[GreenKeys] Help dating early Model 14

Thu Jan 22 08:22:47 EST 2026

Nick,

That must have been a reprint.

In 1927, the company was still "Morkrum-Kleinschmidt"

Duncan

On 1/22/2026 8:10 AM, Nick England wrote:
> This 1927 manual for the Model 12 lists Teletype Corp. as a subsidiary 
> of Western Electric. Was is a later reprint of an earlier manual?
> https://www.navy-radio.com/manuals/tty/114B-M12-2705.pdf
>
>
> Nick England K4NYW
> Chapel Hill NC
> www.navy-radio.com <http://www.navy-radio.com>
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 21, 2026 at 8:16 PM Duncan Brown 
> <duncanancy at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>     Brian,
>
>     Your unit is probably from about 1928-30. In 1930, the Teletype
>     Corp. was bought by AT&T for $30 million and became part of
>     Western Electric and "Western Electric" would have probably shown
>     up on the nameplate after that date.
>
>     Some background:
>     In the early 1920s, there were two American companies making
>     teletypewriters: The Morkrum Co. and the Kleinschmidt Electric
>     Co., but neither company was making any money.  Customers (mainly
>     Western Union and railroads)  were wary of investing too much
>     money in either of these small companies, since they might fold at
>     any time.  Conversely, both of these companies were hungry for
>     business and  their customers could play one against the other to
>     get the best price.
>
>     Things came to a head in 1924 after Morkrum sued KEC for patent
>     infringement on the start-stop process and KEC counter-sued. A
>     protracted suit would probably have killed both companies (with
>     only the lawyers benefiting), so it was agreed to merge the two
>     companies. The Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Co. was chartered on 29
>     December 1924.  In 1928, the name "Morkrum-Kleinschmidt" was felt
>     to be too cumbersome and the name was changed to "Teletype
>     Corporation." (Morkrum had been previously using "Teletype" as a
>     model name.)
>
>     WU had been asking for a stop-start tape printer for immediate,
>     written communications. Both Morkrum and KEC had been working on
>     designs to meet this need, but now they could combine their plans
>     into a new, type bar, start-stop, keyboard tape printer; which
>     became the Western Union Model 2-B. After tests & evaluations in
>     about 1926, WU's first order was for 10,000 machines at $317 each
>     – a total of $3.17 Million. No such quantity of a printing
>     telegraph had ever been ordered before!
>
>     This was initially just a tape printer (not a reperforator) and
>     was _not_ referred to as a "Model 14."
>
>     (Note: Western Union assigned their own model numbers to equipment
>     that was manufactured for them. Also, WU reused model numbers for
>     different types of equipment. So you could have a "Model 2-B" tape
>     printer, a "Model 2-B page printer", a "Model 2-B tape reader", etc.)
>
>
>     Teletype Corp.'s first reperforator (non printing) shows up in
>     about 1936 as the "Single Magnet Reperforator" in tall box that
>     fit under a Model 19 table. It was referred to as an "RPE" and
>     later (1938) as a "Model 14". (Note: there are two model
>     designation systems used for Teletype Corp. products!  A letter
>     designation system [Fxx= M14 series; Lxx=M28 series, etc.] and the
>     number designation [M11; M12; M14; M28].  I have heard that the
>     number system was more of a Bell/WE numbering system, but the M11
>     & M12 came before the purchase of Teletype Corp. by AT&T.)
>
>     Around 1940, the original WU 2-B model strip printer was modified
>     to also be a reperforator and that  is the model that we typically
>     think of as the M14 Typing Reperforator.
>
>     Hope this helps.
>
>     have fun,
>
>     Duncan Brown, K2OEQ
>     USASA    31J30
>
>     Antique Wireless Association
>      Communication Technologies Museum
>        Asst. Curator, Commercial Equipment
>     (also chief TTY op & repairman)
>
>     i-Telex: 212503
>
>     www.antiquewireless.org <http://www.antiquewireless.org>
>
>     AWA Youtube channel:
>     https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX55peBhzeX1qps_VYXdLBA
>     Virtual AWA Museum TTY Tour:
>     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpB6jM90VV8
>
>
>
>     On 1/19/2026 9:02 PM, Brian Dunlop wrote:
>>     Greetings,
>>     I came across a Teletype model 14 that looks like an early
>>     Morkrum-Kleinschmidt but has Teletype badging.
>>     Could this model 14 be a transitional unit from around December
>>     1928 when the company changed its name to Teletype Corporation? 
>>     Photos in the folder linked below.
>>     https://1drv.ms/f/c/abb4389819d8f96e/IgCpSHniEaO7SY55E9eyPK0MAWCVzZIaYNqu2Gg5HjguXRs?e=zk2e8W
>>     New to the list.  Any information appreciated.
>>     Regards,
>>     Brian Dunlop
>>
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