GB2489287A

GB2489287A - Collapsible Ballot Box

Info

Publication number: GB2489287A
Application number: GB1105016.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stephen William Waller
Original assignee: Versapak International Ltd
Current assignee: Versapak International Ltd
Priority date: 2011-03-24
Filing date: 2011-03-24
Publication date: 2012-09-26
Also published as: GB201105016D0

Abstract

A collapsible [fig. 7] ballot box 1 comprises an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall 3, 5 which is formed of a flexible material and a lid 7. The box includes an aperture 9 for posting ballot papers into the box, and a tamper evident cover 12 to cover the aperture. The tamper evident cover is provided with a zip fastener including a tamper evident sealing device. The provision of a tamper evident cover to cover the aperture means that the aperture itself need not be tamper indicating. Preferably the aperture for posting ballot papers is provided in a sheet of rigid material 8. A collapsible ballot box including means [16, fig. 6] for co-operating with a wheeled platform is also provided, as well as a wheeled platform [19, fig. 8] comprising means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box.

Description

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Collapsible Ballot Box This invention relates to a collapsible ballot box.

A typical prior art collapsible ballot box is shown in GB244761 9, which discloses a rectangular box with six flexible walls (a base, four side walls and a lid), all made of flexible (plasticized) transparent PVC. The lid includes a slot through which voting slips can be inserted into the box. Rigid plastic tubing extends along the edges of the sidewalls and the edges of the lid to stiffen the box and the lid is connected to the box in a closed orientation by way of a zip fastener along three edges of the lid (the fourth edge being permanently attached to the rear side wall). Thus, in the closed orientation, the lid is zipped on and the box is held in shape. When the lid is unzipped, allowing for the lid to be moved into an open orientation the front wall may be collapsed towards the rear wall, with base and the left and right side walls collapsing inwardly and the lid folding parallel with the front and rear side walls.

In order to prevent (or at least indicate) tampering, the zip fastener is provided with a security seal chamber and after sealing the zip a seal is placed in the security seal chamber of the fastener. In order to ensure that the contents of the box cannot be interfered with by way of the slot in the top of the box, it too is provided with a zip fastener including a tamper evident sealing device which is sealed once voting is complete.

Against this background, a first aspect of the invention provides a collapsible ballot box comprising an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall and a lid, at least one side wall being formed of a flexible material, wherein the box includes an aperture for posting ballot papers into the box, and a tamper evident cover to cover the aperture.

The provision of a tamper evident cover to cover the aperture means that the aperture itself need not be tamper indicating, obviating the need for a zip fastener on the aperture through with the ballot papers are posted. There are certain disadvantages of a zip fastener on the aperture, for example the teeth of the fastener may damage ballot 1.

papers, or injure the hand of a voter -moreover, such apertures must be wide enough and flexible enough to mount the zip fastener, rendering them vulnerable to mischievous or malicious access.

The aperture may be formed in a side wall, or in the lid. The lid may be considered preferable since it is normal practice to put the aperture in the lid in a ballot box.

Preferably the aperture for the ballot sheets is provided in a sheet of rigid material.

The provision of a sheet of rigid material having an aperture therein, as opposed to a flexible material prevents, or at least impedes, the removal of ballot papers from the box by stretching the aperture.

More preferably still, the tamper evident cover is provided with a zip fastener including a tamper evident sealing device. Preferably the tamper evident sealing device is as described in W02005/038756 which is hereby incorporated by reference.

More preferably the lid of the tamper evident ballot box comprises a two-part lid, having an inner lid portion including the aperture through which ballot papers may be inserted and hingedly connected to the one side wall of the ballot box such that it can be opened for access to the box and an outer lid portion comprising the tamper evident cover, hingedly connected to an edge of the inner lid portion, or to said side wall of the ballot box such that it can be opened for access to the inner lid portion.

Preferably the inner lid portion is closable by means of a tamper evident zip fastener. Preferably the outer lid portion is closable by a tamper evident zip fastener.

Preferably the tamper evident zip fasteners include a sealing device is as described in W02005/038756, although other sealing devices will be suitable.

Preferably the tamper evident ballot box comprises four sidewalls, at least two of which are flexible. In this case, one (or two) of the four side walls may be formed of a rigid material and the aperture for the ballot papers and the tamper evident cover may be in a rigid side wall. 4]

Preferably the four side walls consist of a front wall, a back wall, a left wall and a right wall and the left and right walls are flexible. In this case, the front wall may be rigid and include the aperture for the ballot papers and the corresponding tamper-evident cover.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a collapsible ballot box comprising an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall and a lid, wherein at least one side wall is formed of a flexible material and the box comprises a sheet of rigid material, having an aperture therein through which ballot papers may be posted.

