US1107008A

US1107008A - Multi-indorsement mechanism.

Info

Publication number: US1107008A
Application number: US76652513A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles C Abbott
Original assignee: TRIUMPH VOTING MACHINE CO
Current assignee: TRIUMPH VOTING MACHINE CO
Priority date: 1913-05-09
Filing date: 1913-05-09
Publication date: 1914-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 1931-08-11

Description

G. G. ABBOTT.

MULTI-INDORSEMENT MECHANISM.

ABPLIGATIQN FILED HAUL-1913.

1,107,008. Patented Aug.11.,1914,

as F19? ,31

IN l/EN TOR M 3mm 1 z; j

- ATTORNEY C. C. ABBOTT;

' MULTI-INDOBSEMENT MECHANISM,

APPLIGATIOH FILED mu 9, 1913.

1,107,003, 1 Pam-m Aug. 11, 2.9m.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TRIUMPH VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MULTI-INDORSEMENT MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11 191 4.

Application filed May 9, 1913. Serial N0. 766,525.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES C. ABBOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at littsfield, county of Berkshire, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in llhilti-lndorsement Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates -to mechanism of the general type shown and described in Letters Patent Nos. 1,054,074 and 1,054,075, granted to me Feb. 25, 1913. This mechanism is limited in-its use to a condition in group voting in which the same person has been nominated 0r indorsed for an oflice in a group by two or more parties, and his name appears on a plurality of party tickets, c. in a plurality of party lines, and has for its object to render it impossible to cast more than one vote for such person no matter in how many oflice lines his name may appear or in what positions in the several lines.

. The purpose and nature of the mechanism in question are fully set forth in my prior patents above referred to, but. briefly stated, said mechanism comprises one or more multi-indorsement strips adapted for use in connection with columns of voting members, locking dogs cpc 'aterl by the voting members and cooperating with the strips, and a secondary interlock or wedge system connecting the several strips where more than one are used. Operation of a voting memher, through the locking dog associated therewith, causes slack to be taken up in the corresponding multi indorsement strip, thereby preventing the operation of another voting member provided with a locking dog in the same column. and also. through the wedge system. locking the other strips and preventing the operation of a voting member provided with a locking dog in any othcr column. Of course where all of the voting members corresponding to the same candidate are arranged in a single column the wedge system is unnecessary. since the multi-indorsemeut strip alone prevents the operation of more than one member in the same column.

The present invention has for its objects to provide a construction in which loose parts are, as far as possible. eliminated: to

provide an improved nmlti-indorsement quirements; and also to provide an improved secondary locking attachment or wedge system, for use in connection with the n'iulti-indorsement strips, which is of simple and compact construction, efiicient in opera tion. and capable of being easily and quickly up ilied, in assembled form. to the machine.

lVith these and other objects in view l have devised the novel mechanism which I will now describe, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification and in which Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, illustrating my novel mechanism as seen from the front of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation as seen from the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3--3, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevation of the wedge system or attachlnent. Figs. 5 and are, respectively, an elevation and a horizontal section of one of the locking dogs detached. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the locking units of the nn'llti-indorsement strip. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88, Fig. 7.

10 denotes the framework, 11 the shafts of voting members, 12 a voting member op erating lever. and 14 a counter dog. all of which parts may be of any ordinary or preferred construction.

The multi-indorsement strips are com posed of two types of interchangeable units, herein for convenience referred to as locking units 15 and coimecting units 16. strip is assembled with a locking unit 15 corresponding to or adjacent each voting member representing a candidate who has been nominated or indorsed by a plurality of parties. The cormecting units are. employed to connect the locking units with one another and with the wedge system. The

units

15 and 16 are all of equal length, being sufficiently longer than the distance between two of the voting member shafts in the same column to permit each unit to be connected with the next adjacent unit above or below it. so that one

unit

15 or 16 cmploycd in each column to correspond to each party line.

