US1948660A - Voting machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 27, 1934.

A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE Filed April 23, 19:51

A w Mi I ALVIN N. GUfiTAVSOM Patented Feb. 27, 1934 a I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Alvin N. Gustavson, Jamestown, N.- Y., assig'nor to Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1931. Serial No. 532,153 3 Claims. (Cl. 235-54) This invention relates to an improvement in Which there are no Ca d da e thus Preventing voting machines of the type in whi h votes a e the registering of Votes on the unused counters. cast by the manipulation of indicat rs and in Other and further objects of the invention will means for preventing registering of certain prebe e C early understood from a consideration I determined counters which are not being used f h following Spe fication Which is taken in go during the election. connection with the accompanying drawing, and

The preferred embodiment of the invention n W ch discloses a mechanism mounted in a voting ma- 1 i a front vati of pa of a voting chine for the purpose of looking out unused votmachine, Showing e P y Voting lever and he 10 ing indicators at general elections where a individual Candidate indicators; 05 straight party voting is allowed. Fig. 2 is a rear view of a portion of the ma- T produce ti hi hi would chine showing the connection between the encomply with the voting laws of any and all trance knob and the mechanism by W ch 1mcalities is quite impossible inasmuch as these used interlocking Straps and indicators y be ll laws are oftentimes at considerable variance. moved to non-registering Position; a d It has been found possible, however, to provide F 3 represents an end View of the device mechanisms in the form of accessories which may Shown in Figure be installed in voting machines to alter them Referring to the drawinaandmore pa ti ularly so as to comply with the election laws in the to Figure v i s h n r lly indicated 20 section or district in which they are to be used. by the reference numeral 10, is shown- A p- For example, in certain districts, where straight eratihg lever 11 projects d w wa dly from the party voting is allowed, the election laws require top of the machine 1 the face of the machine all unused indicators or indicators which do not is the u a keyboard 12 Which, in the p e ent represent candidates to be concealed and locked w p v e a W of question indicators 13 25 out in such a manner as to prevent registering of d three o o Candidate i dicators 14. At

votes on the counters for said indicator the left of each row of indicators, and connected The invention hereafter described provides an e e is 2 Party ieVer When the v ti g arrangement in a voting machine for preventing ne h e n arranged for Streight p y those indicators in a party row, which do not ng, the pa ty lever 15,000peretir1g W linso represent candidates, from registering on the diGatQrS in the P y y be moved toward 35 counters of the machine, when a voter wishes t the right causing each of said indicators to turn t a traight party t The device is t downwardly into voting position. Although the .ed to eliminate errors on the part of election ofli- QP between the P y evers l5 and the 31's in reporting the number of vptes for alch candidate indicators 14 is IlOt ShOWIl in the draw- :35 candidate at the close of an election. Since all ihg, i vm y b W to explain this feature in order of th counters i hi are t t Zero prior to make the substance of the present invention to an election and votes are prevented from be,- e c mp h Each party lever s oping registered during an election onthose c m. erably connected with a horizontal bar which ters which do not represent candidates, it 1 be extends substantially the full width of the ma- .4o quite evident that the task of registering and Chine and lies behind the keyboard directly be reporting only those numbers which appe on neath the corresponding row of candidate indithe counters is relatively simple. cators. This bar is provided with a plurality of The present invention has therefore been deprojections each of which is adapted t t t; .veloped f r the purpose of adapting a voting with suitable arms on the candidate indicators 14.

45 chine to meet and comply with the election laws Thus, as the party lever is moved, t e bar moves 10 referred to above and this therefore constitutes Simulttmeousiy therewith and the p ojections on th principal bje t, the bar cause each of the indicators to move into Another object of the invention is the provision Voting position. One pecific method of connectof a mechanism which must be manipulated prior ihg a party lever With a r w of candidate indi- 5 to the manipulation of a lever which registers the Gators is Shown and Claimed in my (lo-pending 5 t application, Serial Number 532,154. Frequently, A further object of the inventi n 11 in th in localities where the party candidates are few provision of a mechanism which, after a party in number, all of the indicators of a party row are lever has been manipulated to move every indicanot used. To avoid confusion of the votor, as

' 5 5 tor in the party row, will raise the indicators for well as to comply with the local election laws, the

indicators, in that portion of the party row not in use, are covered by a suitable shield 16 which, while permitting movement when the party lever is manipulated, completely conceals them from view. These shielded indicators must be returned to non-voting position prior to the registration of the remaining indicators in that party row. The counters are manipulated by an operating lever after the indicators 14 have been moved to voting position. Those indicators which have been restored to non-voting position prior to the movement of the operating lever will not be registered on the corresponding counters.

