US1061944A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. OCUMPAUGH.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILLED DEO.19, 1907.

1,061,944, Patented May 13, 1913.

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CHARLES H. OCUMPAUGH, OF ROCHESTER, YORK.

- VOTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed December 19, 1907 Serial No. 407,231.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. OCUM- PAUGH, a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to voting machines and to mechanism for what is known as indorsed candidate voting, as where the nominee of one party is indorsed by another party.

The devices heretofore proposed are defective either infailing to give correctly and without necessity of calculation the total vote for the indorsed candidate, or in failing to indicate the party vote.

The object of the invention is to provide means for voting by two or more parties for the same candidate that shall indicate the party of the voters and also the total vote cast for such candidate, and further to simplify devices of this general character.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the improvement and forms a part of this specificatiom-Figure 1- is a broken perspective of the improved device applied to voting mechanism such as set forth in my Patent 984,149, Feb. 14, 1911, showing two pull back indicators or keys, one of the register-actuator-moving members being omitted; Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation of the machine the back being removed, and multiplicationof various details such as the shaft blades being omitted Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation of the push rods, registers and resetting bar of a voting machine such as described in my Patent 1,013,67 9 Jan. 2, 1912, with the present improvement applied thereto, showing an indicator or key which does not have the pull back feature. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the auxiliary register apart of the casing being broken away; Fig. 5 is a view at right angles to Fig. 4, the case being shown in central section; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an individual register and its operating bar.

Numeral 1 denotes a vote indicator suitably supported and movable parallel with a voting machine face plate.

2 indicates a register-supporting casing to which the key is fixed, the casing and its reg ister 3 being movable by the key, the register not being actuated by such movement.

4 denotes a register actuator which is operatively moved both backward and forward to register a vote by an outgoing voter and the keys reset by means of suitable devices. A grooved bar 14 is normally not connected with the actuator or to the corresponding register support and remains at rest when the indicator is moved to the right. The latter movement carries pin 15 into the groove of bar 14 thereby operatively connecting them so that when bar 14 is Patented May'13, 1913;

moved by any suitable means backward and forward, as by handle 40 at the top of the machine and suitable connecting devices,

when a voter is through manipulating the keys and is leaving the machine, the bar reciprocates transversely causing the register to count.

At the rear of the register casings is journaled at 5 in the machine frame a detachable rocking shaft or member 6, in this case supporting an auxiliary register 7 that is supplemental to the usual voting registers. Blades fixed to said shaft are denoted by 8 which are situated adjacent the free end of an actuator 4 for a usual party register 3. It is not essential that several short blades be used (one for each actuator 4) as a single long blade would be operative.

Numeral 1O denotes an actuator for the fixed in the path of the register actuator 10,

so that when the register actuator 4 of register 3 is given an endwise movement, which is effected by bar 14 as above indicated, and as more fully set forth in my Patent 984,149 Feb. 14, 1911, it turns shaft 6 in its bearings, carries actuator 10 against pin 11 whereby the register 7 isactuated to register a vote.

The shaft 6 and register 7 and its actuator are returned to thelr normal position by spring 9. Said shaft 6 is preferably readily removable, for example, referring to Fig. 2, by compressing spring 9 the shaft can be removed from the right bearing and then from the left.

It is obvious that the described construction permits the movement of a second key and its register 3 into operative position, but since the second actuator 4 if operated could not add to nor change the count of the auxiliary register, a cumulative vote is not effected, that is, separate votes can be counted by a plurality of registers without counting more than one vote by register 7, so that registers 3 may count party votes and register 7 the total votes of several parties for a candidate nominated by one and indorsed by another.

In Fig. 3 the improvement is shown applied to a push key a acting on a register I) by pawls c. As shown there are two pawls c for each individual register. When a key is pushed it only initially or partially operates its register, namely, by the left pawl. But when the outgoing voter operates bar Z by any suitable means, thereby reversing movement of the notched bars and keys, the opposite or right pawl c completes the count-- ing operation, as more fully set forth in my Patent 1,013,679.

As shown at the right in Fig. 3 the push key or bar a when moved inwardly by the voter to initially actuate the register Z) will rock the shaft 6, removably journaled in the machine frame, and move its blades 8 to a situation indicated by broken lines, with .the effect to count one on the register by the engagement of its actuator with pin 11. The operation is similar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2 except that the register actuator is not moved directly by the key in the latter case (except that it is initially moved into engagement with bar 14) but by a register actuator moving member 14 engaging the pin 15 on the actuator 4, as more fully set forth in my prior Patent 984,149.

In some cases as for multiple candidate voting it may be desirable to provide means for combining for the purposes of this invention devices controlling the actuation of keys situated in parallel rows, as for example sprocket wheels and chain may be used, as indicated at 16. By removal of the chain connection between the rows can be discontinued at will. By such construction the actuation to voted posit-ion of a predetermined number of keys in either row or in both rows renders the actuation of any other key in the rows ineffectual to count or register a vote. And on the actuation of the registers which cooperate with selected indicators representing an indorsed in a group candidate the auxiliary register 7 registers one vote.

It is obvious that the above described invention does not interfere with the use of irregular vote, interlocking, lock out, resetting, and other mechanisms such as described in my applications aforesaid, and

that it can be combined with them in a practically effective manner.

Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A multi-candidate group voting mechanism comprising two counters, two indicators, one for each counter, an auxiliary register, and means cont-rolled by the first of said indicators which is operated for operating the auxiliary register once only on the use of either indicator or of both indicators.

operable only when an indicator is in voted position at the final moment of voting.

4. In a voting machine, two vote 1nd1- cators, either indicator or both indicators being operable at one time, a counter for each indicator, an auxihary register, operating means between each indicator and its counter, and operating means between said indicators and the auxiliary register, said latter means being operable once only when either indicator or both indicators are voted, the construction being such that when one indicator is left in voted position its counter and the auxiliary register will be operated,

and when the two indicators are left in voted position the two counters and said auxiliary register will each count one on the final act of voting.

5. In a voting machine, the combination of two indicators, a corresponding register for each indicator, a third register operable by either of said indicators and suitable intermediate devices, and means whereby on the final act of voting, whether one or two of said indicators are left in voted position, said third register will count but one.

6. In a voting machine, an indicator, two registers therefor both of which are made operative by operation of said indicator, a second indicator and a register therefor rendered operative by actuation of said second indicator, said second indicator being also adapted to make operative one of the first mentioned two registers when, on operation of the second indicator, such register is in normal condition, whereby one of the registers counts the total vote for both indicators and the other registers count each the vote of one indicator.-

7. In a voting machine, the combination of a plurality of indicators each freely movable to and from Voted position Without In testimony whereof, I have signed this counting, a register for each indicator, and specification in the presence of tWo subscrlban auxiliary register actuated but once if ing Witnesses.

either indicator is left in voted position CHARLES H. OCUMPAUGH. such operation of the auxiliary register be- Witnesses:

ing dependent on the first of said indicators R. COPLIN,

operated Whichever it may be. E. STRANCHEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

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