US2285367A - Voting machine - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1942. R F SHOUP 2,285,367

VOTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 21, 1941 7' COUNTER INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented June 2, 1942 VOTING MACHINE Ransom F. Shoup, Ardmore, Pa., assignor to The Shoup Voting Machine Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application February 21, 1941, Serial No. 379,979

6 Claims.

This invention relates to voting machines of the type illustrated in Shoup, et a1. Patent No. 2,054,102 and more particularly to the straight ticket mechanism for such type voting machine illustrated in Shoup Patent No. 2,191,086.

In communities where straight ticket voting is permitted, it is sometimes desirable to know the number of straight ticket votes cast in an election. With the type of straight ticket voting mechanism illustrated in the patents above referred to and also with the straight ticket mechanism of other types of voting machines now in use, a voter may actuate the straight ticket mechanism and then unvote any individual voting key or spindle of the party whose straight ticket mechanism he has actuated and actuate the corresponding individual key of another party. Thus, a record of the number of times that the straight ticket mechanism of a party is actuated is not necessarily a true record of the number of straight ticket votes cast for such party.

An object of this invention is to provide the straight ticket mechanism of a voting machine with a counter which is actuated upon actuation of the straight ticket voting mechanism but which is restored to oirginal position in the event of the restoration of any individual key of the party to unvoted position, thereby preventing the counter from recording as a straight ticket vote an operation of the straight ticket mechanism followed by the return of any individual key to unvoted position.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a voting machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l with certain of the parts in different positions;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

1 Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3. The present invention embodies certain improvements in the voting machine mechanism disclosed in the patent to Shoup, No. 2,191,086

and insofar as is possible the reference characters herein used will correspond to the reference characters in said patent.

Several columns of voting spindles 38 of which only one column is herein shown are journalled in a two-part vertical strap 40 suspended from a crossplate 4| provided in the upper portion of the housing which encloses the voting mechanism. The front end of each spindle passes through an aperture in a vertical partition plate 39 and is supported by a gear of a co-operating counter C herein shown schematically and fully disclosed in Shoup Patent No. 2,140,336, the counters being located in a channel member supported by the partition 39. Each spindle 38 is of square cross section and as fully described in said Patent No, 2,191,086 is provided with circular grooves of which one is received in a circular bearing provided therefor in the strap 40. Each spindle except the bottom one is equipped with an operating handle 30 and the front end of the bottom spindle is inaccessible to a voter.

Each spindle 38 except the bottom one supports arms 59 and 59' between which extends a rod 592) to which is attached a pull strap 6| leading to a lockout mechanism (not shown). A plate 59a is attached to the arm 59 through the intermediary of the rod 5% which passes through a slot in said plate. The plate is thus slidably and rotatably connected to the arm and is for the purpose fully described in said Patent No. 2,191,086.

The spindles are normally retained in unvoted position by engagement with the arms 59 of the rungs 6'! of the spindle locking and restoring frame 65. The locking and restoring frame is supported and actuated as described in Patent No. 2,054,102 so as to release the various spindles for operation when the curtains are closed and to restore any actuated spindle to unactuated position when the machine changes from curtain closed to curtain open position.

A straight ticket bar I for each column is supported for combined horizontal and vertical movement by links |9I which are pivotally connected both to the bar I90 and to the strap 40 and a spring I93 exerts an upward pull on the straight ticket bar. The straight ticket bar I91) is of channel shape and is cut out to provide rungs 194 for engagement with the upper faces of the fingers extending from the plates 59a.

Above the column of spindles is journalled a 1 straight ticket spindle I96 having an operating ture of approximately the same diameter as the diagonal of the spindle while the plate 353 has an open end slot of less width than the width of the spindle. The spindle 38 has a groove 38a in which are received the edges of the slot in the plate 353 to hold the arm 35I against movement longitudinally of the spindle while permitting rotary movement of the link on the spindle. A bolt 354 passes through the free ends of the plates 352 and 353 to lock them together for unitary movement and also passes through a collar 355 and is screwed into one face of the angle rod Each spindle supports an arm 355 for rotation therewith and consisting of two plates 35'! and 358 having square apertures of proper size snugly to sition by the locking and restoring frame 65 as described in said Patent No. 2,054,102 and the bar 350 will be returned to elevated position through the medium of the studs 359.

It sometimes happens that after :a voter has actuated the straight ticket lever, be unvotes certain individual spindles and actuates corresponding spindles of another column, thus splitting his vote. With the arrangement just described should a voter unvote any spindle, he will also simultaneously lift the bar 350 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the .position shown in Fig. 2 in which the second and sixth spindles are receive the square portion of the spindle 38 and V the apertures are so arranged that they register with each other only when the plates are oriented with respect to each other and are out of register when the plates are in register. The plates 35'! and 358 are provided with apertures, one of which is tapped. To mount the plates on a spindle, they are arranged with the square apertures in register and then are moved along the spindle until one plate is in alinement with a circular groove of the spindle. This plate is then rotated to bring it into register with the other plate, thereby causing the sides of its aperture to be misaligned with the sides of the spindle whereby the plate is locked against axial movement. A stud 359 passes through the untapped bore and is threaded into the tapped bore, thus retaining the twoplates in register and effecting assembly of the arm 356 on the spindle 38. The bar 350 is provided with a series of notches 360 into which project the studs 359. The bottom notch 360 is of substantially the same width as the diameter of the 'stud 359 extending thereinto while the remaining notches are approximately three times as wide as the studs which they receive.

