Apparatus for Composing and Deciphering Cipher Telegrams' and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1899 -Accepted, 15th Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Composing and Deciphering Cipher Telegrams'
and the like.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by Giovanni
Battista Nobile Valvasori, of Padua, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to apparatus with the assistance of which cipher telegrams
and the like can be composed and deciphered, different words being written with
partially similar letters but always with different numbers.
The apparatus consists of two cylinders, each of which is composed of several
discs rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft and furnished with teeth, and on the
surface of which are letters, numbers and other characters, as well as single
words and syllables, by means of which any syllables, words or whole sentences
in any language can be composed and deciphered in open square frames arranged
radially to the axis.
The discs, or in other words, the letters, numbers and the like, slide under
the frame of the open squares which are firmly connected with the axis by
means of arms and form a row of open squares over the cylinder in the direction
of the shaft, which conjointly create a reading frame.
Obviously the number of these squares is regulated by the number of the
rotatable discs on the fixed shaft.
The discs of one cylinder bear the letters, signs and words, the letters on each
disc being arranged in suitable alphabetical order; and the opposite discs of the
second cylinder bear numbers running in continuous order.
The tooth wheels of the several discs of the two cylinders can be put into or out
of engagement by the arrangement of an adjustable bearing to one cylinder.
The rotation of the several discs can only be effected when a cam which engages
in the tooth wheel of the disc of one cylinder has been put out of engagement
by the pressing down of a spring arm on which the cam rests.
When the cylinders are put out of engagement, the discs of the second cylinder
are held stationary by means of a small metal rod which is simultaneously
raised.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 being a front elevation,
Figure 2 a side elevation,
Figure 3 a section of a single disc with frames engaging the same; and
Figures 4 and 5 front and side elevations of the apparatus for putting the
second cylinder out of engagement and holding it still.
The shafts a bare firmly seated in the bearings c d on the bearing block e
of the bed-plate f and on each of them a similar number of discs g (in the
drawing 12) are rotatably mounted. These discs g have a projecting edge which
forms a tooth wheel i. The bearings of the shaft b are moveable in the slots s,
their movement being restricted by the bolts k. The adjustment is effected by

page_text: the screw-bolts 1. By means of this apparatus, the tooth wheels i can be put
into or out of engagement. Each disc rim h of the discs seated on the shaft a
is furnished with letters in suitable alphabetical order syllables, words or other
characters, whilst each disc rim of the discs seated in the shaft is furnished
with numbers arranged in successive order. This arrangement is intended to
be employed for facilitating the operations of composing and deciphering cipher
telegrams and the like.
On the shaft a as also on the shaft b, an arm m is fixed adjoining each disc.
The rectangular bent end n of this arm engages over the disc rim, so that the
disc can slide through freely below the end n and be freely rotated backwards and
forwards. The end n engaging above the disc rim h forms the frame of an open
square o, in which upon the disc being rotated; a letter, syllable, word, sign, or
number appears. As these open squares o run over the whole cylinder in the
direction of the axis, whole words and sentences in any language can be composed
in the squares, by the adjustment of several letters etc., just as a series or row
of different numbers can be obtained on the number cylinder.
