US832559A - Cipher-code. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED 00T. 2, 1906.

E. E. PETERSON.

GIPHBP. GODE. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 3. 1904. BBNE'WED MAE. '1, 1906.

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PATENTED OCT. 2, 1906.

E. E. PETERSON. UIPHER CODE.

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ERNEST E. PETERSON, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL CIPHER CODE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ClPHER-CODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

Application filed November 3, 1904:. Renewed March 7, 1906. Serial No. 304,779.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST EUGENE PE- TERsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cipher- Codes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cipher-codes, and relates particularly to a code especially designed and adapted for the transmission of cablegrams.

The object of the invention is to provide a code or system whereby the number of words required for transmitting of a message may be largely reduced, thereby eecting a corresponding saving in the cost of transmitting such message.

To this end a code or system of my invention consists of the various features and combinations of features hereinafter described and claimed. i

In the accompanying drawings tables illustrating a code of my invention are illustrated.

Figure l shows sample code-tables numbered with numbers of three figures each, beginning with 000, and which may run as high as may be desired up to 999, inclusive. Fig. 2 shows sample code-tables numbered with numbers of two figures each, beginning with 00, and which may run as high as may be desired up to 99, inclusive. Figs. 3 and 4 are keys to be used in connection with tables numbered with three-figure numbers,(referred to herein as five-numeral tables.) Fig.. 5 is a key to be used in connection with tables shown in Fig. 2 numbered with two-figure numbers, (referred to herein as four-numeral tables.)

A cipher-code of my invention comprises a plurality of duplicate tables A', consisting of the numbers B of two figures each, preferably beginning 00, 01, 02, &c., to and including 99. These tables are numbered at their left-hand margins consecutively with numbers C of two or three figures, depending on the desired scope of the code, preferably beginning 000, 001, 002, &c., to and including 999, where the tables are numbered with three-figure numbers, as shown in Fig. 1, thus providing for one thousand tables, or when the tables are numbered with two-figure numbers, as shown in Fig. 2, be-

'lard, as in Fig. 2.

ginning 00, 01, 02, &c., to and including 99, thus providing for one hundred different tables. By using a smaller number of tables it is obvious that a code of correspondingly smaller scope may be provided. Thus with one thousand tables of one hundred numbers each one hundred thousand combinations are possible, and with one hundred tables of one hundred numbers each ten thousand combinations are possible. For purpose of convenient reference these tables will be designated as code-tables.

As shown, the tables are arranged in ten vertical and ten transverse rows of ten numbers each, preferably arranged consecutively and reading from left to right, the tablenumbers being preferably placed at the left of the tables which they indicate. Above each vertical row of numbers and at the right of each transverse row of numbers are placed desired expressions-such, for example, as are usually. found in other ciphercodes now in common use. Obviously, therefore, each number in each table may designate two different expressions. This arrangement is of particular value in cabling quantities and prices of merchandise. To illustrate, suppose that the tables are arranged with-particular reference for quotations on packing-house products, the particular commodity being ham, as in Fig. 1, or All of the tables relating to this commodity are headed Ham and Lard, respectively, accompanied by any desired description of the particular hams or lard referred to. At the top of each row is placed the quantity of the commodity, 'ham or lard, indicated by the numbers in that vertical row, and at the right of eachtransverse row is placed the price. Hams for export are commonly put up in boxes containing five hundred pounds each and orders for same run for five boxes or a multiple of five.

Above the different vertical rows of a series of tables are placed the quantities of the commodity, respectively indicated by the numbers in said rows, as 5 boxes, 10 boxes," &c., to 50 boxes, inclusive. If it is de- IOO sired to provide for quoting or ordering sive, and so on up, as may be desired. The Y marks, &c.

tables shown only provide for a maximum of fifty boxes of hams, Fig. 1, or tierces of lard, Fig. 2.

The prices are indicated in desired units of value, as in shillings for codes to be used in commerce with Great Britain and her colonies, marks for German commerce, francs for French commerce, &c.

