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Cipher Machine Components Associated with Edward Hebern - Rotors

Cipher Machine Components Associated with Edward Hebern - Rotors

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Description
The American inventor Edward Hebern (1869-1952) designed a series of machines for encrypting messages. The Smithsonian collections include a few of these as part of accession 1991.0190. Like many inventors, Hebern accumulated a variety of spare parts. These are some of them, part of museum transaction 1991.3033.
The four rotors are numbered on the rim "5"; "4"; "3" and "4". A steel disc is sandwiched between each plastic ring. Twenty-six cloth-covered wires pass through holes in the metal disc of each rotor and attach on each side. Three of rotors have lettered lugs at both ends of the wires.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
rotors
maker
Edward Hebern
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
cloth (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 2 cm x 10.5 cm x 10.5 cm; 25/32 in x 4 1/8 in x 4 1/8 in
ID Number
1991.3033.002
catalog number
1991.3033.002
nonaccession number
1991.3033
Credit Line
Gift of T. Scripps Downing
subject
Mathematics
Codes and Ciphers
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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