Improvements in Coding and Transmitting Telegrams and Secret Messages.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1891-Accepted, 30th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coding and Transmitting Telegrams and Secret
Messages.
1, SAMUEL JOSEPH MACKIE of 27 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Over a single line of telegraphic intercourse only so many words per minute
can be sent and the words transmitted at this rate are limited by the 24 hours of
the day.
Now two syllable and multi-syllable words can be so coded by two letters, that
taking ten letters to the word as charged by the telegraph companies for coded
messages, five words can be transmitted telegraphically by the ten letters. The
telegraph companies thus by the use of my invention will accommodate more
customers than they now do by word codes and by it they will also transmit each
of the messages in a proportionally shorter space of time.
Taking the alphabet at 26 letters there can be formed 676 biletter signs each
capable of representing a two-syllable or multi-syllable word.
The ten numerals being used in like manner 100 bi-numeral signs can be formed
cach also representing a two-syllable or multi-syllable word.
The twenty six letters being combined with the ten numerals say one before one
letter or one numeral after one letter there will be 520 two unit signs each repre-
sentative of a two syllable or multi-syllable word.
The single letters & the single numerals give 36 signs available for mono-syllable
or multi-syllable words.
By these combinations there are 1296 signs not exceeding two units each'avail-
able for the representation of code words of one, two or more syllables.
If an extension of the letter code to a larger number of words be desired it can
be obtained by a three unit combination. Thus the two letter signs can be preceeded
by a numeral, or followed by a numeral, or have a numeral placed between the two
letters, thus yielding 20,280, signs formed by the combination of the fundamental
bi-letter signs with these numeral adjuncts each of which tri-unit-signs. would be
representative of a word of one, two, or more syllables.
7803.
Further by eliminating from the above system some particular letters to be used
as prefixes, centrefixes or affixes, the similar combinations of the bi-letter signs
with these letter adjuncts will form a system of tri-unit signs the range of which
will enormously exceed the 20,280 obtainable by the numerals. For example
Eliminating 9 letters say A to I inclusive and taking them for the purposes of
prefixes, centrefixes and affixes we have 17 x 17 bi-letter signs remaining 289 per-
mutations. This multiplied by the 9 adjunct letters = 2601. Add to this the
permutations of 17 fundamental signs without prefix, centrefix, or affix = : 289, we
have a total of 2890 combination signs. These adjunct letters being useable as
prefixes, centrefixes & affixes increase the number of permutations 3 times =
Taking 3 sets of adjunct letters in alphabetical order it is clear that we can get a
series of permutations amounting to 23409 but it is evident that as the selection of
these adjunct letters is not confined to an alphabetical series, the number of times
that 7803 permutations can be multiplied is practically unlimited. Four and more
units can of course be combined into multiple unit signs, but the economy of tele-
graphic transmissions by this letter code system will be diminished proportionately.
to the increase of the number of units employed in the messages. These unit signs.
may be arranged as a code-book or dictionary or in a tabular or any other con-
venient form in this way, against each sign on one side may be printed or written a

page_text: word selected to be indicated by the sign, and on the opposite side of it a blank
space may be left for the user of the book to insert any other word he pleased.
In like manner a printed or written sentence or combinations of words can be
placed against each letter sign or figure sign. Blanks may be left for the insertion
of any word, combinations of words, or sentence that the user of the code-book,
dictionary, tabular, or other convenient form, may require for the peculiar nature
of his business. The foregoing letter signs or numeral signs can be added to any
existing code-book, dictionary, tabular or other arrangement.
By this means the arrangement of the signs can be so varied that each pair of
books &c. shall be made to differ from any other pair, and inviolable secrecy may
be secured.
It has been shown that the above letter signs and figure signs, can be more
rapidly transmitted over telegraph lines than code words, and that by this means a
considerable saving of say two fifths on European telegrams and one third on extra
European telegrams can be made.
The effect of this upon the telegraph lines will be to increase their carrying
powers, and this will enable the existing companies or owners to reduce their
tariffs.
To the public the advantages will be a large saving both in time and money
whilst inviolable secrecy will be secured for all messages transmitted by this
system.
It will cut at the root the causes of the great majority of telegraphic errors
made in the transmission of messages by the systems now in vogue.
The following are examples of how the bi-unit and tri-unit systems may be
worked.
The sender of a message sends the following letter signs:
AASTEPJ WAH. This cypher if transmitted by the present code-word
system would represent say, abactus, cacabus, audenter abequito, and which would
necessitate the transmission of 30 letters. Thus the letter cypher above would save
two thirds of the time occupied in transmission as also for European messages
one half in the cost.