As mentioned above, the provision of a sheet of rigid material having an aperture therein, as opposed to a flexible material prevents, or at least impedes, the removal of ballot papers from the box by stretching the aperture. Preferably the lid comprises the sheet of rigid material having an aperture therein for the ballot papers to be posted through.

Preferably the aperture is in the form of a slot and preferably it extends substantially along the lateral centreline of the lid.

in a third aspect of the invention there is provided a collapsible ballot box comprising an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall and a lid and including means for co-operating with a wheeled platform. This overcomes a problem with existing ballot boxes that they are difficult to move. Typical prior art collapsible ballot boxes are provided with handles at the side for lifting and moving the full boxes. This can be difficult, and means for co-operating with a wheeled platform allow the box to be wheeled on a platform making it easier to move.

Preferably the means for co-operating with a wheeled platform is situated on the base of the ballot box. The base of a collapsible ballot box is typically flexible, or at least partially flexible, so typical ballot boxes need to be supported across the entire extent of their base during transport making use of a typical trolley, such as might be used for luggage, impractical -if the base is provided with means for co-operating with a wheeled platform, this problem is overcome.

Preferably the means for co-operating with a wheeled platform comprises at least one guide which corresponds with a projection on a wheeled platform.

Preferably the at least one guide is a plurality of guides and more preferably two guides.

Preferably the or each guide is in the form of a sleeve or pocket in which the corresponding projection may be seated.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides a wheeled platform for a collapsible ballot box, the wheeled platform comprising means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box.

Preferably the means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box comprises at least one projection to correspond with a guide on the ballot box.

More preferably the at least one guide is a plurality of guides and most preferably two guides.

More preferably still the two guides are in the form of projections and together form a fork which can be seated in a sleeve or pocket on the base of a collapsible ballot box.

Preferably the wheeled platform includes three upstanding supports to support three sides of the collapsible ballot box.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a ballot box with the lid closed; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the ballot box of figure 1 with an inner lid portion open; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the ballot box of figure 1 with inner and outer lid portions open; Figure 4 shows a top view of the ballot box of figure 1 with the inner lid portion open; Figure 5 shows a front view of the ballot box of figure 1 with both lid portions closed; Figure 6 shows an underneath view of the ballot box of figure 1; Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the ballot box of figures 1-6 in a collapsed configuration; and Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a wheeled plafform to aid moving the ballot box of figures 1-7.

Referring to figures 1-7, an embodiment of a collapsible ballot box I is shown. The ballot box 1 forms an enclosure having a base 2, four side walls, made up of a front wall 3, back wall 4, left wall 5 and right wall 6 and a (rectangular) lid 7 and an exemplary size for the enclosure is 350mm wide, 330mm deep and 365mm tall. Each of the side walls 3,4,5,6 in this embodiment is formed of a flexible material, which is to say a material that can be folded against itself, suitably transparent plasticized PVC or PVC tarpaulin and the lid includes a sheet of rigid material forming a (rectangular) inner lid portion 8. The inner lid portion 8 has a slot shaped aperture 9 therein, substantially along the lateral centreline of the lid, through which ballot papers may be posted. The slot shaped opening is sufficiently narrow that a sheet of paper may be posted therethrough, but little other access is available, for example for a hand, a gripping instrument, an incendiary device or such like. The base 2 is also formed of a flexible material and is formed with a fold line 10 in the middle to promote folding along the lateral centreline.

The sheet of rigid material forming the inner lid portion 8 is suitably formed of ABS and is attached along all four edges, suitably by sewing or plastic welding to a flange 11.

The flange 11 extends upwardly and downwardly out of the plane of the sheet and along three sides terminates along each distal end with teeth of a zipper. Along the fourth edge, the flange 11 connects to a side of the box.

