AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WRITING AND READING CYPHER CORRESPONDENCE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Haseltine, of the "International Patent
Office," Southampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WRITING AND READING
CYPHER CORRESPONDENCE."-A communication from abroad by John
Norris of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Haseltine at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1875.
I, GEORGE HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," South-
ampton Buildings, London, Doctor of Laws, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR WRITING
AND READING CYPHER CORRESPONDENCE,” a communication, to be as
follows:-
"
This Invention relates to an apparatus for writing and reading letters
or telegrams in cyphers without the use of a dictionary or key in a very
safe and easy manner, which apparatus I term a kryptograph.

page_text: The said "kryptograph" has the form of a portfolio, and consists of two
parts, first, a small writing desk made of leather or other suitable
material, upon which is placed the paper that is to contain the cyphered
dispatch; and, second, a perforated plate made of metal, wood, or other
suitable material. By writing through the holes of this plate in such a
manner as to put always only one letter into cach hole successively from
the left to the right, in the same way as in common writing, and so
continuing, by turning three times more this plate the paper below the
plate filled up in this way by single letters will produce the contents of
the dispatch completely, and absolutely unintelligible for anybody except
for the writer's correspondent, who is in possession of precisely the samo
apparatus as the writer, and who for reading his despatch has simply to
put the paper containing the same upon the desk and cover it with the
plate, and turning the plate in the same way all the letters will
appear to him again in their proper connexion, and he will read the
dispatch.
As the variations in the mode of perforating the plates are infinite,
and as cach of these variations constitutes one completely different set
of apparatus for the use of 2, 3, or any number of correspondents
among themselves, it is evident that a letter or telegram cyphered by my
"kryptograph" is absolutely unintelligible to any person except the corre
spondent to whom it is addressed, because the trials for decyphering such
a letter or telegram without the medium of precisely the same apparatus
are endless.
The said apparatus in the form of a portfolio is most suitable for
travellers, officers in the field, policemen on duty, and others, but larger
"kryptographs" for use in the study or office may be made of such
dimensions as may be required for larger sizes of paper. But even the
said small portfolio is sufficient for a correspondence of any extent, as
the writer after having filled up one piece of paper may take a second,
third, and so on, till he has finished his task.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Haseltine in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HASELTINE, of the "International Patent Office," Southampton Build-
ings, London, Doctor of Laws, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Hasletine, Her special licence
that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Haseltine, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
WRITING AND READING CYPHER CORRESPONDENCE," a communication to me from
abroad by John Norris, of Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Haseltine, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Haseltine, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
forming a part of this Specification :—
This Invention relates to an apparatus for reading and writing cypher
correspondence, and consists in various improvements, whereby the said
apparatus is rendered very advantageous for either postal or telegraphic
correspondence, and is adapted to be conveniently carried and manipu-
lated; this apparatus I term a "kryptograph."

page_text: The said apparatus is composed of two essential parts, that is to say, a
ruled and figured or numbered tablet or desk and a perforated plate,
which are used in combination in reading or writing with the said
apparatus.
One of my improvements is the formation of and figuring or marking
of this tablet or desk, as herein-after set forth, whereby the said per-
forated plate may be accurately adjusted and kept in either of the
positions in which it has to be placed on the said tablet.
Another of the said improvements is the combination of the said tablet
and perforated plate with a pocket book or other similar article in such a
manner that it is conveniently portable in the pocket or otherwise.
The number of divisions of the tablet and the arrangement of the
holes in the perforated plate of the said apparatus are based upon a
geometrical diagram or figure which permits an almost infinite variation
in such numbering or arrangement, so that it will be easy to produce an
apparatus which will have no duplicate although millions of the said
apparatuses may be in use.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shown a square tablet A ruled
horizontally and vertically with straight lines at equal intervals, thereby
forming fourteen vertical columns and fourteen horizontal columns,
.which constitute by their intersection one hundred and ninety-six equal
squares. B is a plate made of thin metal, and whose dimensions are
precisely the same as those of the aforesaid tablet A so that this
plate B will exactly cover the said tablet A. The tablet A has around
it a frame, rim, or projection a for keeping in place the plate B,
and upon each of its sides the said frame is marked with the numbers
1 to 14, with the words "horizontal" at the top and "vertical" at the
side. The plate B has at each corner the numbers I., II., III., IV., or
other distinguishing marks. The said plate B is perforated with 49 holes,
a number equal to a quarter of the small squares of the tablet A, and
these holes, according to my Invention, are in such positions in the
plate B that in placing the plate B upon the tablet A within the frame
successively in four different positions, as indicated by the said numbers
or marks at the corners, the holes will be placed successively over the
whole of the 196 squares of the tablet.
Two correspondents using my apparatus proceed in the following
manner, it being understood that the two correspondents have krypto-

