Powers-Samas

Powers-Samas was a British company that sold unit record equipment. It originated from the Powers Tabulating Machine Company, which established European operations in 1915 as the Accounting and Tabulating Machine Company of Great Britain Limited. In 1929, it was renamed Powers-Samas Accounting Machines Limited after merging with Samas (Société Anonyme des Machines à Statistiques), a French sales agency formed in 1922. During World War II, the company produced large numbers of Typex cipher machines, which were based on the German Enigma design and used by the British Armed Forces and government departments. In 1959, Powers-Samas merged with its competitor, the British Tabulating Machine Company (BTM), to form International Computers and Tabulators (ICT).

Powers-Samas machines differed from IBM equipment in that they mechanically detected holes in punched cards using pins and linkages rather than electrical circuits. The setup process involved creating a network of linkages, often achieved through a removable "connection box" similar to the Hollerith plug board. This box was hardwired to specific jobs and actuated machine functions like printheads or counters based on hole detection. Sales engineers designed the system, while skilled Powers engineers soldered the complex network of rods.

The company supported various card sizes, including 21, 36, 40, 45, 65, and 130 column cards, with the 40-column card (measuring 4.35 by 2 inches) being the most commonly used format.