Evening star., 1926-06-08
PRINTING MACHINE
AIDS WORK OF A.P.
Automatic Telegraph Device
Used Widely by Service
in Sending News.
By the Assnciated Press.


NEW YORK, June S.-One of the
greatest factors in the development
of new avenues of communication
throughout the earth is the Associ'
ated Press of America, the largest
news gathering and distributing or
ganiZation in the world.
The latest invention for rapid com
munication is the automatic printing
telegraph machine, device which
was first used by the Associated Press
for the transmission of news.
1t has a carrying capacity of 60
words a minute, and with its coroll2ry
Morse wire, manned by operators
will deliver to member newspapers
the greatest volume of State, country
and world news that can be carried
over a single circuit. The automatic
printer used by the Associated Press
is one of the most noteworthy de.
velopments in the field of telegraphic
transmission in many years.
10000 Words in Hours.
A single printer circuit will carry
into newspaper office more than
10000 words of news in eight hours.
Perfection of the automatic circuit
has grown from experiments which
the Associated aPress began many
years ago. From the rather crude
mechanism that was used at that
time has been developed machine
that resembles an ordinary type
writer. 1t is controlled by electrical
impulses. which are set in motion by
an operator at the distant filing point
The impulses form letters. which be-
come pages. and then reams of news
dispatches. from which the newspaper
selects many thousands of words to
publish for its readers. The inStala-
ton of the automatic printer ma.
chimes in the offices of member news
papers is in charge of specially
trained employees of the Associated
Press.
Five hundred of these machines are
now in operation in the large member
newspapers in New York City, New
York State, New Jersey, New England,
Pennsylvania, the Northwestern
States. the Southwestern States, the
Southern States, Michigan, the Pacific
Coast, Ohio and from Kansas City to
San Francisco.
Uses Many Operators.
Today the Associated Press is the
largest user of automatic printers for
the transmission of news. NotWith-
standing this, it is now employing
more Morse operators than in the his
tory of the organization. This is be-
cause printers are used only on double
and triple circuits where a flexible
Morse circuit is at hand for the ex-
change of regional news.
In 1914 the Associated Press eStab-
liShed the first successful printer cir
cult. This was in the metropolitan
area of New York. Two years later it
put into operation the first long.
distance circuit to function efficiently
between New York and Boston. The
early equipment was rather crude and
complicated but was rapidly i'm
proved, until today it is a compact
and relatively small mechanism
In effect the machine is Il standard
typewriter slightly modified to meet
the requirements of automatic opera
tion and mounted in a pair, with both
transmitting and copying machines on
a steel table % by As inches
Since its practicability was proven
the use of automatic printers by the
Associated Press has expanded rapid
ly. At present the trunk circuits in
all parts of the country are so
equipped. a circuit connecting New
York and Kansas City with the larger
l itANo Al oiiio ItCtIlIS OI)tlcu,
Work Begun Early i'm Year.
Earlier in the year operation was
begun on circuits from Kansas City
to the coast, from Kansas City to the
Southwest. from Louisville to the
South from San Diego to Spokane
and in the States of Florida and Penn
sylvania, in addition to circuits in
operation from Chicago to the North.
west, New York to Buffalo, New York
to Portland, Me, and in the States of
Connecticut, Michigan and New Jer-
sey.
The printer circuit has a capac city
of 10000 words in "a hours. Because
it operates steadily at a uniform
speed and it is unnecessary to stop
for lunch.
The copy which the machine turns
out is in single-caSe type, but has
sufficient character to be reStful to
the eye of copy reader and editor and
is easily handled both by them and
the CompoSitor.
The printer is capable of handling
tabulated matter readily. Box scores,
stock lists and markets are turned
out as smoothly and accurately as by
typewriter.
Copy for filing on printer circuit
is selected and prepared by Associated
Press editors the same as for Morse
wires The transmitter, sitting at an
electrically operated standard type
writer keyboards perforates a paper
tape eleven -siXteenths of an inch
wide. The perforations are known
collectively as the five unit code.
Combinations of punctures. which are
made perpendicularly across the tape
and closely together, correspond to
letters.
Combinations Of Units.
One and two combined make a.;
one, four and five make "B"; two,
three and four make "C"; one and
four, d. etc. When perforated the
tape passes over five small pins in
distributor unit corresponding to
punctures and which move upward
TO meet the tape as the feed mechan-
ism pushes it forward with each rev.
olution of the transmitting unit.
When the pins meet the tape points
passing through, the punctures set up
selective impulses or marking cur
rent. which passes to the line. When
no punctures are made the pins are
held down and perform no selective
function. Where five punctures exist
no letter is made because the selec-
tive apparatus is stationary. Five
small magnets on the left side of the
machines at receiving stations take
the impulses in synchronism.
On being energized the magnets
push slightly to the right one or more
narrow notched bars. This action
opens a groove directly under the
code bar of the letter selected. AS
the bar drops into the notch it is
pushed sharply forward by another
part of the apparatus moving in
unison with the previous operation,
and the work of recording the let
ter is completed. Meanwhile the other
code bars are held in position. The