page_text: graphs which are identically the same with regard to dimensions, squares,
numbers, and position of holes and other essential particulars, as above
set forth The writer takes a sheet of any suitable paper and places it
on the tablet A within the frame a, then he places the plate B upon the
paper in either of its four positions, and writes his communication letter
by letter, and preferably one letter in each hole of the plate B from left
to right, and line after line in succession, as in ordinary correspondence.
He then raises the plate and places it in another position on the paper
within the frame a, the holes then showing blank portions of the said
paper between the letters already marked thereon, and he continues to
write letter by letter through each hole as before. The plate is placed
or adjusted four times for each sheet of paper, and each time it is turned
its holes show blank spaces of the paper between the previously formed
letters. When the plate has been adjusted four times, and the letters
written through the holes as above described, the sheet of paper will be
covered with letters; and it will be obvious that although the message
is written with the ordinary letters or characters, and in straight lines
from left to right, and one under the other, yet the letters forming cach
word are so separated, and those of the different words so intermixed by
the transposition of the plate, that the whole when seen without the said
plate forms a confused and unintelligible mass of letters, affording no
clue to its interpretation; but when the person to whom the letter or
note has been addressed receives it, he having in his possession an
apparatus precisely the same as that of the writer, and knowing what
position the paper occupied upon the tablet A when the letter was
written, he places it on his tablet, and then places over it the plate B
in the same position as the writer placed his plate in commencing
to write the letter, following the same order in turning or adjusting the
said plate into its four positions, thereby separating the letters into
the words, and having the words presented to him in their proper
order.
This apparatus will be very convenient for correspondence with post
cards, as the contents of the said cards will be unintelligible except to
the two correspondents, and therefore one great objection to the use of
the post card system will be obviated.
It will be obvious that what can be done with the tablet and plate
of 14 x 14, shewn in the Drawing as an illustration of this Invention,
oon ho dono caually no wall with withou

page_text: as desired, with a greater or lesser number of columns, as 10 × 10,
12 x 12, and so on, or 26 × 26, 30 × 30, and so on, provided the
number of horizontal and vertical columns are always equal and con-
stitute a perfect square.
For writing telegraphic dispatches I use in my improved apparatus
paper ruled with cross lines exactly corresponding with those on the
tablet A. The person sending the dispatch takes a piece of this ruled
paper, say, 5, 10, or 15 horizontal columns, according to the length of
the dispatch to be written, and conformably to a preliminary arrange-
ment or understanding between the two correspondents. On this ruled
paper he writes the dispatch from left to right, line by linc, onc letter in
cach square, till the dispatch is finished. Then if there remains any
portion of the paper not filled up he cuts off to the last line the vacant
portion, and in case there should remain any square or squares in the
last line not cut off, the same should be filled up with letters having no
signification, or with some unmeaning word or phrase. The piece of
ruled paper thus written constituting the draft of the dispatch is after-
wards placed in a position on the tablet A previously determined by
agreement with the correspondent, and the plate B is placed over the
said paper within the said frame, projection, or rim a. The dispatch as
it appears through the holes in the plate is then copied on plain paper
or on a telegraphic form from left to right, and from top to bottom, in
such a manner that the letters are presented successively through the
holes of the plate B, the plate being turned or adjusted into its four
positions till the last letter of the last line of the paper in the fourth
position of the said plate is transcribed upon the said paper or form.
The rule generally adopted by telegraph companics with regard to
cypher dispatches is to count five letters to one word, therefore the
letters thus copied are written in groups of five letters, which obviously
are utterly unintelligible to any person or persons except the two corre-
spondents. The dispatch is then ready to send by the telegraph. When
the same is delivered to the person to whom it is addressed, and who has
an apparatus exactly similar to that of the sender, and who knows the
dimensions of the paper and the position it must occupy upon the
tablet, he takes a piece of paper exactly like that employed by the
sender, places and fixes the same in the proper position upon the
tablet A, then places above it the plate B, and marks through the holes
letter by letter the dispatch, continuing in such manner to the last

page_text: letter of the dispatch, which ought naturally to be placed in the last
hole in the fourth position of the plate. This done he raises the said
plate and reads easily the dispatch, which is found completely and cor-
rectly transcribed upon the sheet of paper.
It will be obvious from the above description that by this improved
apparatus any two persons may correspond with each other without any
possibility of having their communications read by others, for if any
unauthorized person obtains the same, or a duplicate of the apparatus
used in writing the messages or communications, he would not know in
what manner it had been used.
It will also be seen that no dictionary or key is required for either
writing or reading with my apparatus, and that as it is not based upon
any system of transposition of the letters of the alphabet, or similar
expedients for obtaining secrecy, no clue can ever be obtained to the
correspondence by guessing or by any method of calculation.
I render my apparatus conveniently portable by fitting it within a
pocket book or portfolio. The tablet and plate A and B are made to
fold and double up, so that they occupy but little space. The tablet is
attached by one edge to the inside of the pocket book, which may be
formed of leather or other suitable material, and provided with any
number of compartments or receptacles for papers and other articles.
The plate B is hinged at b, and is provided with small pins or studs b¹ to
allow it to be conveniently opened.
The said apparatus in the form of a portfolio or pocket book is very
advantageous for travellers, officers in the field, police officials, and
others.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Haseltine, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of September, in
the year of our Lord, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
HY. JA'. NOONE.
GEORGE HASELTINE. (L.S.)