The above code-words may mean (Abandon the negotiations,) (Damage is
serious) (Have consulted legal adviser will post particulars) (Absence has pre-
vented my earlier reply).
The recipient of this letter-code telegram would decipher it as follows:-T & J
are amongst the 9 selected adjunct letters which in this instance are used as
centrefixes.
Thus AA/STE/PJW/AH, are the divisions into words. Thus AA has
no centrefix letter and consequently stands by itself. The centrefix letter T must
have a letter on each side of it consequently at the first glance, the triplet STE
must be a sign: similarly with the adjunct or centrefix J which indicates the
triplet PJ W
There now remains only 2 letters A H without any centrefix and so on to any
extent of communications.
In like manner if the selected adjunct letter be used as a prefix it must be
followed by two other letters, or if used as an affix it must be preceeded by two
other letters, to form the distinguishing triplet sign.
The following is an example of how the bi-letter system can be applied to extra-
European telegrams-where three letters are chargeable as a cipher word.
Code message to be sent :-
==
Amiculum, Alveslus, Agnatio, Adiantum, Adipatum, Accresco, 6 words.
The above as sent by the letter code would be say :-WCTBPPICIEEE
and chargeable as 4 words. This shows a saving of two words in cost and three
fourths of time in transmission of message; in other words four messages can be
sent by the letter code in the same time as it will take one code-word message of
the average length which is 8 letters to a word.
My invention is applicable also to the registration of addresses instead of the

page_text: mere use of words real or fictitious as is now done by the General Post Office and
in other places. Thus instead of "Hooray,"
," "Cannon" << Tonquin" and so on by
which means there is great difficulty in finding new distinctive words to indicate a
firm or person in a large city or metropolis. The distinction of every one of many
hundreds of thousands of individuals could be effected by the registration of one
two three or four letter signs or figure signs or figure and letter signs combined.
If the four letter cypher sign be adopted it will give by alphabetical permuta-
tions alone an immense number of sigus available for names and addresses. By
duplicating one of the letters of the three letter sign in transmitting a four letter
sign an additional series of distinguishing signs would be formed. Further, selected
letters as prefixes centrefixes and affixes may be employed. In order to prevent
mistakes in the transmission of the signs representing addresses it is preferable to
adopt a uniform system of say 4 letter signs by which the receiver will always
be guarded against errors in the transmission of the letter sign addresses knowing
he should always receive signs to the number of 4 he would if receiving only 3
detect at once an omission. If the address registered consisted of only one two or
three letters the difference in the number of signs to be received should be made
up by dots or dashes or in view of the exigencies of telegraphic transmission by the
Morse or dot & dash system some letter of the alphabet which can with least
inconvenience be spared say X can be adopted instead of the dot or dash for com-
pleting the number of units in the address sign, for example the single letter A
may be taken as the address of G. Barnard Fenchurch Street London: this would
be transmitted as A XXX. The two letters BD is the address of Robinson & Co.
Poplar: this would be sent as BDX X. The the three letters M N R is the address
of Saimpson Lloyd & Co. Camberwell. This would be sent as MNRX. The
If in
four letter sign GROY is the address of Newman Bros. 320 Euston Road.
any of these cases less or more than 4 signs were transmitted an error in trans-
mission would be evident and correction at once demanded and effected. Supposing
the letter Y to be omitted from GROY the three letters received viz. GRO
would not be accepted as a three letter sign without the indicating terminal X.
Similarly with regard to the receipt of one two or three letter signs any short-
coming of the four signs would be at once detected and remedied and no delivery
of a telegram to a wrong address could take place.
Dated this 30th day of October 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coding and Transmitting Telegrams and Secret
Messages.
1. SAMUEL JOSEPH MACKIE, of 27, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
England, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :--
My invention consists in a new mode of constructing and working a system of
code-signs, representing words or sentences by combining a minimum number
of letters, thereby enabling messages to be formed more economically and efficiently
than heretofore. First, I form a series of bi-letter signs, each of which is capable
of being used to represent a multi-syllable word.
In order to increase the number of words thus represented by two letters, I add a
selected letter or a numeral to each of the fundamental bi-letter signs, thus con-
verting them into a series of triplets, each of which may be used to represent a
multi-syllable word or sentence.
I increase the number of triplets formed by adding the selected letter in several

page_text: ways, by placing the selected letter first as a prefix to each of the bi-letter series;
then as a centre-fix, .e., between the two letters; and finally as an affix. In this
way I make three complete series of triplets with each selected letter.
