Patent ID: 6175625
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: G09C

Abstract:
In a cyclically operable cryptographic machine having a set of stepwise rotatable code wheels, mechanism conditionable so to rotate said wheels individually, and a respective electrically actuated device associated with each wheel to condition in a random manner said mechanism to step such associated wheel; a set of control wheels each carrying a plurality of conductive elements having their ends randomly connected to contacts at the opposite faces of the respective wheels, means connecting each said element into a respective through path, means to step one of said control wheels each cycle of operation, means to operate meterwise the two wheels adjacent thereto, a fixed input conductor connected to supply current at one end to any four of said through paths positioned to connect therewith, nine fixed output conductors each connected to at least one contact disposed to be in conductive relation with the other end of a respective through path, so that the nine conductors constitute output connections for all the through paths; a set of index wheels each carrying ten conductive elements having their ends randomly connected to contacts at the opposite faces of the respective index wheels, means connecting each index wheel element into a respective index through path each of which except one is conductively connected at one end to a respective said output conductor, and five fixed selector conductors connected to place each in conductive relation with the other ends of two of said index through paths that are positioned to connect therewith, each of the selector conductors being connected to a respective said electrically actuated device to effect stepping of the associated code wheel when current is supplied to the selector conductor, the total number of code wheels so stepped not exceeding four at any one time.