US1535066A - Device for secret writing - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES MARIE A. vAHJ EN, F GUTTENBER/G, NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR SECRET WRITINGh' Application filed April 4, 1923. Serial No. 629,927.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIE A. VAHJEN, a citizen of the United States, and a'resident Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 44-.of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, 1s a similar view taken on the line of Guttenberg, in the county of Hudson 5 of Fig. 3, and

and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Device for Secret Writing, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in secret marking devlces, and it pertains more particularly to a .means for numbering various articles the numbering being 'done in the form of a cut or other secret system. While the device has many uses, it is particularly adapted for use in marking motor vehicles and various motor vehicle parts in addition to the regular serial numbers given these various parts in order that mutilation of the regular serial number will not destroy theidentity of the part numbered.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means whereby an owner, insurance company or other interested party may apply a secret identification character to any part of an automobile or similar article.

It is one of the primary objects of the invention to provide means by which a motor vehicle motor or other part may be marked with a plurality of identifying characters having a predetermined relation to one another, said characters, however, not being readable except by one familiar with the code.

It is .a further object of the invention to construct the marking device in such a manner that after the code marking has been made, the device may be used to read the code marking in order that the character thereof may be readily understood.

It is a further object of the invention to construct the'device in such a maner that it is positively held in position during the marking operation, .and .is also capable of bein held in proper position during the reading operation.

With the above and other objects in view, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the device in marking position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the secret writingr performed;

ig. 3 is a perspective view of the device in reading position;

\ Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 66,of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device comprises a bar 10 provided with a plurality of openings 11, which openlngs are arranged in groups 12 of ten each.

Each of the openings 11 in each of the groups .12, is provided with a designating character 13. .Leading from each of the openings 11 to one edge of the devicelO, is

a groove or indicating line 14, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

One end of the bar 10, preferably the left hand end, is provided with a pin 15, or the like, which passes preferably through the thickness of the bar. Adjacent this pin 15, the bar 10 is provided on its forward edge with a pin 16, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more specifically described.

The device is used in the following manner:

When it is desired to mark an article, such as designated by the reference letter A in the drawings, a recess or the like, such as shown at 20, is first made in the part to be marked. After this recess has been made, the pin 15 heretofore described is inserted into this recess and the bar 10 lies flat upon the article to be marked, as shown in Fig. 1. After the barhas been so positioned, a drill or other marking is inserted through one of the openings 11 in one or more of the groups 12, and a mark in the article A to be marked is made directly beneath such opening. After the several marks have been made, the device is removed and the marked article will have the appearance shown in Fig. 2.

The marks made in the marked article are shownat 21, and such marks have a special relation to one another. \Vhcn it is desired to read these marks, the bar 10 is turned up on edge, as shown in Fig. 5, with its pin 16 in the recess 20, and'the marks 21 will then appear opposite the designating characters of the o enings through which the marks were ma e. For example, with reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the several marks 21 appear opposite the number in the various groups, as follows: Read ing from left to r1 ht, the first mark 21 is 5 the second is the third is 2, the

fourth is l. the fifth is 1, and the sixth is 2, covering the number 572,412.

From the foregoing, it is apparent'that the present invention provides an unlimited combination of numbers, by means of which articles may be accurately marked. Furthermore, by marking an article in the above described manner. it is practically impossible to destroy the marking unless the entire sur- -face marked were ground to an extent which would eliminate the marks 21.

\Vhat is claimed is:

A secret writing device comprising a bar iaving a plurality of openings arranged in curves, a designating character associated with each of said openings, an index line loading from each of said openings to one edge of the bar, a pin carried by one end l the bar and adapted to be received within a recess in the article to be marked for maintaining the bar in position to receive a marking instrument through any one of the openings therethrough to make an identifying mark upon said article to be marked, and a second pin right-angularlv disposed with respect to the first pin and adapted to be received in the same opening in lieu of the first-mentioned pin to position the bar in such a, manner that the index lines of the openings through which the marks were made will coincide with the said marks to facilitate the reading thereof.

MARIE A. VAHJEN.

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