IBM Dayton Scales: Money Making Machines
Published August 11, 2021
Original Publication Date August 30, 1890
 The Dayton Scales Company
 A Short History of Dayton Scale Company
The Dayton Scale Division was part of Computing-Tabulating-Recording-Company (C-T-R Company) and International Business Machines (IBM) until June 1934, when the stockholders of IBM voted in a special meeting to sell the domestic assets of the Dayton Scale Division to Hobart Manufacturing Company of Troy, Ohio in return for 100,000 shares of Class B stock.

​At the time of the acquisition, the press reported that Dayton Scale employed 350 people in its plant there, and that annual sales were around $2.5 million per year (IBM's total revenues in 1934 was $21 million).
Dayton Scales in Butcher Shop
Two years later, in July 1936, the shareholders of IBM approved the transfer of the foreign assets to Hobart Manufacturing Company.
The Bigness of Little Things: Dayton Moneyweight Scale Company Customer Pamphlet
The following is an excerpt from a marketing brochure for Dayton Scales dated 1922.
Dayton Scales (Computing Scales of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R Company) are made by the world's pioneer and largest manufacturers of Automatic Computing Scales. For more than thirty years Dayton Scales have protected the merchant's profit. Their accuracy, dependability and durability are attested to by the fact that some of the first scales made are still in use and giving satisfactory service; and by the fact that Dayton Scales have won the approval of municipal, state and national governments. No other make of scales carry as sweeping a guarantee.

The Dayton Line is the world's standard, whether in the Automatic Thermostat Drum Type or the Gravity Principle Fan Type. This is evidenced by the fact that the largest business enterprises standardize on and use Dayton Scales. [Some of the still-recognizable, brand name customers included: Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, National Candy Company, Armour & Company, Canadian Pacific Railroad, International Harvester, Westinghouse Electric, Piggly Wiggly Corporation, and Swift Company.]
 Products of the Dayton Scale Company from 1922
​No. 20 Dayton Cheese Cutter
  • ​The Pioneer Computing Cheese Cutter
  • Slices cheese in any weight slice, from one ounce to the weight of the cheese.
​​No. 25 Dayton Safety Bread Slicer
  • Hand Power or Motor Equipped
  • The Dayton Safety Bread Slicer is a time-saving, material saving and labor-saving machine that belongs in every restaurant, hotel, cafe, tea room, public institution and concern that operates a cafeteria or restaurant.
​No. 47 Dayton Scale
  • For Delicatessen Stores, and for Weighing Fruit, Butter, Tea, and Coffee
  • The No. 47 Dayton Scale is a gravity-principle, fan-type weighing machine. It can be furnished with scoop or Opalite platform. Used exclusively in some stores where only butter, tea, coffee, spices and other small sales are made.
​No. 74 Dayton Scale
  • Especially Designed to Meet the Weighing Requirements of Hardware and General Stores
  • The No. 74 Dayton Scale (formerly Detroit Automatic) is a gravity principle fan-type automatic weighing machine with mechanism fully enclosed. It is equipped for weighing various hardware commodities, including nails, putty, bolts, asbestos, chicken feed, paper, wire cloth and various other articles now sold by weight.
  • ​A counting attachment for this scale can be supplied.
​No. 75 Dayton Scale
  • For the Grocery, Meat Market, Delicatessen, General Store
  • The No. 75 Dayton Scale (formerly Detroit Automatic) is a high-grade type of automatic weighing machine of four (4) point bearing construction, adapted to the use of Grocers, Butchers, Delicatessen and General Store Merchants.
  • ​The mechanism is fully enclosed.
​No. 85 Dayton Scale
  • For the Grocery, Meat Market, Delicatessen, and General Store
  • The No. 85 Dayton is of the gravity principle four-point bearing fan-type scale. Substantially built, it is both sensitive and accurate. Two 10-lb. tare beams add to the usefulness of this model in taking care of weighings over the 10-lb. capacity of the computing chart.
​No. 88 Dayton Scale
  • ​For Grocery, Meat Market and Delicatessen
  • The No. 88 is a light capacity, automatic thermostat drum type Dayton Scale. This model, with its smaller weighing capacity, takes care of practically all of the weighings in the average grocery or delicatessen and of the weighings 10 lbs. or under in the market.