The angle bar 350 always has the upper end of at least one notch resting on a stud 359 and with the entire column of spindles in unvoted position it is held in elevated position. However, upon actuation of all the spindles of the column the bar moves by gravity into its lowermost position. The return of a single spindle to unvoted position returns the bar 350 to its uppermost position. The counter associated with the lowermost spindle is solely for the purpose of recording the number of straight ticket votes cast and it is for this reason that the width of the bottom notch 360 is such that the bottom spindle responds to any vertical movement of the bar 350. The remaining spindles 38 are arranged for the casting of a vote with respect to some particular candidate. I

The normal position of the straight ticket spindle I96 and the straight ticket bar I90 is illustrated in Fig. 2. With the entire column of spindles in unvoted position, the bar 350 is held in its upper position by engagement of the studs 359 with the top edges of the notches 360. Upon actuation of the straight ticket spindle I95, the straight ticket bar I90 is moved downwardly (Fig. 1) to actuate the entire column of spindles'in accordance with the disclosure in said Patent No. 2,191,086 with advancement of all of the counters. Upon release of the straight ticket spindle I95, it is returned to normal position by the spring I93 but the spindles are left in actuated position. With this arrangement of the bar 350, the bottom counter will record a straight ticket vote upon return of the spindles to unvoted poshown as having been returned to unvoted position. Such upward movement of the bar 350 causes return of the bottom counter to original position and nullifies the advancement of the counter effected'upon downward movement of the bar 350. The downward thrust of the bar 350 is insufficient of itself to effect actuation of even a single voter-actuatable spindle due to the force necessary to actuate the lockout straps GI. This condition may be arrived at by making the bar 350 of light material or by providing a suitably adjusted counterbalance. In any event, when the bar 350 is elevated by the voter unvoting a spindle it remains in elevated position as long as such spindle remains in unvoted position. .Thus, when a voter actuates the straight ticket spindle and then unvotes one or more individual spindles for the purpose of splitting his vote, the bottom counter is returned to original position and is unaffected by the downand up movement of the :bar 350. With this arrangement, the bottom counter records only the actual number of straight ticket operations of the machine, either through the medium of operation of the straight ticket handle I or through in-- dividual operation of each handle 39 of a column of spindles 38 in which event the bar 350 is gravity actuated downwardly to advance the bottom counter through rotation of its associated dle, a counter operably associated therewith, an

arm carried by each spindle, and a member movable between a first and a second position and being biased for movement into said firstposition, said member having a pivotal \connec tion with the arm of said additional spindle and a lost motion connection with the arm of each vote-indicating spindle of sufiicient extent to permit full actuation of any vote-indicating spindle without effecting movement of said member.

2. Ina voting machine, mechanism for registering the number of straight ticket operations of the machine comprising a column of rotatable vote-indicating spindles, a counter operably as sociated with each spindle, straight ticket voteractuated mechanisms for simultaneously actuating all said spindles in one direction, and biased for self-restoration with release after actuation, an additional spindle, a counter operably associated therewith, a gravity-actuated member position, means carried by one or more voteindicating spindles for engagement with a partion of said member to hold said member in its upper position when said spindle is in unvoted position, and means interconnecting said member and said additional spindle for simultaneous operation thereof.

3. In a voting machine, mechanism for registering the number of straight ticket operations of the machine comprising a column of rotatable vote-indicating spindles, a counter operably associated with each spindle, straight-ticket voteractuated mechanism for simultaneously actuating all said spindles in one direction, and biased for self-restoration with release after actuation, an additional spindle, a counter operably associated therewith, a gravity actuated member vertically movable between an upper and a lower position and having a series of vertically spaced notches, and a pin carried by each spindle in radially spaced relation to its axis and extending into a notch, the notch receiving the pin carried by said additional spindle being of the same width as the diameter of said pin and each other notch being of greater width than the diameter of the pin extending thereinto to provide a lost motion connection between said pin and said member of sufiicient extent to permit full actuation of the spindle associated with said pin without effecting movement of said member.

4. In a voting machine, mechanism for registering the number of straight ticket operations of the machine comprising a row of rotatable vote-indicating spindles, a counter operably associated with each spindle, straight ticket voteractuated mechanism for simultaneously actuating all of said spindles in one direction, and biased for self-restoration with release after actuation, an additional spindle, a counter operably associated therewith, a member movable between a first and a second position and being biased for movement into said first position, means carried by one or more vote-indicating spindles for engagement with a portion of said member to hold said member in its second position when said spindle is in unvoted position, and means interconnecting said member and said additional spindle for simultaneous operation thereof.

5. In a voting machine, mechanism for registering the number of straight ticket operations of the machine comprising a row of rotatable vote-indicating spindles, a counter operably associated with each spindle, straight-ticket voteractuated mechanism for simultaneously actuating all of said spindles in one direction, and biased for self-restoration with release after actuation, an additional spindle, a counter operably associated therewith, a member movable between a first and a second position and being biased for movement into said first position and having a plurality of notches, a pin carried by each spindle in radially spaced relation to its axis and extending into a notch, the notch receiving the pin carried by said additional spindle being of the same width as the diameter of said pin and each remaining notch being of greater width than the pin extending into it to provide lost motion connection between said pin and said member of sufficient extent to permit full actuation of the spindle associated with said pin without effecting movement of said member.

6. In a voting machine, mechanism for registering the number of straight ticket operations of the machine comprising a row of rotatable vote-indicating spindles, a counter operably associated with each spindle, straight ticket voteractuated mechanism for simultaneously actuating all of said spindles in one direction, and biased for self-restoration with release after actuation, an additional spindle, a counter operably associated therewith, an arm carried by each spindle, a member movable between a first and a second position and being biased for movement into said first position, a pivotal connection between said arm and said additional spindle arm and a lost motion connection. between said member and the arm of each vote-indicating spindle arm of suflicient extent to permit full actuation of any vote-indicating spindle without eiiecting movement of said member.

RANSOM F. SHOUP.

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