Telegraph Register

Telegraph Register

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Description (Brief)
This telegraph register was used by the Delaware & Hudson Company’s Transportation Department on their railroad. 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 register
date made
ca 1860
maker
Knox & Shain
Physical Description
brass (overall material)
copper (overall material)
wood (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 7 in x 4 7/8 in x 12 1/4 in; 17.78 cm x 12.3825 cm x 31.115 cm
ID Number
EM.230194
accession number
43184
catalog number
230194
Credit Line
from the Delaware & Hudson Company
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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