Gamewell Fire Alarm Receiver -  Electrical - Undated

Antique fire alarm system made by Gamewell, (The Gamewell Co. Newton, MA, No. 99543) (All from engraved plate, as pictured) possibly in the early 1900’s.  (2) original keys. This was an electrically operated system, wiring sequence unknown.

When the pull box was activated a signal was generated and the box number showed up on this tape. It came from a box system that had a three number designator for each building. The tape would "punch" the numbers corresponding to the alarm that was activated. So, if a building was given box number 2 - 3 - 1, the tape would have 2 punches, a space, 3 punches, a space, and 1 punch.... that was how the dispatcher (operator in this case) would know where an alarm was activated. Pretty primitive compared to our systems today, but I am sure they were state-of-the-art in their day. The piece on the right was called the "Joker". When a box was pulled, the Joker punched holes in the paper tape to tell you what box was coming in. There was also a bell that sounded with the Joker each time a hole was punched in the tape. Box 235 would result in 2 holes punched (and 2 corresponding bell taps), a pause, three holes punched, a pause, and five holes punched. In out system, each box would repeat 3 times. Inside the Gamewell boxes on the street, there was a telegraph key. On scene companies could communicate with the alarm room by this telegraph key. (They also "communicated" with everyone else connected to the system). The system was also used for automatic alarm systems. The detector zone or sprinkler zone was wired into an alarm box with its' own code wheel. Thus you could get a code that indicated a building and area of the building. The boxes had to be rewound with a key after each alarm. The auto alarm code boxes were set up to send "two rounds" ( I.E. 3-2-1, 3-2-1)of the code if it was a trouble condition and "four rounds" (I.E. 3-2-1, 3-2-1, 3-2-1, 3-2-1) if it was an alarm activation. The receiver in the station was usually tied into some "house bells" that also rang out the code. You soon learned the codes of boxes that were frequently activated.