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Can anyone identify this machine
- Thread starter Ben 77
- Start date
- Replies 18
- Views 1,986
Mike C.
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2004
- Location
- Birmingham, AL
Not from that one single sided shot. A few more angles and a little closer in pics would be helpful.
stephen thomas
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2001
Looks like the extremely rare final stage development turbo-compound version of the retro encabulator just as that whole system had already passed into obsolescence.
smt
smt
Ha ha, I needed a laugh, many thanks!
rivett608
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2002
- Location
- Kansas City, Mo.
Defiantly a extremely rare final stage development turbo-compound version of the retro encabulator but it is the MarkII version........... I knew this fellow that lived down the road in that other place that had a whole collection of these before the "Men in Black" came and took him away.....
traditional-tools
Diamond
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2007
- Location
- West Coast
Definitely the Mark II version, but it looks like it has the eccentric spindle, quite a rare option on those units!
lazarus
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Location
- McKenney, Va
And I thought it was an electric conversion kit for an RCA Victrola. I feel real dumb now that you guys pointed out the Mark II.
Ben
Ben
Dan Miller
Aluminum
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2007
- Location
- Ontario Canada
The eccentric spindle, which was sometimes fitted to the Mark II version, was developed in Thomas Edison's lab. I say this because there is a rare photograph of Thomas Edison posing with this very machine. It was developed by workers, in his lab, to form spun horse hair filaments, for use in early hand blown glass lightbulbs.
The backup twin to this machine now sits in the Smithsonian collection.
.
The backup twin to this machine now sits in the Smithsonian collection.
.
Mebfab
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2003
- Location
- Mebane North Carolina USA
It did till the parking lot attendant stole it. Now the villain from austin powers has it
Bruce Nelson
Stainless
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2009
I saw one that was the exact replica of one that was similar to it, except it was mounted on skids.
Lord Byron
Lord Byron
Billtodd
Titanium
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2009
It's a punch tape reader
9100
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2004
- Location
- Webster Groves, MO
Here is an enhanced version. I still don't know what it is, but we an see detail.
Bill
Bruce Nelson
Stainless
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2009
Probably an Enigma.
Lord Byron
Lord Byron
Billtodd
Titanium
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2009
Ticker tape printer?
SouthBendModel34
Diamond
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2004
- Location
- Metuchen, NJ, USA
SWAG: It's a Wheatstone tape reader. Wheatstone tape is a method of automatically sending Morse code. The tape is about 1/2 wide. There are two data tracks at the top and bottom, plus tractor feed perforations down the center. A "Dot" is two perforations on a line across the tape. A "Dash" is two perforations which are offset from each other. The reader keys a radio transmitter, or perhaps in some cases a telegraph line. Being Morse, the output is human-readable.
The tape is punched either from a machine with a full keyboard, or a simpler machine with dot, dash, and space keys only. (McElroy made these.)
These were in use and commercially available as late as 1970-ish. There were ads for them in the back of the Radio Amateur's Handbook in that era.
The British "Creed" system is similar in purpose, although different in detail.
Remember, this is a SWAG based on other's identification as a perforated paper tape device.
The tape is punched either from a machine with a full keyboard, or a simpler machine with dot, dash, and space keys only. (McElroy made these.)
These were in use and commercially available as late as 1970-ish. There were ads for them in the back of the Radio Amateur's Handbook in that era.
The British "Creed" system is similar in purpose, although different in detail.
Remember, this is a SWAG based on other's identification as a perforated paper tape device.