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The first patent for an Enigma machine (or at least something that
would eventually evolve into an Enigma machine) was filed by the
German Arthur Scherbius in 1918.
It should be noted however, that the machine was initially invented
in The Netherlands by two Naval officers [1].
Over the years, the Enigma wasn't just patented in Germany, but in
other countries as well. For example in the USA, France, The Netherlands,
and in the UK.
Below is a list of some Enigma-related patents, both in Germany and
abroad. Although we have tried to be as complete as possible,
we are quite certain that we have missed some.
If you known of any Enigma-related patent that is not listed here,
please contact us.
Click any of the patents below to download.
Please note that the patents are sorted by date of issue and not by number.
We should like to thank Frode Weierud and Arthur Bauer
for bringing some of these patents
to our attention and help putting them into context.
The ownership of certain patents is sometimes a bit clouded.
Arhur Scherbius, who is known as the first patent holder for
an Enigma-like machine, initially traded under the name
Gewerkschaft Securitas of Berlin (Germany).
In 1919, Scherbius bought a similar patent (NL10700) from Hugo
Alexander Koch in The Netherlands and a special company was setup
to hold the patent: Naamloze Vennootschap Ingenieursbureau Securitas
in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Two 'independant' companies with similar names.
In certain countries, patents were filed by the German Securitas,
or later Chiffriermaschinen AG,
whilst the same patent was filed in other countries by the
Dutch Securitas branch.
This was probably done to avoid claims that, after WWI, Germany wasn't
allowed to develop and produce certain high-tech equipment.
It is clear that the Dutch company acted as a cover for the German
operation.
The name of Gewerkschaft Securitas was later changed
to Chiffriermaschinen AG.
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- DE416219 / 23 February 1918
This is the first Enigma-related patent, filed by Arthur Scherbius,
issued 23 February 1918. It was released on 8 July 1925.
- DE416833 / 2 June 1918
Supplement to patent DE416219 for the
use of tubes instead of
electric wires, to allow the machine to be driven by water, air
or oil, instead of electricity.
- DE387893 / 13 June 1920
Cipher machine with multiple alphabets (e.g. upper case, lower
case and numbers) using the letter 'j' to toggle between modes.
Filed by Scherbius and Ritter in Berlin.
- DE425147 / 26 Sep 1920
Patent for a cipher machine in which each key-press causes an irregular
movement of multiple cipher discs. The drawings clearly show an early
concepts of an electrical cipher machine with drums for ciphering and
deciphering.
- DE378238 / 24 May 1921
Cipher machine for the conversion of number into letters and
vice versa, using a lamp panel for the output.
Filed by Arthur Scherbius in Berlin.
- DE409301 / 20 September 1921
Patent for a ciphering machine with a reduced number of contacts
(by introducing multiple shift keys), electrical coding wheels,
and a printer with a rotating drum. Filed by Securitas Berlin
(Germany). This patent is similar to US1584660.
- DE383594 / 12 February 1922
Patent for a ciphering machine with electrical coding wheels,
filed by Securitas Amsterdam (Netherlands). This patent was
also filed in other countries, e.g.
United Kingdom (GB193035),
USA (US1657411),
and France (FR561910).
- DE385682 / 10 May 1922
Patent for the use of a multi-switches to select between
substitution alphabets. Clearly related to the typewriter-style
Enigma machines, such as the Enigma A.
Filed by Securitas Amsterdam (Netherlands).
- DE400795 / 18 Aug 1923
Patent for the use of two separate printers, one for the plain text
and one for the cipher text.
Filed by Securitas Amsterdam (Netherlands).
- DE411126 / 18 Aug 1923
Patent for the use of index rings (letter rings) on the cipher wheels
and on other parts of the turnover system, in order to set the message key.
Filed by Securitas Amsterdam (Netherlands).
- DE408949 / 9 September 1923
Brake-system for rotating print wheels.
Filed by Scherbius und Ritter in Wannsee (Germany).
- DE407804 / 18 Jan 1924
First patent for a cipher machine with light bulbs (Glühlampen}.
Invented by Paul Bernstein. Filed by Chiffriermaschinen AG, Berlin.
- DE454392 / 30 Jan 1924
Patent for enhancing the irregular movement of the wheels during
encipherment, in order to increase cipher security, by allowing
a wheel to make multiple steps on a single key-press.
- DE425566 / 28 Feb 1924
Patent for allowing two different alphabets (letters and numbers/punctuation
marks) to be enciphered, using just the 26 letters of the telegraph alphabet.
This was done by replacing 'j' by 'i' and 'q' by 'k', and using the contacts
for 'j' and 'q' to select between letters and numbers.
- DE412582 / 25 March 1924
System for blocking the various cipher components after each key-press.
This should avoid a cipher wheel from making more than one step on a
single key-press.
- DE429122 / 26 March 1924
Patent for a cipher machine in which cog-wheels with a varying
number of teeth (prime numbers and numbers without a common factor)
are used to create a pseudo-random generator with a very long period.
This patent is clearly related to the design of the very first
Enigma model: Enigma A, introduced in 1923.
- DE460457 / 11 March 1926
This patent introduces the Umkehrwalze (UKW) and the
removable rotor-set (drum), invented by Willi Korn.
It describes how the drum can be removed by using a lever
to shift the UKW aside. This was done
to allow the wheel order to be changed easily in the field.
It also describes the top lid that can only be closed when the
UKW lever is locked in position.
The UKW is a basic element for all further Enigma machines.
