All About Keyboards
Burroughs was quite good about providing optional keyboard configurations for specific customer applications. I have seen custom keytops to designate different products and services, bridge keytops to print longer words on the receipt than could be placed on a single typebar, date keytops, operator designation keytops. In addition, there were keyboards designed to reflect English Sterling currency, Pounds and Ounce configurations, and different fractions.
Below is a picture of the Sterling Currency configuration, which is the most common of the fraction keyboards. This keyboard uses a "Twentieths" fraction.
Below is a picture of the Sterling Currency configuration, which is the most common of the fraction keyboards. This keyboard uses a "Twentieths" fraction.
Sterling Currency keyboards provide for listing whole numbers (pounds), twentieth fractions (shillings, twelfth fractions (pence), and quarter fractions (farthings). Each key in the fourth column has a value of one and adds ten shillings. Thus, any value from 11 to 19 shillings may be added by depressing the two top keys in those columns. Keys 1 to 9 in the second column and two keys at the top of the first column are used for pence. The four keys for farthings are also in the first column. Farthings convert into pence, pence into shillings and shillings into pounds.
On 8-column machines the farthings may be omitted, if desired, and the pence placed in the first column with the 10 and 11 pence keys between the first column and the result keys. This provides an additional column of capacity.
On 8-column machines the farthings may be omitted, if desired, and the pence placed in the first column with the 10 and 11 pence keys between the first column and the result keys. This provides an additional column of capacity.