US1159191A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

K. DE VRIES.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1915.

1,159,191 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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K. DE VHIES.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.10. 191s.

1,159,191 Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

KLAAS DE VRIES, OF UTBECHT, NETHERLANDS.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Application filed April 10, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KLAAs on Vnrns, a citizen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and resident of Utrecht, Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in voting machines, and more particularly in voting machines which can be used in elections of any kind.

The object of the improvements is'to provide a machine of this class by'means of which the votes cast in favor of the individual candidates are separately counted, in which furthermore the aggregate number of all the valid votes is counted, and in which finally the number of all the votes including the invalid ones is counted.

A further object of the improvements is to provide a voting machine by means of which secrecy of the election is assured and neither the voter nor the superintendent of the election can interfere with the proper performance of the voting and recording operations.

Finally an object of the improvements is to provide a voting machine which is simple in operation, so that the voter can easily cast his vote in the intended way and the superintendent has to perform only slight operations in order to record the voting operation of each voter.

lVith these and other objects in view my invention consists in the matters to be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying the same has been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference have been used in all the views to indicate corresprnding parts.

In said drawings-Figure 1, is a vertical cross-section of the improved voting ma chine taken on the line aa of Fig. 8, Fig. 2, is a plan view of the machine, Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section of the machine taken on the line b-b of Fig. 2, Fig. 4, is a perspective diagrammatical view showing the genera arrangement of the machine when in use, and Fig. 5, is a detail view showing a part of a registering band provided with numbers and used in my'improved machine.

Referring-to the example illustrated'in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 20.470.

drawings, my improved voting machine comprises a casing 1 which is closed all around. The top plate of the casing is formed with a series of holes 3 disposed in line with each other, and furthermore, near its sides with two series of holes a and 5. Voting is performed by means of balls, the proper number of the said balls which corresponds to the number of the candidates being placed by the superintendent of the election on a groove 6 provided on the top plate 2 and at the disposal of the elector. The elector places the said balls in either one of the holes 3 or in the holes aor 5, whereupon voting is finished as far as the voter is concerned. In the example shown in the figures the balls which are placed in the holesd and 5 correspond to void votes which are added to none of the votes given in favor of any of the candidates, and the balls placed in the holes 3 are added to the votes of one of the candidates.

In order to show to the elector which one of'the holes 3 corresponds to the candidate in whose favor he intends to cast his vote, a sheet of card board 8 or the like is placed on the top plate 2 and held in a suitable guide 7, which sheet is divided by lines or transvrse rails or the like into independent fields corresponding each to one of the holes 3, as is best shown in Fig. 2. On each of the said fields the name of one of the candidates is written and in some cases in addition a number representing the said name and indicating thcsame to illiterates, so that all that the voter must do is to find the names or numbers of his candidates and to place the balls into the corresponding holes'3. here the voting machine is provided with a comparatively great number of holes 3 and corresponding fields on the card board 8, while the number of the candidates is small. the holes 3 which are not necessary may be covered and shut by the sheet of card hoard 8, as indicated in Fig. 2 for the two holes 3 at the bottom, so that it is impossible to place the balls into the said holes. After the balls have thus been placed into the holes 3 or 4 and 5, the votes must be added to the votes of the candidates, and furthermore the voting operation must beregistered, in order to ascertain the number of the voters who have appeared for the election. Simultaneously the super intendent of the election must be able to ascertain. that the voting has been perturning all the balls which have been cast through the holes 3, 4 or 5 to the superintendent of the election, so that the latter can find out from the number of balls re-.