- DE452194 / 21 March 1926
This patent further enhances the use of the Umkehrwalze (UKW),
invented by Willi Korn. It describes mounting of a fixed UKW in
multiple positions, setting the UKW to any of 26 positions,
and allowing the UKW to move during encipherment.
The latter was used in the Zählwerk Enigma.
- DE554421 / 31 January 1928
Patent for the addition of fixed user-rewirable wheels in between
the moving cipher discs. This allowed each user to alter the wiring
of the entire system and thus increase cipher security.
- DE534947 / 9 November 1928
First patent that shows the Zählwerk Enigma
(also known as Enigma G). Full description of the cog-wheel
mechanism and the fact that a crank can be used to correct
mistakes and/or as part of the key. The patent also claims
the use of a settable index ring (Ringstellung).
The word Zählwerk refers to the cog-wheel mechanism
as well as the counter.
- DE579555 / 17 November 1928
Further patent describing the Zählwerk Enigma.
This is actually an extension to patent DE534947.
It claims the use of multiple notches per wheel (e.g. prime numbers),
interchangeable index rings and the fixing of the notches to the
index ring. Both types of wheels (i.e. cog-wheels and notched wheels)
are described in detail.
- DE541702 / 30 January 1929
Patent for the use of electromagnets in a typewriter or
ciphering machine, in order to print a character on paper.
Invented by Arthur Scherbius and Willi Korn.
- DE524754 / 30 January 1929
Patent that describes the construction of a cipher machine in which
all keying elements are mounted on the same geometrical axis, making the
setting of a message key much simpler as before. This
includes both the electrical cipher discs and the gap-cog-wheels
that drive the cipher discs.
In previous systems a separate axle was used for each driving gap-cog-wheel.
This patent clearly describes the Enigma H29.
- DE550796 / 5 February 1929
Patent for the addition of extra switching wheels, outside both
fixed end-wheels, to allow easy selection between cipher,
decipher and plain text, without the need for large - expensive -
multi-pole switches.
- DE536556 / 22 June 1929
Patent for connecting a printing Enigma (Schreibende Enigma),
such as the H29,
to a lamp Enigma (Glühlampenmaschine)
so that it can be used as a printing device. Invented by Willi Korn.
The Enigma G111
is an example of a lamp-Enigma that was used this way.
- DE607638 / 5 March 1930
This patent clearly shows something that resembles the
numbers-only Enigma Z30.
A machine with 10 keys and 10 lamps.
The patent also claims that the letter-caps over the lamps can
be interchanged to provide an extra layer of encryption.
To our knowledge, the latter wasn't actually used.
- DE595075 / 4 November 1930
Supplement to patent DE536556.
Patent for a switching connector
inside the Enigma, allowing the lamps to be switched off when
a printer is connected. Invented by Willi Korn and Karl Röpke.
Enigma G111
is an example of a lamp-Enigma that was issued with this connector.
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- NL10700 (Netherlands) / 7 October 1919
First Enigma-related patent registered in The Netherlands on 7
October 1919 by Hugo Alexander Koch. On 5 May 1922, the patent
rights were transferred to Naamloze Vennootschap Securitas
in Amsterdam, and on 28 January 1927 to Chiffriermaschinen
Aktiegesellschaft in Germany (Scherbius).
- GB193035 United Kingdom / 3 February 1923
Patent for a chiphering machine, filed by
NV Ingenieursburo Securitas of Amsterdam (Netherlands).
This patent is identical to American patent
US1657411, which
was filed by Arthur Scherbius of Chiffriermaschinen AG.
- GB231502 United Kingdom / 25 Marc 1925
Patent for improving ciphering machines by using multiple
ciphering discs and a complex irregular wheel turnover
pattern by using special drive wheels. Filed by
Chiffriermachinen AG of Berlin (Germany)
- GB267472 United Kingdom / 17 January 1927
Patent for the use of removable and interchangeable cipher
discs and a reflector. This patent clearly shows an Enigma
machine with three wheels and a fixed UKW. Filed by
Chiffriermaschinen AG of Berlin (Germany).
- GB343146 United Kingdom / 14 November 1929
British version of patent DE534947 and
DE579555 for the
Zählwerk Enigma (Enigma G) with some additions.
Filed on behalf of Chiffriermaschinen AG.
- US1556964 United States / 20 April 1922
Patent for a simple ciphering machine allowing figures to be
converted into letters and vice versa, printing directly to
paper in a readable format. Filed by Arthur Scherbius on
behalf of Securitas Berlin (Germany).
- US1584660 United States / 7 December 1922
Patent for a ciphering machine with a reduced number of contacts
(by introducing multiple shift keys), electrical coding wheels,
and a printer with a rotating drum. Filed by Arthur Scherbius
on behalf of Securitas Amsterdam (Netherlands).
- US1657411 United States / 6 February 1923
First US patent that clearly resembles an Enigma machine,
filed in the US by Arthur Scherbius
on behalf of Chiffriermaschinen AG (Germany). Note that this
patent is identical to DE383594,
filed by Securitas Amsterdam (Netherlands)
and British patent GB193035, also filed by Securitas.
- US1705641 United States / 19 March 1929
Permuting Device for use in Coding Machines.
This is actually identical to DE460457 of 11 March 1926,
filed by Chiffriermaschinen AG in Berlin.
- FR561910 France / 7 February 1923
Patent for a ciphering machine. This patent is identical to
German patent DE383594,
British patent GB193035 and
US Patent US1657411.
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- Karl de Leeuw, The Dutch Invention of the Rotor Machine, 1915-1923
Cryptologia, January 2003, Volume XXVII, Number 1, pp. 73-94.
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