US2403736A - Strip cipher device - Google Patents

Description

My 1 v J. w. M CLARAN 2,403,736

STRIP CIPHER DEVICE r Filed Nov. 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1, INVE TOR W 7 7 gamm .m axm.

ATTDRNEY July 9, 194 6. J. w. MOCLARAN.

STRIP CIPHER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28 1932 T k J mvENToh azz; MMs Ola/an li t *M rmom we...

YZXKLMNO IEADGHMNOR ISXMCGRATH xz mmo Uw JLNPRTVACEGI MQSTUV EFGHMQSUHJKLMNQ LNDCFHLMNOPRTUI FRANC IRSTXWYZFMIOCBDF ATTORNEY FIKLOIRTHIKLGHAD Patented July 9, 1946 NI ED" STAT es PATENT c erics- 7 Claims.

This. lnvention'relates to a device for coding and; decoding messages and. is of the typeemployingfa plurality of strips-each with one or more complete alphabets thereonearranged at random, all the alphabets on any strip having the same sequential order, and pr-eierably with a different sequence of letters on the various strips.

It is the' object-of this invention to provide amachine of the character mentioned that is adapted to produce a -large number ofhighly complex cipher combinations without any sequence in the arrangement of the letters that is discov- V erableby onewho has not theke'ythereto.

With the aboveand other objects in view; the invention consists in the construction, combination-and arrangementof parts as will befhereinaftermorefullydescribed; l v r In the-drawings 1 r Figure l" is a perspectiveviewo my invention; FigureZ-is'a bottom p'lanvie hereof; Figures 3; 4 and5 are respectively'atop plan view, a side 'elevatiomand" an end elevation of themeans usedfor connectingtlie ends ofthfe strips that -carryfthe alphabetyf Figure 6 is afde'tai'l-view of portions ofan'aIphabet strip;

Figure-7 shows an interrupterfor covering'certainof'the strips ifde'sired'; I

Fig: 8 is a plan "viewer the invention with parts broken away; illustrating the method of use.

The general-construction of my invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2. Feet Hi; which are preferably flexible rubber vacuum cups, carry a frame-"comprising longitudinal membersitconnected by a cross brace-12L Plate-I3--has anupper bracket I4 secured to each oftwocorners" and a lower :bracket l5 fi-xed to each oftheother-two corners thereof, the brackets l5 being'attached tomem'bers H andthe brackets being fastened touprights I 6 that are pivotally connected to the members1 l I to permit the disconnection of member: is from bracketswl lso the device may be foldedi l p Atthe lowerend of plate I3 is aseriesorindependently rotatable pulleys l1 mounted-on arcomia mon; shaftiand each having an outwardly extending flange I8; preferably knurled, that. may be grasped: bythe thumb and fore-finger of the operator'jzo rotate: the pulley. An equal number: of

pulleys I9, also independently-rotatable, are idist; posedrat the flipper-end of: plate l3 with pulleys I il -aligned with corresponding pulleys I 1,, wherebyarflexiblestrip 2ll-maybe passed aroundv the plate l3 and over a pulley at each end. thereof.

Each strip 2fl=hasroni it-preferablytwo alpha- 5 (cits-#2) bets incwhieh theiletters are inLthe same sequence, asishownini Figured, The :ends of each strip. are connected together by the connecting element shown in'Figurese3, Land 5 that has a substan tially tubular body portion 2 I in which .is formed a longitudinal slot 2.2.. A hook 23 is connected to spring: 2am the body 2! which tends to draw the hookttowardnthe body member. A knob 25 istconnectedto the "spring'iand hook to move the hook away from the body toirelease the hook from engagement with analphabet strip. A resilient loop 26 haslaterally turned ends 21 that pass through holes in theside of body member 2|, the loop being disconneotible from the body member by pressing: in the s ides of the loop. until the ends 2! clear-the body member, and the loopis then withdrawn. At the hook end of body membertzl is-ta;- lug; 218; thatextends oppositely to knob 25 with respect to body member 2|, The strip 20 has a looplat each end, one of which is engaged by hook 23-and the other by loop 26 and the strip isikept -taut by spring 24. i

Spaced [rom the under sideof. plate I 3 is a to, brackets: 14 and 15. An aligning bar 30 is-slidably mounted; oniguides Z'Q and has a notch in eachen'drto receive a leg of ball 3 I, the1bail being sufficiently resilient to permit bending it to removethe: legs thereof from the slots inthe aligni-ng bar; The endszofbail 3| a-re' pivoted' at the rear ends of the members H and a spring 32 is connectedtoeach leg'of the bail and to the adjacent upright it un'der stress to tendto move the bail, and with it the aligning bar 39, toward the upper end 'of platel3. A stop 33 is fixed on each guide zeta limit the downward movement of aligning barSDi A slide 34 is mounted to move over'the upper surface-of plate !3 and has in it a slot 35 through which one letter on each strip 20 may be seen and thus defines a row of letters extending transversely of'plate l3} A groove 36 is formed in slide 34 to receive an interrupter 31 having cut-away portions 38'through which the letters on some of the strips 2 maybe seen and solid portions-39 to cover certain other strips As many interrupters may be used as are desirable each of which has a different, arrangement of cut-away portions 33 and solid portions 39' to leave some of the. strips visible and cover other strips in any combination.

While but one strip 29 is shown inposltion on the device-it is to be understood that there may be as many strips used as desired up to the full number of pairs of pulleys l1 and IS.