turned to him, if the votes have been cast in the proper way. If the number of the balls returned to him is greater or less than that supplied to the voter, the voting'act can be declared void. F or thus supervising the voting act and registering the number of the votes cast the following means. are provided: "Below to the top plate 2 a slide 9 is provided which is bifurcated at one of its ends. as is shown at 10, the bifurcated portion being in such a posit on. that the ball which has been cast through the corresponding hole 3. can fall between the branches of the same, where it is supported on a small plate 11 provided above an inclined gutter 12. At one of the sides of the machine the said gutter extends outward and through the wall. of the casing of the machine so that the balls which-fall on the gutter get out of the apparatus and into possession of the superintendent. By means of the ball placed between the branches of the bifurcated end of the slide 9 the latter can be caused to be operated. F or this purpo e longitudinally of the mamine a shaft 13 is provided which carries a crank 14 by means of which it is adapted to e rotated by the superintendent once for each voting operation. To the shaft 13 two cam disks 15 are keved which engage in bifurcated po tions 16 of hell cranklevers [8 having rocking su orts at 17, the horizon al a ms of the said rocking levers being rocked downward and upward again once for each rotation of the shaft 13. Therefore bv each rot tion of the shaft 13 the vercical arms of the rock ng levers are rocked toward the slide 9 and back again. To the upper ends of the bell crank le ers a plate 19 is secu ed which s formed with noses 20 engag ng in the bifurcated portions 10 of the slides 9. Therocking mo ement of the bell crank le e s 18 wh ch de ends on the mo ement of the cam disks ]5 is such that with no hall engaged in the bifurca ed portion 10 of a slide 9 the corresponding nose 20 c n freelvebe rocked without acting on the slide 9. Normall the noses 20 are located in such pos tio s. that the ballot balls falling through the holes 3 can freely drop and et in en agem nt between the noses 20 and the sl des 9. Therefore, when a ballot ball has been inserted. upon the following rocking movement of the bell crank levers 18 the corres onding slide 9 is caused to mo e in longitudinal direction, and such shifting movement is u ed for registering the voting operation. For this purpose for each candidate a registering band 22 is each of the holes 3 and close coiled on a shaft 21, which band is provided with holes or slits 23 and a series of numbers located between the said holes or slits, as is shown in Fig. 5. From the shaft 21 the registering band is passed over a roller 24. Closely behind tie shaft 25 shifting mechanism or fe d mechanism is provided for acting on theregistering band, and the said shifting mechanism consists of a lever which is pivotally mounted on the slide 9 at 26 and is formed at its op osite end with a beveled tooth 27 arranged for engagement with the holes or slits 23 of the registering band 22. Furthermore, at the rear of the lever 25 a second lever 28 is provided which has a rocking support on a pivot 29, and which is formed at its free end with a be eled tooth 30 arranged for en gagement with one of the holes or slits 23 of the registering band 22. Therefoe when shifting the slide in longitudinal direction in the manner described abo e. the le er 25 which is pivotallv connected thereto takes part in such shifting movement and advances the registering band one step by means of its tooth 27. As the registering band is thus being shifted, the lever 28 and its tooth 30 are disengaged from the hole or slit 23 engaged thereby, so that they do not interfere with the movement of the registering band. e 7

After the slide 9 and the lever 25 have completed their forward mo ement and when they begin their backward movement, the beveled tooth 27 is lifted out of engagement with the hole or slit 23 which before was engaged thereby, and simultaneously the tooth 30 of the le er 28 gets in engagement with the said hole or slit, wherebv the record band is locked in its new positions and can not be affected by the return movement of the lever 25. The inte mittent movement of the registering band 22 which has thus been described takes place only when a ball has been d opped through the corresponding hole 3 and when the c ank it and shaft 13 are once rotated. As the slide 9 is thus being shifted, the ball is ad anced on the short supporting plate 11, and when the slide arrives at the end of its stroke the ball has'just passed to the end of the supporting plate and drops on the gutter 12 and from the latter into the hand of the superintendent of the election.

By means of the mechanism so far de scribed the votes are counted which are cast in favor of the candidates individually. In addition to the said mechanism means are provided for counting all the valid votes which have been given during the election. For this purpose to a shaft 31 a plate 32 is secured which is acted upon by a. spring 33 tending to hold the same with its upper edge portion in loose engagement with lugs 9 provided one on each of the slides 9; Therefore the said plate is rocked about its axis whenever either one of the slides 9 is shifted. At the side which is located below the section 34: the plate 32 is also connected with a lever 25 of the same character as the levers '25 connected with the slides 9, and the said lever 25 likewise acts on a recording band in the same way as has been described with reference to the slides 9. But the lever which is connected with the plate 32 and which is located below the section 3% ad vances the corresponding registering strip whenever any one of the slides 9 has been shifted by placing a ball in the corresponding hole 3 and operating the crank shaft 13. Therefore, by n eans of the plate 32 and the corresponding registering band the aggregate number of all the valid votes is registered.

In some cases a voter will not vote in favor of any of the candidates and cast an invalid vote. For this purpose the series of holes -l and 5 are provided. Also the balls which have been dropped through these holes must be returned to the superintendent of the election in order to enable him to supervise the election and furthermore they must be registered so that the aggregate number of all the voters who have appeared at the polls can be ascertained. In order to return the balls which have been east through the holes and 5 gutters 35 are provided below the said series of holes and transversely of the machine, which gutters are connected with the main gutter Any ball which has been east through one of the holes i or 5 is supported on the upper bent end of a lever 38 which is adapted to be rocked about its pivot 38 by means of a disk 37 provided with a cam groove and secured to the shaft 13, the said lever being retracted with its upper end from the ball inserted through one of the holes 1 or 5 when the rotation of the shaft 13 is started, whereupon the ball drops into the gutter 35 and passes from the latter to the gutter 12 an d back to the superintendent. Therefore, though the balls are returned to the superintendent the latter can not find out, whether the voter has cast a valid vote or an invalid one. For registering the said invalid votes, the plate 19 which is secured to the bell crank levers 18 is positively connected at its end located below the section 39 with a slide 9. As the bell crank levers 18 are rocked by each rotation of the crank 14, the slide 9 provided below the section 39 shifted whenever the crank is rotated.v whether or not any ball has been cast throrgh a hole 3 or 4, or 5.

