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Telegraph Sounder and Speaking Telephone

National Museum of American History
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Object Details

Dolbear, Amos E.
Description (Brief)
Telegraph sounders convert electrical pulses into audible sounds and are used to receive Morse code messages. The message travels as a series of electrical pulses through a wire. Short pulses make a dot, slightly longer pulses make a dash. The sequence of dots and dashes represent letters and numbers. The pulses energize the sounder’s electromagnets which move a lever-arm. The arm makes a loud “click” when it strikes a crossbar and the operator translates the pattern of sounds into the original language. Inventor Amos Dolbear, known for his early experiments in telephony, made this patent model of a combination device that worked both as a telegraph sounder and a telephone receiver.
Location
Currently not on view
1879
ID Number
EM.252631
catalog number
252631
accession number
49064
patent number
220205
Object Name
patent model
telegraph receiver
telephone
telegraph sounder
Object Type
Patent Model
Other Terms
telegraph sounder; Telephones
Physical Description
wood (overall material)
metal (overall material)
rubber (overall material)
cloth (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 4 1/4 in x 4 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in; 10.795 cm x 11.43 cm x 10.795 cm
See more items in
Work and Industry: Electricity
Communications
Telegraph Sounders
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_703436
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-3188-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

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  • Telephones

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