Except in extraordinary cases the range of prices for packing-house products is not very great from day to day, and it is therefore only necessary to quote the last figure of the number to correctly indicate the price instead of the full number. For example, suppose the price of hams is eighty-five shillings per hundred weight. It would not be necessary to indicate 85 in full, but merely the last figure, 5, by which the buyer and seller would understand that eighty-five shillings was meant, as the market at the time was between eighty and ninety shillings. Similarly 0 would indicate 80. 1 would indicate 81, Sac., or, if the market was between seventy and eighty shillings, these expressions would in like manner indicate 70, 71, 8m.

In the tables provision is made for quotations varying by one-fourth of a unit, in the case assumed one-fourth of a shilling per hundredweight of ham or lard. Four tables of ten transverse rows each will thus be sufficient to cover any usual range of price varying by one-fourth of a unit. Each series of tables will thus contain at least four tables, and in practice I prefer to utilize an additional table or tables in each series, in whole or in part, to indicate terms, conditions, re-

As shown, each series of tables comprises four and one-half tables.'

Obviously the arrangement of the tables may be varied as may be desired or to meet varying conditions. For example, each table instead of containing ten vertical and ten transverse rows might contain five vertical and twenty transverse or four vertical and twenty-five transverse or a single column of one hundred numbers.

When it is desired to send a cablegram as an order for a number of boxes of hams at a given price and a quantity of lard, the vertical row, indicating the desired quantity, as the desired number of boxes of hams or tierces of lard, is followed down to the number in the transverse row, at the right of which appears the desired price. Thus a single number of two figures will indicate both the quantity and the price, and to identify this number it is only necessary to give the table-number and the number at the intersection of the vertical and transverse rows respectively designating the desired quantity and the price, which can be written as a single number of'five figures if the tables are numbered 'with three-figure numbers. or of four figures if the tables are numbered with two-figurenumbers, the first two or three figures designating the table-number and the last two the number at the intersection of the vertical and transverse rows, which designate the quantity and price. For example, suppose it is desired to order fifteen boxes of hams at eighty-four and one-fourth shillings per hundredweight. note that the number at the intersection of the vertical row headed 15 boxes and of the transverse row to the right of which appears Ll is 72. We note also that this number is in the table numbered 001. The cipher identifying `this number is therefore first the number of the table 001, followed by the number in that table to be designated 72, the full numberbeing 00172,

or vice versa, the number 00172 in a message would indicate, first, the table-number 001, and, second, the desired number in that table 72, which by running out the vertical and transverse rows is found to By referring to the tables we indicate fifteen boxes at eighty-four and onefourth shillings per hundredweight, and similarly with the tables numbered with two-figure numbers.

Under the rules of the cable companies a number of five figures or less constitutes a word, whereas words may contain ten letters, if combined in a pronounceable word. Thus by providing a suitable key whereby a single word may be made to designate and identify two numbers of four or five figures each it is obvious that the number of words necessary to be transmitted may be reduced one-half, thus eHecting a saving of fifty per cent. in the cost of transmission. This I have accomplished and will now proceed to explain my key to be used in transcribing and translating cipher cablegrams sent or received under my code.

I will first describe the key to be used in connection with the tables numbered with the three-figure numbers only, which for convenient reference will hereinafter be referred to as five-numeral codes, as all of the numbers referring to said tables will contain Jrive figures, as heretofore explained. Following this I will explain the key to be used in connection with the tables numbered vwith the two-figure numbers, which will hereinafter be referred to as four-numeral codes, as all of the numbers referring to said tables will contain four figures.l I will then explain the method of applying said keys in practical use.

The key for the five-numeral codes consists, first, Fig. 3, of the numbers which are contained in each of the code-tables-that is, "00, 01, 02, &c., to and includin 99, preferably arranged in five vertica rows of twenty numbers each and reading consecutively from top to bottom of the rows. Above the first row of figures is placed the vowel "A, above the second E, the

