Edward Kleinschmidt

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Edward E. Kleinschmidt was the inventor of the teletype machine.

Born in Germany circa 1877, Kleinschmidt immigrated to the United States as a child. [1]

Kleinschmidt began working with nascent communications technology in 1893 while still in his teens. He started tinkering with telegraphy equipment and opened his shop in 1898. He began patenting his work in 1910. Soon after, he opened Kleinschmidt Electric Company. [2]

With George Seely, he developed signaling equipment for railways. The pair began their work in 1906, and by 1910, they were able to demonstrate a completed device. The signaling technology is still used by railways throughout North America.[3]

In 1914, Edward Kleinschmidt invented the teletype, which replaced Morse code clickers in delivering news to newspapers. It is also known as the teletypewriter/teleprinter.[4]

Kleinschmidt Electric merged with the Morkrum Company to form Morkrum-Kleinschmidt Corporation in 1924. Kleinschmidt continued to refine the teletypewriter, and filed several patents related to the work. It became The Teletype Corporation in 1928.

In 1930, The Teletype Corporation was sold to AT&T for $30,000,000 in stock. Kleinschmidt opened Kleinschmidt Laboratories to further refine the teletypewriter and do research and development for The Teletype Corporation.

Although best known for the teletype machine, he also invented many contributions an automatic fishing reel, a vaccination shield, and is credited with making major improvements to the Wheatstone (stock market ticker tape) perforator.[5] He also invented a macaroni-twisting machine. His inventions made him a multi-millionaire.[6]

Kleinschmidt died in Canaan, Connecticut, of heart disease in 1977 at the age of 101. [7][8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "1914: Communications, Media." The People's Chronology. Ed. Jason M. Everett. Gale Group, Inc., 2006. eNotes.com. 2006. 21 Mar, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/ year-1914/communications-media>
  2. ^ Kleinschmidt History
  3. ^ Kleinschmidt History
  4. ^ "1914: Communications, Media." The People's Chronology. Ed. Jason M. Everett. Gale Group, Inc., 2006. eNotes.com. 2006. 21 Mar, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/ year-1914/communications-media>
  5. ^ Kleinschmidt History
  6. ^ TIME
  7. ^ TIME
  8. ^ "1977: Communications, Media." The People's Chronology. Ed. Jason M. Everett. Gale Group, Inc., 2006. eNotes.com. 2006. 21 Mar, 2008 <http://www.enotes.com/peoples-chronology/ year-1977/communications-media>