In like manner every letter in the alphabet can be selected one after the other.
In this way the original bi-letter series is multiplied into 78 distinct series of triplets,
each of which may be used to represent a word or a sentence.
The numerals from 1 to 0 also give thirty additional series of triplets representing
words. Preferably in practice I take three sets of selected letters-A to I, J to R,
and S to Z.
By these means the bi-letter signs and the triplets are distinguishable at a glance,.
and any number of letters in a telegram or message received continuously without
stops or breaks can be at once resolved with certainty into word-signs of two or
three letters or more letters.
To distinguish affixes, when mixed with prefixes, and centre-fixes in the one
message, I sometimes use the X to signify separation. Thus A ARB B
means A A-R B B. To show that it meant A A R-B B, the letter X would
follow the R and the transmission would be A A RX B B. But as in practice
the code is made up of three groups of triplets in one of which only prefixes are
contained, in another centrefixes, and affixes in the third large numbers of signs can
be sent without possibility of mistake.
This mode of forming or constructing a code or a code system is more
particularly framed for the purpose of working in connection with the electric
telegraph, inasmuch as five letter signs are according to existing rules trans-
missible in the place of one ten letter word or code word, and any ciphers of
three letters or five letters, or any other number of letters, are also transmissible
by a bi-letter or by a triplet letter-sign.
Each of these bi-letter or triplet signs may represent the corresponding word or
sentence in every language, and thus translations are rendered unnecessary when a
code is employed.constructed according to my new mode.
Two adjunct letters can be taken when a further extensive series of four letter
signs are produced, and so on with more letters, but for commercial and practical
operations it is not desirable to extend the application of my mode of constructing a
code beyond triplets, except for the registration of addresses or other special
purposes.
By correlating my letter signs with the words of code-books or dictionaries
in a given particular manner, either by commencing an alphabetical series and
taking succeeding letters, or by other and arbitrary selections of letters, each
pair or set of code-books or dictionaries proposed to be used respectively by
senders and receivers is rendered different from any other pair or set, and
complete secrecy is attained, as against persons not instructed or not enabled
by possession of agreed interpreting books or instructions, to interpret the
telegrams, messages, or signals sent or made by the use of a code or code
system constructed according to my method or mode. The advantages secured
by the use of my mode are that messages may be formed more economically
and efficiently than heretofore, and that more messages can be sent over any
telegraph line than at present, or than can be transmitted in any other way;
that thousands of words can be ciphered by my mode in the place of hundreds
of ordinary words by other codes; that the liabilities to mistakes in transmission
by telegraph are minimised, and errors are comparatively certain of immediate
detection. Again, my letter code or code system can be applied to any existing
code-book or dictionary, and the permutations by it are so extensive as to
practically provide, even with very small and simple signs, for all the words of
a language, whilst, at the same time, inviolable secrecy is secured, as only the
actual senders and receivers would have knowledge of the meaning of the cipher
messages transmitted as may be agreed between them. The advantageous results
obtained by a code or code system constructed according to my invention may

page_text: be used or worked, not only in connection with the electric telegraph, but with
the semaphore, or light signalling, or flag-signalling, or like systems of trans-
mitting messages.
As illustrating the way in which my invention may be practically used in forming
messages, the following are given as examples of the substitution of letters for
syllables say—
the semaphore, or light signalling, or flag-signalling, or like systems of trans-
mitting messages.
As illustrating the way in which my invention may be practically used in forming
messages, the following are given as examples of the substitution of letters for
syllables say:
<< Abject"
A J-2 letters.
do.
BO-2 do.
BOG-3 do.
6 letters transmissible by
6
Abjectness
10
do.
do.
A JN-3
"Balloon"
7
do.
do.
<<
Ballooning 10
do.
do.
"Balloonist 10
27
dlo.
do.
Dangerous"
9
do.
do.
do.
"Elucidation 11 do.
and so on.
BOT-3
do.
DC 4-3 signs.
EVCDT N-6 letters,
The following are examples of groups of letters representing words :—
"Abolish "
7 letters transmissible
66
"Abominate " 9 do.
Aborigines 10 do.
do.
do.
A B A-3 letters.
A B B-3 do.
A B C 3 do.
and so on.
