High-speed Wheatstone printer (1880s) : more Morse per second

There is a limit to how fast an operator can work with Morse code, both in sending and receiving. A skilled worker can manage around 32 words per minute. This high-speed model allowed messages to be sent at hundreds of words per minute, freeing up valuable connection time.

At the base is a large roll of ticker taper, which is fed up through the mechanism. This passes under a wheel (connected to an inkwell), which is triggered by the incoming electrical message to leave marks in Morse code. The message itself is sent by a similar machine running tape with holes punched out of it in code format.

A separate motor, controls the speed of the tape and this can be sped up or slowed down by sliding the accelerator lever on the top to make sure the message lines are evenly and legibly spaced.