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-REF _:_~ .. ~~A414BB~ ..... ~-"*11'n-i Tu · U 

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HEADQUARTERS, ARMY SERVICE FORCES SPSIS-3 

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SIGNAL OFFICER 

WASHINGTON 25, D. C. 

, ~a£ Jf},~,; -A.-.. _ ~ (fll7/· J_June 194~. MEMORANDUM for~Bibe~d-. (Tbru Channels) . 

Subject: Invention of Au~benticat1ng Device for 

Commercial Usage. 

1. A number of years ago I inven~ed a message authenticating system, which was formally processed through the then 

existing Patents Sect'ion of the Resea:Pch and' Development Division, OC81g0. (Tab A shows the papers in the ca."se.) The ~nvent1on was covered in U. s. Patent No. 2,080,416, dated ~Y 1$, 1937, and the apparatus described therein may be. inap~a~tured_and used by or for the1 Government for governmental ·l?~poses without ·the payment to me: of any royal ~Y thereon. 

(Tab B is a copy of the pa tent. ) .. The invention has thus far I 

not 'been 'reduced to practice because of its complexity. . . ' !;a I 

2. t have recently. conceived of a modification and ·~ simplification of the authentic~tion devic~ covered iri the ~C:. 

above-mentioned U. S. Patent No. 2,080,416, the same being •:o 

briefly described in ,the accompanying sketch ~nd general ~c:J specifleations (Tab C).' It is requested that the usual ·rorms ~C"t 

be supplied.me for purposes of recording th~ date of conception,~c:> 

etc. , · · c:._ , "f "' 

3. Primarily, this inventio~~ as was the previous one, E-C 

is intended for use by banks in authenticating messages ,· ~ 

involving the t~ansfer of money from one bank t9 another.,,...~n-=-. 

However, it may have'mili~ary applicability in connection 1 

with the authentication of messages and it may be .desirab f fo~ the Governme~t to acquire rights similar to those per 1 ~ 1 1ng to U. s. Patent No. 2,080,416. However, permission 1 - 1; 

requested to allow: mey to construct a model at my own expe 'ml i 

and to prosecute the present invention for commercial us ~~ 

a. t my own expense, immediately upon the termina. ti on of t .~ ~ 

present var.. · ,r::".'41 

Inclosures: , 

William F. Friedman, 

Director of Communications 

Research. 

Tabs A, B, and C. / 

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,,_m.~J 

.~ ,::-i7 '\:Cc : :;i;'~!! 

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p c. 

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eclassifi ed and a roved for release b NSA on 11-17-2014 ursuant to E .0. 1352 
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REF ID:A414BB41 

, WU DEf~ 

Otf1ce or the Chief Signal Otfieer , :We.shir~ton 

April 19, 1935 

i •. Under date o~ move~ber 15, 1933, X forwarded a memorandum~ dratd.ng. and draft epe_oi~iaations o,overing a 

cipher device on wh.ioh I desired a patent application be 

drawn. , 'l'h~ :paper$ &re attached here~o. 

2 .... This -d.eviee pre~ents. excell~nt po'ss1bil1 ties for 

·a commercial devi~e for ~nking purposes 1n ooD.nee~ion 

vi th authelj.tioa ti.on of' money tra\nsf'.ers by cable. An opportuni tr 

has _recently presented itself for disposing or my commercial right~ to ~his ~nventio~, the go~er~~nt retaining license 

and sbcp ~ights as usu.al. · 

3 •. It is requested that perin1ss1on be granted to ente~ into negot1et10ne·v1th a prospective ptirQb.aeer of 

these commercial rights. 

Attached; 

-File on case~ ' ' 

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/s/ William F. Friedman 

William F. Friedman., 

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Authenticating Device 

' ' l. ·Reference. is made to mJ' previous 1nv~ntion of a ~Message 

Authenticating S7stem" oovered bf U. s. Patent Wo. 21080,416, 

issued 18 May 19'1·. Said patent was processed thl'ough th~ Signal Corps and the 1nve~tion described therein may be manutactiired and 

used ~7 or for ~he Government tor governmental purpoeesg without 

the pa.pent to me or anJ royalty thereon • 

. 2. ~he present invention-has a e1W:la.r purpose but aceomp ... 11shea it in a simpler way, whiob will be briefly ·described in· 

the succeeding parag1'8phs, in eonnaction with Pig. 1. 