' vide with beads which en I cross Each of the locking uni'ts 15 is composed of an up er section 17, a lower SGCDOII 18, and a 10c in dog 19. Each of the

sections

17 and 18 is ing 20 and is provlded at its iece 21 secured thereto b 22. he ends bent inwardly end with a a flat rivet of the cross pieces 21 are to form undercut guideways 28 (see Fig. 8), and the edges of the sections are beveled, as at 24, the beveled ed es of each section sliding freely in the gui eways o t e other sectioni The rivets 22 are proga'ge longitudina s

ots

26 and 29 in the

sectlons

17 and 18, res ectivel the head, 25 of the rivet 22 carr'eg by the upper section 17 engaging the s at 29 in the ower section 18, and vice versa. The locking dog 19 comprises an elongated plate of metal, rounded at the ends for smoothness in operation, and provided adjacent its center with a hub, 27 received in the openi 20 of the section 17. The hub 27 is form with a transverse noncircular openin adapted to receive and fit the voting mem er shafts, said opemng permitting a voting member shaft to be passed freely therethrough but (preventin rotation o the locking dog on sai shaft. he shafts areshown as provided with grooves on their opposite sides and the hub 27 of the locking dogs are ormed with inwardly projecting lugs 28 which enga c said grooves. The

sections

17 and 18 dockin dog 19 of each unit are held permanent assembled b5 the rivets 22, engagemen, A to the beveled e ges 24 of the sections .17 and 18 with the ways 28 holding said'sections against separation, and engagement of the hub 27 of the locking dog 19 with the opening 20 in the section 17 retaining said locking dog in place between the sections.

At points slightly the slots 29 the sections 18 are bent inwardly Each hook 31 is adapted to engage a slot in the unit immediately above, and the lugs 32 retain sald hool 1n adjacent locking units 15, and the hook 31 of the upper section 17 of the lower unit is engaged with the slot 29 in the lower section 18 of the upper unit, thereby connecting said units. To

strip has been removed from the machine said units are turned out of alinement with one another, thereby permitting the lugs 32 ormed with an elongated opendisconnect the same after' the to pass through the slot 29,, said units being assembled in obvious.

The connecting units 16 comprise single sections shown as fiat plates or links pro vided with slots 34 and with elongated openings 33 through which the voting member shafts 11 pass freely. Said plates are formed with offset lower ends 35 to facilitate the connection thereof with adjacent units, with at the upper ends of the sections 17 o the locking units 15.

It will be understood that in arranging the machine a 'multi-indorsement strip composed of

units

15 and 16 will be employed for each column containin one or more voting members corresponding to a candidate who has been nominated 0r indorsed by a plurality of parties, a lockin section being employed adjacent sai voting member or members, and the remainder o the strip being composed of connecting units 16. The proper units are first assembled in the necessary arrangement, according to the requirements, to form a complete strip, and the strip in its completely assembled form is then applied to themachine.

a similar manner, as will be above, as the case may be, it being obvious that a locking unit may be substituted f or versa, as required. In appl bled strip to the machine t e shafts 11 of the proper votin members are 'passedthrough the hubs 2% of the locking do s 19, so that said dogs will turn with said s afts. he secondary locking attachment or wedge system comprises a series of vertically sliding wedges 38, a set of laterally sliding outer plates 39 and a set of laterally sliding inner plates 40. The wedges are retained in place between the plates and said plates are held assembled by means of pins or

rivets

41 and 43. The pins 41 ass through and are immovably secured to the plates 39 and slide in slots 42 in the plates 40. The

38 are formed with

vertical plates

39 and 40 with horizontal slots 46 which receive the voting member shafts 11 upon which said wedges and plates are su The wedges 38 are preferably formed of I sheet metal and are provided with upwardly extending stems l7. Said stems are formed with forwardly projecting lugs or wings 48, which engage the upper edges of the plates 39 and 110 and limit the downward movement of the wedges, and at their upper ends with rearwardly turned hooks -19 similar to the

