Five needle telegraph
Five-needle telegraph, patented 1837The five needle telegraph devised by Wheatstone was a diamond shaped open dial consisting of an alphabetical system with five needles, controlled by five separate wires.
The needles pointed to the required letter, meaning it could be worked by anyone who could read and write.
However, the five needle design only supported 20 letters, omitting the following; C, J, Q, U and X.
In this exhibition
- Wheatstone's life and work
- Acoustics
- Electricity: the telegraph
- Railway telegraphy
- Five needle telegraph
- The ABC telegraph
- London – Slough telegraphic line
- Murder and the telegraph
- Optics: the stereoscope