Saldorita

Saldorita
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Saldorita

The Saldorita is a small adding listing machine. It uses sliders to input numbers of up to 8 digits, and has an 8-digit internal register. There is no display, so the total can only be seen when printed on the paper, which is a rol of about 62mm wide. Unfortunately the platen is missing all its rubber, as is the roller that holds the paper onto the platen, so the paper is no longer being gripped. Also missing is the wide ink ribbon (60-63mm width). I have replaced two of the rubber feet.

The label on the bottom has full instructions in Swedish:

BRUKSANVISNING FÖR RÄKNEMASKINEN "SALDORITA"

Kontroll:	Före varje ny räkning utdrages nollknappen något, vrides åt höger till utgångsläge, totalknappen nedtryckes och kontrollremsan skall då registrera noll. Nollknappen får ej vridas, förrän samtliga tangenter äro i bottenläge. All räkning sker från vänster.
Addition:	Tangenterna uppskjutas i önskat sifferläge och få ej överskriga strecket, talet registreras å remsan medelst totalknappen, tangenterna återgå genom nedtryckning av returknappen. På samma sätt förfares tal efter tal, varefter slutsumman erhålles medelst nedtryckning av totalknappen. Varje tal behöver ej registreras, därigenom sparas betydande mängder papper.
Subtraktion:	Returknappen placeras i mitt-läge (6), tangenterna uppföres, returknappen överföres i subtr.-läge (7), talet registreras, tangenterna neddragas till noll, en i taget med början från vänster, samtidigt som respektive runda metallknappar (4) nedtryckas och slutsumman registreras med totalknappen.
Korrektion:	Om tangent felaktigt förts för högt, exempelvis till 5 i st. f. 4, måste subtr.-knappen användas. Genom att utan vidare draga tillbaka tangenten kommer 5 att registreras i räkneverket men 4 å pappersremsan och alltså fel uppstå. Rättelse sker medelst överföring av returknappen i subtr.-läge, felaktig tangent neddrages i rätt sifferläge, returknappen återgår och talet är korrigerat.

OBS.! Behandla räknemaskinen varsamt.

Here is a rough translation:

USER'S MANUAL FOR THE "SALDORITA" CALCULATOR

Check:	Before each new calculation, the clearing knob is pulled out slightly, turned to the right to the initial position, the total button is pressed down and the paper strip should then register zero. The clearing knob must not be turned until all sliders are in the bottom position. All counting is done from the left.
Addition:	The sliders are moved ahead to the desired number position but no further, the target is printed on the strip by means of the total button, the sliders return by pressing the return button. In the same way, numbers can be added one after the other, after which the total is obtained by pressing the total button. Not every number needs to be recorded, thereby saving significant amounts of paper.
Subtraction:	The return button is placed in the center position (6), the sliders are brought up, the return button is transferred to the subtr. position (7), the number is printed, the sliders are moved back to zero one at a time starting from the left, at the same time as the respective round metal buttons (4) are pressed and the total is recorded with the total button.
Correction:	If the slider was mistakenly moved too high, for example to 5 instead of 4, the subtr. button must be used. By simply withdrawing the slider, 5 will be registered in the counter mechanism but 4 on the paper strip and thus an error will occur. Correction takes place by transferring the return button to subtr. mode, the incorrect slider is reduced to the correct number position, the return button is returned and the number has been corrected.

ATTENTION! Handle the calculator with care.

Note that when you enter/add a number by moving the sliders, you will also need to enter any zero digits in the number if you wish to print the number properly. This is because only the entered digits are printed, so if you do not enter a zero digit, the printed number will be missing a digit. In this it resembles the Portable Adding Machine. Pressing the Return button causes the input sliders to be spring back to their starrting position, allowing you to print the current total and/or go on to adding the the next number.

Subraction is a rather complicated procedure. First the Return button needs to be shifted up into the middle position. This disengages the sliders from the register, so that you can enter the number to subtract without actually adding it. The button is then shifted to the subtraction position, which reconnects the sliders to the register. You then have to pull the sliders down to zero, one by one from left to right. Note that you don't pull them fully back to the starting position, only to zero, because otherwise there is a good chance that as the slider disengages from the number wheel, the wheel keeps turning and too much gets subtracted. To help with this there are small metal buttons in front of the sliders which you can press to block the slider from moving below the zero mark.

Here are some picures of the mechanism.

Video

History

(Svante) Hugo Sandberg (1886/08/04 - 1954/09/30) was born in Motala, Sweden and lived in the area all his life. He was an agronomist and entrepreneur. In about 1937 he set up the Saldoritaverken (Saldorita-works) in Motala to manufacture the Saldorita adder. The actual inventor of the machine named on the patent was C. A. Johansson. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to find out more about this inventor due to him having such a common patronymic name.

The Saldorita was rather unsuccessful, and seems to have been in production for only a year or two, from late 1937 to early 1939. The serial number on mine is the highest I have found, so I guess that no more than 3000 machines were made, and possibly much fewer if the numbering was not continuous.

Here is a list of Saldoritas found online and their serial numbers:
191, 686, 692, 926, 931, 1068, 1364, 2215, 2501
???, ???, ???, ???, ???

Advertisements and articles

I have only found only a few ads for the Saldorita. Unfortunately the Swedish newspaper archives are not accessible to non-Swedes, so I have only found ads in Finnish and Norwegian papers.

Patents

I know of only one patent related to the Saldorita. It is hard to find old Swedish patents because most have no searchable metadata in the patent databases.

Patent	Filing date	Priority date	Name	Description
SE 93,511	21-01-1937	12-07-1938	S. H. Sandberg	Locking mechanism for calculator

Jaap's Mechanical Calculators Page

Saldorita

Saldorita

Video

History

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Patents

Links