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An outer (rectangular) lid portion 12 is hingedly connected along one side to the flange 11 of the inner lid portion 8 and is also provided with teeth (on the other three sides) such that it can be zipped onto the inner lid portion. The material of the outer lid portion 12 is not particularly important, but the same flexible material would be suitable -in this case the hinged connection can be by way of sewing/welding or otherwise connecting the two pieces of flexible material together, so that it pivots about the connection, or even making the outer lid portion 12 out of the same piece of material as the flange. The slider of the zipper is suitably manufactured in accordance with W02005/038756 and a lock portion suitably as described in W02005/038756 is provided at one end of the teeth, on the edge where the inner and outer lid portions 8, 12 are hingedly connected. Thus the outer lid portion 12 can be closed over the inner lid portion 8 by zipping the teeth together and the slider can then be locked to the lock portion by way of its zipper tag, the locking portion and a seal. The outer lid portion 12 thereby provides a tamper evident cover covering the aperture 9 in the inner lid portion 8.

As mentioned above, the flange 11 forming part of the inner lid portion 8 extends upwards and downwards and terminates with the teeth of a zipper. Similarly to the connection with the outer lid portion 12, the inner lid portion 8 is hingedly connected to one of the side walls of the box along one of its edges (suitably the same side that is connected to the outer lid portion 12 and suitably the back wall 4). A locking portion for a tamper evident zip fastener (suitably as described in W02005/038756) is provided on the hingedly connected side, and the top edges of the other three sides 3,5,6 of the ballot box 1 are all provided with teeth to co-operate with the teeth on the bottom of the flange 11. A tamper evident slider with a tag to be locked with a suitable seal is provided to make up the tamper evident seal between the inner lid portion 8 and the remainder of the collapsible ballot box 1.

Additional features of the collapsible ballot box of this embodiment include a pair of support panels 13, which are formed of a rigid material (suitably polypropylene in a liner of PVC tarpaulin) and are respectively hingedly connected to the two side edges of the front wall 3 of the box 1. The support panels 13 are approximately the same height and width as the front wall 3 and can be folded against the front wall 3 for storage and folded out to support the lid 7 of the box 1. As shown in figure 3, in use the panels should be folded out in such a way that the do not obstruct the aperture 9 in the lid 7.

The ballot box of this embodiment is also provided with a scuff guard 14 constituted by a layer of tough material such as a heavy duty PVC tarpaulin covering the base 2 and lower portion (e.g. bottom 25mm) of side walls 3,4,5,6.

A transparent pocket 15 is provided on the outside of the front wall 3 of the ballot box 1 in which voting instructions can be placed.

A further feature of this embodiment, best shown in figure 6, is the provision on the base 2 of the ballot box I of means for co-operating with a wheeled platform. In this case, the means for co-operating with a wheeled platform comprises a pair of guides in the form of pockets 16, which are parallel to one another and extend across the width of the box 1. Each pocket includes an opening 17 in which a corresponding projection on a wheeled platform may be seated. Each pocket 16 is provided with a hook and loop fastener 18 at its opening 17 to close the pocket by attaching it to the material of the base 2.

Figure 8 shows a wheeled platform 19 for a collapsible ballot box 1, the wheeled platform comprising means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box 1. As can be seen, the means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box comprises a pair of projections 20 together forming a fork which can be seated in the pockets 16 on the base 2 of a collapsible ballot box 1.

It will be seen that the projections 20 are only slightly narrower and slightly shorter than the pockets 16 and thereby support the collapsible base 2 across its width. The projections are connected to three upwardly extending supports in the form of a back-plate 21 which extends upwardly from the projections so as to serve as a stop, and two side-plates 22 which extend upwardly to hold the sides of the box I in position on the wheeled platform 19. The wheeled platform is provided with a pair of wheels 23 (suitably nylon casters) on which the box I can be pulled along. The wheeled platform must be sturdy with strong projections, so can suitably be manufactured from powder coated sheet steel.

In use, the ballot box 1 is transported when empty in the collapsed configuration shown in figure 7, in this configuration the inner lid portion 8 is unzipped from the sides of the box 1, the support panels 13 are folded against the front waIl 3 of the box 1 and the back wall 4 is situated close to the front wall 3. In this configuration the base 2 is folded upwards along its foldline 10 and the left and right side walls 5,6 are folded inward. The lid 7 is folded down behind the back wall 4 of the box. In such configuration the ballot box takes up a relatively small space allowing for stacking and ease of transport to a voting station.

When the collapsed ballot box 1 has been transported to a voting station it is unfolded into the working configuration shown in figure 3, with the front wall 3 and back wall 4 spread apart from one another, the base 2 unfolded and flat and the side walls 5,6 also unfolded and extending between the side edges of the front waIl 3 and back waIl 4.

