The Little Giant is a simple adding machine from the 1930s. It is similar to the Addac and the Högfors, in that it has a number of coaxial wheels that you move using your finger instead of a stylus. It only has 5 such input wheels so it can only add numbers up to a maximum value of 99,999 (or 999.99).
It is enclosed in a nice wooden casing with rubber feet. The front has a metal badge with the text "Little Giant Adding Machine, Pat. No. 1,663,726 - Made in U.S.A." and "Kel-San Mfg. Co., Dayton, Ohio".
There is no clearing mechanism. To reset the register, set each wheel to zero working from right to left. To aid with this, one of the visible teeth on each wheel is painted red, and moving that tooth to the bottom sets that wheel to zero.
The base of the wooden case can be removed by removing the screws hidden behind the rubber feet. The mechanism is contained in a metal inner casing and together by tabs and slots, so it cannot easily be accessed.
John Pfeifer (1866-1939) was an engineer who has many patents to his name, amongst which are several related to adding machines from when he worked for NCR (National Cash Register Company) of Dayton, Ohio early on in his career. Much later, in 1924, he returned to adding machines and submitted a patent for what became the Little Giant. This patent was granted in 1928.
The adding machine was first produced by the Dayton Friction Toy Company. This company made metal toys, mostly toy cars with a flywheel to store energy to make them keep moving. The toys were made as simple and cheaply as possible, using slot and tab connections. This made the adding machine an ideal product for them to make. This version had just the metal housing which was painted (red, blue, yellow, or black) with a decal on the front. It is unclear exactly how long this version was in production. It is likely that the company was affected by the Great Depression, and the rights to the adding machine were sold off after a few years.
A brief set of instructions were stuck to the bottom of the machine, and read as follows:
TOY ADDING MACHINE
Patent Applied For
Manufactured by the Dayton Friction Toy Co.
Dayton, Ohio, U. S. A.
DIRECTIONS FOR OPERATING
First be sure machine is clear
TO CLEAR:—Start at right of machine and pull red
keys showing to bottom of opening. This should show
all ciphers at enlarged openings on face of machine.
TO OPERATE:—Starting at right of machine place
finger on key which corresponds with figure on right
side of your first number and pull this key to bottom of
opening. Then working to left in like manner until all
figures of first number have been registered in machine.
Then take following numbers in your column and repeat
above operations. The row of figures which show through
enlarged openings in face of machine will be your total.
In the late 1930s the adding machine was made by the Kel-San Manufacturing Company. This company was best known for producing electric fans. In this incarnation the machine was enclosed in a wooden outercase, and was marketed not as a toy but as a practical adding machine. At first the front of the wooden case had a decal with "Adding Machine" and the company name, and it was only later that it was renamed the Little Giant, and the decal was changed to a metal plate. The machine was being sold at least until the late 1940s.
Note that when you research this machine, you may find many unrelated things with similar names. There was for example the Dayton Adding Machine and Time Lock Company, which changed its name to the Recording Devices Company in 1917. The Little Giant was also used as a nickname for a model of Dalton adding machine. And there were several other John Pfeifers, including a prominent John Pfeifer who was the Ohio Fair Trade Comissioner.
Some small articles about John Pfeifer. Note that it is difficult to find relevant articles because a different John Pfeifer who was the Ohio Fair Trade Comissioner often made the news.
Below is a selection of the patents by John Pfeifer, namely those related to adding machines and cash registers. These were mostly during the time that he worked for the National Cash Register Company, and for Mast, Foos & Company. After that he also had patents assigned to the Champion Chemical Company (Grave Vault Closure, Casket trolley), American Graphophone Company (Phonograph), and then several for the Springfield Auto Lock Company, a company that was founded to make his inventions. He returned to adding machines after that twenty year digression when he patented what became the Little Giant.
| Patent | Filing date | Publish date | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB 1899/04489 | 01-03-1899 | 01-07-1899 | Carlo Fossa-Mancini | An Improved Adding Apparatus |
| US 400,359 | 29-08-1888 | 26-03-1889 | John Pfeifer | Adding Machine |
| US 479,720 | 26-02-1892 | 26-07-1892 | John Pfeifer | Cash Register, Indicator, and Recorder |
| US 484,643 | 25-02-1892 | 18-10-1892 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 484,644 | 26-04-1892 | 18-10-1892 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 488,900 | 16-08-1892 | 27-12-1892 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 488,901 | 16-08-1892 | 27-12-1892 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 488,902 | 16-08-1892 | 27-12-1892 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 491,587 | 02-11-1892 | 14-02-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Cash Register |
| US 496,534 | 03-03-1892 | 02-05-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 496,535 | 03-05-1892 | 02-05-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 496,894 | 19-11-1892 | 09-05-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register |
| US 498,485 | 16-04-1892 | 30-05-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Combined Autographic Register and Cash-Drawer |
| US 498,486 | 25-04-1892 | 30-05-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register and Cash-Drawer |
| US 502,317 | 11-04-1893 | 01-08-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Cash Register, Indicator, Recorder, and Check-Printer |
| US 506,131 | 26-04-1893 | 03-10-1893 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Autographic Register and Method of Manipulating and Storing the Record-Strip Therein |
| US 532,450 | 03-11-1893 | 15-01-1895 | Phillip Ecki; John Pfeifer; Said Ecki | Cash Register, Indicator, Recorder, and Check-Printer |
| US 560,924 | 25-02-1895 | 26-05-1896 | John Pfeifer | Cash Register and Indicator |
| US 579,604 | 21-02-1896 | 30-03-1897 | John Pfeifer | Cash Register and Recorder |
| US 619,786 | 12-03-1896 | 21-02-1899 | John Pfeifer; Mast, Foos & Company | Change Maker and Indicator |
| US 628,961 | 14-04-1898 | 18-07-1899 | John Pfeifer; Mast, Foos & Company | Cash Register and Recorder |
| US 642,713 | 29-11-1898 | 06-02-1900 | John Pfeifer; Mast, Foos & Company | Cash Register and Indicator |
| US 673,625 | 22-05-1900 | 07-05-1901 | John Pfeifer; Mast, Foos & Company | Cash-Register |
| US 673,784 | 24-06-1899 | 07-05-1901 | John Pfeifer; Mast, Foos & Company | Cash-Register |
| US 742,060 | 27-01-1902 | 20-10-1903 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Cash Register, Indicator, and Recorder |
| US 797,605 | 12-05-1902 | 22-10-1905 | John Pfeifer; National Cash Register Company | Cash-Register |
| US 869,982 | 13-12-1902 | 05-11-1907 | John Pfeifer | Cash-Indicator |
| US 1,663,726 | 08-12-1924 | 27-05-1928 | John Pfeifer | Adding Machine (Little Giant) |
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