US1086586A - Code-forming device. - Google Patents

Description

G. G. BURKE.

001m FORMING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, 1 912. 1,@86,586, Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

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G. G. BURKE. CODE FORMING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED 001. 16, 1912. 1 ,53 Patented Feb. 10, 1914.-

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CHARLES G. BURKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CODE-FORMING DEVICE.

Application filed October 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. BURKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in CodeForming Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to cipher forming devices.

It has for its object to produce a device that may be used to produce code words which require a uniform or definite number of electric impulses for the transmission of the symbols representing the letters of the code words.

I have shown in the drawings and shall hereinafter describe a construction containing my invention. The particular construction, however, may be varied, and yet such variations may still contain the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1, is shown a front view of the device partly in section. Figs. 2 and 3 show the arrangement of the letters on the periphery of the wheels. Fig. 4; illustrates a friction device for retarding the movement of the wheels or disks. Fig. 5 indicates the numerical order of the letters of the groups.

As is known, each letter signal of the continental Morse code consists of one, two, three or four telegraphic elemental units. hen words are limited to five letters each and the aggregate of their units is twelve, it is obvious that the first four letters forming such words, must embody not less than eight units, or more than eleven units. In order to readily compute the number of impulses which any number of successive letters comprise, I assign a numerical value to each letter of the alphabet, such numerical value depending upon the number of units which constitute its symbol, in accordance with the requirements of the continental Morse code. This numerical value assigned to each letter, is a basic principle in the construction, and an. essential aid in the verification of the artificial words of my new vo cabulary.

In the continental Morse code two letters,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1t), lE-Md.

Serial No. 725,981.

viz., E and T are telegraphically indicated and expressed by a slngle unit each; four letters are indicated by two impulses each viz. A, I, M and N; eight letters D, G, K, O, R, S, U, and IV have three units each in their symbols and the twelve letters B, C, F, H, J, L, P, Q, V, X, Y and Z require four units for their telegraphic indication. In order that these new artificial words shall have the required alphabetical sequence as well as the determined uniform numbers of letters for each word and that the symbols of their in dividual letters shall all agree in the total of their units, I use a word forming device having five wheels and I arrange that each of the five wheels of my word forming devices shall be divided into four parts or sections each part or section being numbered to correspond with the number of units embodied in the symbols of the letters assigned to, inscribed in and showing in such section, all five wheels being alike in their parts, divisions or sections.

The wheels of my word forming device are preferably arranged around a common axis each wheel being independently movable around its center by any convenient means so that one letter at a time may be changed from one position to another. As each wheel has all the letters of the alphabet displayed upon it and as each wheel has free motion forward and backward around the center and as the individual letters in each of the respective five wheels are capable of being permutated with the respective letters on all the other wheels it is ob vious that all permutations possible for twenty-six letters in combinations of five are within its capacity and that consequently it is practical and possible by this device arranged as described to produce and supply 11,881,376 combinations of 5 letters each and all differing from each other. In other words 11,881,237 6 artificial words of five letters each may be produced. In my present invention I, however, only use those words which embody twelve units in the symbols of their letters and whose letters have the required alphabetical sequence. Preferably the letters are arranged in the section so that all letters inscribed on the wheels will be in the line with each other when the wheels are set in their proper places for producing words, five letters being displayed at each setting of the wheels. I

The number of letters in the words de pend upon the number of wheels, each wheel presenting one letter and the number of units in the total symbols of all the letters of the word depend upon the sections of the wheels which are in line with each other when the wheels have been operated to produce a word, each section standing for and counting as many units as are represented by its numerical designation.

Referring to the drawing which is the basis of the word forming device, 1 is a base for supporting the device.

2, are two pedestals mountedon the base.