In this state, the support panels 13 are unfolded away from the front wall, such that one support panel acts as a brace holding the front and rear walls apart and the other support panel holds the first support panel in place, thereby keeping the side walls 4,5 and base 2 in tension and keeping the box extended.

Once in the extended position, the inner lid portion 8 is zipped on to close the open end of the enclosure, as shown in figure 2 and the tamper evident sealing device of the zip is engaged to ensure any attempt to open the lid 7 by undoing the zip is evidenced.

Where the tamper evident sealing device comprises a lock portion and a seal/tab adapted to be inserted into the lock portion to a position of snap-fit engagement therewith, the lock portion includes a guide which engages with and rotates the seal as it is inserted into the lock portion, the engagement of the tamper evident seal will consist of placing the tag of the slider over the Jock portion (preferably including a chamber) and inserting the seal into the lock portion so as to secure the tag to the lock portion in a tamper evident manner.

At this point the ballot box is ready to receive votes, instructions to voters may be provided by inserting a suitable sheet of paper/card into the transparent pocket 15 prior to voting and when voting commences, each voter will place his/her ballot paper into the box1 through the aperture 9 in the inner lid portion 8.

Once voting is complete, the outer lid portion 12 is rotated about the hinged connection to the inner lid portion 8 such that it overlies the inner lid portion 8 and the aperture 9 is covered (as best shown in figures 1 and 4). A tamper evident slider with a tag to be locked with a suitable seal is then done up and the tamper evident seal between the inner lid portion 8 and the remainder of the collapsible ballot box I engaged to provide a tamper evident cover covering the aperture 9. In this state access to the box can only be gained by tampering with the tamper evident cover or the tamper evident seal between the inner lid portion 8 and the remainder of the enclosure, or by breaking the box, for example by cutting. Thus the full box is securely closed ready for transport.

The full box may then be moved to a counting station or the like and this transportation is facilitated by the pockets for cooperating with a wheeled platform, and the wheeled platform 19. Accordingly, the projections 20 of the wheeled platform 19 are inserted into the pockets 16 in the base 2 of the box 1, the box is leant such that the wheels 23 engage with the floor and the box I is wheeled along.

At a counting station, the box can be opened by breaking the seal/tab and undoing the zip fastener connecting the inner lid portion 8 to the rest of the enclosure. The -10 -seal/tabs can be numbered and the numbers of the seals used to close the box can be recorded and checked against the numbers on the seals that are broken to gain access, in order to confirm that no undesirable access has been gained. In this case it would be prudent to open both the tamper evident closure between the inner lid portion 8 and the outer lid portion 12, to check that neither access point has been tampered with. In this regard, it is relevant that although the provision of a rigid sheet with a slot in as part of the inner lid portion 8 is useful in preventing insertion of hands, gripping instruments or incendiary devices into the enclosure, if the aperture 9 was not covered, or the cover opened, it would still be possible to insert additional ballot papers into the box and thereby illegally influence the result.

Of course various alternatives to the described embodiment may be contemplated by the skilled man and accordingly the scope of the invention should be determined by the scope of the appended claims. As an example, an alternative to providing the transparent pocket on the outside of the front wall 3 (or any other side wall 4,5,6) would be to place the transparent pocket on the inside (although this would cause a problem if changes needed to be made after the inner lid portion was closed by the tamper evident seal). A further alternative would be to provide the pocket in the outer lid portion 12 and to provide the hinged connection to the inner lid portion at the front of the box 1, so that the outer lid portion 12 would fold down over the front such that in use (i.e. during voting when the inner lid portion 8 is sealed, but the outer lid portion 12 is open) the pocket is on the front surface.

Moreover, the ballot box I could have various different dimensions; another specific useful size would be 565mm x 350mm x 330mm (height x width x depth).

Moreover, the inner lid portion 8 may be constituted by a pair of flexible sheets, providing a pocket for receiving a sheet of rigid material including a slot. The sheet of rigid material could then be inserted into the pocket to form the rigid inner lid portion. Of course, in this case, the flexible sheets should have corresponding apertures to align -11 -with the slot in the rigid sheet. In this case, the opening to the pocket should be on the lower surface of the inner lid portion 8, in order to prevent access to the pocket when the lower lid portion 8 is zipped onto the enclosure.

