REPORT
Of a Special Committee on the new Parautoptic Permutation Lock of the American Newell, made known to the Lower Austrian Institute by the Councillor, Professor Reuter, and on the motions relating to it made by the same and accepted by the Institute. Presented at the monthly meeting, April 6th, 1847, by Mr. Paul Sprenger, Aulic Councillor on Public Works, &c. &c.
Gentlemen:—At our last monthly meeting, Mr. Reuter, Aulic Councillor and Secretary of the Institute, directed your attention to a newly invented lock of Mr. Newell, of North America, which was represented as excelling all other changeable combination-locks hitherto known, and as being without a rival.
The Special Committee which was intrusted with the examination of this lock, and of the motions made by the said Secretary, and accepted by the Institute, has conferred on me the honour of making you acquainted with the results of its investigations.
The attention of your committee was chiefly occupied with the three questions proposed by the said Aulic Councillor in relation to the lock in question:
First: Whether the idea of Mr. Newell was of any practical value for already existing and still-to-be-invented combination-locks;
Secondly: Whether the idea was of sufficient importance to be published and minutely described in the transactions of the said Institute; and
Thirdly: Whether the merits of the inventor were of sufficient importance to entitle him to a distinction from the said Institute.
The deliberations on the first question, viz. the newness of the idea, and of its practical value, would of necessity enlist the particular attention of your committee, especially since by far the greater number of its members are by their avocation called upon to be interested in the execution of all kinds of locks.
It is therefore the unanimous opinion of your committee, that the idea of the American Parautoptic Combination-Lock is entirely new and without example.