The following are examples of how the bi-unit system and tri-unit system
are intelligibly worked together. The sender of a letter code message sends the
following letter signs:-A A SJE PJ WAH. This message, if sent by
-the present code word system in general use, would represent, say, abactus,
cacabus, audenter, abequito, and which would necessitate the transmission of
30 letters; therefore the letter sign cypher above given in accordance with my
letter sign system would save two-thirds of the time occupied in transmission,
as also in European messages one-half the cost. The foregoing code words may
Abandon the negotiations"; "Damage, is serious"; Have consulted
legal adviser, will post particulars"; "Absence has prevented my earlier
reply. The recipient of the above letter sign telegrain would decipher it
thus is amongst the nine selected adjunct letters which in this instance are
used as centréfixes. Therefore, as A A have no centréfix they consequently
stand as a bi-letter sigu. The centréfix letter J must have a letter on each side
of it, consequently at the first glance SJE is a triplet sign. Similarly the
centréfix again indicates the triplet PJ W. There remains the bi-letter
sign A H. And so on for a message of any length.
mean
In like manner, if the selected adjunct letter be used as a prefix, it must be
followed by two other letters, or if used as an affix it must be preceded by two
other, letters to form the distinguishing triplet sign. The following is an example
of how the bi-letter system can be applied to extra-European telegrams, where
three letters are charged as a cypher word. The word code message to be
sent is, amiculum, alveolus,_agnatio, adiantum, adipatum, accresco = six code
words or sixteen telegraphic cypher words. The above sent by my letter code
system would be, say, WCT BPPICIEE E, and is chargeable as four
cypher words. We have, therefore, a saving of two words in cost, and nearly
three-fourths of time in transmission of the message. In other words, four
messages can be sent over the telegraph line by my letter-signs in the same
time that it would take to send one word code message composed of words of
the average length of eight letters each. My invention is also applicable to the
registration of addresses instead of the use of words real or fictitious, as is now
done by the General Post Office and in other places. Thus, instead of "hooray,"
cannon," and "Tonquin," and so on, by the general use of which words there
is great difficulty in finding fresh distinctive words for the increase of applicants,
whereby to distinguish firms and persons in large cities and the metropolis, the
distinction of every one of many hundreds of thousands of firms and individuals
::

page_text: could be effected by the registration of one, two, three, or four letter signs or
figure signs, or combined letter and figure signs. If the four letter signs be
adopted for addresses they will give, by alphabetical permutations alone, an
immense number of signs available for names and addresses. By duplicating
one of the letters of the three letter signs in transmitting a four letter sign,
an additional series of distinguishing signs would be formed. Further selected
letters as prefixes, centréfixes, and affixes may be employed.
In order to prevent mistakes in the transmission of the signs representing
addresses, it is preferable to adopt a uniform system of say four letter signs, by
which the telegraphist receiver will always be guarded against errors in the trans-
mission of the letter sign addresses. Knowing that he should always receive
address signals to the number of four letters, he would, on the receipt of three,
detect at once an omission. If the address registered consisted of only one, two, or
three letters, the difference in the total of four letters to be received by the
telegraphist receiver should be made up by dots or dashes, or preferably, in view of
the exigencies of telegraphic transmission by Morse or dot and dash system, by some
letter of the alphabet, which can with least inconvenience be spared, say X or any
shorter letter, which can be adopted as the supplementary sign for completing
the total of four signs for addresses. For example, the single letter A may be
taken as the telegraphic address of G. Barnard, 10, Fenchurch Street, London
-this would be transmitted as A x x x. The two letters BD, the address of
Robinson and Co., Poplar, would be sent BD xx. The three letters, M N R,
the address of Sampson, Lloyd and Co., Camberwell, would be sent as M N R x.
The four-letter sign, GROY, is the address of Newman Bros., 320, Euston
Road, London; and if in this case less than four letters were received, an error
in transmission would be evident and correction would be at once demanded and
effected. Supposing the letter Y had been omitted from the foregoing four-
letter address, the three letters GRO would not be accepted as a three-letter
address without the supplementary selected letter X. Similarly with regard to
the receipt of one or two letters, the shortcoming of a four-letter sign would be
immediately detected by the telegraphist receiver, and would be forthwith
remedied in office, and no delivery of a telegram to a wrong address could take
place.
To provide for cases where signs of more than three letters are used in con-
junction with the three letter system hereinbefore described, I use the letter X
or any other selected letter or figure as an idle sign, to signify stops or other
special indications. I prefer to use the letter J also in the like capacity.
