Bell Punch Company and the
ANITA calculators

This is a brief history of the Bell Punch Company and the development of the ANITA calculator, the world's first desktop electronic calculator, and its successors.

Plus 512
Anita 1011 LSI
Anita 831
Anita Mk VII

Associated companies of Bell Punch Co. Ltd. mentioned here include Control Systems Ltd.; British Computator Corporation Ltd.; Plus; Sumlock Comptometer Ltd.; Sumlock Anita Ltd.

 

Contents

 

     Introduction and Acknowledgments


Part 1 - The Bell Punch Company & the Development of the Anita Calculator
 

 

1.

The Origins of Bell Punch Company

 

2.

Mechanical Calculator Days

 

3.

National Calculating Service and Sumlock Comptometer Colleges

 

4.

The development of ANITA - the World's First Desktop Electronic Calculator - Part 1

 

5.

The development of ANITA - the World's First Desktop Electronic Calculator - Part 2

 

6.

ANITA is launched

 

7.

At Work with ANITA

 

8.

All Change at Bell Punch

 

9.

ANITA Developed Further

 

10.

ANITA at its Zenith

 

11.

Sourcing from other Companies

 

12.

The Rockwell Connection

 

13.

The Demise of ANITA and Bell Punch

 

14.

Reminiscences of some who worked for the Bell Punch Company

 

Part 2 - The Calculators in detail
 

 

15.

Plus, Sumlock, and Sumlock-Comptometer Mechanical Calculators

 

16.

Early ANITA Electronic Desktop Calculators

 

17.

ANITA Electronic Desktop Calculators using both Transistor Logic and Integrated Circuits

 

18.

The first ANITA Electronic Desk Calculators using LSI integrated circuits

 

19.

ANITA Electronic Hand-held Calculators

 

20.

Models Derived from ANITA Electronic Hand-held Calculators.

 

21.

Rockwell-ANITA Desktop & Hand-held Calculators

 

22.

Calculators made by other Companies

 

23.

Calculators marketed by Sumlock Bondain

 

24.

Sales Literature - Sales Brochures & Advertisements

 

25.

Operating Manuals & Related Materials

 

26.

Servicing Documents - a few documents used in servicing the mechanical adding machines - New section, Jan. 2021.

 

27.

Review of ANITA Mk 8

 

Part 3 - Appendix
 

 

28.

Company Structure

 

29.

A Tour of Company Sites

 

30.

Summary

 

31.

Company Publications - New section, Nov. 2020.

 

32.

The Technology Explained

 

33.

Operating a "Comptometer"

 

34.

The old Sterling currency, £sd.

 

35.

Links to other sites

 

36.

Information Required - Can You Help? - New section, Feb. 2022.

 

37.

Update Information

 

Note that this is a virtual calculator museum which only exists as photographs and text on this website, not as a physical display of calculators anywhere.
None of the calculators displayed is for sale.

Disclaimer: The information on this site is presented in good faith.  While we make great efforts to list accurate details we take no responsibility for any consequences for errors that may unintentionally be present.  Note that information presented may also be updated as further detail becomes available.

 

This site is updated as new information and photographs become available.

If you have further information about Bell Punch and its calculators that you can pass on please get in touch.  Any corrections or clarifications are also very welcome.

The Vintage Calculator Web Museum is always interested in receiving information about Bell Punch and ANITA calculators that are not in the collection.  Also calculator operating manuals, service manuals, teaching manuals, books, catalogues, brochures and other publications are very welcome.
If you have information or literature that you are willing to donate, copy (cost of copying will be refunded), scan, or sell please contact me.

Due to lack of storage space, further actual calculators are not really required unless very significant in the history of ANITA.

 

Last significant update 13th June 2023                  Update information.

 

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Text & photographs copyright © 2002 - 2023 Nigel Tout, except where noted otherwise.