3. A series of ~O-po1nt cipher rotors, 1, ot the t)'Pe commonly e!1l:loyed tor OrJptegraphie purposes, are assembled - "in ea.sea.de upon a. shaft, 2.t> in $ome· key ordeP. The internal 

wirings or the rotors are all different and·eaeh rotor carries 

an identifying symbol. A complete oirouit through the set of _ rotors traverses a path which is determined by the specific order · '"""::'~ ·-~-1n wtiieh the rotors .are arranged on the shaft, the specific r9~tor1 

positions in which the rotors are placed, and the wiring of the· 

rotors. The left-hand $Ul.tor, 3, has ten input contacts, 4, six 

0£ which are oonnected by plugs a~d jacks to the eu contacts 

arranged in an are on insulator strip, 5. A contact lever arm, 6, pivoted at 7, serves to establish contact from battery, 8, ·to one 

of the six contacts, 9, on the a.trip, 5, and thence into one of 

the input oontacte, 4, of the stator, }. The current thereupon 

traverses the rotors, emerges at one ot the ten contacts, 10, or 

the right-band stator, ll, and. thence returns to battery, a, ~­

tbroug~ one of ten indicating.lamps, 12. The speoitic lamp which 

will be 1llumin&ted will _be determined by the rotor setting and 

the particular contaet made at the contact strip, 5. Thus, as 

lever 6 1er <moved to one ot 1;lle con ta.et pos:t tions, a certain lamp will be illuminated momentarily; another la::np will be illuminated 

as lever 6 is moved to another contact position, and so on. Thus, ,moving lever 6 through its three top positions successively will 

cause three lamps to be lighted suaeessively. A removal cardboard 

strip, 1,, in the card-holder, 14, serves to identify the lamps and 

represents another variable element in the keying system. Thus, 

with a given key and a. specific strip 13, moving the lever 6 tbrough the three upper positions will cause three lamps to be lighted, giving a number such as 759, for example. Moving the lever 6 

through the three lover positions will yield a different 3-digit number_ tor' example 63¢. A eonnection-cha.nging plugboard ma:y be 

inserted between the right-hand stator, 11# and the bank Of 1nd1· 

eating lamps, this serving to take the place of the variable 

eardbo&rd strip 13, or as an additional variant in the system. 

4. The method of using the device as an authent1eat1ng 

means 1s as follows. It is the usual current practice f1rst 

to encode the- telegram 1n the Bank's private code or else in 
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some other ev.1.te.ble code. The test gi-oup is then composed, based upon ce:rta.1.n test, elements in the telegram; as arranged b7.pre~gre~,!~ among the banks concerned. ~~e test group is 

ue.US.117 a n'W'D'.~rical group or two or three dig1 ts, which· group is then looked up in the code·and its letter group $quJ.valent is set do~:as the-tine.l group. of the message. All the foregoing procedure remaifla unchanged in praeticinS M1 invention 

except that the composition of the numerical test group :t.s . accomplished by tbe,mac,hine discussed.herein. This part of the 

operation will now be described._ He.ving:the machine at band, the daily kef is set up, eons1at1ng ot the 'spec1t1o order 1n 

vhieh the rotors are assembled on the aha.ft. The t1r$~ two roto~s are set to the serial numb~r or the message1 the next 

rotor is set to indica.t~ wbat.e~repef is involved (dollars, pounds; ·etc.)s'the next silt :rotors are set· to correspond vith 

the amount ct money t~ be ch$oked or·$uthent1ea~ed, aiX rotors 

providing fol' &11 a.mounts trom l to 999,999. Fig. 1 shove the. 

