Supermetall KEL IIc R

Supermetall KEL IIc R

The Supermetall KEL IIc R is an electromechanical, semi-automatic, stepped drum, full-keyboard adding-dividing machine manufactured between 1960-1962 in East Germany by the VEB Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda.

The basic equipment of the KEL IIc model includes automatic division, electric carriage transport and electric deletion of the counters. In addition, the KEL IIc R version also has a function for transferring the values back from the result mechanism to the setting mechanism, the return lever on the previous model KELR was replaced by a "Rü" button. Another innovation in the KEL IIc RS model was the division preset - a function which allowed a dividend to be transferred to the main counter. The KEL IIc and KEL IIc R later models were also equipped with this function, like current calculator shown here.

In 1962, due to the legal dispute with Rheinmetall AG in Düsseldorf, the name Soemtron was introduced as a new brand name. All calculator models were renamed due to the same reason. KEL IIc was redesigned and manufacutred by the name Soemtron 209.

Registers: 9 x 8 x 17
Weigh: 17,4kg
Dimensions: 34,5 x 33/44 x 24 cm

Serial №: 330206

Manufacturer:
	VEB Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda Erfurt in Thuringia, East Germany

Did you know ...?
The city of Sömmerda, located in Thüringen, one of Germany's 16 states, is known for its long history of manufacturing various office machines. The history of Rheinmetall goes back to 1889, when the entrepreneur Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Rheinische Metallwaaren- und Maschinenfabrik AG (Rheinmetall) an started the manufacture of ammunition. In 1901 the company took over Munitions- und Waffenfabrik AG in Sömmerda which initialised rapid growth of weapons manufacturing for the German Reich.

After the World War I, the treaty of Versailles restricted all weapons and ammunition manufacturing. The company looked for a new field of business and turned it's focus to the office machines manufacturing. In 1920, the first Rheinmetall typewriter was brought into the markets. In 1922, production of the first series mechanical calculators, the model R, was started in Sömmerda factory. Various typewriters and calculating machines were manufactured under the Rheinmetall brand name.

Aftrer World War II, Sömmerda found itself in East Germany (German Democratic Republic). The Rheinmetall factory was nationalized by the Soviet occupation regime and turned into state-owned combine "Rheinmetall-Borsig SAG" which was initially subordinate to the Soviet parent company Schetmash in Kursk, USSR. In 1960, the brand name Supermetall was introduced, and shortly after that, in 1962, all production was combined under the Soemtron brand name in "VEB Büromaschinenwerk Sömmerda".

After World War II, Germanies were obliged to pay war reparations to the Allies. One of many war reparations was also to manufacture typewriters and calculating machines for the USSR. This was carried out by the Rheinmetall during 1941-1952. Even after the reparations were fulfilled, USSR stayed the main export market for Soemtron. The most numerous models exported into the USSR were calculators KEL II c and SAR II c, which were marketed in the USSR as ВМП-2 and ВММ-2.
Source: Rechnerlexikon :: Rheinmetall_KEL_IIc