Summary

Manual editing equipment for 12 hole paper tape used with the CSIRAC computer, consisting of a metal plate and a punch.

The complete manual editing equipment was known to CSIRAC users and staff as a 'hand punch'.

Manual editing was necessary if an error had been made when preparing a 12 hole paper tape and a new hole was necessary or hole(s) had been punched by mistake.

A new hole(s) could be made by inserting the tape into the base (the metal plate) of the12 hole hand punch, lining it up and using a hand punch (a stylus) to punch a hole where required.

Coloured plastic tape was cut out to cover holes that should not have been there. The coloured plastic tape had to be opaque so light did not pass through it to activate the photoelectric reader.

Physical Description

Two parts - 12 hole paper tape hand punch (also known as a tape editor) and a stylus.

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