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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

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Old 22nd May 2019, 1:22 pm   #1
woodchips
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Default Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Perhaps not electronic computers, but I will ask anyway.

Long ago I bought three Burroughs F6100 and F6700 accounting machines, I have just started to have a go at repairing them.

These are large, complex machines, with a programmable plate to determine what and how it works.

The snag is I have no instructions for use, and whilst it isn't that hard to work it out knowing exactly how and what it does would be very useful.

Does anyone have, or know of, instructions and servicing information for these, and other Burroughs adding and accounting machines. I have piles of servicing and operating information for NCR (National Cash Registers) machines but they are rare in the UK, Burroughs are far more common.
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Old 22nd May 2019, 1:59 pm   #2
electronicskip
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Might be worth contacting these guys at the University of Victoria in Tasmania s they seem to be the font of knowledge for the B6700 . although not the F6700/F6100 but worth a try?
However I might be barking up the wrong tree totally .

http://www.retrocomputingtasmania.co...6700-mainframe
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Old 22nd May 2019, 4:44 pm   #3
TonyDuell
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

This is not my area, but I think the B6700 and F6700 are totally different machines.

Theres is a 'series_F' directory on bitsavers under burroughs. Nothing that directly relates to your machine, but it might be worth reading the manuals there.
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Old 22nd May 2019, 5:20 pm   #4
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Agreed Tony totally, but both were made by Burroughs which jogged my memory but it may well be a blind alley.
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Old 22nd May 2019, 6:34 pm   #5
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Thanks for the replies.

The B series Burroughs are real computers, full of transistors. The F series are fully mechanical accounting machines.

Should have taken a photo, but recovering my breath after carrying them and forgot.

At the moment can't tell the difference between the F6100 and F6700. Also described as 'Sensimatic', not certain why, possibly keyboard was power assisted.

They are full keyboard, so multiple columns of 10 keys, with additional keys on the left to enter month and other information. Not certain why the keys are marked as they are, hence the need for a manual.

Did find some F series manuals on bitsavers, thanks for the lead, but not one for my F6xxx machines.

Given up with the teleprinters, trying this as a retirement project, if I can lift and shift it!
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Old 8th Jun 2019, 10:17 am   #6
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Found this by accident too.
Looks like the National museum of American history has a few of the mechanical Burroughs accounting machines in their collection so they might just have some information they could share with you, no idea if its the right machine though.

https://americanhistory.si.edu/colle...ines/burroughs
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Old 8th Jun 2019, 11:07 am   #7
woodchips
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Thanks for that, what search term did you use? It is all out there, just have to find it...

It has several photos of the F series, all slightly different to mine, but did make an enquiry to see what they had, paperwork really.

Found a book, Mechanical Accounting by Ashton, that has several photos of the ledger (?) output courtesy of Burroughs that might be useful trying to decipher the program plate on the machines.
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Old 21st Jun 2019, 11:41 pm   #8
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Default Re: Burroughs F6100 F6700 accounting machines

Back in the late 1960s I used to work for Burroughs as a service engineer. I went on a 5 week training course to work on the Sensomatic. Amazing machines.

At that time electronic calculators were just starting to take over from adding machines. The sensomatic evolved to have a mag stripe reader to read ledger cards and a very basic electronics that consisted of flip flop cards to enable simple programs to be used.

I never got involved with the programming which involved reviting pins of different lengths to a strip that was held in a sort of rack that moved over a set of sensing pins that read them.

I have no documentation and very little memory of the machines im afraid.
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