[GreenKeys] Western Union 2B Parts Needed

[John Nagle]

> From: Richard Dillman <ddillman at igc.org> Subject: Re: [GreenKeys]
> Western Union 2B Parts Needed
>
> I am confused at your attached pictures -- the first B&W one looks
> to be a 2B tape printer, but the second color pic is clearly an M14
> that prints/punches on 11/16" tape.

> Thanks for your note Bill.  I'm still on the steep part of the
> learning curve on these things. The photo I sent actually does show
> the case on the 2B we have.  And indeed the tape shown appears to be
> "standard" 11/16. But below the hood it is a 2B as shown in the
> attached photo. As you can see, to the left of the print platen there
> are two guides, one for skinny and one for narrow tape, both friction
> feed. The case is missing the two holes on the front of the 2B case
> in the 1946 photo.

The "two guides, one for skinny and one for narrow tape"
are normal for a 2B tape printer. The wide one on the left is wide
because the tape moves sideways (front to back) when the machine shifts
from upper to lower case.  See this video of a 2B tape printer print
unit in a steampunk case.

    https://archive.org/details/Aethericmachine14

There's supposed to be a 73967 Celluloid Cover on top of that output
chute, but few of those have survived.

    Here's the parts manual for the Model 14 or 2B tape printer.

http://www.aetherltd.com/public/model14manuals/1028B-Iss2-Feb36.pdf

(I just resized this, so that all the pages are now readable,
instead of tiny.)

See page 10 for the cover.

There are several cover variations.  There's a "cutaway cover",
which provides access to the tape closer to the print position.
This allows it to be torn off. Here's one of those machines at
the Museum of Communications in Seattle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LhCmg20Dqs

The picture of the early KPH station machine, with the cover
with two front holes, doesn't match anything in the manuals or
machines I have.  that might have been for access
to the character counter. There's a Model 14 option to count
characters and turn on a light when the  line is full.
I have one of those mechanisms.  There's no dial and pointer;
it's just an internal ratchet and and switch.  This is for
sending to page printers.  The hole may have been for
that, and may have been a local addition.

			John Nagle