Three Cipher Machine Components Associated with Edward Hebern

Three Cipher Machine Components Associated with Edward Hebern

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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.
These three black bakelite components twould fit on the shaft of cipher machine. Two have metal spring contacts and three notches in the edge. There are no springs in three holes of one component which is marked: L. The third piece is a disc with a rim and three holes near the center. It is marked: RIGHT No. 1.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
cipher machine components
maker
Edward Hebern
Physical Description
metal (overall material)
plastic (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 3 cm x 10.3 cm x 10.3 cm; 1 3/16 in x 4 1/16 in x 4 1/16 in
ID Number
1991.3033.012
nonaccession number
1991.3033
catalog number
1991.3033.012
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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