The method of operation is as follows:

Before beginning the coding of a message the bail 3| is drawn toward the operator which moves aligning bar 30 downwardly. The bar 30 is disposed to engage the lugs 28 on the strip connecting members and when further downward movement of the bar is prevented by stops 33, all of the lugs 28 will be aligned and the first letter in the alphabet sequence on each strip will be disposed under slot 35 in slide 34. The operator then rotates the pulley I! at the left-hand side" of the device to turn the first letter of the message to be coded into position under slot 35, then the second pulley I! to bring the second letter of the message into position under the slot,

the third pulley I! to bring the third letter under the slot, and so on until each strip is so positioned that a letter thereon forms part of a word of the .message in a line visible through the slot 35. Slide 34-isthen moved up along plate l3 to any desired position at which a line of letters will be visible through slot 35 but inasmuch as the random sequences on the strips 20 are different, the letters then visible in slot 35.will not spell any word of the message. As shown by way of example in .Figure 8, the strips 20 have been moved to spell the words Fleet sails today under slot 35; the

Slide is then moved up say thirteen letter spaces, and the meaningless sequence DHIMORUHFHCI U VZ appears through slot 35 as shown in the dotted line position of slide 34. This is copied as part of the code message, Another line of letters that spell the succeeding part of the message is then set under slot 35 when the slide is at the lower end of the plate. The slide is then moved up say thirteen letters and the code sequence recorded.

of the code message appear in slot 35 with slide -34 at its lowermost position; the slide 34 is then moved up on plate l3 until there appears in slot 35 a sequence of letters that spell words in plain language, which are recorded as a part of the decoded message. This is continued until all the letters of the coded message have been converted into plain language. It is apparent that the person who decodes the message must have a key to inform him as'to the arrangement on the machine of the sequences used in coding.

The coded message may be rendered still more complicated by the use of an interrupter or various interrupters under the slot 35. For example, in coding one message, or a part of one message, an interrupter having a space to leave visible the first three strips, to cover the next five .strips, to leave visible four strips, to cover three strips and to show the remaining strips, may be used,'and for a subsequent message, or part of a message, an interrupter that would have a different arrangement of cut-away portions and solid portions may be inserted in groove 36. In

this case it is of course necessary that the person who decodes the message must know the arrangement of the cut-away Portions and solid portions in the interrupter used in coding the message.

Various other means of complicating the code will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, such as settingthe letters of the message when coding on a line other than that defined by slot 35 when slide 34 is in its lowermost position, etc.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of my invention and that various changes in construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any of the advantages of mv invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a plate, supporting means therefor, a plurality of grooved pulleys at one end thereof, an equal number of grooved pulleys at the other end thereof, each of the last mentioned pulleys being disposed to coact as one member of a pair with a pulley at the other end of said plate and having an outwardly extending flange whereb the pulley may be rotateda plurality of flexible strips passing around said plate and over a pulley at each end thereof, resilient means connecting the ends of each strip and having an outwardly extending lug, each said strip having on it two alphabets one above the other in the same random sequence but the sequence. on each strip being different .from that of any other strip, a slide movable longitudinally of said plate having aslot through which a letter on each strip maybe seen, an .interrupter insertable in said slide to cover selectively any desired strip or strips, and means slidable longitudinally of said plate to align all of said lugs. e I

'2. In a device of the class described, a plate, supporting means therefor, aplurality of grooved pulleys at one end thereof, an equal number of grooved pulleys at the other end thereof, alplurality of flexible strips passing around said plate and overa pulley at each end thereof, each said strip having on it two alphabets one above the other in the same random sequence but the sequence on each strip being different from that on any other strip, a lug carried by each strip in the same relative position, a slide movable longitudinally of said plate having a slot through which a letter on each strip maybe seen, an interrupter insertable in saidslide to cover selectively any desired strip. or strips, and means slidable longitudinally of said plate to align all of said lugs. 7

3. In a device of the class described, a plate, ,a supporting frame to hold said plate in position, a plurality of grooved pulleys at one end thereof, an equal number of grooved pulleys at the other end thereof, a'plurality of flexible strips passing around said plate and over a pulley at each end thereof, each said strip having on it two alphabets one above the other in the same random sequence, a slide movable longitudinally of said plate having a slotthrough which a letter on each strip may be seen, and an interrupter insertable in said slide to cover selectively any desired strip or strips. v

4. In a' device of the class described, a plate, supporting means therefor, a plurality of grooved pulleys at each end thereof, a plurality of flexible strips passing around said plate and over a. pulley at each end thereof, each said' strip having on it an alphabet arranged in random sequence, but the sequence on each strip being different from that on any other strip, a slide movable longitudinally of said plate having a slot through which a letter on each strip may be seen, and an determined initial position and a slide movable 10 longitudinally of said plate having a slot through which a letter on each strip may be seen.

6. In a device of the class described, a plate, supporting means therefor, a plurality of pulleys at each end thereof, a plurality of flexible strips passing around said plate and over a pulley at 6 each end thereof, each said strip having on it an alphabet arranged in random sequence, means to move all of said strips simultaneously to a predetermined initial position and means to define a transverse line across said plate.

'7. In a device of the class described having a frame, aligning means comprising parallel guides at opposite sides of said frame, a straight edge slidably mounted on said guides, a bail pivoted at its ends to opposite sides'of said frame and engaging said straight edge to slide the straight edge on said guides and resilient means tending to hold said bail at one end of said frame to maintain said straight edge at said end except when 15 moved by an operator.

JOHN W. MCCLARAN.

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