US2025164A - Voting machine - Google Patents

Description

A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1952 gwuenko@ L V/N N, Gus m vso/v Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE VOTING MACHINE poration of Delaware Application April 25, 1932, Serial No. 607,284

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines and more particularly to an arrangement for locking the counter compartment thereof when the machine is in use.

5.'4 One of the prerequisites to universal adoption of voting machines is to provide means for controlling access to any of the working parts for the purpose or" eliminating any and all unscrupulous recording of votes. This is preferably accomplished by the provision of several locking and/ or latching devices, the key for one of which is in the possession of an election ofcer, that are so mechanically interconnected as to require the release of one lock before a second lock may be l operated. It may thus be understood that 4on every occasion when access is had to the machine counters or other working parts, each of the election oicers must be or have been present to operate his speciiic lock or latch. In this manner 20, the accuracy of an election ballot cannot-readily be questioned since not one but several election oflicers, presumably chosen from different parties, have in a sense guarded the voting machine.

The preierred embodiment of the device discloses a locking mechanism mounted in a voting machine which is adapted to safeguard examination of the counters during an election by requiring the presence of at least one election oiiicial having key controlled access to other parts of the machine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device in a Voting machine which will render the machine adaptable for use in a larger number of localities where compliance with voting codes and regulations is required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch mechanism in a voting machine which requires manipulation of one or more locks before it can be operated.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of the arrangement in a voting machine which will prevent unauthorized examinations of the counters during an election.

A still further object of the invention is to proei5 vide a -device in a voting machine which will prevent any person from examining the counters during an election unless certain election oicers have had knowledge of or are present during that Xamination.

f3 Another and further object of the invention lies in the provision of a latch for the counter compartment of a voting machine which, when released, prevents the unlocking oi the entire machine until the compartment is again closed and latched.

(Cl. 23S-130) Other and further objects of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following specication which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and in which Fig. l is a fragmentary elevation of the rear of a voting machine showing the principal parts of the invention and their relationship to each other;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View, through the lock, and is taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a part of the device which locks or unlocks the operating lever;

Fig. 4 shows a sectional plan view, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure l;

Fig. 6 is an elevation oi one position of the counter compartment latch mechanism;

Fig. 7 shows the other position of the counter latch mechanism;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View taken substantially on the line 8 8 of Figure 7 and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan View, showing the other position of the mechanism shown in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figure l, this invention is shown as forming part of a voting machine, generally indicated by the reference numeral i9. The counter compartment I I is adapted to be concealed from view by a door I2. The lower portion of the door l2 is pivotally joined to the machine iS in any convenient manner. Rotatably mounted on the upper portion of the door i2 is a knob i3. Secured to the knob I3 and projecting from the inner face of the door I2 is a key lll which is turned by means of the knob. The key is provided with suitable slots I5.

Horizontally mounted between vertical side members I'I and I8 of the machine is a crossbar I9 which is substantially T-shaped in cross section. A latch 2l, welded or otherwise suitably joined to the central portion of the cross bar I9 and having a slotted opening 22 registrable with the key I4, is adapted to retain the door I2 in closed position by means or" shoulders within the latch ZI which engage with slots II in the key. Projecting inwardly from the central portion of the latch 2i is a shaft 23 with a circular plate 24 secured to the end thereof. plate 2d are adapted to receive pins 26 and 21 which pivotally support bars 28 and 29 on said plate. The bar 29 is retained in a horizontal position by projecting through a vertical slot 3| in the strip 32. The strip is held in spaced rela- Openings in the tion to the side of the machine l by means of a pair of bolts or pins 33. 'Ihe free end of the bar 29 projects through the slot 3! and is permitted to slide from one position to another as the plate 24 is rotated. The latch 2| can only be operated subsequent to the manipulation of the entrance knob locking mechanism covered in my Patent No. 1,791,310, which will hereinafter be generally indicated by the reference numeral 34. The entrance knob locking mechanism controls the operating lever and vote indicators and is in turn controlled by a further key controlled lock. A vertical bar 36 of the locking mechanism 34 is provided with a plate 3l having a vertical slot 38 through which one of the bolts or pins 33 projects. The slot 38 in plate 3l permits vertical reciprocation of the bar 36 when the locking mechanism 34 is manipulated. When the counter compartment is locked and the machine is ready for voting, the plate 3l abuts the free end of the bar 29 and prevents the latch 2! from being opened. The voting indicators on the face of the machine are locked against manipulation by operation of the mechanism 34.