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third I, the fourth O, and the fifth U. At the left of each transverse row of numbers is placed a different consonant, preferably arranged in order from top to bottom thereof. This will require all of the consonants in the alphabet excepting one. As in the composition of words the letter f Q only occurs followed by the letter U, the letter Q is not used. Said key also comprises, second, Fig. 4, the numerals 0, 1, 2, &c., to 9, inclusive, placed opposite each of which, respectively, is a consonant, as shown, the consonants 13, 0, (l D7)} ((F!) (I G) ((HJ llL!) MJ ((P .R. This table is accompanied by an explanatory note, as follows: Use only in terminating a word when necessary. The manner of using this code is as follows: Suppose that it is desired to order twenty-five boxes of hams at eighty-three and one-half shillings per hundredweight, ten boxes at eighty-two shillings per hundredweight, and forty boxes at eighty-five shillings per hundredweight. Astheretofore explained, these several orders are indicated in the tables by the following numbers, respectively: twentyfivev boxes ateighty three and one half shillings 00144, ten boxes at eighty-two shillings 00081, forty boxes at eighty-five shillings 00207. Under the present rules governing the ltransmission, of cablegrams each of these numbers would constitute a word, and the transmission of the order would require three words. By means of my key for the five-numeral codes I am enabled to transpose any two numbers of five figures into a single word of ten letters, conforming to the rules for the transmission of cablegrams in the following manner: In transposing into words said numbers are broken up into groups of two figures, beginning at the left vhand of the first number. In the case assumed these groups are as follows: 00-14-40-00-81-00-20-7. Referring to the key shown in Fig. 3, the letters found at the left and above the transverse and vertical rows at the intersection of which said numbers are found are substituted for said numbers, respectively, all of the letters substituted fo'r the groups of each unit being oined to form a word. Making the substitutions for the above groups, we find the equivalents thereof to be as follows:

or joining these letters to form words of ten letters as far as possible we derive the following words: Batabibacu and UBabem,' which are -pronounceable words not `containin more than ten letters, conformable to the ru es relating to the transmission of cablegrams. Vice versa, when a cablegram is received referring to the five-numeral codes it is divided up into groups of two letters, beginning at the left, and the numbers found a-t the intersection of the transverse and vertical rows to the left of and above which the letters of each group respectively appear are substituted therefor. Thus upon receipt of the message containing the words UB'atabibacu Babem they are divided up into groups as follows: Ba-ta-bi-ba-cu Ba-be-m and substituting in the keys lFigs. 8 and 5,

we derive the following numbers:

B A (Fig. 3) 00 T A H n' B I H (l B A (l C U H H B A l( Il B E (K (l z M (Fig. 4) 7 which combined into five-figure numbers gives 00144, 00081, 00207, of each of which the first three figures constitute the table-number and the last two the numbers contained in said tables, respectively, to indicate the desired quantity and price of the commodity ordered, or by referring to the tables, Fig. 1,00144 equals 44 in the 001 table, indicating twenty-five boxes of hams at eighty-three and one-half shillings, "00081 equals t(81'in the 000 table, indicating ten boxes of hams at eighty-two shillings, and 00207 equals O7 in the 002 table, indicating forty boxes of hams at eightyfive shillings. In the case assumed two words are thus made. to take the place of three, and where the number of numbers is even or a message comprises a large number of numbers a saving of practically fifty per cent. is effected.

The key for the four-numeral codes consists of the same numbers as the five-numeral codes; but instead of being arranged as in the key in the five-numeral codes they are arranged in twenty vertical rows of five figures, the vowels A, E, I, 0, and U being placed at the left of different transverse rows of numbers and the consonants, except HQ, being placed above the diHerent vertical rows. As'with the fivenumeral codes, the numbers are broken up into groups of two figures, and the -letters at the left of and above thetransverse and vertical rows at the intersection of whicha number is found are substituted therefor and combined into words, the last of which may contain less than ten letters. The first letter of a word, `as it isa consonant or a vowel, thus aords an index as to whether the message refers tothe five-numeral or the 4fournumeral codes. The method of translating IOO TIO

with the four-numeral key is identical with the described method of using the five-numeral key and will be fully understood without a further description thereof.

