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This is a 3-digit counter with a printing mechanism, which probably was part of an industrial textile machine. It would count how many cycles were done, e.g. how many items were produced. There is an axle going through the machine near the front, and an oscillating motion of it (e.g. by an attached lever) will increments the counter. There is a fourth counter digit under a hinged cover, and that digit can be set manually and remains a fixed value.
When you push back the handle on the right a flap lifts revealing a slot into which you can insert a piece of cardboard or paper. Pushing the lever further then prints the counter value onto the paper. The handle can be attached to the left side instead for left-handed operators. On the left there is a small switch lever, which selects whether the counter is to be reset to zero after printing.
The rear cover is attached by 4 screws, and its removal gives access to the printing mechanism. The mechanism uses a standard typewriter ribbon, and has an automatic reversing mechanism. The guides for the paper can also be adjusted to cope with different paper width or margins. The front cover is also held by four screws. Note that the frame edges have a cloth strip to keep out the inevitable dust from the production of textiles.
Although Monforts has many patents related to their various machines, I have not found anything related to this counter. I have also not been able to identify which machine this counter was part of, but I estimate it was made in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
A. Monforts Maschinenfabrik was founded in Mönchengladbach in 1884 by August Monforts (1850-1926). It was a machine engineering company, but from the start was involved in making textile machines. They developed a new napping machine which was exhibited at the 1891 World's Fair in Chicago to wide acclaim. In 1897 they set up an iron foundry in order to be able to cast parts themselves.
From 1925 August's son Joseph Monforts (1883-1954) headed the company. Under his leadership the company expanded internationally and they successfully expanded their range to other industry by making accurate lathing machines for example. Joseph's nephew and adopted son, (Johann) Caspar Monforts von Hobe (1915–2001) succeeded him, and after that Caspar's son Clemens Monforts von Hobe (1948-) managed the company from 1986 to 2006.
The Monforts family had led the company for more than 120 years, and when that ended in 2006 the company rapidly changed. The iron foundry was sold off and went bankrupt soon after. The rest of the company was split in two - A. Monforts Textilmaschinen which produces textile machines, and Monforts CNC Werkzeugmaschinentechnik that makes other kinds of industrial machines like lathes. The former became part of CHTC Fong's Group of China, and the latter part of the Anderson Group of Taiwan. Both are still active today.
Here are some ads and articles that I found in online archives.
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