The computing scale was invented in 1885 by Julius Pitrap, and his patents were purchased by Computing Scale Co. in 1891 -- one of the future primary components of IBM.
The IBM division, which changed its name to Dayton Scale Co. in 1921, was an early success. The machines allowed clients to automatically price items based on weight.
But in the midst of the Great Depression, the division struggled, and IBM sold the business to Hobart Manufacturing Co. in 1934.