rotors set to messafe seria~ n~ber ~5; and to the quant1t1~ 

u. s. $9,756,125. Additional rotors ntaf,be p~ov1ded to take _ ·~·,,·, ·' ·-ea.re·-or other test elements# eueb as the initial letter or · ., ... r···" 

letters of the n&me ot the beneficiary of the tra.n•fer.) It 

the telegram transferring $9.756,125 1a go1J!g trom Nev York ~o 

London, for example#, then the switch lever 6 may be.moved, by 

pree.greement 1 -through the upper three positions .suocess1vel7, 

fielding, for example•· the authelitiaa.ting poup 759; if the 

·telegi-am is going trom London to New York,. :~he ev1tch lever 6 

may be moved tbro~ the lower three po,1tions,71eld1ng, tor 

example. the group 63fl. Thus the authenticating group 1s 

different. depending, upon th~ message aerial .swnber~ the 

currenc7, the amount 1~volved; and the dir$ct1on··or the transfer. 

On ~a.ch daJ • since a different pennitat,ion of r.ot9r&;: a different 

plugging arrangement at the let~-be.nd eta.tor., ~d, a different · card-can be employed, the teat nU.mber would be different. The 

teat-nwnber would then be encoded as usual, 01 reference to the 

codebook emplofed. The -.n'Umber 759 might ~e represented bJ the 

oode word: ROXIPJ 6Jrl bf PIL'YD. , ·.·- : . · · _,. ~ t ~ ' • , - ' 

_ · i 5. No means are shown 1n fig. l for autom$t1cally angule.rly 

displ.acihg 'the rotors during a single teet·-~t· the addition of 

euoh means is within the scope and forms a part.of the invention. - ~ . ' - " ' - ' ' 

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1 6. The bank receiving the telegram ratter. the usual decoding of the ood.e message., notes the test data andi the test group contained therein• , It ·then seta up 1 ts pl\igs • ' oard strip~ &.nd , rotors aocor41ag to the -da.117 key and then ~11gns the roto~s to 

cotWespond to the test data cai-r1ed bf th;e t(tlegrain. Upon operating the lever 6 1t·vill obtain exactl7 the sa~e teet number 

which 1s ~onve7ed by the telegram itself. thus attesting to the 

authenticity of the tran.~ter as vell as to ~he aocurae,1 of 'the 

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amountj insote.r as the latter is possible, o~id.er1ng the.~ 

10 x 9 x 8 o~ 720 differen~ te$t groups 1s the maximum number 

obta.ia&ble from one ke7 sett~ ot the :ro:tors and the~e are. ~O,~~ll1on amounts w'hioh can ~e $et UI>• .Thi;s; h~wever$ is a ---~,1~:,fea.ture which ie ur>a•o1dabl•,· is. comm.Oil to all ~est1ng $JSteme . · _,0p:th1s nature. and. does not vitiate the system tO'$nJ' serious 

:·"degree. t , ·-· ;, ~-, 

-I believe tba t l am -the inventor ot tbe deVice disclesed 

in the.foregoing sheets. · 

8 June 1944 .. 

I have re&~ and. understand the· ab~ve disoloe'Ul?e .. 

{Date} 

" 

co.N~Hlt~rr1, ~l 

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REF ID:A414BB41 

'War ·Plans, & Tra1nin,s Di v1e1on. April 20 • 19'511 f'o a Jle~a&l'Cb 

&nd-D~velopmen.t Division. - r 

\ Approtr4l: r~o~ Pl*OVided it is understood that 

shOUld the.letters patent be panted the government will be 

able· 'to .obtain ZLD.J' and ,all machines desired vitbcut ·the llfl.Jll~t 

ot ror_Alt)-. ~ --~ 

Inel. 

l Incl. added - Memo~ 

from Mr. Friedms.n to 

Ma.Jor Akin., 1~/15/3;5.. 

2d l(emo.. Ind. · - . 10 R~search & Development Division, OOSigO,,Jiay 2, 19'5· ~o: War 

,Plane & ~inini ru.vtsum. 