For holding the tooth wheels or, in other words, the discs of the cylinder 1
(see Figure 2) firmly, spring arms ? with stop pins q, attached below the wheels,
are employed. These stop pins engage in the tooth wheels. As soon as a spring
arm is pressed down, the disc which had been firmly held by it can rotate
backwards and forwards. After the operation of disengaging the discs of the
cylinder 2 are held still by means of a metal rod t (see Figure 4) running under
the cylinder, this rod t being raised by the lever arm pivoted at of the
eccentric disc w and which rod engages in the toothed wheels of the discs.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
32
In order that a cipher communication may be sent to another person for him
to read, it is necessary that such person should be in possession of a similar
apparatus. The two persons agree on one or two words each of which consists
generally of as many letters as there are discs to the cylinder. With the
apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where 12 dises are supposed
to be employed, a word with 12 letters agreed upon which is to be adapted
to the word "Freundlicher" for example. For the second cylinder, which is
furnished with numbers, a certain grouping of numbers is arranged, for example,
12/18/40/26 and so on. The word "Freundlicher" forms the cipher word and
the numbers agreed upon serve the same purpose. The word "Freundlicher
must now be arranged on the cylinder 1, which is effected thus:-The arm p
being simultaneously pressed down, the letter "F" is adjusted in the open
square of the first disc by rotating this disc (Figure 1 left hand side). After
this has been done, the spring arm is relieved of the pressure that was on it
and the disc is stopped and in consequence cannot rotate. Then, the adjoining
arm. is pressed down, the letter "R" brought into the open square by rotation
of the second disc and the later made fast by the releasing of the arm p until in
this manner the word "Freundlicher" has been adjusted in the open squares on
the cylinder. The same process is repeated on the second cylinder 2, furnished
with numbers, the agreed numbers 12/18/40/26, etc., being placed in the squares,
regard being had to what is said above. When these preparatory steps have been
taken, and for which, as the apparatus is easily managed only a short time is
required, the two cylinders are put together, so that the toothed wheels engage
with each other.
If it be now desired to write for instance "Hilfe- notig" (Help wanted),
the spring arm ? is pressed down and the first disc of the cylinder 1 rotated
until the letter H appears in the square. Through the motion transmitted by
means of the tooth wheel, the number 19 appears simultaneously in the square
of the first disc of the cylinder 2. Continuing in this manner, the letter I
is placed on the second disc of the cylinder 1, whereupon the number 38 for
example appears on the coupled discs of the cylinder 2, this action being repeated
until the phrase "Hilfe notig" ("help wanted") is placed in the square of the

page_text: cylinder 1 whereupon the numbers of the squares of the cylinder 2 are communi-
cated to the person addressed.
It is clear that the receiver of this communication proceeds in an inverse way,
after first adjusting his apparatus to the cipher words and groups of numbers
agreed upon and variable as desired. He accordingly rotates the first disc of
the cylinder b until the number "18" appears in the square, whereby through
the motion transmitted to the first disc the letter "H" is adjusted in the square.
If therefore No. 38 he adjusted on the second disc, the letter "I" will appear on
the one lying opposite until the whole phrase is completed.
With longer communications it is advisable that the operation be commenced
from the last disc on the right instead of with the first disc on the left as already
described.
It should be borne in mind that it is not possible by this invention to decipher
by comparison of the groups of numbers as is the case with the methods hitherto
employed, by which when anyone word showing a similar grouping of letters
had been guessed, the remainder could be quickly discovered.
"Nein" "Ebbe"
With the present apparatus moreover, words like "Anna
never show the same number for the same letters repeated by but always different.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. Apparatus with the assistance of which cipher telegrams and the like can
be composed and deciphered, the apparatus being distinguished by the arrange-
ment of two or more cylinders, which are composed of several discs each rotably
mounted on a fixed shaft and being furnished on their rims with letters, syllables,
words, numbers or other characters, by means of which syllable, words and
sentences in any language can be composed in open square frames running
radially to the axis and engaging above the cylinder rim, different words being
written with partially similar letters but constantly different numbers, in which
squares also groups of numbers can be put together, for the purpose of enabling
cipher telegrams to be written and read or deciphered substantially as described.
2. Apparatus of the kind indicated in Claim 1 hereof, in which each disc is
furnished with teeth, with which a spring arm seated on a stop pin engages, the
said nin being put out of engagement by pressure on the arm, or with which a lever
moved by means of an eccentric raises a metal rod running under the toothed
rim, so that the rod engages with the toothed rim for the purrose of enabling
the discs to be rotated or kept stationary as desired substantially as described.
3. Apparatus of the kind indicated in Claims 1 and 2 hereof having moveable
bearings for the axis or shaft of one of the cylinders for the purpose of enabling
the toothed wheels thereon to be put into or out of engagement, with the opposite
discs on the other cylinder so that the discs may be rotated together or separately
around their respective axes or shaft substantially as described.
1 07th day of Fahru 1899
F. W. GOLBY,
36, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.