The Simex Caroline adding machine
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The Caroline adding machine was originally made from about 1960 by Simex (Société Industrielle Des Métaux Manufacturés), a company based in Nyon, Switzerland. In the second half of the 1960s a French licensed copy was made by Établissements Vullierme, which was a toy company based in Rumilly. That company later shortened the name to Vulli.
This adding machine uses the same mechanism as the Addipresto / Addical. It has seven coaxial number wheels, with a small window next to each wheel which shows the current digit. The wheels can be moved by hand without the use of a stylus. To add a number, add it one digit at a time by placing your finger on a number wheel next to the digit you want to add, and move your finger down as far as it will go. It has a stored energy carry mechanism so it takes no extra force when a carry occurs. The register is cleared by pushing the button to the right of the wheels.
I have two Caroline adding machines, both made in France. The first has serial number 17802. It was very dirty, so I soaked the casing in water in an attempt to clean it, but this caused a lot of the paint to flake off. It is also missing one of the screws.
The second Caroline adding machine is in better condition, and has serial number 14154.
Here is a video where I demonstrate the Simex Caroline adding machine.
Here are some advertisements for the original Simex Caroline.
The Caroline was designed by Tabor Arvaï. Its mechanism is virtually identical to that of the Addipresto / Addical, which in turn is very similar to a machine that was patented by Carlo Fossa-Mancini back in 1899. This is probably why there is no patent for the Caroline. Arvaï does have several other patents related to mechanical calculators, and later of sewing machines.
| Patent | Filing date | Published date | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB 1899/04489 | 01-03-1899 | 01-07-1899 | Carlo Fossa-Mancini | An Improved Adding Apparatus |
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