page_title: Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator
hierarchical_section_title: Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator
caption_attribution_description: English: Telegraph Tape Perforator - Kleinschmidt, from around 1940s found in Museums Victoria Collections Device used to punch holes in paper tape as part of an electric telegraph system. Characters typed on the keyboard were converted according to a defined code into a pattern of perforations in the paper tape. The punched tape was fed through a transmitter which converted the pattern of holes into pulses of electrical current for transmission over the telegraph line to the receiving station. Physical Description Metal frame, painted black, supporting tape perforating mechanism at rear of object. Alphabetic and numeric keyboard at front of object. Connecting cable attached to rear of frame.
context_page_description: The Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator is a telegraph instrument invented by Edward Kleinschmidt which prepares punched tape for telegraph transmission. A QWERTY keyboard operate hole punches that prepare a Wheatstone slip. Each Morse code of the dots and dashes for the letter is selected by projecting tongues on the key bar. The centre holes used for the paper feed are punched first, then the lower holes, and then the upper holes. The upper holes are the mark holes, which indicate when the symbol starts, and the lower hole tell when to terminate the symbol. This keyboard can be operated at up to 80 words a minute by a skilled operator.
  The Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator was first invented and constructed by Kleinschmidt in 1911. Kleinschmidt wanted to develop a product that could be sold to telegraph companies rather than just selling patents. Western Union Telegraph Company was the first to purchase 50 units. As a result of this order, the Kleinschmidt Electric Company was formed to manufacture the perforator. F. G. Creed ordered ten machines for Creed high-speed Continental-Morse-code system. The British Post Office ordered 20, and then later in 1914 ordered another 100.
context_section_description: The Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator is a telegraph instrument invented by Edward Kleinschmidt which prepares punched tape for telegraph transmission. A QWERTY keyboard operate hole punches that prepare a Wheatstone slip. Each Morse code of the dots and dashes for the letter is selected by projecting tongues on the key bar. The centre holes used for the paper feed are punched first, then the lower holes, and then the upper holes. The upper holes are the mark holes, which indicate when the symbol (dot or dash) starts, and the lower hole tell when to terminate the symbol. This keyboard can be operated at up to 80 words a minute by a skilled operator.
  The Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator was first invented and constructed by Kleinschmidt in 1911. Kleinschmidt wanted to develop a product that could be sold to telegraph companies rather than just selling patents. Western Union Telegraph Company was the first to purchase 50 units. As a result of this order, the Kleinschmidt Electric Company was formed to manufacture the perforator. F. G. Creed ordered ten machines for Creed high-speed Continental-Morse-code system. The British Post Office ordered 20, and then later in 1914 ordered another 100. Later the Teletype Corporation also made this machine.
  In London they were sold by Creed & Co, which had a sales contract with the Kleinschmidt Electric Company.
caption: Kleinschmidt telegraph tape perforator from Museums Victoria Collections
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