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Triumphator L

I found an advertisement online for a calculating machine, and from the picture, it seemed it was a model with 12 setting positions, 20 result windows and 12 revolution counter windows. However, no tens' carry in the revolution counter, and no setting control register. So a Triumphator D of a different flavour, and as far as I know, not described so far. Another collector contacted me and pointed to Triumphator flyers posted on rechnerlexikon which explain in detail all the different models Triumphator was selling back in 1919-1925. And there is is - 12 x 12 x 20, no setting control, and no left tens' carry - a Triumphator L.

I picked it up, and it was in rather bad shape. The location detent springs for two of the setting pins are probably broken, so they don't "click". The other pins were very stiff, and it was obvious that the pinwheel cylinder had been oiled in the past. I did not want to try and disassemble the pinwheel cylinder, which is notoriously difficult to do on a Triumphator, as everything is pinned in place, so instead I gave it a bath in acetone and cleaned it as well as I could. After drying, things were even worse. I finally resorted to oiling it again, and after 24 hours to give the oil time to get everywhere, all now works relatively well, but I will need to keep a close eye on it, because I will be back in trouble once the oil starts hardening.

Two peculiar things about this pinwheel cylinder - the first one is that it seems to be made out of aluminium, which would explain why the steel pins slide with so much difficulty. Aluminium is not a bearing material for steel, and galls easily. The discs might also be some sort of zinc alloy, but they really do look like aluminium to me. I was told that other laerge Triumphators from this era also have pinwheel cylinders made out of this material, and that they do work well. So it's just the oil that messed this one up.

Triumphator D picture 1

Triumphator D picture 2

Triumphator D picture 2

The second one is its size. The diameter of the pinwheels is 85mm. I think that makes these machines the record holders for pinwheel size - the old large Triumphators only went up to 73mm.

Triumphator I picture 4

Most parts in this machine have the serial number stamped into it. The leftmost pinwheel also has 2/19 scratched into it (Feb. 1919, or the 19th of Feb. in 1924, when this machine is supposed to be made ?), 483, which are the last three digits of the serial number, and a note which I am unfortunately unable to read. Anyone here good in deciphering old German handwriting ?

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

A demonstration of scope creep - once the pinwheel cylinder was freed up, the machine was tried, and one numeral wheel did not indicate correctly. It was easy to divine that one of the gear teeth must have broken off. I filed a new gear tooth, and tried to glue it in place with cyanoacrylate glue, but that was not much of a success. Normally, I wouldn't have thought anything of disassembling the result register, but unfortunately I couldn't get it apart. These things can really be like chinese puzzles... When it turned out glueing wasn't going to cut it, I kept trying, and finally succeeded by turning the 0's vertically up. The trouble is that there is an extra disc at the left end of the register, which operates the bell, as well as two intermediate supports in the register, and the pins on the shaft have to be able to pass through these as well. The slots are oriented vertically downward, but this is not visible with the register assembled. Oh well - once it came apart, I soldered my new gear tooth to the numeral wheel, and now I will just hope the solder stands up to the light use it is going to receive from now on. This is the gear in question:

Triumphator I picture 4

When everything was more or less ready, I decided to undo the screws of the butterfly on the counter side, so I could clean the support for it very well, and of course immediately the entire register shifted and the last numeral wheel dropped off its locating pin. In order to get it back together, I had to disassemble the entire counter register as well, but at least now it is clean too ...

The best part is that the machine came with its cover and wooden base plate. There is something odd about the base though, because there is a little extra stained plate of wood between the machine and the base.

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

The cover has, very faintly visible, the Triumphator logo on the front. I may restore it at some point with gold paint.

Triumphator I picture 4

Now, finally some pictures of the restored machine:

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4

Sold in Belgium by the Maison Desoer. They were a printing shop from 1750, and started out as Underwood distributors for Belgium in 1898 and had expanded into office machinery, among which an exclusive Triumphator representation for Belgium, in 1910. The company expanded into metal office furniture (ACIOR brand), merged with TDS and still exists today as tds office design. The factory is in Liège, but no longer has anything to do with office machine distribution, just furniture.

Triumphator I picture 4

"Triumphator" logo

Triumphator I picture 4

And together with its later and more sophisticated sister, the Triumphator D:

Triumphator I picture 4

Triumphator I picture 4