1~ Wheti'e an inv~ntiQn is originated. by e.n emplo7ee of 

the Got"e~n.taent~ a.a ll'l thi:J case,, the Oov@~nment acquires tha 

uaual 11aense rights U'rEu1pe~tiva of vhethe1· he negotiates the 

sale of his eomm.e~c1a1 rigbts e1th&r b$fO~e or a£ter the filing 

or. e. ~o:rmal pa tent m.ppliea t1on and tba pm11 chaser of sueb rights takes tit.le subjee·t to an ilTevoeable, non-exeltu~ive licesnse 

to the G0ve~:mnent• ~bioh license should be GX~cuted at th$ time 

the fol.'1W1l pa.t$nt application is e~eauted. 

2. The rollowing p~oeed.~e ia r$~ommended: 

~ Th&t the patent eppl1ca.t1.M be f'iled tnru the Patent · 8ect1cn of the eigna.l Qorpu &no. tbmt a.ttOl"'tleJS ~e:presenting 

the Go11ernma11t bE). t.'Vi!.de atto:rn~7s of .record in t-he 01"1ginal e.pplica.tlotl~ but t:htJ,t patent couns~l fof! the ?;l1.Weh.6aev ot 

the oomerci~l rig)lts p~epa:re the· speeif:i..¢tition, ole.1ms and 

drawings tol:' the ·e.ppl1cat1on.. lia...11dled ln thig 'tray~ thG ease 

WCMld eom.0 \.Ulder the Aet or 188} as a~ended ~.nd the pa~nt 

o~ a filing tee vould be ~Jai~ed~ 

3. llpon the e.etual .f'iltng of 'bhe a.pp'l te&tion :t:n th~ Pa.te~t: 

Off1~oe, andasa<:i>ol'.ate polrer of attorney would be gtvan to pa.t~nt 

counsel rep»esanting th~ pUl'tcbase~ of oomme~e1al ~1ghts, with the 

ut'lde11standitlg that said patent counsel i1ould be l'.'esponsible for 

the pposecution of appliaation. All replies to patent ~f~ioe 

actions pr~pa.:red by eu·t.s1da pa.-tent counsel should be transmitted 

to the 5igllal Corpe Pa.tent Sect.ton roY act'l.Vll :r111nz tn tb.e patent office. · 

4. (a) If duviag the pendeney of sa1d patent e.ppl.1ea.tion 

COtY 
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REF ID:A414BB41 

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~4 Pl'l1q!' to the .gi>aat of a ·Pa.tetlt thereon, appli~t shoUld ~ke a f~l aeei~nt of-ti~l& 6nd bave·aa1d ass1~nt 

r~co~ed,-·the·aesipee {i~e;. the.owner or the·conmWrei&l rights) would then beoo• NS~ible for th& p.ipient ot tbe final gov~rnm~nt fee~ · 

·. · '(b) ~ the othet.i>· hand, if the form.al ass~t or title 

be d$terM4 imtil e.rte~ the i.otW.l ~t ot ~e patent 6 the 

payment o:r·a fiaal goVEJ!"r.uent tee vould the~eby be avoided. 

/s/ Joha H. Ga.~0~, JJ! • .. John H.~ Ge.7!dne~$ J.11.11 

C~ptain. S18Q&l Corps. 

3d Memo Ind. 8 

'War> Plana & Training Division., May 6:. 19~5 ... To: Executive 

Officf)tJ., 

. Approval of request contained in paragl'iaph 3 of M.?. Fr-ied:tu&n~~s memol'a.ndUlll of Apr-il. 19., 1935 is xiecommen.ded subject 

to the·iJravisions of 2d_l'Jiemo Indorsp~ent .. ' ' " - . ' 

Incls.. (no cbange) ... 

/s/ 8. B. Akin 

s. B. Akin ... Majm."l·. Signal Col'ps. 

Executive Office, May 1 1 1935 ... To *jor Akin. 

i\ppl:'oved a.a racoMUWlded in 3d Me»10 Indo~~HJment,, bareon. 

Incl,, n/c 

· /s/ Da.w#;ion Olmat.oad 

.Dawson Ol~t~d, 

Lt. Col.~ Sign:::.1 Ocrpa 1 

Acting Ohief 31gn..;t1 Ot'f'iOi)j'.' ()f th~ Al"'lllY. 

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