US12886A - huffman - Google Patents

Description

s. HuFFM-AN. Voting Machine.

Patented May-15, 1855.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAML. HUFFMAN, OF CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HUFFMAN & KAY.`

MODE OF INDICATING THE NUMBERS OF THE YEA AND NAY BALLS IN MACHINES FOR TAKING VOTES IN LEGISLATIVE BODIES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 12,886, dated May 15, 1855.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL HUFFMAN, ofCharleston, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Taking and Recording Votes in Deliberative Bodies which I VDe'nominate a Legislative Telegraph and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of the machine about half size, and several desks or tables on a reduced scale for the purpose of illustration, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the same.

The indicating letters refer to the same parts in the different figures wherever they occur.

The nature of my invention consists in a mode of recording votes on sheets of paper previously printed with the name of each voter thereon, each of whom makes an impression opposite to his own name by means of a lever actuated by himself from his seat, combined with an apparatus which simultaneously releases a ball, and allows it to pass into a transparent tube provided with a scale, divided into spaces equal to the diameter of a ball, andnumbered' upward from the bottom by which the votes will be permanently recorded and the result ascertained at a glance by the presiding officer in the manner hereinafter described.

The following is a description of the machine as shown in the drawing a, is a box or case having its top divided into two portions (c and cl) one elevated higher than the other, the lowest one c with its appurtenances being used in the present instance for recording votes in the affirmative and the other (d) for those in the negat-ive.

The bent levers c, are used for voting in the affirmative they have their fulcrums upon the rod f, which passes through the series and are each connected by wires from their lower extremities, and suitable cranks with knobs (y) upon the desks g. Upon the upper ends of the levers are projecting steel dies of any desirable pattern fitting into corresponding matrices upon 0. The springs fn, elevate the upper portions of the levers when the knobs are released.

The levers z' are formed and Aarranged in a similar manner upon Z communicating with the knobs n, and are used for vot-ing in the negative one is shown in Fig. 2 with the die forced into its matrix by the elevation of the knob n.

Upon c and d are placed metal plates (7c and Z) supported at the ends at a suflicient elevation to admit of a sheet of paper being passed under them. They are provided with slots to allow the dies to act upon sheets of paper with the names of the voters previously printed thereon in a column at a. distance from one another corresponding to that between the dies.

Above c and Z are fixed troughs o and 20 perforated with a hole opposite to each of the levers of a suitable size to admit of the passage of a small ball. These holes are partially closed by valves 1", hinged at their forward edges and connected by rods s with the upper portions of the levers. In each of the holes resting upon its valve is placed a small ball o. l/Vhen the-machine is not in operation the valve is closed suHiciently to prevent its passage but when the lever is in the position of z', the valve is opened further, and allows the ball to fall into a conductor \(t, or u) slightly inclined which guides the ball into a vertical or inclined tube (w or zr) which may be made of glass or other transparent material or of metal with an opening extending its whole length somewhat narrower than the diameter of the balls, the bore of the tubes should fit the balls loosely. The tubes are provided with scales divided into spaces equal to the diameter of the balls and should be numbered upward commencing at the bottom, thereby indicating the number of balls in either tube, A slide or valve at the bottom of each tube affords means of removing the balls after the vote is taken.

A bolt or other contrivance maybe used to prevent the knobs from being pulled by any other than the voter to whom the desk belongs during his absence, lwhich bolt may be placed in a drawer or otherwise under lock and key.

A ball being placed in each of the holes in the troughs o, and p, resting upon the valves, and sheets containing the names of all the voters being placed under the plates with their margins under the dies, the operation of the machine is as follows. When the question is put each voterv pulls one of the knobs n or y this acts through the cranks and wires upon its corresponding lever, the die makes its impression upon the sheet opposite his name, the Valve being opened at the same instant by its connecting rod releases a ball which falling into one of the conductors passes into the tube connected therewith. All having voted (which may be done in a few seconds) the presiding oiiicer can by inspecting the scales, and noting the number at the top of the upper ball7 at once declare the result of the vote, the marked sheets may be read off if required, and afterward be bound up as a permanent record.

SAMUEL HUFFMAN In the presence of- CHAs. EVERETT, JOHN L. SMITH.

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