hooks

31 and 36 and having laterally projecting lugs 50 similar to the

lugs

32 and 37. By means of the hooks 49 the wedges 38 are connected with the lowermost units of the multi-indorsement strips in precisely the same manner as that in which said units are connected with each other. The inner plates are rigidly connected in pairs at opposite sides of the wedges by the pins or rivets 1-3, and the outer plates 39 are simi larly rigidly connected in pairs at opposite sides of the plates -10 by the pins or rivets -11. The plates of the two sets are in staggered relationship to one another, the plates 3) breaking joints about midway of the plates 40, and vice versa. The pins 41 are located adjacent the ends of the plates 39, and the pins 43 are similarly located adjacenttlie ends of the olatcs 40. The slots 42 and 14: in the plates 40 and 311, through which the pins 41 and -13 pass loosely, are, in the case of the intermediate plates of the series, located at substantially the centers of said plates. At each end of the series is a pair of plates of one half the length of the other plates of the series, and the slots 42 and -14 thereof extend to the outer edges of said plates. In a series comprising an odd nmnber of wedges, as show-n in thedrawiugs, the short endplatesat one end of the series form part of the set 39, and those at the opposite end form part of the set 40. \v l;l1'l an even number of wedges is employed the short plates at the opposite ends of the series will belong to the same set 89 or 10, as will be obvious.

The arrangement of the wedges, plates, and pins is such that normally, or when all of the wedges are in their lowermost positions, there is anhmount of slack in the system suliirient to permit one of the wedges to he moved upwardly into the position occu pied the central wedge as shown in Figs. 1 and It will be observed that there is a pin i1 and a pin 43 adjacent each of the wedges and lying on opposite sides thereof. When a wedge is moved upwardly, engagement thereof with the adjacent pins 41 and 411 causes said pins and the plates to which they are immovably secured to be moved in opposite directions away from one another. The amount of movement of the

plates

39 and 40 permitted by the

pins

41 and 43 and

slots

42 and 44 is just enough to permit one wedge only in the assemblage to be moved into its up ermost position. The

pins

41 and 43 at the left of an operated wedge closely engage the left sides of the wedges at the left, and the pins at the right of the operated wedge closely engage the right edges of the wedges at the right, thus locking all unoperated wedges against op eration until the wedge which has been raised is returned to normal position.

I he complete operation of the mechanism is as follows. Fig. 1 shows portions of live party lines and live oilice columns to three of which multi-indorsement strips have been applied. The party lines are counted from the top downward and the office columns from right to left, as seen in Fig. 1'. This figure iliuslrates a condition in which the same candidate has been nominated or indorsed by the first, second, third and fourth parties, his name appearing in the fifth column in the first and second party lines, in the third column in the third party line, and in the first column in the fourth party line. in other words, the fifth voting member in the first party line, the fifth voting member in the second party line, the third voting member in the third party line and the-first voting member in the fourth party line all represent the same individual. In arranging or assembling the multi-indorseineut strips a locking unit 15 is employed for each of these voting members, the balance of each strip being made up of connecting units 16 inasmuch as none of the other voting members in the several columns are ail'eeted by the multi-indorsement conditions. As shown in Fig. l, the first strip is composed of a single locking unit directly connected with the corresponding wedge 38, the second strip is composed of one locking unit 15 and one connecting unit 16 intermediate said locking unit and, the corresponding wedge 38, while the third strip is composed of two locking units and two connecting units. These columns in which the name of the candidate in question does not appear are not provided with multi-indorsement strips, this being the case with respect to the second and fourth columns in the arrangement shown and the corresponding wedges 38 remain permanently in their normal or lowermost positions. multi-indorsenient strips is connected at its lower end with a corresponding wedge 38 of the wedge system. Said wedge system or attachment is placed in osition on the party line immediately be ow that of the lowermost party indorsing the candidate in question bv slipping the same over the shafts or voting members in that line. said shafts passing through the

slots

45 and 46 as above explained.

The heads 25 of the rivets 22 carried by the upper sections 17 0f the locking units 15 normally lie in the upper ends of the slots 29 in the lower sections 18, so that upward movement of an upper section is transmitted Each of the LOO 80 rawn upwardly. Also, when a section 17 :"86 tlon and the corresponding sectlons of all 46 closely engage the lower cross-pieces of the to the corresponding lower section and is third line and the third column, and the impossible without a corresponding upward wedge 38 corresponding to that column has movement of said lower section. In operbeen raised, thereby preventing movement ating a voting member, or moving the same of any other of the wedges and locking the 5 to voted position, the shaft thereof is given voting members of the assemblage in the a quarter turn, more or less. When a voting first and fifth columns against operation member included in an assemblage (mean- The wedge attachment herein shown is ing voting members pertaining to any single adapted for use in connection with five or candidate) is so operated the locking dog 19 less oiiice columns. It is necessary to em 10 thereon is turned from its normal horizontal ploy a separate attachment for each assemposition into an approximately "ertical poblage, and preferably a plurality of these sition. When so turned engagement of the attachments will be provided for each ma- 15 the lower section 18 of the corresponding of wedges in order to accommodate the same so to varying requirements.

