TTY News Services Over Phone Lines and Message Services

Ed Sharpe asks Paul Taylor how the controller pictured above functioned.

Paul state "Golly, that was some 40 years ago. I'm still not sure just what it does exactly but I get the feeling it was built to accept a phone call from a distant TTY. Something like on the first ring, it would turn on the punched paper tape reader and send the contents of the tape (announcements, news, deaf gatherings, where and time of meeting, etc) to the receiver. All that information would be printed on the originator's TTY paper. Then at the end of the loop, the tape would stop and the TTY printer would come on to receive a typed message the originator wanted to send like "thanks" or corrections if the sent information did not have the right date or time of a meeting or whatever.

The electronics is simple, really. A relay would be used to turn on the punched tape reader on the first telephone ring. Also the same relay at the same time would connect the telephone to the modem and the modem would send tones over the telephone line, etc. At the end of the tape, a special code maybe all five punched Baudot code holes would signal the tape reader to stop and turn on the TTY printer adjacent to the tape reader to receive whatever replies would come from the originator. After a quiet period like 15 seconds if the TTY printer does not print, then the whole unit shuts down for the next caller. The phone company as I remember had those special relays and switches, etc and are available from the maintenance shop in the phone company. The telephone servicemen knew me well and it was no problem getting those special relays.

Maybe this helps ? Paul"

MORE!--------

The Deaf Messenger was built (or rather fabricated) using relays and the punched tape reader. Sally would type on the paper tape the weekly news and what's going on in the Deaf community . The tape would be some 12 to 20 feet long depending on the amount of news. After she's done, the ends of the tape were taped so that you have a tape loop. At the end of the news, there would be a 'V" cut out so the electric eye would sense the end of the tape and signal to the tape reader to shut off. Then the teletype would come on to receive comments from the viewers . After a period of quiet time, like fifteen seconds, the teletype and Phonetype were automatically turned off and the phone relay contacts were closed effectively hanging up the phone for the next call. Yes, I built all that and it wasn't too difficult as much of the devices were from the laboratories at Monsanto Chemical where I worked. It was around the year 1972. I remember how popular the Deaf Messenger was as it received many messages each week. Many of the Deaf events throughout St. Louis were advertised on each caller's teletype and made it possible for many people to know what events would come in the next week or two. At that time there were some 75 to 100 teletypes in the Deaf people's homes throughout St. Louis and across the river in Illinois. A tremendous jump in communications for the Deaf community where messages were conveyed only by postal mail and personal eye to eye contacts. A truly exciting event for everyone !!

The Deaf Messenger was located in our basement near the photo darkroom. It was especially busy during the evenings and weekends when everyone was at home. Sally and I would remark often how many times the messenger turned on and off each evening. David, our son, was about 7 years old that time and he would smile each time he heard the messenger came on.

What fun it was !! Nothing like it.

Paul

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE
DEAF /UPI NEWS TELETYPE HOOK-UP
( From the Paul and Sally Taylor Collection at SMECC)

CONCEPT: There is in the St. Louis area a network of teletype machines used by the deaf to communicate with one another. These machines are very similar to the teletype machines used by the various wire services.

If the deaf community could receive the wire service the teletype could become for them what the radio and television news broadcasts are for the hearing.

The prospect of setting up a link between the UPI and the deaf TTY network was discussed with Bill Ketter. Bill was immediately in favor of such an arrangement, checked with the Chicago and New York offices, and within a week authorization was given to go ahead with the project.

The UPI has donated the use of its broadcast newswire to the deaf community.

TECHNICAL: Western Union supplied a special high speed mercury relay and power supply 'Which repeats the UPI signal into a terminal unit; a device which converts the on-off pulses of the UPI into two audible tones, which then can he carried over regular telephone lines. The deaf person turns on his teletype, and dials a special number. A data access' arrangement answers the call and completes the link to the UPI. The tones come over the telephone line, are picked up by the acoustic coupler, and are converted to direct current off-on pulses at the receiving terminal unit which operates the teletype machine.

The terminal unit was developed by a deaf electrical engineer in MenloPark, California. Robert Weitbrecht, the inventor, is a radio amateur known on the air as W6NRM.

The DEAF/UPI System was put together by two Monsanto Company employees: Paul Taylor, an electrical engineer and Fred Stewart; a chemist;' Both are 'deaf. They are responsible in their spare "moments" with keeping the 180 teletypes in the deaf network functioning as well as rebuilding old machines for new deaf, subscribers.

PROBLEMS: The technical problems were slight -- 'the system worked perfectly. The main problem is getting enough phone lines installed at the UPI office so that a number of deaf-people can receive the UPI at the same, time. (One regular telephone line is required for each person who calls in to get the news). Southwestern Bell Telephone Company was approached for advice. One of their teletype engineers, Tony Delgado, . very generously volunteered his own time and helped in working out some of the details of the technical link-up and was instrumental in getting the Missouri Club Chapter of the Telephone Pioneers to foot the bill for one of the lines to the UPI. Unfortunately the telephone company was not able to donate any service, either free or at reduced rates, as has the United Press International.

An interested businessman is paying the costs of a second line into the UP! office and deaf TTY subscribers will be able to afford the cost of two additional lines which are soon to be installed.

The charges run about $17.00 a month (plus installation) per line and, of course, anyone that would like to sponsor a line so that more deaf families can receive the UPI would be contributing to a most worthwhile work. Contributions can be made on a tax deductible basis.

RESPONSE: The UPI has been available to the deaf community for about a month and the response has been very favorable. "Turning on the news" now has a special meaning for deaf families that it never had before. The UPI is to the deaf as radio is to the hearing. The final score, the temperature, the latest happenings throughout the world
are now available.

One of the more interesting uses of the UPI is being made by the Central Institute for the Deaf. The Institute has a teletype. The older students are given the honor of being "UPI Monitor" and get the latest news from the machine several times a day. The news print-out is put up on the school bulletin board with the Sports Round Up, World in Brief, Weathervane, and Headlines each having a special place on the board. This constant up dating of the news has given the students a new awareness of the world and has helped greatly in increasing their vocabulary.

The United Press bas become a tool in several of the classes, especially social studies and geography. The impact of the news flash and the immediate disclosure of details as they come to public knowledge is a completely new experience for the deaf students.

The faculty as. well as the students follow with interest the latest. from the wires of the United Press International.

For additional information contact David Bates or Paul Doran at 773-2929.

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From the Paul and Sally Taylor Collection at SMECC