[GreenKeys] Model 20 and Wire Service Names (was "Message Bounce...")

[dmm at lemur.com]

Don wrote:
>Please send the abbreviations, aka acronyms, with an explanation to
>the Greenkeys list. 

Don had very kindly sent to me the hi-res version of 
Bell System Practices (Plant Series) Section 572-400-100, Issue 4, Dec. 1964,
which is the "Description" of the "20 teletypewriter"
covering the variations (RO/KSR/TPE/XD/Reperf) of the Model 20.
This is the 6-level variation used in newspaper wire services
often in conjunction with (6-level) Teletypesetter equipment.

Don had pointed out to me that one interesting feature of the
layout of the keyboard as shown in this 1964 document was that the
keycap for key lever 47 could have one of three possible variations:
"UP", "AP" [as a logotype], or "INS"

UP (United Press) and AP (Associated Press) were relatively clear,
but he wondered about INS.

So all I did was the obvious thing:  look it up in Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_News_Service

Briefly, "UP" was "United Press Associations" (not yet United Press Int'l
as it is today).  AP was Associated Press.  "INS" was indeed
"International News Service," as Don hypothesized.  In 1958,
UP merged with INS to form the current UPI.

It is interesting that this 1964 document still shows a pre-1958
keyboard layout.  Of course, 1958 was when Teletypesetter Corp.
was aquired by Fairchild, so one might expect some confusion.

A question following up on this:  Clearly Fairchild took over an
existing Teletypesetter product line, but they did develop it
further - their own documentation, and some later models of keyboard
perferators, at least.  I presume that they took over the physical
manufacture of at least the Teletypesetter-specific components of
the sysem (e.g., the linecaster Operating Unit) and moved this to
their facilities in Long Island.  But does anyone know if those parts of the
system which could be used without linecasters (such as the
Model 20 equipment) were manufactured by Fairchild (in NY)
or by Teletype Corp. (in IL)?

Regards,
David M.
===
Dr. David M. MacMillan  -  dmm at lemur.com

   The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts.
       - Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915); Aldo Leopold

www.CircuitousRoot.com   *  www.LemurType.com   *  www.Lemur.com