By forewarning at the commencement of a message or during its transmission,
the distinguishing letter or letters upon which the triplet or multi-letter signs which
follow are based, the whole of the triplet and multi-letter signs are transmissible by
two letters only. For this purpose a specific signal preferably a triplet but it may
be composed of more letters if required-is sent warning the receiver of the message
as to the particular distinguishing letter or key which is to be applied to a particular
group of bi-letter-signs by which the message is to be mainly or entirely trans-
mitted. For this forewarning signal I prefer to employ the eliminated letter J to
signify its commencement and partial separation. This signal must notify the
position of the distinguishing letter whether employed as prefix, centrefix, or affix
as well as the distinguishing letter itself. The forewarning signal may therefore be
thus composed RJ Jin which the distinguishing letter R is associated with the J
commencing the signal as a prefix: or as a JRJ in which R is clearly in the
central position: or as J JR in which the R is clearly final or affix. I prefer
however to employ the letters A B C for designating the positions of the distin-
guishing letter, thus J A R, J B R and JCR in which R is the distinguishing
letter respectively indicated as prefix, centrefix, and affix. The signals may also be
sent by figures or by letters and figures.combined. Suppose in a message to be
composed from the code group of prefixes R being the distinguishing letter, then, the
representative triplets will be RAA RBC RON RMS RTW RZ Z and so

page_text: on.
The warning to the receiver being sent as above the message itself could be
telegraphed as AABCONMST W ZZ, thus saving in extra European
messages at the existing rates of char res one third of the cost of the telegram. On
receipt, the prefix as forewarned would be added, and the message written out
as RAA RBC RON RMS RTW RŹ Z. In the case of four letter
or other multiple signs the forewarning signal would include the distinguishing
letter or letters in similar manner, thus, JA R W J would mean prefixes RW.
Then the AA and so on would be written out on receipt as R WAA and so
on. If letter signs are imported into the message as forewarned from other
groups of the code the plays the part of a parenthesis and is included with
the new forewarning signal for the word or sentence introduced, thus the
message being forewarned as R prefix, the bi-letter signs would come in as
A A B C D ŎFR when a word or several words from the series of T affixes
might be required. Then JCT would convey the forewarning signal, and the
bi-letter signs following it would be written off as A A T F NT and so on
until the warning or the two letters J J mark the return to the original
R series. The message then would be transmitted as
A. A.
In similar manner where groups of distinguishing letters are selected as say
RSTUVWYZ then the warning signal J RZ would convey the fact and
the conjoined letters A B C would show their positions. The J being regarded
as part of a triplet must be supported by two comrade letters, except when J J
is used to indicate a return to the primary designator. The code being divided
into great groups of prefixes, centrefixes, and affixes, and the transmission of
triplets and multiple letter signs being made by bi-letter signs after forewarnings
as above the highest economy and greatest security are required. The inter-
position of a or an X occasionally would mark the conclusion of a sentence
or paragraph and give the means of detecting errors committed by the telegraphist
or manipulator during the transmission thus say A. A. BBED OF should be
varied by the omission of E. If a J or an X limited the sentence at OF,
then in ruling off in twos the message would stand as A A/B B/DO/F,
which being an odd letter would at once indicate an error by having no comrade
letter, and a repeat would at once be called for to clear the message. Figures
as well as letters can be used both to form and designate groups of signs of all
dimensions so that by means of forewarning signals the range of letter signs
transmissible in the above manner is immense.
66
The following is an illustration of the rendering of a group of my letter signs
representing words into the language of any foreign country :-English,
Entangled" French, "Enchevetre"; Latin, "Irretitus"; and written off thus
in each respective country from the letter code telegram, transmitted as VG B
to the receiving correspondents.
;
Other letter signs and cypher sentences are thus also read off at once from
the letter code telegram in the language of his country by the receiver of the
telegram, without the aid or assistance of any translator.
It is obvious, finally, that my letter code system is applicable also to sema-
phore, flashing, flag, heliograph, lighthouse, cryptograph, type-writers and other
means of instrumental transmission of signals, and that in all these applications
it possesses the advantages of brevity and secresy.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim-
(1) The construction and use of a system of code signs such as is hereinbefore
described, wherein selected letters are combined as prefixes, or as what I term

page_text: contrefixes," or as affixes, so as to indicate by the arbitrary. use of a minimum
number of letters formed in groups of small size any number of words or
sentences that may be required for forming and transmitting messages.
(2) The application of my four-letter cypher forming messages corresponding
to the registration of monograms and telegraphic addresses.
(3) The use of the hereinbefore specified letter-code or cypher system in con-
nection with the electric telegraph or other electrical means, or with semaphore
or other mechanical means employed for the formation and transmission of
messages and signals.
(4) The use of numerals, or numerals and letters combined, in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore specified.
Dated this 29th day of July 1891.
SAMUEL JOSEPH MACKIE.