Preferably a longitudinal slit i0 is provided in the top plate 2-, which slit is adapted to be closed by means of a plate adapted to be locked by suitable means and to be removed atthe end of the electionso as to display the result of the election, as is indicated in Fig. 2. The section 39 displays the aggregate number of all the votes, the section 3e displays the aggregate number of all the valid votes, and the remaining sections display the numbers of the votes which have been cast in favor of the individual candidates.

1 have found it to be advisable to cut ofi the ends of the registering bands which have passed the slit 40, because they are useless for indicating the result of the election and moreover, considerable space would be required to receive the unwound portions of the hands if they were left entire, not to speak of the danger of such band portions clogging the machinery. For this purpose I provide a pair of scissors in my improved voting machine, which scissors consist of a stationary member 42 secured to a bracket 4-1 and a movable member 43 which is secured to guide rods 4% and is rocked downward against the action of a spring 46 by means of av lever 45 operated by a cam 13 on the crank shaft- 13, after the registering band has been advanced. Thereby the projecting ends of the bands are cut off and the cut ends are gathered within the lateral part of the voting machine. A spring 7 is provided for holding the movable member l3 of the scissors in correct position relatively to the edge of the stationary member e2.

To protect the voting machine from being injured and to prevent inserting of foreign bodies through the holes 3 which mi ht not be able to drop from the machine and would therefore cause a registration upon each revolution of the machine crank 13, additional supervising means are provided which consist of holes 48 made in the casing and disposed in line with holes e9 provided in the lateral members of the bifurcated ends 10 of the slides 9. Therefore in the normal position of all the slides the superintendentis able to look through all the holes 48 and a9, and if a foreign body has been inserted through one of the holes 3, the superintendent can not look through the said holes, which indicates to him, that the machine has been tampered with. However, as it is desired, that the superintendent should not be able to supervise a voter during the votin operation, a rod 50 is provided which is rocked downward and upward again upon each rotation of tie crank shaft 13 by means of a cam disk 51 acting on a rocking lever 52 jointed to the rod 50. The arrangement is such, that when the voter is in front of the apparatus and places his balls in the holes 3, It, or 5, the rod 50 sets itself into the line connecting the holes l8 and 49, so that the superintendent can not look through the said holes. But after the elector has voted and the balls have returned to the superintendent, (that is to say, if the crank t is stopped after ahalfrevolution) the rod sets itself in such a position, that the holes 48 and 49 are free, so that the superintendent can ascertain, whether or not a' foreign body has been inserted through the holes 3., Preferably the hand piece 53 of the crank 14 is provided with a pin 55 movable lengthwise under the influence of a spring 54 and adapted to be pressed by it into a hole made in a plate 56 secured to the side wall of the machine casing whenever a rotation of the crank is completed. Thereby each operation of the crank is limited exactly to a complete revolution.

The general arrangement of the machine is shown in Fig. 4. T he voting machine is to be placed on a table 57 or the'like. It is disposed between walls 58 inclosing the voter during the voting operation from all sides, so that he can vote without being seen by other parties. The ballot balls are given to the voter through the gutter 6, and the said balls are returned to the superintendent through the gutter 12.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. The combination, with a plurality of independent registering mechanisms, of a plurality of operating members, one for each of said mechanisms, said members being normally inoperative relatively to said mechanisms, means, under the control of the operator, for coupling one or more of said members with the respective registering mechanisms, unitary means for actuating all of said operating members, a movable member arranged to be operated Whenever one or more of the registering mechanisms are actuated, and additional registering mechanism adapted to be actuated by said movablemember.

2. The combination, With a plurality of independent registering mechanisms each having an actuated member arranged to move therewith, of av plurality of operating members, one for each of said registering mechanisms, said operating members being normally inoperative relatively to said mechanisms, means, under the control of the operator, for coupling one or more of said operating members with the actuated members of the respective registering mechanisms, means for operating all of said operating members, a movable member arranged in engagement with all of said actuated members so as to be actuated Whenever one or more actuated members are moved, and additional registering mechanism adapted to be actu ated by said movable member.

3. The combination, With a plurality of independent registering mechanisms each having an actuated slide arranged to move therewith, or a plurality of operating members, one for each of said mechanisms, and normally inoperative relatively thereto, means, under the control of the operator,

for coupling one more of said operating members with the slides of the respective registering mechanisms, means for all o1 said operating members, a bar in loose engagement with all of said actuated slides,

a spring for pressing said baragainst theslides and for restoring the bar and the V of the registering mechanisms actuated by the individual operating members are operated, and additionalregistering mechanism adapted to be actuated by said movable me; ber.

