TYPEWRITING ON THE SKY

Evening Star, Issue 16992, 14 March 1919, Page 3

TYPEWRITING ON THE SKY

A typewriter has been invented tfhst prints ita letters against tho sky in linos of flame, as well as writing them on paper in the usual way. The keys are electrically connected with a system of lamps held aloft by a massive framework, Saye a descriptive writer in the ‘ Scientific American ’: “ News bulletins, flashed In big electric letters almost simultaneously with their receipt over Press wires, are made possible by a new electrical device This invention consists of a huge bulletin hoard, operated bv a typewriter. It is called an electrograph. On either side of the board, which towers above a newspaper building in a mid-western city, are 60 monograms, arißilged in three rows. Each monogram, which measures 2ft by 3ft, contains _ an arrangement of 21 lights, various combinations of which form any letter or numeral, the dash, question mark, and dollar sign. Selection of the groups of lights to form tho various characters is done by press’ng the desired keys on tho typewriter. Selection of the monograms is done automatically through an extra platen on the typewriter. Thus, when the operator writes u bulletin on the typewriter, the letters appear in quick succession on the hoard and remain until the bulletin is completed. Tho bulletin may be left on for any desired length of time, and then released by pressing a, single key A unit-releasing device enables the operator to strike out a single letter without interfering with the ether letters. Thus, when an on or is made, tho correct letter may be inserted without writing the entire bulletin again. As tho keys are struck to produce tho letters on the board the same bulletins are written on paper in the usual way, thus giving a complete record of everything "flashed. An interesting feature is the rapidity with which the bulletins may bo flashed An ordinary bulletin may no written in 10 seconds, the operator writing just as he would on any .typewriter. As the operator cannot see the board ns ho works, a pilot board has been provided directly before him, consisting of 60 green light bulbs. When he strikes a key the action throws on tire corresponding letter, which in turn lights 'he green bulb corresponding to the number of the monogram in which the letter appears. For instance, if ho strikes the ‘A’ kev, with the platen set at No. 1 position, the letter ‘A’ will appear on the first monogram of the board and No. 1 green light will burn. If it does not burn the operator knows that the letter did not appear, and ho strikes it over.’’