It will be noted thatthe numbers of the key-tables are arranged differently in Figs. 3 and 5. This difference in arrangement is immaterial, however, and either key-table may be used with either series of code-tables, as may be desired. v

Number messages from the four-numeral code will always comprise an even number of figures and may therefore always be divided into .two-figure groups corresponding to two-figure numbers of the key-table, Fig. 3 or Fig. 5, and the same is true of fivenumeral number-messages consisting of an even number of numbers. When, however, a five-numeral number-message contains an odd number of numbers, it is obvious that in dividing the same into two-figure groups a single final figure will be left, and to provide the tables of the other series.

for translating and transcribing this final iigure I use the extra key-table shown in Fig. 4, which consists of the numerals O to 9, inclusive, with a different letter, either a vowel or a consonant, in line therewith. This feature, however, is an obvious development of the invention and forms no` departure therefrom. y

From the foregoing itwill be noted that it is essentialnot only that the code-tables shall be so numbered or otherwise designated that the tables ofeach series will be distinguished from each other, but also that the tables of one series will be infallibly distinguished from I have devised and I prefer to employ the method shown and described, which consists in employing numbers having three figures each,

eginning with 000 and ending with 999 for one series of tables, and numbers consisting of two figures each, beginning with 00 and ending with 99, for the other -series of tables. This scheme supplies a distinctive and infallible method of avoiding confusion of the-tables; but of course I am not confined and do not wish to limit myself to any particular plan of numbering the tables.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cipher-code consisting of a plurality of code-tables numbered with numbers each `containing not to exceed three figures, each 'code-table comprising a plurality of numbers of not to exceed two figures each and code expressions in line with the numbers of said code-tables and a key for said code-tables consisting of the numbers containedl in said code-tables arranged in intersecting rows y with consonants in line with said rows in one direction and vowels in the other.

2. A cipher-code consisting of a plurality of code-tables numbered with numbers containing not to exceed three figures each, each code-table comprising a plurality of numbers of two figures each arranged in rows in two directions and code expressions in line with each row of numbers in both directions and a key for said code-tables consisting of the numbers contained in said code-tables arranged in intersecting rows with consonants in line with said rows in one direction and vowels in the other.

3. A cipher-code consisting of a series of code-tables numbered consecutively with numbers of two figures each, the Jiirst O0, the second 01, and so on, each of said tables consisting of the numbers OO, 01, &c., to and including 99, and code expressions in line with the numbers of said code-tables, and a keytable consisting of the numbers 0() to 99, in-

clusive, arranged in intersecting rows containing five and twenty numbers each, respectively, with a consonant in line with each row of five numbers and a vowel in line with each row of twenty numbers.

4. A cipher-code for different kinds of inerchandise, comprising code-tables for the different kinds of merchandise designated by a series of table-numbers, each table-number being different from all the other table-nunibers and each table consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inclusive, arranged in intersecting rows with quantity-designations in line with the rows running in one direction and pricedesignations in line with the rows running in the other direction.

5. A cipher-code for merchandise, comprising a table designated by an identifying character and consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inclusive, with4 quantity-designations `and price-designations in coperative relation to the numbers of said table.

6. A cipher-code comprising a table desig-.

nated by an identifying character and consisting of the numbers UO to 99, inclusive, with code expressions in coperative relation to the numbers of said table.

7. A cipher-code for merchandise comprising a table designated by a number containing not to exceed three figures and consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inclusive, with quantity-designations and price-designations in coperative relation to the numbers of said table. i

8. A cipher-code comprising a table designated by a number containing not to exceed three figures and consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inclusive, with code expressions in coperative relation to the numbers of said table.

9. A cipher-code comprising a series of code-tables designated by different identifying characters, each table consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inclusive, with code expressions arranged in coperative relation to the numbers of said code-tables.

10. A cipher-code comprising a series of code-tables, designated by different identify- IOO ITO

ing characters, each code-table consisting of the numbers 00 to 99, inelusive, with code expressions arranged in coperative relation to the numbers of said code-tables and a key for said code-tables comprising a table eon sisting of the same numbers as eaeh of the eodetables and letters comprising vowels and consonants arranged to identify eaoh number of said key-table.

11. A cipher-code consisting of a series of code-tables numbered with numbers of two figures each, the rst O0, the second 01, and

so on7 eaeh code-table comprising a similar series of numbers and code expressions eooperatively related thereto for translation purposes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 29th day of October, A. D. 1904.

ERNEST E. PETERSON.'

Witnesses:

HARRY E. FOX, HARRY W. Fox.

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