-12 -Reference numerals: collapsible ballot box I base 2, frontwall3 back wall 4 left wallS right wall 6 lid 7 inner lid portion 8 slot shaped aperture 9 fold line 10 flange 11 outer lid portion 12 supportpanelsl3 scuff guard 14 transparent pocket 15 pockets 16 opening 17 hook and loop fastener 18 wheeled platform 19 projections 20 back-plate 21 side-plates 22 wheels 23

Claims

-13 -Claims 1. A collapsible ballot box comprising an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall and a lid, at least one side wall being formed of a flexible material, wherein the box comprises an aperture therein through which ballot papers may be posted, and a tamper evident cover to cover the aperture.
2. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 1 wherein the aperture is formed in a side wall.
3. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 1 wherein the aperture is formed in the lid.
4. A collapsible ballot box according to any of claims I to 3 wherein the aperture for the ballot sheets is provided in a sheet of rigid material.
5. A collapsible ballot box according to any of the preceding claims wherein the tamper evident cover is provided with a zip fastener including a tamper evident sealing device.
6. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 5 wherein the tamper evident sealing device comprises a lock portion and a seal adapted to be inserted into the lock portion to a position of snap-fit engagement therewith, and wherein the lock portion includes a guide which engages with and rotates the seal as it is inserted into the lock portion
7. A collapsible ballot box according to any of the preceding claims wherein the lid of the tamper evident ballot box comprises a two-part lid, having an inner lid portion including the aperture through which ballot papers may be inserted and hingedly connected to the one side wall of the ballot box such that it can be opened for access to the box and an outer lid portion comprising the tamper evident cover, hingedly connected to an edge of the inner lid portion, or to said side wall of the ballot box such that it can be opened for access to the inner lid portion.-14 -
8. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 7 wherein the inner lid portion is closable by means of a tamper evident zip fastener.
9. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 8 wherein the tamper evident sealing device comprises a lock portion and a seal adapted to be inserted into the lock portion to a position of snap-fit engagement therewith, and wherein the lock portion includes a guide which engages with and rotates the seal as it is inserted into the lock portion.
10. A tamper evident ballot box according to any one of the preceding claims comprising four sidewalls, at least two of which are flexible.
11. A tamper evident ballot box according to claim 10 wherein the four side walls consist of a front wall, a back wall, a left wall and a right wall and the left and right walls are flexible.
12. A collapsible ballot box comprising an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall and a lid, wherein at least one side wall is formed of a flexible material and the box comprises a sheet of rigid material having an aperture therein for ballot papers to be posted into the box.
13. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 12 wherein the lid comprises the sheet of rigid material having an aperture therein for ballot papers to be posted into the box.
14. A collapsible ballot box according to any of the preceding claims wherein the aperture is in the form of a slot.
15. A collapsible ballot box according to any of the preceding claims wherein the aperture is substantially along the lateral centreline of the lid.
16. A collapsible ballot box comprising an enclosure having a base, at least one side wall and a lid and including means for co-operating with a wheeled platform.
17. A collapsible ballot box according to any one of claims 1-15 comprising means for co-operating with a wheeled platform.-15 -
18. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 16 or 17 wherein the means for co-operating with a wheeled platform is situated on the base of the ballot box.
19. A collapsible ballot box according to one of claims 16 to 18 in which the means for co-operating with a wheeled platform comprises at least one guide which corresponds with a projection on a wheeled platform.
20. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 19 in which the at least one guide is a plurality of guides
21. A collapsible ballot box according to claim 20 in which the plurality of guides consists of two guides.
22. A collapsible ballot box according to any of claims 19 to 21 wherein the or each guide is in the form of a sleeve or pocket in which the corresponding projection may be seated.
23. A wheeled platform for a collapsible ballot box, the wheeled platform comprising means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box.
24. A wheeled platform according to claim 23 wherein the means for cooperating with a collapsible ballot box comprises at least one projection to correspond with a guide on the ballot box.
25. A wheeled platform according to claim 24 wherein the at least one guide is a plurality of guides.
26. A wheeled platform according to claim 25 wherein the plurality of guides consists of two guides.
27. A wheeled platform according to claim 26 wherein the two guides are in the form of projections and together form a fork which can be seated in a sleeve or pocket on the base of a collapsible ballot box.
28. A wheeled platform according to any of claims 23-27 further comprising three upstanding supports to support three sides of a collapsible ballot box -16 -
29. A collapsible ballot box according to any one ot claims 16 to 22 in combination with a wheeled platform according to any one of claims 23 to 28.26. A collapsible ballot box substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1-6.27. A wheeled platform substantially as described herein with reference to figure 7.