Time Announcer Machine

[Brian Hawes]

I think the British Post office used a similar machine in the 1950's for the speaking clock service.
I seem to recall seeing one in the Science Museum, in London.

http://www.telephonesuk.co.uk/images/large/Brian%20&%20Pat.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaking_clock

Brian G2KQ



________________________________________
From: tacos-bounces+hawes=herald.ox.ac.uk at amrad.org [tacos-bounces+hawes=herald.ox.ac.uk at amrad.org] On Behalf Of Frank Gentges [fgentges at mindspring.com]
Sent: 11 July 2010 20:23
To: Tacos
Subject: Time Announcer Machine

tacoistas,

I recall that as a kid, the local bank had a fancy machine in the lobby
that had a rotating drum, a bunch of mechanisms connected to a bunch of
magnetic heads on the rotating drum.  When you called the bank's phone
number for time, the machine would play a short phrase extolling the
virtues of the bank and then would connect to the suitable heads to
piece together a voice announcement of the current time.  It may have
also reported on the temperature.

The machine was very fancy and under glass and looked very complicated,
at least for the time of the early '50a.  I think a number of banks
around the area also had these.  The construction reminds me of
telephone equipment.  It was horizontal, about 6 feet lone and about 2
feet wide and lay on the floor.

Now, we would do it with a computer but I cannot find anything about
these on Google search, nor have I seen one for years.  I cannot recall
the name these were called but it was some string of Latin or Greek
pieces like "chrono" with others and I suspect it was a trademark.

Does anyone know what these were called or where there might be a web
page about these?  Perhaps there is a museum that has one.

Frank K0BRA

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