Teletype Corporation

Teletype Corporation
Company type	Manufacturing
Industry	Communications
Founded	1928
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Products	Teleprinter equipment

The Teletype Corporation became a part of the AT&T Corporation's manufacturing segment, Western Electric, starting in 1930. Its origins date back to 1928 when the Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Company adopted the Teletype trademark. The company specialized in designing, developing, and producing data transmission and record communication devices, with a particular reputation for its electromechanical teleprinter products.

Although operating under Western Electric's corporate framework, Teletype maintained a distinct presence with its own dedicated sales team. This autonomy allowed it to market products beyond the AT&T Bell System, including significant sales to the U.S. Government.

This organizational model remained until January 8, 1982, when the United States v. AT&T antitrust resolution led to Western Electric's integration into AT&T as AT&T Technologies. Subsequently, Teletype was rebranded as AT&T Teletype. The teleprinter manufacturing line ceased operations in 1990. One of the former production facilities located in Skokie, Illinois has since been converted into a parking structure.

History

The roots of Teletype trace back to the Morkrum Company. In 1902, electrical engineer Frank Pearne sought financial support from Joy Morton of Morton Salt to create a printing telegraph device. Mechanical engineer Charles L. Krum collaborated with Pearne at an attic laboratory at Western Cold Storage. After Pearne transitioned to teaching at Armour Institute (now Illinois Institute of Technology), Krum advanced the project independently, securing a patent for a "typebar page printer" in 1903.

Krum further patented a "type wheel printing telegraph machine" in 1904, which was granted in 1907. The Morkrum Company was established in 1906—its name deriving from Morton and Krum—when Howard Krum joined his father’s efforts. Howard developed and patented the start-stop synchronization technique for coded telegraph systems, which enabled practical teleprinter functionality.

By 1908, the Morkrum Printing Telegraph was operationally tested by Alton Railroad. In 1910, Morkrum installed the first commercial teletypewriter system utilizing the "Blue Code Version" on Postal Telegraph lines between Boston and New York City.

The Morkrum Company merged with Kleinschmidt Electric Company in 1925, forming Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Company. This entity was renamed Teletype Corporation in December 1928.

In 1930, AT&T purchased Teletype for $30 million in stock and incorporated it as a subsidiary under Western Electric. Howard Krum continued as a technical consultant while Sterling Morton assumed presidency; despite not being an engineer, Morton contributed to multiple patents.

In 1974, employees at the Little Rock facility initiated a strike over compensation and benefits disputes. The strike concluded with an agreement that aligned their contract terms with other Western Electric plants.

Morkrum Company

Morkrum Printing Telegraph – Recognized as the first mechanically reliable teleprinter, it underwent field trials with Alton Railroad starting in 1908. The "Blue Code Version" launched in 1910 powered the initial commercial teleprinter network on Postal Telegraph lines connecting Boston and New York City. In 1914, a "Green Code Version" was deployed on Western Union circuits for the Associated Press to distribute news across New York newspapers.
Morkrum Model 11 Tape Printer – Capable of approximately 45 words per minute, this tape printer utilized gummed paper tape for telegrams and was notable as the first teleprinter successfully operated aboard an aircraft.
Morkrum Model GPE Perforator – Designed circa 1913 with a U.S. patent filed in 1914, this perforator model remained in production for over five decades.
Morkrum Model 12 Typebar Page Printer – Also referred to as Model 12 Page Printer and based on an Underwood typewriter mechanism, this represented the first commercially successful teleprinter. It was manufactured from 1922 to 1925 under Morkrum, then between 1925 and 1929 under Morkrum-Kleinschmidt, and finally from 1929 through 1943 by Teletype Corporation.

Kleinschmidt Electric Company

In 1916, Kleinschmidt secured a patent for a type-bar page printer utilizing Baudot code, specifically engineered for multiplex circuit applications. By 1919, the company redirected its efforts toward creating multiplex transmitters compatible with this printer. Additionally, Kleinschmidt developed the Kleinschmidt keyboard perforator, which was subsequently manufactured by Teletype.

Western Electric Company

10-A Printing Telegraph – Prior to acquiring Teletype Corporation in 1930, Western Electric manufactured printing telegraph devices designed by Bell Telephone Laboratories. The 10-A Printer operated electrically and featured a vertically oriented typewheel.

Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Company

Model 14 (1925) – Howard Krum and Sterling Morton filed this design in 1924. It was a type-bar tape printer employing Baudot code, with approximately 60,000 units produced, becoming a significant product line.

Teletype Corporation

Notable Teletype models and their commercial significance:

Model 15 (1930)

The Model 15 was a Baudot code page printer widely used by the U.S. military during World War II. With around 200,000 units manufactured over an impressive 33-year production span ending in 1963, its robustness and reliability made it an economical choice during wartime, postponing upgrades to newer models. It earned recognition as the quintessential "news Teletype" in journalistic environments.

Model 19 (1940)

This model integrated the capabilities of the Model 15 with a paper tape perforator and transmitter-distributor, enhancing performance for both commercial and military users.

Model 20 (1940)

A type-bar page printer capable of printing upper and lower case characters, designed to support TeleTypeSetter functionality; available in send-receive or receive-only variants.

Model 26 (1939)

An affordable Baudot code page printer employing a typewheel mechanism akin to that found in manual typewriters.

Model 28 (1951)

The Model 28 series comprised rugged page printers and tape equipment initially developed for U.S. military use before entering commercial markets. Renowned for their durability and modular construction, these machines featured interchangeable type boxes and mechanical selectors enabling sophisticated control operations. Released commercially in 1953, they established new benchmarks for teleprinter reliability.

Available configurations for the Model 28 included:

RO – Receive Only
KSR – Keyboard Send and Receive
ASR – Automatic Send and Receive

These options provided customized solutions tailored to various market segments. The U.S. military designated specific variants reflecting strategic collaborations.

Model 29 (1950s)

A six-bit IBM BCD code machine adapted for Integrated Data Processing applications following limited commercial uptake.

Model 31 (1947)

A compact five-level start-stop tape printer engineered for mobile deployment in aviation and maritime environments.

Dataspeed Systems (from 1962)

Bell System introduced high-speed paper tape terminals supporting data collection tasks at rates up to 1050 words per minute, incorporating advanced error correction mechanisms vital to networked communication infrastructures.

Models 32/33 (1963)

Cost-effective, fully mechanical teleprinters utilizing typewheels; production exceeded 600,000 units. The Model 33, an ASCII teleprinter, became a standard office console device during the early minicomputer period, exerting considerable market influence.

Model 35 (1963)

A versatile ASCII terminal supporting various transmission modes and modem interfaces compatible with Bell System data sets; extensively deployed in telecommunications switching facilities.

Inktronic Terminal (1966)

An electronic high-speed teleprinter capable of printing at 1200 words per minute through electrostatic deflection technology. Despite its innovation, it was withdrawn due to reliability shortcomings.

Model 37 (1969)

A terminal offering full ASCII support with upper/lower case printing and optional two-color output; compliant with RS-232 standards and available in multiple configurations to accommodate diverse operational requirements.

4100 Paper Tape Equipment (1972)

A series of synchronous/asynchronous readers and punches designed for rapid data processing with verifier logic ensuring accuracy; offered in both tabletop and rack-mounted versions targeting industrial users.

Model 38 (1972)

An extended-width iteration of the Model 33 supporting complete ASCII character sets on wider paper formats; incorporated modem interfaces compatible with Bell System standards but exhibited reduced reliability due to design modifications.

Models 42/43 (1977)

Electronic teleprinters providing character-at-a-time keyboard-printer send-receive functionality; the Model 43 supported ASCII with selectable speeds up to 300 words per minute and flexible printing options including sprocket-fed paper accommodating up to 132 characters per line.

Dataspeed 40 (1979)

A system combining electronic CRT displays with high-speed printers interconnected via cluster controllers; interfaced with synchronous modems operating at speeds up to 9600 baud. Used internally by AT&T as well as sold commercially, it replaced older slower equipment models.

Specialized offerings encompassed multiplex systems such as AN/FGC-5 and AN/UGC-1/3 tailored for military communications, alongside automatic data interchange systems like ADIS for FAA operations and BDIS for flight plan management—underscoring Teletype’s leadership in specialized niche markets.

This comprehensive product range exemplifies Teletype Corporation’s ongoing business expansion through pioneering telecommunication hardware innovations serving military, commercial, and government sectors worldwide.

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