The voting member shafts 11 extend for a considerable distance beyond the framework, as shown in Fig. 2, so that two or more multi-mdorsement strips may be employed for each column if required by the conditions, as explained in my prior patent No. 1,054,074, above referred to. Similarly two or more wedge attachments may be applied to the same office lineif necessary, these assembled attachments, as shown In igs. 2 and 3, being relatively compact and atand occupying relatively little space longitudinally of the shafts 11.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

20 upper section 17 of the corresponding unit r 1 or 36 of the unit below, causes the unit 25 low to be drawn upward also, the two sections of each locking unit moving upwardly together, and this upward movement being e corresponding wedge 38 which is also is locked by an operated locking (log against upward movement, engagement of the hook 31 thereof with the slot 29 of the lower section of a locking unit above locks said seclocking dog cooperating with said sections 2. n a voting machine, a multi-indorsement strip composed of locking units and connecting units, said units being interchangeable in position and being provided 40 T 6 locking dogs above an operated dog with means for detachable connect on with will therefore closely engage the up or units, whic cannot move downward, thus looking all other voting members of the as- 3. In a multi-indorsement strip for voting semblage in that column against operation.

machines, a locking unit comprising a pair of permanently connected, relatively sliding sections and a lockin dog, said sections and dog being provided withcooperatin means for permanently retaining said dog etween said sections. I

In a voting machine, the combination with voting members having shafts, of a multi-indorsement stri including one or more locking units ewe comprising a pair connected, relativeliy slid- 50 her in the assemblage raises all of that por- 66 inthe assemblage without raising the corresponding wedge, and since the wedge system, as above explained, is so arranged as to permit only one of the wed es to occupy a raised position at one time, It follows that 60 when one voting member of the assemblage in apy one column has. been operated, operation of another voting member of the assemblege in any other column is prevented.

In 1 one voting'member is shown in the oted osition. namely, that in the sections and havin a 126 In a voting machine, the combination with voting members arranged ins column and having shafts, of a multi indorsement strip composed of lockingnnits and connecting. units, said uni-ts being interchange-,-

5 able in position and being, provided with means for detachable connection with one an 0thr,; and said locking units each comprising a pair of permanently connected, relatively sliding sections-having openings and? a locking dog between said sections and 'havingaflhub received .inbhe of said openings;

saidhn-h having-a transverseopening adapt-i ed toreceive and-fit the corresponding votconnect-ling Same: 531a Q Q- I iV ing; mg nbef' l aft V ing a slot, and said-upper-seetion having e,-

fl In a voting machine, a, 'multi-i-ndo se llOOk laterally lugsment'sti ipcomposedof a plhralityfofnnits; d p l g h l in rche' w including one or, more locking units, each of i n a m abovfi v saidfiqekmg units comprising upper and? 12; In a' vo ing mach'ne'jhaving oti' lower sections hflyin'g rmeans 55 vglid bl' i members, a -multi-indorsementf, -stni com eonneetingthe same, said .lower'seetion hav-" posed of k g' units tm i t ingn slotznjnd said upper'seetiori h i a 'interchangeablempositiony'said locking n-i' hookmdaptedto engagethe slot in the lower, g islotsrand fgs p d mbp g ectionigf anujit, above: I; ate with'sa'id Vbblflg inerribiQQihd-sfilildkofi Z. In avoting machine, a multi-indorsemeeting. units bei-ng'ina'ctive-Wi'ti-i m nt' trip zcoinpmed of a plurality of units' saidvotingmembers; md eecwcpmp.

inclndiug on g imore 'lockingunits, each singlesectionprovidedjn't itslower nd t of saidloeleinflunitscomprising upper. and a slot d its uppe: d With a. 'l

lower-sections h.avng"means for slidz'ibly; adapted m-eng g t e'ig i =1;

