Telegraph Register

Telegraph Register

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Description (Brief)
L. G. Tillotson and Company of New York made this telegraph register but the incomplete tape reel holder may have been added by the users in the University of Virginia's Physics Department. Telegraph registers are electrically-activated printers that receive Morse code messages. The message travels as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. The pulses energize the register’s electromagnets which move a lever-arm holding a pen or stylus. A clockwork mechanism pulls a strip of paper across the pen or stylus, recording the message. Short pulses draw or emboss a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash. The sequence of dots and dashes represent letters and numbers.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
telegraph receiver
telegraph register
maker
L. G. Tillotson & Co.
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
brass (overall material)
copper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 14 in x 24 in x 8 in; 35.56 cm x 60.96 cm x 20.32 cm
ID Number
EM.323378
catalog number
323378
accession number
251562
collector/donor number
H-60
Credit Line
from the University of Virginia, Department of Physics
subject
Communication, telegraph
See more items in
Work and Industry: Electricity
Telegraph Registers
Communications
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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