[GreenKeys] Climbing monkey Model 14

Tue, 4 May 2004 09:41:47 -0400

Back in the 1960s, I ran a Model 26 and an FRXD-3-EL non-typing reperf, with
a "climbing monkey" tape reader. There was no rotary TD. Instead, the
FRXD-3-EL used a system of cams to generate the Baudot that was read from
the pins on the pivoted head.

It was cool to watch the perforator make the holes, and as they popped out
of the punching block the pivoted reader would read them, climbing towards
the punching block if no further tape was being punched. When it got to the
head, a microswitch would stop the action, and the reader would read the
last character on the tape, then halt.

Sure wish I still had that old setup. Anyone got a Model 26 for me?

Vy 73, AI2Q, Alex in Kennebunk, Maine
http://users.adelphia.net/~alexmm/ai2q.htm

 .-.-.

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Eric Scace K3NA
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2004 8:56 PM
To: Larry; [email protected]
Subject: RE: [GreenKeys] model 14 floating head

   The museum staff is correct that a "walking head" TD was used to read the
tape, creeping up to the very last letter punched by
the reperforator.  This was particularly handy for cross-office tape relay
systems, where the paper tape was kept as an audit trail
of traffic sent over a circuit.  If something went wrong with the circuit,
the tape would be pulled back to the last successfully
received message and retransmitted.........................