Summary

Mechanical code error detector. The aim of the Newton-Michell system was to make the transmission less vulnerable to noise; it is not in itself a cryptographic machine.

During World War I (1914-1918), this machine was used by the donor's father. He was manager of the Melbourne division of the British Insulated & Helsby Cables Co. Presumably the machine was used for cables to and from the parent company. This company was also in contact with the Australian government in regard to the supply of electrical cables (for military supplies?) as none were manufactured locally. The manager's office was at one stage in the Wool Exchange Building.

Physical Description

Rectangular dirty yellow metal frame with manually operated gearing attached to extended toothed bars and cylindrical cylinders with alphanumeric characters. The machine is a rectangular box (brass) open on the top, with 5 rods set in it. Each rod holds a paper cylinder printed with numbers and letters. There is a knob in the centre on one outside edge that activates a central cog wheel. A square frame with paper labeling sits over these cylinders with slots presumably to see some alignments. There are several loose pieces of brass fittings that appear to attach to the workings inside the box but it is hard to say their actual placement. It may have had a window top cover but this is not currently located with the machine. Accompanying the machine: * Sheet of paper with instructions for "The N.M. Code System" - Describes a manual method for manually encoding and decoding telegrams. Uses tables (two books provided) to create a coded message. Examples of coding and decoding a message are given. * Booklet 1907, Red, hard cover, gold embossed lettering, (entitled " N.M. TABLES") - lists three tables of numbers and letters used in the N.M. Code System * Booklet 1907, Grey, hard cover gold embossed lettering, {entitled "TELECONOMY (TRADE MARK) TABLES} - lists three tables of numbers and letters used in the N.M. Code System. * Large brass coverplate (190mm x 120mm) with randomly distributed letters arranged in five columns. * One small metal plate (broken off from cover plate). * One brass end plate (225mm x 35mm) with 5 pear shaped holes, matching the spacing of the shafts protruding out of the end of the coding machine * Five brass indicator arms with small rectangular viewing slot * One semi-circular brass bezel plate for shaft protruding out of the side of the coding machine. * One long brass strip with a cut-off at each end, and a brass palted stuck on one side (plate has five teeth).

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