Patent Model of Edison's Automatic Telegraph, 1879
Add to SetSummary
This patent demonstrated the recording and transmitting of Morse code messages. A cardboard disc was placed on top of a rotating plate with spiral grooves. Indentations were embossed onto the cardboard by a needle powered by an electromagnet. These indents formed a recorded message, which could then be transmitted—without needing an operator—to several stations, saving labor.
This patent demonstrated the recording and transmitting of Morse code messages. A cardboard disc was placed on top of a rotating plate with spiral grooves. Indentations were embossed onto the cardboard by a needle powered by an electromagnet. These indents formed a recorded message, which could then be transmitted—without needing an operator—to several stations, saving labor.
Artifact
Model (Patent)
Date Made
circa 1877
Subject Date
1879
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
29.1980.1372.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of the Edison Pioneers.
Material
Wood (Plant material)
Brass (Alloy)
Steel (Alloy)
Dimensions
Height: 7 in
Width: 9.5 in
Length: 5.5 in