'Ihe bar 28 is twisted one-quarter of a turn and extends in the opposite direction from the bar 29 to the other side of the machine. The extreme end of the bar 2B is joined to a bellcrank 39 which is pivotally supported on a vertical axis by an angle plate 4| mounted on the inner side wall of the machine. The free arm 42 of the bellcrank 39 projects through an opening 43 in a sliding plate 44. Rivets 46 projecting through the side wall of the machine engage slots 41 in the plate 44 and provide support for said plate and permit horizontal reciprocation thereof. Adjacent one end the plate 44 is formed with an oiset 48 in which is located the slot 43. The opposite end of the plate 44 is adapted to engage a slot 49 in a vertically reciprocable arm 5|, movement of which is caused by the operating lever at the front of the machine. Since the operating lever forms no part of this invention other than to show how the parts connected thereto coordinate with the counter compartment locking device, further description thereof is believed to be unnecessary.

Before a person can begin to cast his vote, the custodian in charge of the machine must rst unlock the operating lever by lifting the entrance knob which is mounted on one side of the machine. Each Voter, upon entering the booth, rotates this operating lever, which is pivoted on the upper edge of the keyboard, from one side of the machine to the other. The movement of the lever draws a curtain around the front of the machine and around the voter and simultaneously unlocks the machine for voting. The latching mechanism for the counter compartment door controls the operation of both the entrance knob and the operating lever. That is, when the counter compartment door is unlatched, the bars 28 and 29 are moved horizontally to actuate certain elements so as to prevent subsequent movement of the entrance knob and the operating lever. The machine is therefore doubly locked against further manipulation when the counter compartment door is unlatched. 'Ihis arrangement of course doubly insures the machine against any unauthorized person from tampering with the mechanism.

With the device in the horizontal position shown in Figures 1 and 6, door I2of the counter compartment is locked in closed position. The .extreme end of the bar 29 abuts the plate 3l, which prevents the door I2 from being unlatched and opened. As soon as the mechanism 34 is manipulated, however, the plate 31 drops to a l5 position such that the upper edge thereof lies slightly beneath the lower edge of the bar 29 (see Figure 7). The knob i3 may now be turned to unlatch the door I2. Rotation of the knob and key I4 causes the bar 23 to move into position 10 over the top edge of the plate 3'! and thus prevent manipulation of the locking mechanism 34. The bar 28 is also extended and simultaneously causes the bell crank 33 to rotate slightly. The arm 42 on the bellcrank pushes the end of the plate 44 15 into the slot 49 of the arm 5l, thus locking the operating lever and vote indicators against operation.

Before the machine can be again operated, it is i'lrst necessary to close and lock thecountercom- 20 partment. As the key lil is turned in the latch 2i, the plate 24 rotates to Withdraw the bar 29, thus permitting the locking mechanism 34 to be manipulated. The plate 3l of the locking mechanism 34 is moved upwardly and abuts the ex- 25 treme end of the bar 23, thus preventing the counter compartment from again being opened until the plate 3i is withdrawn from the end of the bar 29. As the plate 24 rotates the bar 28 is withdrawn which retracts the plate 44 from the 30` slot 49 in the arm 5l and releases the operating arm at the front of the machine.

Although applicant has shown and described but one modication of the invention, he does not intend to be limited thereto since it is obvious 35 that other modiiications or adaptations of the in- K vention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I 40 claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

l. In a voting machine having an entrance knob locking mechanism, a counter compartment, a door closing said compartment, a latch on said 45 machine for releasably securing said door in closed position, a latch operating knob on said door, a laterally reciprocable bar joined to and movable with said latch, vertically movable means on said entrance knob locking mechanism abu't- 50 ting said reciprocable bar, said means, when said door latch is in released position, being adapted to prevent manipulation of said entrance knob locking mechanism.

2. In a voting machine having an entrance knob locking mechanism, a counter compartment,

a door closing said compartment, a latch on said machine for releasably securing said door in closed position, said latch including a knob mounted on said door, a key projecting inwardly from and rotatable with said knob, said key being engageable with a portion of said latch joined to said machine, a laterally reciprocable bar joined to and movable with said latch, vertically movable means on said locking mechanism abutting said reciprocable bar, said means lying in the path of said reciprocable bar for the purpose oi preventing manipulation of said door latch without rst manipulating said entrance knob locking mechanism to withdraw said means from the path of said reciprocable bar.

ALVIN N. GUsTAvsoN.

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