P m i g= th-= sidsect-ions and permsment st-rip composed ofiloeki g nently; connected thene'wit'h, said lowerise :COnMO E i Said "u I Momhaving a slot and said upper' seeti'bn :-ohangea'ble-inpositio having-is; hook idanted -tofengagethe slot sa-id loe'king units" ea A in l wgpgection-of a, unit, above, I andlower ..7=r ,'8.;,In si- ;voting,machine, 'a inult if indorse co ne g. ei ihl fl merit strip composedaofva .plumlityzof units SflNJlockingflnits F iDESlO including oneuormore locking units, each 'per-sectionsthereofhavinf' of said {locking-units- Comprising upper-end lower \fseqtions; h aving'f-meanw 'for =slidably 40 rnonnelzting-athei-same said lower-section havv tinge slot, mid said. ruiipei-z-seetion hnv'iiq means. engaging said slot'a'nd a hook ad'arp ed to engageit-he slot in the lower section of a unit; above: I I

5"- 9.;In a .multi-indorsclmentstrip for voting machines, a loeking unit comprising up periimd lower. sections having slots, ageross adapted to engage the slot in thelower section of the unit above, and ailoeki'ngdog} between said sections and having a hubire ceivod in one of the openings t-hereing saildhub having a transverse opening adapted to Z 7 receive and, fit the corresponding voting member shaft. 0 '1- 11. In a voting machine,n m ulthindels --nient strip composed of a plurality ot'unit's including one or more locking-'iinits-,=each of" said locking: units cmnprisin'g upper #64} lower sections having means -for slid'ahfly heslots-inthe-gunits 'zrhove, and i 'neetin'g units each'comprisingj ip'single's provided'at-its lovve'riendvv thi aisles iit'iil ,tof' the slots in '-the' lower -sectiol locking; units and atits uphen fld with a; hook similar to the hooks tif tli V tion'sxof said locking units.

- "14. In a voting machine with voting members he-vi multhindorseinent o'Se pieoemarriexlby each nf said seetionsgiand having a guide vay In \yhiehhthe otherusec tionislides, {ind a rivet securing eaeh of said erosspi-eeestothe corresponding seetion' and havinzgta head received-in the slot of. the othorseqtion. 1

10 In avvqtjn limachine tl'iecoi'nhinati'on wifl jvotmg .membens having sh-a fts', of a mnlthirhlorsement strip influi'ii ng' one or morggloekingen nits .eaeh -compri.'si ng unp'er I andifiInSiven esections having openings am slot g oss "pieoemarried' h v ea'eh of said retainedLa rivet serzurinqeaehof said cross 'to said voting-members and each eonip units and connectink'flinitsl T 0c units having slots heingiadapted operate with said votingf meni'h'ehs ant eonnelnting'units being: inactive, th-r' memhm' 'shaft-p in: provided at 1 and at: its liriher'e'nd with: engage the slot in a' unit above;

15. Tn a voting machine; the combination? with voting members having shafts 'fo'f m ulti-i ndo rs'i-inent s t-rip ;(:o1npose(l of "in er (-l1angeah-le"lofcking units and com: titig units, 'eaohof said loekinglir'nits glom n'rls n upper and lower *seetihns h'avin9:' ope hnig'a I I and slots, :1 eross piece curried by each? nieces to-fhe' correspondingstotihn and'havmg gnhenidi reoeLved -infthe slot 0f the'other setihn,;.-sa i'(i .upper section-having a hook active with respect to sai said cross pieces to the corresponding section and having a head received in the slot of the other section, said upper section having ahook rovided with lateral! a, extending lugs an adapted to engage t 0. slot in the lower section of the unit above, and a lockin dog between said sections and having a, ub received in the openiu therein, said hub having a transverse opening adapted to ceive and fit the corresponding voting membershaft rand Said connecting units each comprising a single plate having an elongated opening through which the correspondin voting member shaft passes freely, sai plate bein provided at its lower end with aslot simi ar to the slots in the lower section of the locking units and at its plates being upper end with a hook similar to the book of the upper sections of said locking units. 16. In a voting machine, the combination with voting members arranged in lines, of a multi-indorsement strip com of a plurality of detachably conncc ed lockiug units and connecting units, eachmompletain itself. and each of a length substantially equal to the distance between the lines of voting members, said lockin units being adapted to cooperate with sai voting members, and said connectin units being invoting members.