5. The combination, with a plurality of independent registering mechanisms, of a plurality of normally inoperative operating members, one for each of said mechanisms, means, under the control of the operator, for coupling one or more of said members with the respective registering mechanisms, unitary means for actuating all of said op erating members, and additional registering mechanism actuated by the movement of said unitary means.

6. In a voting machine, the combination, with independent mechanisms for registering separately the votes cast for the individual candidates, unitary means for operating all of said mechanisms, an additional registering mechanism operated at every actuation of said means so as to indicate the total number of times the machine has been actuated, irrespective of whether or not such actuation has involved the operation of any one of the first-mentioned registering mechanisms, and still another registering mecha nism having operative connections to each of the said first-mentioned registering mechanisms, so as to indicate the total number of times the machine has been actuated in such a manner as to operate one or more of said first-named registering mechanisms.

The combination, with a plurality of registering mechanisms, of a plurality of operating members, one for each or" said mechanisms and normally inoperative relatively thereto, means, under the controlof the operator, for coupling one or more of said members with the respective registering mechanisms, and additional registering mechanism operatively connected operating 7 with each of the firstanentioned registering mechanisms, so as to indicate the total number of times the device has been actuated in such a manner as to operate one or more of the said first-named registering mechanisms.

8. In a voting machine, the combination with registering mechanism, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of means under control by the voter to render said operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanism, and counting mechanism constantly connected with the operating mechanism and adapted to count the operations of the same independently of the operations of the registering mechanism.

9. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of loose members under con trol by the voter and adapted to be placed between said operating mechanism and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, and counting mechanisms constantly connected with the operating mechanism and adapted to count the operations of the same independently ofv the operations of the registering mechanisms.

10. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of balls under control by the voter and adapted to be placed between said operating mechanism and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, and counting mechanism constantly connected with the operating mechanism and adapted to count the operations of the same independently of the operations of the registering mechanism.

11. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of loose members under con trol by the voter and adapted to be placed between said operating mechani m and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, and counting mechanism adapted to be controlled by all of the registering mechanisms.

12. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanisms therefor, of balls under control by the vote and adapted to be placed between said operating mechanism and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, and counting mechanism adapted to be controlled by all of the registering mechanisms.

13. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of balls under control by the voter and adapted to be placed between said operating mechanism and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, counting mechanisms constantly connected with the oper ating mechanism and adapted to count the operations of the same independently of the operations of the registering mechanism, and counting mechanism adapted to be controlled by all of the registering mechanisms.

4:. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of loose members under control by the vcter and adapted to be placed between said operating mechanism and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, a casing inclosing said mechanisms and having holes located in positions for inserting said loose members between the operating and registering mechanisms, and additional holes, and a supporting member located in position for holding the loose members inserted through the additional holes and connected with said operating mechanism for being shifted thereby out of supporting position.

15. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and normally inoperative operating mechanism therefor, of balls under control by the voter and adapted to be placed between said operating mechanism and any ones of said registering mechanisms and to render the operating mechanism operative relatively to the registering mechanisms, a casing inclosing said mechanisms and having holes located in positions for inserting said balls between the operating and registering mechanisms, and additional holes, and a supporting member located in position for holding the balls inserted through the additional holes and connected with said operating mechanism for being shifted thereby ont of supporting position.

16. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and common operating mechanism therefor normally inoperative relatively thereto, of loose members adapted to be placed in positions for rendering the operating mecha nism operative with reference to any ones of the registering mechanisms and to be shifted by said operating mechanism. a casing inclosing said mechanisms and having holes located in positions for inserting said loose members in the said positions and additional holes, a support for said loose members located in position for holding the loose members in their positions relatively to the registering mechanisms and operating mechanism and to drop the same at the end of the movement thereof by the operating mechanism, a' support located in position for supporting the loose members inserted through the additional holes and connected with the operating mechanism for being shifted thereby out of supporting position, a main gutter located in position for receiving the loose members which have cooperated with the registering mechanisms and for conducting the same away from the casing, and an additional gutter located in position for receiving the loose members which have been inserted through the additional holes and to conduct the same to the main gutter.

17. In a voting machine, the combination with a plurality of registering mechanisms, and common operating mechanism therefor normally inoperative relatively thereto, of loose members adapted to be placed in positions for rendering the operating mechanism operative relatively to any ones of the registering mechanisms, said positions being in line With one another, a casing inclosing said mechanisms and having holes for inserting the loose members therethrough and additional holes located in line with the positions for the loose members, said additional holes and the registering and operating mechanisms permittting free vision through the casing from end to end and through the said positions for the loose members, and means controlled by the operating mechanism and adapted to obstruct free vision through said additional holes.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

KLAAS DE VRIES,

Witnesses E. N ABEL, D. KLEYN.

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

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