Posted 9 years ago
Sallyp
(1 item)
This item belonged to my Granddad. I have no idea what it is or what it does. It's a mystery to me. Hope someone can help identify it! :O)
Manifoldia Manicopy | ||
| Office Antiques893 of 1938 |  |  |
Manifoldia Manicopy | ||
| Office Antiques893 of 1938 | | |
Posted 9 years ago
Sallyp
(1 item)
This item belonged to my Granddad. I have no idea what it is or what it does. It's a mystery to me. Hope someone can help identify it! :O)
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This apparently is a part of an early duplicating machine - description and photo as follows:
In 1924, the American Manicopy Typewriter Co. attempted to raise capital to produce the Manicopy Machine. The machine was based on US patents No. 1,301,146 and No 1,452,945 awarded to Chester A. Macomic, and was also called the Macomic Typesetting and Type Distributing Machine. A photograph of one of these machines is immediately to the left. "Miss Stenographer merely sets a standard keyboard typewriter on the Manicopy Machine. She places a piece of paper in the typewriter and starts to write. Plungers underneath the typewriter keys are depressed every time a key on the typewriter is struck, thus setting the type on the Manicopy. When she has completed writing the letter or circular, she turns a lever and the type which has been set on the line bars are conveyed automatically to the printing surface where the desired number of copies is printed automatically. After the job is completed, these line bars are returned to their original positions automatically by turning a lever, and by turning another lever the type is instantly and automatically returned to its proper position without the type being touched by hand." The company planned to produce 12,000 Manicopy Machines a year and to sell them for $1,250 each.. We have found no evidence that the company raised the capital necessary to go into commercial production.
http://www.officemuseum.com/1924_Manicopy_Machine_American_Manicopy_Typewriter_Co_Chicago_IL.jpg
Manifoldia Ltd. appears to have been an office duplicating machine company located in West Bromwich, England around the same era (mid-20's)
Hi arhcollect
Thank you very much for researching this for me. I have found the same article here: http://www.aquaporin4.com/etcetera/ETC.45.pdf
I'm still having a bit of trouble understanding how it all works without a clear diagram. I can't figure out where on the diagram my piece fits. With it being such a large machine it's made it more of a mystery as to how come my Granddad had just a piece of it. I wonder where the rest of it went? The plot thickens. :O)