Univac F-1355-00 Keyboard, 1971

Univac F-1355-00 Keyboard, year 1971

Univac 1710 keyboard

Univac 1701 keyboard

Univac Magnetic Separation Switch

The feel of typing on this keyboard seems to work like mechanically enhanced gravity, that is, when a key is pressed, some latch got unhooked, and the key fell by gravity. Really nice feel to press the keys, almost like playing a game.

This predates IBM buckling spring and beam spring mechanism. The key switch it uses, the Univac Magnetic Separation Switch, is patented in 1970.

This is a capacitive keying device suitable for use in an electronic keyboard. Depression of the key drives a stem which stresses a spring beyond the release threshold of a magnetic latch. A projectile is then fired, impacting upon a flexible sheet capacitor electrode. The resulting electrode deflection causes a momentary increase in capacitive coupling.

[from patent https://www.google.com/patents/US3696908]

About the Company Univac

UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) is a line of electronic digital stored-program computers starting with the products of the Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation. Later the name was applied to a division of the Remington Rand company and successor organizations.

The BINAC, built by the Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation, was the first general-purpose computer for commercial use. The descendants of the later UNIVAC 1107 continue today as products of the Unisys company.

[2017-11-13 Wikipedia UNIVAC]

Notes

I saw this keyboard in San Francisco Bay Area Keyboard Meetup 2017-11. San Francisco Keyboard Meetup 2017

The owner of this keyboard is Jacob Alexander (aka haata)

see https://deskthority.net/photos-f62/univac-f-1355-00-t6489.html

more photos flickr