Sunday, January 4, 2009

Cryptex Box

I was really bored one day, and decided to invent something. I really wanted to invent a box that would keep my secrets, or more importantly, papers that belong to other people (not as shady as I just made it seem), and other things. Anyways, I decided to incorporate a cryptex puzzle into a wooden box. It took a lot of sketches at first for it to work properly, but eventually I made the puzzle proportionate to the box.


The vile of the cryptex would contain sulfuric acid instead of vinegar; this would insure that if someone opened the box by force, the vile would break and many of the documents would become illegible, and if someone touched the papers, well.. their fingers would burn.



The hinge of the box would be the following:


Incase of an obstructed view from the pictures, I'll do my best to explain. Then hinge system consists of 3 brass "slates". #1) 1 1/2' x 1' #2) 2' x 1' #3) 3' x 1' The height of 3 inches for the third slate is relative to the height of the box (excluding the lid/cover). The hinge system is obviously located inside of the box, and is key in the role of breaking the knotched vile. Slate #1 is screwed horizontally into the ldge of the lid. Slate #3 is screwed vertically into the inside ledge of the box accordingly. Slate #2 is then the "moving slate" that is connected to slates #1 and #2 by two brass connectors. The hollow track created by slates #2 and #3 is wide enough to insert a glass vile of acid(with a small brass rod inside)equal to the width of the box. At one end of the brass rod&vile is a brass head that will eventually be the top of the cryptex puzzle.


The following is a diagram how the puzzle is installed into the back of the wooden box:

So obviously, the typical cryptex consists of six discs each with 26s letters. The disc dimensions I'm using will be demonstrated later, but for simplicity's sake I won't incorporate the math in these explanations just yet. Anyways, each disc has a hollow centre in which the brass rod&vile fit through, and above that a much smaller track in which a small wire can be woven through and attrached to the inside of the rearside of the box and the bottom of the box to allow free rotation of the disc. Each disc also has a square knotch incorporated into the hole od the disc directly underneath the letter that is apart of the puzzle's password. So for example, let's say the password is KRISTA. Each disc would correspond to a letter, and under that letter would be a knotch. Thus when all knotches are aligned appropriately, the glass vile with matching raised knotches will slide out of the hinge and the box in general with ease. One can arrange the password on the back side of the wooden box, where six 3' x .5' slits are cut, and the discs fitting appropriately into them, with the brass rod and glass vile on the inside (obviously) and the head of rod on the outer-side of the box, opposite to the end inserted into the hinge track. The head of the rod contains a small key which can be retrieved once the rod is removed, and then used to open the classic lock on the front of the box.


The mathematics of it will be included once I find an appropriate way to do so...


It's perfectly clear that this invention is highly impractical, especially in the twentyfirst century, but was just a fun way to relieve boredom on a thursday night.

1 comment:

  1. wow
    I'd love to see the real diagrams
    the pictures didn't turn out well

    btw I'm considering now starting my own journal
    ...intending, actually, and I have one. I think I think I lack a suitable place to start.... or purpose.... although certainly I intend to use it as a way to liberate my thoughts

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