US2346962A - Voting machine - Google Patents

Description

April 1944a A. N. eus'mvsom VOTING MACHINE Filed June 9, 1941 ,E'Irs-S Jwucwfon all \w Patented Apr. 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.346.962 a 1 Y 1 vo'rrNG MACHINE 7 Alvin N. Gustavson, JamestowmN. Y., assignor to Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, James town, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1941, serial No. 397,152

'2 Claims.

- This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines and more particularly to an attachment therefor by which to facilitate a prescribed manner of voting.

In certain election districts it is required by law to ballot for candidates to conventions and other comparable positions or oilices by casting a single ballot for an entire group of such candidates as distinguished from separately casting a ballot for each candidate of the group. Voting machines, to which the present invention is applicable, are not generally arranged for this type of balloting. The present invention has, therefore, been developed for the purpose of making possible, through the manipulation of a single view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figlever, the designation or casting of a ballot for each candidate of the entire candidate group. In its present form the invention providesan attachment device applicable to a voting machine having a keyboard of a well known type, such, for example, as the-keyboard generally indicated in Patent No. 945,714 to Gillespie. The device. is so designed as to be operable on two or more adjacent vote indicators of a horizontal row of indicators for simultaneous movement of such indicators into voting position through operation or movement of a single lever.

It is not always convenient to accommodate a large candidate group in a single horizontal row of indicators. Also, due to the arrangement of a ticket at an election, it may be found more suitable to set up the candidate group in two or more horizontal rows. Under such conditions, it is contemplated to provide two or more of the devices, which, when mounted on the vote indicators of the desired rows and operab-ly connected, are adapted to move the vote indicators into operated position through movement of a lever on one of the devices.

More particularly the objects and advantages of the invention reside in the provision of an attachment device for moving a predetermined group of vote indicators into operated position by operation of a single lever; provision of a device capable of attachment to any desired group of vote indicators in any horizontal row of such indicators; provision of a device that, when used in operative multiple arrangement, is capable of moving any given number of vote indicators in two or more horizontal rows into operated position by means of a single lever; and provision of a device that may be readily attached to or removed from the keyboard of a voting machine as required and without the aid of special tools.

Other objects and advantages will be more fully ure 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are views taken substantially as indicated at 44 of Figure 3 and show the steps in applying the. invention to and securing it on the vote indicators.

Referringlmore particularly to the drawing, the numeral I0 is employed to generally designate a portion of the keyboard of a voting machine on which are arranged horizontal rows H of vote indicators 2 The indicators l2 are movable into operated-position from the position of indicator lZa to that of indicator l2b. Each indicatorprojects through the front wall ill of the voting machine and includes a hub I4 from which projects an arm I6. A knob IT on the arm constitutes the portion by which the indicator is ordinarily moved from one position to another.

The attachment device, generally indicated by the numeral 18, comprises a generally U-shaped member ii! that includes a front wall 2!, top wall 22, and rear wall 23. Mounted on the front wall, adjacent one end, is a label holder 24. Pins 26 pivotally secure corresponding ends of a pair of straps 21 to the front wall 2|. The other ends of the straps 21 are pivotally joined to a bar 23 through pins 29. The straps 21 serve to maintain the bar 28 in parallelism with the member 15. A pivot member 3| pivotally mounts one end of a lever 32 on the front wall 21 of the member 19. An ofiset portion 33 of the lever is joined through a pivot 34 to the bar 28. In order that the lever 32 may be moved to one or the other of the two positions indicated in Figures 1 and 2, the front wall 2i is recessed, as at 36. A suitable knob 31 on the end of the lever 32 facilitates movement of said lever to withdraw the bar 2-8 from within the U-shaped member IS.

The rear wall 23 of the member I9 is comparatively short and formed, adjacent its ends, with depending hook-like portions 38. Between portions 38 the wall 23 has a laterally offset portion 39 that includes a depending lug 4|. Joined to the lug by pivot pin 42 is a locking plate 43 that includes a finger portion 44.

In the present form of the invention the device I 8 is intended to simultaneously operate four of the indicators l2. Figures 4 and of the drawing show that the device is mounted on the keyboard by engaging the hook-like portions 38 with the hubs I4 of the endmost indicators in the group of four under consideration. As may be seen in Figure 3 of the drawing, the portions 38 are located to the rear of the indicator arms and wall 2| in front of said arms. When the device has been mounted; plate 43 is rotated from the position of Figure 4 to that of Figure 5 and bears against hub 14 of one of the endmost indicators of the group. Thusthe device is secured against inadvertent displacement. It'is to be noted that the bar 28 contacts the knobs of the indicators l2. When itlis desired to move the group of indicators intooperated position, member 32 is moved downwardly, causing bar 28 to move the group of indicators into operated position. The lever 32 neednot return the indicators 12 to inoperative position, since such movement occurs in the normal procedure of registering the ballot indicated on the voting machine.

When it is desired to actuate a greater number of indicators l2 than can be conveniently arranged for in any given horizontal row, a second device is provided. This device 46 is similar to the device l8 with the exception that operating lever 41 is not of the same length as lever 32. A link 48 is pivotally joined to the free end of lever 41. The other end of the link 48 is pivotally joined to the lever 32. Thus, when lever 32 is moved into operated position, the indicators l2 of both rows will be moved by bars 28 of devices l8 and 46. It will of course be understood that these devices may be of a length to operate any considerable number of indicators I2 in a given indicator row, or the indicators in two or more rows may be simultaneously operable through the use of one device l8 and one or more of the devices 46.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of a device for simultaneously operating a group of vote indicators in one or more horizontal rows on a voting machine, it will be understood that variations and modifications of the structure may be made and are contemplated. insofar as such modifications are within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the annexed claims.

Having 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 having a keyboard and a row of voting indicators mounted on said keyboard for pivotal movement thereover, a device for. moving several of said indicators into voted position comprising a supporting member, hooklike portions on said member engageable with the hubs of certain of said indicators, means on said member operable to secure said hook-like portions against displacement from said hubs, means carried by said member operable to simultaneously engage the free ends of and move said several indicators into voted position, and a lever carried by said member, said lever having connection with and being movable to operate said last mentioned means.

2. In a voting machine having a keyboard and a plurality of voting indicators mounted on said keyboard for pivotal movement thereover, each of said indicators including a hub and an arm,

and move said several indicators into voted position, and a manually operable lever having connection with and being movable to actuate said bar.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

Images