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REF ID:A60566 

DBPA.RTJmft OF mB JfAft 

OWICE OF 'J'llB JUOOE ADVOCATE OERF.'RAL 

11fASHIIGTOH, D. 0. 

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lep .30 1932 

Prom.1 Judge Advocate General 

fot Secretar;y ot the Rav. 

Subject: 11.eotric Ciphering Machi.nee - patent •ltuation with regard 

thereto. 

leterenaea1 (a) 

(b) 

Bu.Eng. let. to J .A.G. c-567/68(8-25-119) 

contid•nt1al dated. 2 l!lept. 19,32 

Deearlpt:lon and four blueprint• ot Bu. Inc. 

Dealan Coding Jfa.chine. 

Patent to ltebern i.s10,441 

Patent to lf'.ebem l,683,072 

Patent to 11'.ebern l,861,lt57 

!'om l, 70S 1641 

lom 1,.733,886 

Bernstein l., 777 ,425 

8oherbiue l.,SS6, 964.J l,584,660 an! 1,657 ,411 

Hagelin 1,.846,105 

Wahnoe l,l{/2,775 

Be)'U' l,414,496 

1. 'l'h• Judge Advocate General haa been directed to render an opinion 

on the acope ot the patents to Hebem Kos. 11 510,4UJ l,,683,,072 and 

1,861,s;7, reference• (o), (•1) and (•}, •• to the l1abilit7 tor inlrina•-

by the dev.lce ahown in reter.tnc• (b) ot the '9V•ral patent• conati tu ting 

"terence (c) to (l) inclusive, and as to the patentabillty ot the device 

diaoloeed in the Bureau of l.naineerlng design tor a coding •ohine,, 

reference (b). 

2. llebern 1,no,441., reference (o), d1eclo1e1 a coding attaohmnt 

to be und with an ordina17 t,pnriter whereey when a ••AP 1a written h7 •triking the coding ke7a 1n the Pl"O?'Z" aequence to apell out the WOZ"da,, 

ilttorent. or coded letter• •ill be printed. lach cod1na kq operate•, 

through var:l.t.ble oircuit•, •· eolenoid that is connected to depreaa a t)1J8-

*1ter ke7. Inaemuch •• the· claia in the ff'Yeral. patents to be conaidered 

are ••rt liUli•roua, thq will. not be di•ou1aed 1r¥!1viduall.7, but the 

i'i.ementa included. in each ol.d.11 that diatinguieh such claim troa th• 

de,j.gn ahown 1n r•terenc• (b} will be pointed out. 

(a) ol.diu 1, '' 4, 12 and lJ IJleoU,- that the contact• on the 

ccxlina wheel• are aonn•1oted in ccmpl .. ntarT pair• lfherea•, 1n th• 

d41!'1P ot reference (b), the connect10111 are •ntireq at randaa. 

Declassified and approved for release by NSA on 09-12-2013 pursuantto E .0. 1352a Q}NffBE"flAt 

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REF ID:A60566 

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(b) All the claiml1 spec1f'7 electric&lq operated printinc 

keT actuating aean11J thlat is, the coding ke7a .mereq control the 

110lenoid• that operate th• t.JPWl'iter k•7•, thue involving two full 

lce7board•· 

(o) Claiu l l,, 4, 12 and l3 include the limitation of & 

plurallt.T ot oir~r a1triea ot contact• arranged in the aame 

tortuitoua order. 

(d) Cla1ma 2, 3, 4 ard 16 to 21 all include a circuit 

controller to prev•nt. •,parking at the key operated contacts 'When 

the circuit. 1• broken. 

( •) Claims 5, 61 7 and 8 •t forth that the code wheel 

11 1h11'ted b7' the prin1iing key aechani•, where&• the device 

diaclo•ed in reference (b) baa the code wheel• ahitted by the 

8lftUill.7 operated. key•. 

(t) ClaiJlls 16 to 21 are al.moat excluaivel.1' drawn to the 

circuit controller aechani•. 

3. Hebem 1,68.3,072, ret'erence (d), ahowa & plurality of codi171 

wheele each ot which 1• con11.ected 'b1' uane ot ratchet tingere and •haft• to 

correeponding ratchet. wheel1:. Each ratchet wheel has a peripheral track tlu8h 

with the em tacea ot the nr.tchet teeth and--liavinc a aingle notch therein, 

all the ratchet. wheel• beillf!: ao interconnected. that the aecond (JC)de wheel 

1• moved one apace only att.aT the tirat code wheel ha• ca11pleted a full 

revolution, an:l th• third. cede wheel is lllOYed one -i>ac• atter the eecond 

code lfheel ha• acnpleted a 1 .. Yolution~ etc. In addition to the kqboard 

there 1• a ••t ot code chara.cters each illUllinated b7 a lamp 11b1ch ie lighted. 

when th• correapon11ng code character is printed. 'lhere ie a ••parate aet 

of circuit• for use indecoclling from. that uaed in coding. 