3 is a shaft which is rigidly supported between the pedestals 2. It is secured in position by means of the screw 4. Wheels 5, 6, 7 8 and 9 are supported on the shaft 3 and rotate independently of each other. The wheel 5 is mounted on a sleeve 10 which is secured to the shaft 8 by means of the screw 11. Wheels 6, 7, 8 and 9 are mounted on similar sleeves 12 whichare secured to the shaft 3 by means of screws 13. The wheels are made cup shaped and the enlarged ends of the sleeve for receiving the screws 13 and for holding the wheels in position from lateral movement, are located within adjoining wheels. The sleeve of 6 extends within the wheel 5 and the sleeve of 7 extends within the wheel 6 and so on. An elastic three armed washer 14: is located on the inner end of the sleeves. The washeris afiixed to the inner end of the sleevewhile the ends of the arms press against the inner transverse surfaces of the wheels and thus retard the movement of the wheels about the sleeves.

. openings or notches 21 located inthe strip 15. If the finger points of the wheels should stop in line with the strip 15 they may be easily operated by merely swinging the strip 15 to one side by the finger when it is applied to the finger points to turn the wheel.

The finger points are preferably. located at the division lines of the groups of letters.

Each wheel is divided into four group sections as shown in Fig. 3. The groups or sections are numbered 1, 2, 8 and 4; according to the number of units in the symbols which are used to indicate the letters according to the Morse continental code, In each of these parts are found the-letters whose signal units agree in number with the number of the part of the wheel and have the same numerical significance. In part 1 of each wheel are arranged the letters whose symbols have a single elemental unit and count 1, viz. E and T. In part 2 of each wheel the letters are found which consists of 2 units each viz. A, I, M. N. Part 3 of each wheel has all ofthe letters whose symbols have three units each and count 3. Part 4: of the wheels comprises all the letters having 4 units in their symbols and which count four each.

In operating the device the following method is carried out: Following the order of the alphabet the letter A is the initial letter and the first or outer wheel may be moved so as to show that letter at the point ar-' ranged for displaying each complete word. The second wheelis next moved so as to show the second letter of the new word, namely, the letter A. These two letters will count 4. The third wheel being now moved so as to display the 3 letters amounting to 6. The fourth is then moved into place so as to bring another into line which also counting 2 now makes the total of the first 4 letters, 8. To complete the word one more letter which must count 4 must be used. So the fifth wheel is moved so as to bring the first letter of the fourth section into line namely B which counts 4. We now have the combination AAAAB displayed at the reading line. It is seen at a glance that the combined units of the symbols indicating and signifying the individual letters displayed and forming the word determined upon total 12. It will now be readily understood that inasmuch as the fifth wheel in its fourth section contains all the letters which count 4; each and that these 4E unit letters are arranged on the wheel in their alphabetical relation to each other it is only necessary to move the fifth wheel so as to bring the successive letters of section 1 into line with the first four letters displayed at the word space to produce all of the words which are producible by this combination of 4: letters counting 2 each and a final l unit letter in alphabetical order. They are Aaaab, Aaaac, Aaaaf, Aaaah, and so on, as shown in Fig. 7. Our next step is to move the fourth wheel so as to remove the fourth A out of line and replace it with the letter B of the fourth wheel which then displays AAAB which will be seen counts 10. A two unit letter must be added to complete the word so the first letter in section 2 of wheel '5 is brought into line making the completed 'word AAABA. The fifth wheel is now turned until all of the letters of the sec end section have been used. Having used all the letters counting two each on the fifth wheel we now proceed by moving the fourth wheel another step and so as to bring C on said wheel into View, making AAAC. The fifth wheel is then turned so as to again start with the letters of the second section. They are used in order making the words AAACA, AAAGI, etc. The fourth wheel is then turned to F and the fifth wheel again used in order. When the fourth section of the fourth wheel has been exhausted the fourth wheel may be started on the third section and the fifth disk may also be started on the third section to make up the 12 impulse words AAADD, AAADG, etc.