17. In a voting machine, in combination, a series of multi-indorsement strips eaph composed of interchangeable locking units and connecting units of equal length, and a series of wedges corresponding respectivelyto the several strips, said locking units each comprising relatively sliding upper and lo'iver sections and said connectin units each comprising a single section, said connecting units and the lower section of said locking units having similar slots, and said wedges, connectingunits, and the upper sec tions of said locking. unit s 'having hooks adapted to engage the slots in units above, whereby said units may be detachably connected with said wedges and with each other. 18. In a multi-indorseme'nt mechanism for voting machines, a wedge system comprising a series of vertically movable wedges and a series of laterally sliding plates, said plates being moved by an operated wedge to lock all of the other wedges in the series, and said wedges being provided with means to engage said plates and limit the downward movement of said wedges.

19. In a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting gnachines, a Wedge system comprising a series of vertically movable wedges and a series oflaterally sliding plates, said movedby an operated wedge all of the other wedges of the series,

J in i'a'idw'edns-having upwardly project,-

ing stems provided with projecting lugs to enga e the edges of said plates and imit the ownward movement of said wedges;

2Q. Ina voting machine, in combination, a series of multindo'rsement strips, a series of vertically movable wedges corresponding respectively to the several strips, and a ser es of. laterally sliding plates, said plates being moved by an operated wedge to lock all of the other wedges in the series, and said wedges having upwardly projecting stems provided with means for attachment to said stri s and with means to engage said plates and limit the movement of said wedges.

21. In a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting machines, a wedge system comprising a series of vertically movable wedges, a set of laterally sliding inner plates, a set of laterall sliding outer plates, and means connecting said plates andengaged by said wedges whereby said plates are moved by an i operated wedge to lock all of the other wedges of the series.

22. In a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting machines, a wedge system comprising a series of vertically movable wedges, a set of laterallv sliding inner plates, a set of laterally sliding outer plates overlapping said inner plates, and pins connecting said plates and engaged by said wedges whereby said plates are moved by an operated wedge to look all of the other wedges of the series.

23. In. a multi-indorsement mechanism for voting machines, a wedge s stem comprising 10 a series of vertically mova 1e wedges, a set of laterally sliding inner plates arranged in pairs at opposite sides of said. wedges, a set of laterally sliding outer plates arranged in pairs at opposite sides of said inner plates, all of said plates having slots, pins immovably connecting the inner plates of each pair and sliding in the slots in the outer plates, and pins immovably connecting the outer plates of each pair and sliding in the slots of the inner plates, said pins being engaged 'by said wedges and moved by an operated wedge to move said plates and lock all of the other wedges in the series. 24. In a voting machine, in combination voting members having shafts, a series of multi-indorsement strips, a series of vortically movable wedges connected respectivel with the several strips andhaving vertical slots to receive the voting member shafts, and a series of laterally s iding plates having orizontal slots to receive said1vo member shafts, said plates being'moved an operated wedge to look all of the otherwedges in the series. p 133 25; In a votin machine, the com on with votin mom rein in a column, of a multi-mdorsement strip connecting said voting members and composed .011 v units and oonnwtinl lmitl.

in number to the connected Voting members in the column, said units being interchangeable in position and being provided with means for detachable connection with one another, and said locking units each comprising a plurality of relatively sliding sections an a locking dog cooperating with said sections and permanently connected therewi h.

26. Ii a'voting m ine, a multi-indorsement 5 ip' compo of locking units and connectin units, said units being interchangeab e in position and being provided with means for detachable connection with one aliother, said connecting units each comprisi g a single section, and said locking units each comprising a plurality of rela tively movable sections. v

27 In a votin machine, the combination with voting mem rs arranged'in a column, of a multi-indorsement strip connecting said voting members and composed of locking units and connecting units collectively equal in number to the connected voting members in the column, said units being interchangeable in position and being provided with .flulti-indorsement strip composed of a plurality of locking and connecting units corresponding in number to thelines of voting members, each of said units being complete in itself and each being provided with means for detachable connection with adjacent units, said lockin units being adapted to cooperate with sai voti members, and said connecting units being inactive with respect to said voting members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES C. ABBOTT. Witnesses:

S. W. A'rrmnron, H. W. Means.