punching paper tape

[Paul Koning]

> On Mar 26, 2021, at 3:38 PM, Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Mar 26, 2021 at 3:35 PM Al Kossow via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> wrote:
> 
>> On 3/26/21 12:31 PM, Guy Fedorkow via cctalk wrote:
>>> wow, what format?
>>>   The codes I'm punching should line up with a long-dead machine,
>>> Whirlwind from MIT, so I think you'd consider them to be 7-track binary,
>>> i.e., same size as an 8-track teletype tape with one track blank
>> 
>> Real Whirlwind tape is narrower than standard 1" paper tape.
>> 
>> The reason I have not offered to do this is the blank tape that I
>> have would not be period correct, nor the right width.
>> 
>> 
> Is it baudot width?  If so someone in the Greenkeys mailing list can help.
> Or they'd be able to help regardless.  I can print standard 1 inch tapes, I
> have a working Teletype right here in my office.  Because that's what
> normal people have, right?

The most common widths are for 5 ("baudot") and 8 (ascii) tape, which have that number of tracks plus a sprocket track on 0.1 inch centers, closely filling the available space.  But there is also 6-track tape (for typesetting machines) and 7 track (for some very old machines) that have paper width to match -- same track spacing, different track count.  Those are rarely seen but specs for them can be found, I tripped over them not too long ago.

Then for something nice and obscure there is 2-track tape ("Wheatstone") for punched Morse code.  Creed and MacElroy (in Littleton, MA) made machines for that.

	paul