,. 

, 

REF ID:A39546 

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10. IN REPLY REFER TO WAR DEPARTMENT 

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER 

WASHINGTON 

JUne 16, 1936. 

Subject: I11ve1.1tion 

To: !)irector, Si .. ;ru.J. Cor .. s Lacol·~tories, 

Fort :..'.onr.1outh , :·l • J. 

l. ~~_ltl:ouJh the pa.tent cpplica.tion covuring the Converter 

134-'1-l and the i.!'JJ.:ro•1c~ents containoc in memorandum dated · 

uarch 24, 1936, copy or which was submitted .to you, is nat clas-

::;iriecl &::J secret, :·:·r. FriednlOl"l, of this of £ice, wishes to know 

\lilcther the interest::J o! the r.=ational Defense •1ould. in any •&J 

· be prejudiced. by the sale or comn'='rcial rights on this apparatus 

at this time. This matter ::Jhould be considered on the basis of 

whether or not disclosure of the principles set forth in the 

construction of' the 131~-T-l or the improvements contained, iD 

?.:amoranc;.um of ~.!arch 24, 1936, ~roulci materially destroy the 

secrecy or the 134-T-2. unless there would be a material injury 

to the Hational Defense, it is desired to notify :r.s:r. rriedman 

that he may proceed \"dth a disclosure of the principles covering 

the above mentioned convarter. 

2. such disclosure, however, will not carry with it,.any 

ii3closure of any detailed \York on this invention that m&f' 0have 

been carried out \'/ith GOvernment f'unds at the laboratorin. That 

i~ to say, the records or the laboratory will in no case·~ made 

available to a prospective purchaser. 

3Y order of the Chief Signal Officers 

Roger B• Colton, 

Lieut. col., Signal Corps. 

(1st Ind. on followi~ sheet) 

lA\pproved for Release by NSA on 09-30.:2013 pursuanrto E.O. 1352§ 

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SIGNAL CORPS LAOORATORIES, 

TO: Chief Signal Officer, 

REF ID:A39546 

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1st Ind. 

FORT MONMOUTH, OCEANPORT, N.J. June 22, 1936. 

War Department, Washington, D.C. 

1. A copy of the memorandum dated March 24, 1936, referred to above 

is requeste~, none being available in the files of these Labor~tories. 

(!!1J1:· Major, Signal Corps 

Director 

OCSig0-070-Gen. (6-16-56) 2nd Ind. 10 

War Dept., OCSigO, l'iashington. June 50, 1956. To: Director, Signal 

Corps Laboratories, Fort Monmouth, N. J. 

1. Papers in connection with this case, as follows, are inclosed: 

Memo. 5-25-56 w/spec. and dwgs. covering proposed modification 

of Converter type M-ll-4T2; and 1st, 2nd and 5d Memo.Inds. 

thereto. Also Memo. 4-9-36 from Mr.Rowe, Patent Section 

and report of Patent Board, Meeting No.2, 4-17-56. (M-154-T2) 

Memo. 5-24-56 w/description and dwg. covering proposed modification of Converter M-154-Tl; and 1st, 2nd and 5d Memo.Inds. 

thereto. Also Memo •. 4-9-56 from Mr.Rowe, Patent Section 

and report of Patent Board, Meeting No.2, 4-17-56. (M-154-Tl) 

Memo. 5-29-56 and 1st Memo. Ind. inclosing Minutes of Meeting 

No.5 of Patent Board, 5-26-56, and·memo. 4-29-56 w/sketches 

and descriptions of modification of Converter M-154-Tl. 

By order of the Chief Signal Officer: 

Incls. as listed 

3rd Ind. on next page 

-2-

Colton, 

Signal Corps. 

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I 
REF ID:A39546 

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(6-16-3') 3rd Ind. FTG:G:N 

BI.WI.AL .CORPS LABORA·roRIES, FORT llONllJUTH, OCEANPORT, N.J. July 7, 1936. 

·yo; Chief Signal Offi~er, War Department, Washington, D.C·. 

1. The question raised is whether or not.the commercial. sale of 

f&'.taut No. 2,028,772, including the modification of March 12, 19.36, will 

Ae,ri"GU.Sly affect the secrecy of the Converter ll-134-T2 now covered by 

·:- '.Peoding pa~e.."lt ·applications assigned to the Government. 

2. The principles of operation .of the Converter M-134-Tl were publicly 

di•losad when Patent No. 2,028,772 (Jan. 28, 1936) was issued by the 

Patent Office. The basic principle of operation· is that a cipher wheel 

lllt4.r aotor drive is stopped at various positions by a tape transmitter 

establimhing vario~s paths of continuity between keys. and lamps. The 

llOdi.fica.tion of March 12, 1936 simply suggests that the cipher wh,eel 

opaN.te contimlously instead of being stopped bilt that the tape transmitter 

be intrOliluced into the ·continuity C?ircui t. ·· 

-3.· Broadly speaking Converter M-134-Tl employs a tape transmitter to 

.position .a eipher wheel lcommutator) and also broadly speaking Converter 

M-134-T2 employs a tape transmitter to position a plurality of cipher 

-..is (eoauta.t_ors). ·rhe tape transmitter is the common agent but it is 

. .-t. 8$lieved that thie knowledge alone woul.d be of any benefit to an enemy. 

4. It is believed that inasmuch as Pa.tent No. 2,028,772 has been 

JN.de poll-lie through Patent Office publication and issue that the secrecy ./. 

"'1-~1i.i.ona of Converter M-134-T2 would not be affected by the 

ilUDitiit.,, saJ.e of Patent·No. 2,028,772, or the modifiqation of March 

12; 19)6 .. 

·IU!u~~~ L. L. CLA.t." - . 

Incl. w/d. ~Ye_ Major, Signal Corps 

Director