- (a) OldJu 1 to 5, 30 to 32, 37, 39, 4l to 46, 53, 55 to 57 

all include the l111i.t&1;.1.on that one ratchet. wheel 1a actuated onq 

onoe whUe another makes a cmplete :revo1ution. 

(b) ClaiM 6 to JS, 21+ and ,36 include th• f'J.nger ad lever 

•an• tor rotating th• code '\llheela. 

(o) Claiu 17 to 24 inolude the peripheral riba on the ratchet 

wheel• each rib harlng in it a aingle notch. 

(d) Oldu 41 to 4.9, S4 and SS specif)' that the code llheela 

are rotated at definit4t Nlativ• epeeda. 

(•) Claillll 39 to '' include both J.ancuaae and cod• oharactera, t!l• aode character• ref erring to the illurdnated windows each ot 

which cam•• a aod.e character. 
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(f') Claim. '4 inolud•• the code indicating meana, 1,.e., the l8J!lp1 .. 

(g) Cld.u 51 to 53 include the cam. controlled ratohet aeahani• 

to rotate the drums. In t.hie ca1e the Cllll aereJ.7 control the ratchet 

aechani• and do not 1erv1• ae part or the ratchet operating means aa 

in the Jfavy design coding .machine. 

(h) Cla1ms 8 to 16 J.nclude the aova.m.ent ot the code wheel• when 

in predetermined poeitionis. 

(1) Claill• 25 to 29:, 33, 3S ard 3et inolude the limitation. ot 

aeparate coding and decoding circuita. 

4. Hebem l,,,861,8S7, reti1renc• (•), di11clo1ea an •leotr1o coding 

aachin• having two ••t• of t7pe bar•,, one or whioh print• the ••1&1• in 

Jrlgll1h, the other in cod•. There are thN• aeta or aol-.ioid• - one tor the 

lrJal.i1h ~ bar• one !or the code printing VJ>• ban and one to aova all 

the cod• wheels .:L.;it.aneoual.J. 'l'h• 111e11&ge i• printed in !ngli•h and in 

code aide bJ" aide on a tape.. A aechanim being provided in the aahine to 

.1plit the tape between the bro JH&Ag••· '!he •titt wir•• that. connect the ~liah t.Jpe bar eolenoid• to their respective tJ'pe bara are .made ali£htl;r 

•liorter than tho•• that connec1t the code aolenoida to the code type bara to o~a&t.e -tor d!tt.rencea in the eleatrical charaoteriatica ot the two 

Gi:t>ouita t.c) obtain equal imprtuseion• .£rem. the two Hta ot t.Jpe. Thi• teature 

;1_. tiet forth in oerliln ot tho olaila• aa aeana to equalise the p::rint1na ~aa\lfies·but it 1• obvioue that auch eq.ualisation i• tar tl'om complete and 

aoe• not. ret•r t.o equal!satiol'l of pNll!l\11'91 lllllODg the aeveral tfp• bar• of 

o.ne ••t. r & -~-

-- -· .(a) c18lis :1 t-., 8, -,;, 38 io I+S -anci '! to 6o .11-!riclude both 

-~IJ languag4I ~ th• cod•• Qlllbol•, i.e., the two •eta ot tn>• b;ara. 

• 

{b) Claiait 9 to 24 aid 13' .pecif.r ca11 m~e l'riolrlng w.lth the 

code whettl.. 

- (o} Claims 25 to ~O include cm protllee on tlie code wheela, 

-While C:'l.aiaa S4 aJ1d. 55 11.peoity cu profile• •••ociated. with the cod• 

wheel.a. -ffi.ai- oui ptt6tJ.l•11 are to aOtuate a aeohani• that will :rotate 

other or the oode whe•l• at predetermined intervala. - - -. - (d) ola!.U l.8 to :l2 apecity that the ratchet• 11&'1' be connected 

to one or W>N &aa. 

{•) oi&!u .31., 32 and 33 include.Jieana tor holding the cod• wh•~• iJlmovable. "!he d•vic• ehown in reference (b) haa no meana tor 

t!Qld!ng the wbeele, th•,r a.N simplJ' not aoved. 'lhere 1• al•o the llllitaiion ot rotating all c·od.• llheela a11lultaneou•IT. 