Through a suitable mechanism, which forms no part of this invention, connection is had between the indicators and the interlocking straps 18. One strap 18 is provided for and connected with each pointer. Provision is also made for locating the lower ends of each of the interlocking straps 18 in a channular member 19. Suitable rollers are mounted in this channel, one between adjacent straps and are for the purpose of preventing the manipulation of more than one pointer in a vertical row.

Each interlocking strap 18 is formed with a centrally located horizontal lug 20. Mounted on the interlocking straps 18 is a clip 22. This clip is provided in different lengths in order that it may be mounted on and adapted to operate in connection with any desired group or groups of interlocking straps. In the present showing, one clip is engaged with a single group of interlocking straps whereas the next adjacent clip is engaged with the next several groups of interlocking straps. These clips are flanged at their ends to engage the end interlocking straps, being vertically supported upon rods 23 which are connected with a vertically reciprocal plate 24. Support for the clips 22 is had through a number of bell crank levers 25, one end of each of which is pivotally connected with the plate 24 through a pin 26. A central portion of each of the levers 25 is mounted on pivot pins 27 which are located in fixed plates 28. The plates 28 are mounted at convenient intervals throughout the entire length of the machine and are pressure held against the bottom of the channel 19 by screws. Directly beneath the plate 24 is a rod 29. This rod is pivotally connected with the lower end of each of the levers 25 by pins 30. One extreme end of the rod 29 is pivotallly connected with the lower end of a bell crank lever 31 through a pin 32. The center portion of the lever 31 is supported on a pivot 33 which is located on a channel plate 34. The other end of this lever is fitted with a pin 35 which projects into a slot 36 formed in a vertically reciprocal member 38. The plate 34, which supports the lever 31, is pressure held between a horizontal flange 39 of the machine and the bottom of the channel 19, through screws 41. The member 38 is fitted with a bracket 42 which in turn connects with the control knob 43. The knob 43 is vertically movable and transmits such motion to the member 38 which in turn, through the bell crank levers 25 and 31, causes vertical movement of the straps.

It should be understood that no votes can be registered on a machine by those indicators which are in the upward position when the operating lever is moved. Since the party lever opposite each party row, when operated, moves all of the indicators in that row downwardly into voting position, the present invention has been designed to return all those indicators which do not represent candidates to non-voting or non-recording position. The device is arranged so that any group or series of groups of candidate indicators, whether they are adjacent or widely separated from each other, can be controlled by this mechanism.

As soon as the voter has moved one or all of the indicators in a party row into voting position, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure l, the lugs 20 on the interlocking straps 18 move upwardly and carry with them the clips 22. The plate 24, being connected to the clip 22 through rods 23, also moves upwardly. Bell cranks 25, which are engaged at one end to plate 24, rotate about the pivots 27 to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawing. The rod 29, being connected to the other end of bell cranks 25, simultaneously moves to the new position. The bell crank 31, which is engaged with the end of rod 29, rotates about its pivot 33 causing the pin 35 to move downwardly in the slot 36. When the voter has completed the casting of his ballot, he indicates that fact to a custodian outside the machine who raises the control knob 43. The member 38, which is attached to the knob 43 moves upwardly and the pin 35 on the bell crank 31 engages the lower end of the slot 36 in the rod 38 and causes all the bell cranks, through the rod 22, to move to their original positions. The plate 24 moves downwardly causing the clips 22, through rods 23, to also move downwardly. Clips 22, in their downward travel, engage the lifted lugs 20 and return the straps 18 to their original positions.

Although applicant has shown and described but one modification of his invention, he does not intend to be limited thereto since it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention other than as set forth in the hereunto annexed claims.

aving thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a voting machine arranged for straight party voting wherein interlocking straps are moved from non-voting to voting position to register a vote, a mechanism for returning certain interlocking straps to non-registering position, comprising a clip mounted on and engaging any group or groups of said interlocking straps, lugs on said straps engageable with said clip, a lever operable from the exterior of said machine, and means connecting said lever with said clip whereby movement of said lever reciprocates said clip to engage the lugs of and return said interlocking straps to non-registering position.

2. In a voting machine, a mechanism for preventing registering of certain indicators which are moved during straight party voting, comprising a clip mounted on any group or groups of said interlocking straps, a plate beneath said interlocking straps, rods connecting said clip with said plate, a lever operable from the exterior of said machine, and means connecting said lever with said plate whereby movement of said lever causes said clip to engage and return to nonregistering position all of said certain straps which have been moved during the casting of a straight party vote.

3. In a voting machine, a mechanism for preventing registering of certain indicators in straight party voting comprising a clip mounted on any group or groups of interlocking straps,

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ing connected with and adapted to reciprocate said bar in one direction whereby said clip may be moved downwardly to engage and return said certain straps, moved during the casting of a party vote, to non-registering position.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

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