The Multifix E1R is a very small desk calculator made in Norway from 1954 to about 1960. It uses an oscillating segment mechanism very similar to the EOS or the Demos. It has a 6-digit input register on a carriage, and an 11-digit register and a 6-digit counter on a common axle. This E1R model has a back transfer mechanism, but the earlier E1 model did not.
The controls are:
| I) Input wheels | Set the input number |
|---|---|
| H) Crank handle | Pull forward (Cf) and push back (Cb) to perform an action (addition, subtraction, clearing). Handle can be folded flat for storage. |
| A) Add/Sub switch | Select addition (Ab) or subtraction (Af) |
| M) Mode lever | Select mode - calculation mode (Ml), clear counter mode (Mm), clear all mode (Mr) |
| C) C button | For clearing the input |
| R) R button | Back transfer button |
| S) Carriage shift | Buttons to shift the carriage one step left or right, and a tab to release the carriage and shift by any amount. |
| D) Counter Direction | Set counter to count additions (Dl) or subtractions (Dr) |
Their use is not immediately obvious, so here are the various sequences for performing various actions:
| Addition/Subtraction Ml A I Hf Hb |
Set calculation mode
Set Add/Sub switch appropriately Set the input number Pull+push crank handle |
|---|---|
| Multiplication Ml Ab Dl I (Hf Hb Sl) |
Set calculation mode
Set Add/Sub switch to + Set counter direction to additions Set the input number Pull+push crank handle and shift carriage left |
| Clear Counter Mm Hf Hb |
Set mode to counter clear
Pull+push crank handle |
| Clear Counter and Register Mr Hf Hb |
Set mode to clear all
Pull+push crank handle |
| Clear Counter and Input Mm Hf C+ Hb C- |
Set mode to counter clear
Pull crank handle Press C button Push crank handle Release C button |
| Clear Counter, Register, and Input Mr Hf C+ Hb C- |
Set mode to clear all
Pull crank handle Press C button Push crank handle Release C button |
| Division Ml Af Dr I (Hf Hb Sr) |
Set calculation mode
Set Add/Sub switch to - Set counter direction to subtractions Set the input number Pull+push crank handle and shift carriage right |
| Back Transfer Mm Ab Dl Hf C+ Hb C- |
Set mode to counter clear
Clear input (and counter) if necessary Set Add/Sub switch to + Set counter direction to additions Press R button Pull crank handle Release R button Push crank handle |
The serial number on the front edge is 72,282. The Multifix serial numbers seem to fall in four separate ranges: 2000+, 60,000+, 70,000+, 90,000+. The first two ranges are model E1, the last two E1R. It is not clear how many machines were made.
Below is a video I made that demonstrates the Multifix.
Den Norske Stansefabrik was founded in Oslo in 1932, and was a company that specialised in manufacturing pressed sheetmetal parts. It moved its factory to Lillesand in 1946, though it kept the Oslo address as an office for some time.
In the late 1940s Villy Spångberg, a Swedish engineer, joined the company. He may have worked at the Original-Odhner division of Facit, but that is not confirmed. He apparently designed the Multifix calculator shown above, though I have not found any patents for this. It was manufactured from 1954 until the early 1960s. It was relatively successful, though it seems to me that the company lacked the marketing department and sales contacts to fully market it. There were two models, the E1 and the E1R. The latter has a back transfer mechanism that the former lacks. It is not known how many were made.
After that Spångberg designed an adding listing machine called the Compta, made from 1960 till 1963. There were three model types, each available as a hand driven or electrically driven version. The Compta was not successful, and production was spun off to a separate company that subsequently went bankrupt.
| Model | Capacity | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Multifix E1 | 6x6x11 | No back transfer. Usually green, some grey. |
| Multifix E1R | 6x6x11 | With back transfer. Usually grey. |
| Compta I | 8x0x8 | Simplest, cheapest Compta model |
| Compta II | 10x0x11 | Prints negative numbers in red |
| Compta III Duplex | 10x0x(11+11) | As Compta II but with extra register |
Den Norske Stansefabrik began to decline until it finally went bankrupt in 1985. The former employees managed to raise enough investment to buy the company and restart it with the name Stansefabrikken Lillesand AS. It became successful again, and now consists of the parent company Stafa Industrier AS with several Stansefabrikken subsidiaries, making various metal products from electrical cabinets and post boxes to car parts.
Here are a few ads and articles from Norwegian newspapers.
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