As the letters in the sections of the wheels are arranged in their proper alphabetical relation in making up the number of units required for a word, the letters in the sections must be taken in their numerical order. Thus should we need 1 in a combination we must use E before we use T. If we need two we must take A before I and I before M and M before N. Should we need three we must take D before we can use G, G before K, K before O, 0 before R, R before S, S before U, and U before TV which is the last of the three. If four are needed B must be used before C, C before F, F before H, H before J, J before L, L before P, P before Q, Q, before V, V before X, X before Y and Y before Z. All the letters in any one section must be used one after the other in any combination of sections of the wheels in forming words so as to secure all words possible in the combination. It will be seen that the words which are possible to be produced by this method and means having the letters A, I, M and N for their first letters agree in all their letters other than the first letter. The words have for their initial letters B, C, I, H, J, L, P, Q, V, X, Y and Z also agree in all the letters of the words producible except the initial letter. This is also true of the other two groups of letters of the alphabet. It also secures the very best and safest difference between words for as it is well known in the art an error seldom or never occurs in the first letters in transmitting words and this is very desirable where the signification of the word requires resort to a book of reference.

The letters A, B, D, and E are the first letters of their respective sections and constitutc the basis from which all words producible under my invention may be made. Combinations of any of these four values using five at a time under the limitations described as to the total number of units required for the word transmission will constitute a key for the formation of the entire code. Therefore, when all words containing these four letters, A, B, D and E have been constructed according to the method heretofore described, every possible combination of telegraphic units has been made, under the limitation of 12 to each word, and the alphabetical combinations which complete the vocabulary are secured by the mere rotation of the wheels. I, M and N are substituted for A; C, F, H, J, L, P, Q, V, X, Y and Z are substituted for B; G, K, O, R, S, U, W are substituted for D and T is substituted for E. This novel Way of securing all words possible by the mere change of the letters of the sections is of great importance in making up these new artificial words thereby vastly lessening the amount of labor and time that would otherwise be required to provide the enormous numbers of differing words which the necessities of commerce demand in all transactions conducted by means of code and cipher messages.

It is obvious that this improved code will be a great advantage where transmission of coded messages is by wireless methods in the matter of increased speed and accuracy and particularly so in diminishing the Wear and tear of the instrument by reducing so largely the number of unitdischarges required in the signals for the letters.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In a word forming device the combination of a plurality of independently movable parts, each part being provided with the letters of the alphabet grouped according to the number of electric impulses required to telegraphically transmit them and adapted to place the letters of the parts in a readable line.

2. In a word forming device the combi nation of a plurality of rims rotatable, about a common axis, each rim being provided with the letters of the alphabet and the letters of the alphabet being alphabetically arranged in groups according to the number of electric impulses required to telegraphically transmit them.

3. In a word forming device the combination of a plurality of independently movable wheels located on a common shaft, a sleeve secured to said shaft for supporting each of the said wheels and an elastic means connected to the said sleeve and adapted to bear upon the wheel located on the said sleeve.

l. In a word forming device the combination of a shaft, a plurality of independently rotatable wheels located on the said shaft, the periphery of each wheel having the letters of the alphabet upon it and the letters of the alphabet being arranged in four groups according to the number of electric electric impulses required to 'telegraphically impulses required to telegraphically transtransmit them. V 1 Y mit-them. In testimony whereof, l have signed my 5 In a, wvo rd forming device the-combinaname tO f/hiS SPBCifiCELtiOH in presence 5 (tiion 0g a siloaft, a'plbulraliig 01f c1up'*sh1zped ill:- tWo subscribing Witnesses. epen 'e'nt rotate e w ees ocatec on t e {1 said shaft, the outer surface of each Wheel CHARLES BURKE being provided with the letters of the alpha Witnesses: bet and the letters of the alphabet being ar- F. F. ORAMPTON, 10 ranged in groups according tothe number of E. Rrrz.

Copies of this patent'may b obtained for five cents each,by' addressing the "Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 1

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