​No. 115 Dayton Scale
  • Hanging Scale for Grocery, Meat and Fish Markets
  • This Dayton Scale is intended for use where it is desirable to suspend it from overhead hook or where scale is moved from one place to another. Sold with or without arch.
  • ​Specially designed fish pan can be furnished.
​No. 120, No. 121 and No. 221 Dayton Scales
  • ​Automatic Even Balance Type Scale
  • This type of Dayton Scale is very sensitive.
  • Because of the extra wide spaces between the ounce graduations on the chart, the indicator travels about four times as far to register an ounce as on any other scale. ​This means that exact weightings of small quantities of high priced merchandise is easily obtained. The selling price is automatically computed.
​No. 133 Dayton Scale
  • For the Grocery, Meat Market, Delicatessen, and General Store
  • This attractive model, somewhat smaller than the other cylinder type Dayton Scales, contains all of the important features to be found on the other machines.
​No. 144 Dayton Scale
  • For the Grocery, Meat Market, Delicatessen, and General Store
  • This model is built with a convenient low platform and mounted on a swivel base (completely concealed) to enable use of scale from both sides of counter.
No. 145 Dayton Parcel Post Scale
Same specifications as No. 144 Dayton (pictured above) with the following exceptions:
  • Large metal platform
  • Chart capacity of 70 lbs.
  • Graduated every two ounces with weight, zone and rate finder.
​No.166 Dayton Scale
  • This scale is especially adapted for the sale of candies, spices, etc. It is Accurate, Dependable and Durable.
No. 167 Dayton Candy, Spice and Tobacco Scale
  • Similar in design and appearance to the No. 166 Dayton--equipped with glass platform when desired.
No.167 Dayton Postal Scale
  • All specifications are the same as the No. 167 Model, equipped with flat bottom, metal tray and special postal chart; automatically computes charges on letters, papers, miscellaneous printed matter, books and merchandise.
​No. 344 Dayton Scale
  • For the Grocery, Meat Market, Delicatessen, and General Store
  • This scale is the same as Model No. 346 (the following scale), with the exception that it does not have the Flasholite Device at the top. It is, however, equipped with an adjustable reflecting mirror for lighting the chart.
​No. 346 Dayton Electric Scale
  • ​For the Grocery, Meat Market, Delicatessen, and General Store
  • This is the recognized standard of cylinder type scales. Accurate, Dependable, Durable and Sanitary with all working parts enclosed.
  • Equipped with Automatic Thermostat Compensator.
  • Flasholite Device--the electric sign device at the top of the scale is a good advertising feature for the store. In this way "specials" can be featured and store slogans popularized.
  • ​Five transparent signs, worded as ordered, are furnished free with each scale.
​No. 801 Dayton Scale
  • Candy, Tea, Spice, and Tobacco Scale With Tare Beam
  • This scale is particularly adapted for the weighing of Candy, Tea, Spices, etc., where net weight of a package is desired. The Tare Beam takes care of the weight of the container.
​No. 1700 Dayton Scale
  • ​For the Grocery and Meat Market
  • A smaller scale, accurate, dependable, and guaranteed to serve the merchant in the same satisfactory manner as other Dayton products.
  • ​The No. 1700 Dayton Scale is especially  desirable where an extra scale is required during rush hours for the convenience of customers and clerks.
The Dayton Safety Meat Slicer
  • The Dayton Safety Meat Slicer permits you to meet the requirements of all of your customers for sliced meats. It places this part of your business on a labor-saving, timesaving and full profit basis.
  • Big Features of the Dayton Safety Meat Slicer
    • Strength.
    • Disc Knife of Finest Quality  Steel.
    • Knife Correctly Mounted and Automatic Sharpening Stones.
    • Self-Adjusting Reciprocating Table and Slice Support.
    • Perfect Worm Feed.
    • Micrometer Gauging Device.
    • Shark Tooth Clamp.
    • Safety and Sanitary Construction.
    • End Thrust Adjustment.
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