The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-15

1t and set 1t up In type at fifty or a hum
dred places simultaneously.
Mr.. Reifgraber was seen at his residence
by a PoSt-Dispatch reporter. He Is
about forty years old. and a native of
Austria, but has lived I'm st. Louis for
upward OF twenty years. He is "a ma
chinist and practical electrician. and was
until few months ago employed as fore
man Of the manufacturing department of
the Holekamp-MOore Instrument Com
pany. He has been 1T work for seven
years evolving his invention, and I'm Feb
ruary last applied for a patent, which was
granted July "A. He has also taken steps
to protect his rights in England, Canada
and other foreign countries
He is at work now building one OF his
machines. and hopes to have 1t completed
in time for exhibition this fall at the ex-
position
He produced two sets of elaborate draw
ings attached to his letters patent and
explained that the apparatus would not
occupy much more space than a sewing
machine and ought not to cost much more
than a typewriter, which il resembles in
many ways.
I'm operating the keys OF this instru-
ment" said Mr. Reifgraber, "the operator
does not only print the respective charac-
tiers represented by the various keys, but
at the same time, after line Is completed,
sets in motion a perforating mechanism
within the same instrument, which pro-
duces on strip Of paper perforation for
every key depressed and every character
pleted the operator has produced two CO.
pies, one In typewritten form, which he
may place on file, the other in the shape
of a perforated strip of paper, containing
as many perforations as there are char
a0ters printed.
THE perforated strip is inserted in a
small electrical instrument which is call
ed the transmitter,' and Is in electrical
contact with a telegraph wire, connect
ing, let us say, St. Louis with Chicago.
At the Chicago end Of the wire there will
be an instrument exactly similar to that
at the St. Louis end AS the perforated
strip passes through the transmtter at
the rate OF 1000 or 5000 electrical approx
imately per minute, electrical impulses
shoot over the wire automatically repro
ducing in Chicago identically the same
typewriter characters and perforated
slip that were originally produced at this
end. The typewriter copy Is laid aside
for reference and the perforated slip is
inserted in a little instrument, especially
devised for the purpose, which shall call
'transmitter No. q and Is attached to the
Mergenthaler linotype machine, thereby
automatically operating the same and
setting up the message In type. Between
the transmitting and receiving points any
number of similar instruments may be
connected with the same wire. at various
cities and towns, and all will do the same
work at the same time"
How about errors?"
'eThere will be no chance for an error II
the operator is reasonably accurate. II
he should accidentally depress the wrong
key he can change the character by touch
ing another key"
rs a perforation made every time a
key is depressedY'
NO The perforations are made only
after a line Is completed"
as there any doubt as to the practical
success of your inVentionP
'4ts accomplishment is not by any
means as difficult as 1t was to develop and
successfully construct the type-setting ma
chine or to transmit sound over a wire,
or to reproduce music and speech by a
photograph, the feasibility Of all of
which were questioned at the outset"
Mr. Reifgraber has been offered $4,000
cash for his invention, but has politely
refused the offer.
He says he has the capital behind him
TO nut his invention TO the test and has
no fears of the outcome.
Mr.. Reifgraber is a self-made man. Tall,
round, well-shaped head, he is a fine type
Of the intelligent German-American me
chanic He speaks English fiuently, but
with a decided German accent. He is a
man of family. having a wife and two
children, one of whom. a boy Of 16 or so,
is employed at the St. Louis Tribune Office
Mr. Reifgraber is man Of steady and
sober habits and has remedied the defects
of his early education by a course Of read
ing and hard study prosecuted after his
arduous days labor was done.
He never seeks relaxation in beer sa-
looms, but devotes all his leisure time to
reading, thought and study.