Another First

The history-making "Silent Speed" model, in which was
introduced the new principle of proportional gears.

The New “Silent Speed” Marchant

During this three-year period a new Marchant calculator, the “Silent Speed,” was introduced. It embodied a spectacular innovation in mechanism and operation. Previous Marchant models developed figures in dials by starting and stopping the mechanism repeatedly.

In the “Silent Speed” dials, figure were developed with just one start, just one stop, by a back of continuously meshed proportional gears.

This speeded up operation tremendously, increasing the number of dial counts per minute from maximum of 340 with the old line machines to 1300 with the “Silent Speed” models. In all other makes of calculating machines the “start and stop” type of mechanism was used, and still is to this very day. This type of drive starts and stops the dials as many as 20 times during the development of one figure.

The revolutionary new principle of proportional gears – one of the great steps forward in the improvement of calculators – was conceived and applied by Harold T. Avery, Marchant’s chief engineer. Mr. Avery had joined the company in 1929. He has been associated with Marchant continuously since then, becoming the Vice President –Engineering in 1953. He continued as a consultant in Marchant, after having retired in 1958.

On through the 30’s the company’s scale of operation and sales volume expanded steadily. In addition to setting up more and more sales and service offices in the United States year by year, a Canadian sales subsidiary, Marchant Calculators, Ltd., was established in 1938, with headquarters in Toronto.

World War II

By 1939 sales had climbed to nearly $4,000,000. But this strong growth trend was soon to be interrupted with the coming of World War II.

During the war, calculators were in relatively limited production, with output geared to the needs of the Federal government agencies, the armed services and high-priority civilian customers. All other manufacturing was devoted to intensive production of shell and bomb fuses and oxygen regulators. The company won four Army—Navy “E” awards.

After the end of the war the demand for calculators became so great that additional manufacturing facilities were required. A large factory building a mile away from the existing plant was acquired in 1946. To it were transferred all assembly operations and other specialized activities

In 1945, sales had totaled $8,500,000. In 1946, a jump to more that $12,000,000 was marked up. In 1948 the sales volume was almost $17,000,000.