[GreenKeys] Can anyone identify this machine

[Martin]

As I became the lucky winner of this item, I can now shed light on the 
answer to this question.

It is indeed a GPO Teleprinter No 2A and built around 1925 according to 
the label. The condition is not at all bad really, apart from the 
keytops which are not the end of the world. Its also missing a few 
things like a switch and a bell end of tape alarm and the tape reel 
cover, but otherwise looks like it will be a nice TLC project. I was 
very pleased to get it as it must be a very rare machine to find and 
cost very little, even including shipping from East Scotland, I wonder 
how many survive? It was hard to find references to GPO machines of this 
age, but I was able to find a good chapter on it in Herberts Telegraphy, 
dated 1930. This fully explains the details of operation so faulting and 
maintenance should be no problem. It even came with a reel of narrow 
paper tape to fit which is a bonus. This book covers all GPO 
Teleprinters 1 to 5, and seems to be a unique reference. Does anyone 
know if a GPO Teleprinter No 6 existed? I cannot recall.

It is more precisely a Typebar Teletype and was developed from the 
Typewheel Teletype manufactured by Morkrum Kleinschmidt, known by the 
GPO as Teleprinter No 1A.  The double space bar was one of several 
modifications the GPO requested to be compatible with earlier models.

The code differs slightly from standard Baudot Telex code and this seems 
to be tied in with the double space bar feature.  The letters are all 
standard but the figures case is different except the numbers. There are 
a number of characters of the form "1/" "3/" etc, and I cant think what 
they were used for. Important differences though are the Letters shift 
which becomes "/", CR and LF which become "+" and "-" and space becomes 
Letters shift.

As I interpret the description of operation, there is only one code that 
produces a non printing "no advance" of the tape, and that function 
maybe available only from the keyboard. I dont know which key as the 
markings are missing.

So every character advances the tape, and that is why Letters and 
Figures shifts can also be spaces, as these are the only other non 
printing codes. Driving this machine from a Baudot coded machine is 
going to require some careful thought! At the end of a line one will get 
a "+-" . Every Letters shift will produce a "/" but Letters will be 
re-selected by every space! Figures will act normally.

Fun times ahead.

Martin


On 20/02/2018 09:16, John Nagle wrote:

>> From: "Alf Fisher"<alffisher2 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: [GreenKeys] Can anyone identify this machine
>>
>> Please can anyone identify this machine.
>>
>> 73, Alf, G3WSD
>> URL:<http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/greenkeys/attachments/20180219/5f2a44d7/attachment-0001.jpg> 
>>
>
> That's an unusual machine. It's basically a Teletype Model 14 tape 
> printer.  I have several of those.  But for some reason, it was built
> as a modified machine to print on the tape usually used in 
> reperforators.  It's not a reperforator; there's no punch
> mechanism.  Nor is it a reperforator from which the punch has
> been removed.  The tape feed mechanism and shift system are
> like a Model 14 (the tape position shifts), and the tape
> guides are similar to, but wider, than those for the standard
> 5/16" or 3/8" tape.
>
> Notice the two spacebars.  That's very unusual.
>
> It looks repairable.  Worth repairing as an exotic
> variant. What typebars does it have? Punctuation?
> Fractions?  Weather symbols?
>
>                 John Nagle
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-- 
--
CNET Honeybottom 5290
http://www.ckts.info/192/uk
  
This Email personally scripted by: Martin (G8UDJ)
The Strowger aficionado's site is athttp://www.aeolian-hall.myzen.co.uk

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