The SEE calculator was manufactured by the Selective Educational Equipment Corporation in the U.S.A. It was a simple circular dial adding machine made with see-through plastic to illustrate the mechanism.

This type of adder is not infrequently referred to as a “Pascal-type” adder, but the mechanism (see below) benefits from three centuries of development and modern materials to allow a much simpler arrangement than Pascale’s to achieve what is essentially the same capability. Note that like the Pascal calculator the SEE relies on complementary arithmetic to achieve subtraction.

For patent data see http://www.boelters.de/Rechenmaschinen/Zehneruebertrag/ten_carry_pics/dial-pat.gif (viewed on 30 Aug 2012).

For comparison, the carry-forward mechanism of the Pascaline (which allows the 1 resulting from 9+1 to be added to the next register to the left) is shown below.


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Page last modified on 01 September 2012