Transmitter, telegraph transmitter

Telegraph transmitters were used to send punched tape messages. A receiver fitted with a plain tape would have printed out the message in ink as dots and dashes to be read once the high speed transmission had been completed. A third piece of equipment, the perforator, was needed at the start of the process to punch the holes in the tape.

Wheatstone transmitters were commonly used by newspapers, in particular to send messages overseas. To reduce costs high speed transmission was necessary. This high-speed model allowed messages to be sent at hundreds of words per minute.