[GreenKeys] Strange TTY keyboard

[Duncan M. Brown]

While digging around in a storage area of the AWA Museum, I just came
across an old teleprinter keyboard, but it was not one that I could
identify. 

The keyboard has the standard three rows of 31 keys plus the spacebar. But
what I first noticed was that the function keys on the right side were
different: 
Where the CR key would normally be is a key marked "B.S". 
Where the LTRS key would be is marked as "." (actually two periods - for
both upper & lower case).
Where the LF key would be is marked "C.R"
Where the BLANK key would be is marked "L.S"
("FIG" is in the normal location)

The first row upper case is the standard numbers, but the upper case for
the second & third rows are completly different.
e.g.
A/"
S/$
D/&

Z/G
X/M
C/A

The unit is set up for parallel output (the keys operate five code bars
which activate five sets of contacts), so it was probably made for one of
the early multiplexed systems. There is also a solenoid that holds the
codebars and contacts in place while the contacts are read.  
The coding is not the standard IATS #2, Murray or Baudot.  
A sample of the coding (may be backwards, don't know in which order they
defined the contacts):
A: 00101
B: 10100
C: 11001
R: 01000
Y: 01011
FIG: 11111
L.S:  11100

Keys are octagonal in shape, black plastic with bold white letters.
Spacebar is large, width of 7 keys.

I have looked at pictures of old units and different coding schemes
(including Eric Fischer's "Evolution of Character Codes") and not found
anything like it.  

Any ideas??
(pictures available)

Thanks & 73

Duncan, K2OEQ
http://www.antiquewireless.org/