A TELETYPE COMMUNICATIONS AUTOMATIC SWITCHING SYSTEM.

In order to speed up a torn-tape communication relay operation, a device was built which connects as many of the incoming messages as possible directly to the outgoing communication line, thus reducing the average time required for completion of a message transmission. The messages arriving when the outgoing line is busy are stored in a common bank of reperforators, to be read over the line later. The system is able to work with considerably fewer reperforators than message input lines because of the relatively low duty cycle on each input line of messages designated for retransmission. Operator time is saved because fewer tapes are produced, and these tapes do not require editing. Crossbar switches were used to achieve the capability of routing fifteen input lines to one communication line or one of six storage reperforators. At the present time, the device is operating with twelve of its input lines active, and it is rare that more than three of its reperforators are in use at one time. Author