(f) Clai.U 32 to '6, S6 and S7 IJ>eOitr power driven means to 

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REF ID:A60566 

G e M t I P I I t I A. J, 

rotate the code wheels afuml:temeoulflT. '.Ehia .retera to th• aet ot 

•leotromqneta tenaed thtt "power magnete" .. 

(1) Olabaa 39 to 4!> and 58 to 60 inalude both coding and decoding 

oil'Quita. 

(h) Olaiu 46, 47 1md 48 •peoif)" a code Qabol •elector. !hi• 

retera to aeana tor- conn1'°ting the apace but to a coding Q'Jllbol 'llh•r•b;r 

that •Jllbol w:t..11 be prini~ inatead ot leadng a apace 1-tween two 

adjacent. word.a 1n th• cocl• aes11age .. 

(1) Olaia 49 inolucl•• record.in& both tih• J.ul&uaa• &114 the code 

•• ..,. anS. also ••na t•) eqμallae th• tore• ot the t7P• bara. Al 

abO'V'• pointed out., there 1• no Pahl to •qu•ll•• the :tore• of the t1P• l>N'•. but mere]¥ a aodit:lcation ot a tn>e bar aotuating mechani•. - . ~ 

(.3) Cl.ad•• ,o, S1 ia.nd. 5'2 include the recording ot both the 

~P ••~IP and the code ••UC• on a tape. 

(k) Olaia 6l apeci.tiea the printbg a ood.• Qllbol in th• apace bet.en two adjacent .,_:11.ti wo:tda. 

(l) 01.aS.m 37 •pea1t1ea a u1ter n!toh. and. an individual nitch 

eperated by &tfl' keT. 

~, 5. lorn l,70S,64l, retennce (t), ha.a but one ola1a that. i• not ao 

Uaited 1dth detail• that the d•rta. ot re1'entnce (b) 1• without. ita acop•. Olaill lot thia patent 1• ot wt'tioien.t breadth that. it would be intrinpd. 

.,,. th• dnic• 9t r.terence (b) it 1t were valid. Hoaver, t.hia olaia 1• 

oiea:rq readable upon the etruoture ot Hebem 1,683,0'12, reference (d)., am 

ia theretoN ilrt'a1id. ~j>-! . ...,..rl .... ~ 

6. JC~ l,733 *'6, reference (g), 1• not 1ntring9d b)t' the dni«:• ot 

r•t•r.nc• (b} ••;ii th• cla1u include glow lupa tor indicating the eod• 

char•oter that i• being printed aa a kq 1• atruck • 

. 1. U.m•tein l 17?7,42S, Soherbiue 1,$56,9641 i,Stt4,66o ant 1,657,Ul, lfa&•lin l,846,105, lfahnoe l.1t.72, 775 UJd Bqc l,414,496, reterencea (hJ to 

(l) 1nalu1iTe, •how dnice• 1:0 d1et1nct .troa that ot Nference (b) that the 

cla:l •ll r•apecti"ffq drawn to each are be7ond. queat1on not intrinpc:l. '"' 

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9. 'J'.he Juda• Advocate Oe11.eral 1• therefor-. ot the opinion 1n regard 

to the queatione propounded 1n paraai-arh aeven of the B\ll"eau ot ing1neering 

l•t.ter ot 2 September 1932, r•t•renc• (a), •• .tollowai 

(a) that. none of th1; patents encloaed with reference (a) covers 

baaioall.y the ut.Uisation ot a rotating drum to ahange the circuits in 

a ceding aiid decoding machine, but. all aereq cover the mean• llhereby 

iNCh d.rmu are utilisedJ 

(b) that the d•nan d••ar1bed 1n the Bureau of Engine.ring 4••ign or referenc• (b), •noloture (F) or reference (a), doea not in• 

fJ.'inge i.n1 or the patent• mcloaed with reference (a)J 

(c) that th• d•llisn •hown ·iD rete:r.nce (b) appear• to d1aalo18 

patentable riovttl.t7 in the• oiphltl" ~ actuat:1ng aieohalJJ.•J 

(d) that the Bu?'9a\& ot lngineer.lng would incur no llab111ty under 

atrr of the patent• torwa2~ed with Nt•Nnc• (a) by bu1lding and uld.17& 

th• d••tan •hOWl\ in refel:-ence {b). 

o. 0. Kur.tin 

m 30 l9'J2 

Secretar,r ot the k'fJ'. 

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