Chester telegraph relay
Chester telegraph relay
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- Description
- Telegraph relays amplified electrical signals in a telegraph line. Telegraph messages traveled as a series of electrical pulses through a wire from a transmitter to a receiver. Short pulses made a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash. The pulses faded in strength as they traveled through the wire, to the point where the incoming signal was too weak to directly operate a receiving sounder or register. A relay detected a weak signal and used a battery to strengthen the signal so that the receiver would operate.
- This unusual looking relay bears the stamp of Charles T. Chester of New York. Charles and his brother John ran a business manufacturing electrical devices from 1855 to the latter's death in 1871. Charles patented several devices including improvements for batteries however we have not been able to associate a patent with this relay. The unit itself is a production piece with serial number 326.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- relay
- telegraph relay
- Chester relay
- date made
- ca 1860
- maker
- Chester, Charles T.
- Physical Description
- wood (overall material)
- brass (overall material)
- ivory (overall material)
- cloth (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 7 3/4 in x 5 5/8 in x 12 in; 19.685 cm x 14.2875 cm x 30.48 cm
- ID Number
- EM.320525
- catalog number
- 320525
- accession number
- 241402
- Credit Line
- from International Business Machines, Inc., William J. Hammer Collection
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Electricity
- Communications
- Telegraph Relays & Repeaters
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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