The history of the Mercedes company

Photo Mercedes plant. From: Rechenautomat.de

Mercedes started the mechanical office machines, with the production of typewriters in Berlin-Schöneberg and Berlin-Charlottenburg 2. Mercedes was entering the mechanical calculator market with the names Mercedes, Euklid and Melitta. The adding machines had the Rocking segment technology and cary the logo Mercedes. The Melitta machines, based on the Pin Wheel technology, were build from 1923 on and in 1926 sold to the company Walther, also based in Zella-Mehlis


Mr Christel Hamann established in 1903 the Mechanical Institute (Berlin) and did development and production in Berlin. During short time he moved to a few locations in Berlin. In 1907 he build three models of the Gauss, a circular positioned stepped drum machine.
Euklid Model 1 was build in 1906 and was 12kg. It was unique technology. The used Proportional Lever technology was Hamans own development and different from the stepped drum or pin wheel machined, who came on the market at that time.
He worked for the Rechen Institute Berlin.
In 1907 he was acquired as subsidiary and in 1916 he merged with the mercedes company and moved to Zella-Mehlis, Thuringen, Germany.
The Euklid machines, were the main purchase reason. These machines cary the logo Mercedes Euklid. At the first of July 1912, they moved the headquarter from Berlin to Zella-Mehlis as well.
Thirty Eight models Euklid machines were build
model no 1 came on the market in 1911, an 9 , 11 and 13 digit machine at the price of 950DM several thousands are built
The un even type numbers had sliders (until1927) as input the even had keyboards. The first model had the carrage in front, with the model no 21 that changed, a faster motor was introduced as well (400rev/min). Several modifications were made and in 1925 the first electrical driven half automat was released. In 1927 the started with the square key tops.

The name Euklid is probably coming from the Greek mathematician Euclid from Alexandria (300 BC), often referred to as the "Father of Geometry". His name is linked with several theories, but in this respect the proportion theory is perhaps the one mr Hamann was thinking of, when he came up with the name Euklid.

Links:

The complete Euklid line:
- http://www.rechnerlexikon.de/artikel/Mercedes_Euklid_Geschichte
- http://www.rechenmaschinen-illustrated.com/pictures_euklid.htm#Mercedes-Euklid (1905)

 

Part of the text is adapted from / original text : Mr. C.HAMANN web site: www.tfh-berlin.de/~hamann
and the RechenLexikon.de: http://www.rechnerlexikon.de/artikel/Mercedes
More information of the Euklid's: http://www.rechnerlexikon.de/artikel/Mercedes_Euklid_Geschichte