Telegraph Register
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This incomplete telegraph register is missing the electromagnets, embossing lever and other parts. Serial number 214 is stamped on the piece and a faint maker's mark appears on the brass base plate: "J. N. ...". The register came to the Smithsonian in 1904 from the Delaware & Hudson Company so we presume it saw service in their railroad system.
label: Description (Brief)
content: 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.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: web subject
content: Communication, telegraph
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Telegraph Registers
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content: Communications
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from the Delaware & Hudson Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: EM.231799
label: catalog number
content: 231799
label: accession number
content: 43583
objectType: label: Object Name
content: telegraph receiver
label: Object Name
content: telegraph register
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 3/4 in x 6 1/4 in x 12 3/4 in; 17.145 cm x 15.875 cm x 32.385 cm