US2424613A - Alvin n - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1947.

A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE Filed March 4, 1945 Patented July 29, 1947 UNITED sTATEs ll ..TE1-JT OFFICE Alvin N. Gustavson, Bemus'Point, N.Y., assignor to Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, Jamestown, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March A4, 1943, Serial No. 477,931

8 Claims. (Cl. 23S-54) j 'Ihis invention relates to an improvement in voting machines and more particularly to those of the type in which votes are cast by the manipulation of pointers, and in means for preventing manipulation of certain pointers.

In its @preferred embodiment the invention discloses means for preventing the manipulation of pointers which takes the form of a shield of any desired length that may be readily attached to the keyboard of a voting machine to intert and conceal, at least in part, a desired number of pointers in a party row and by such engagement prevent manipulation of the pointers.

Much difficulty has been encountered in educating voters in the proper use of a voting machine. This is particularly true in elections r election districts where the candidates arer of a `lesser number than the number of pointers provided on the machine and it becomes necessary to prevent the unused pointers from eitherdeliberately or accidentally being actuated. Shields or cover plates of various kinds have been provided for the purpose of preventing this kind of error on the part of voters. My Patent No. 1,747,114 discloses a shield adapted to cover unused pointers in .connection with yes and no pointers when differences involving a yes or no vote requires more than two pointers spaces. My Patent No. 1,850,873 provides party row covers or shields by which to block of! entire rows of pointers not required at an election and my Patent No. 2,091,590 provides a pointer shield that is secured to the keyboard of the voting machine in such a manner that it cannot be removed except through the use of a tool designed for this purpose.

The present invention is of the nature of an improvement of my Patent No. 2,091,590 and provides a shield that can only be released and removed from the keyboard by an election onicial having authorized access to the interior of the machine. Such an expedient is found necessary since in certain election districts unscrupulous voters have' devised tools by which the shields of my last mentioned patent might be removed.

An object of the invention therefore lies in the provision of a shield that will not only conceal one or more unused pointers on the keyboard of a voting machine but will engage normally rotatable portions of the pointers and secure them in inoperative position.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a pointer concealingshield that yis secured against inadvertent removal.

` A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a pointer concealing shield that can only be attached or removed following an adjustmentof parts made accessible for such adjustment kfrom the interior of the machine.

Further yobjects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a, consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and iniwhich:

VFigure 1 isa fragmentary front elevational view of the rkeyboard of a voting machine, showing'three different size shields in place and coveringcertain of the pointers;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 and shows the manner of locking the shields;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and for convenience of disclosure shows both locked and unlocked conditions of two vertically adjacent shields;

Figure 4 shows in horizontal section and in elevatlon, the locking bar by which the shields are held in pl-ace;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary elevational view of a, slide bar located beneath the ballot strip holder;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a two pointer shield; and

Figure 'I is a rear elevational view of a cover plate.

Reference is more particularly directed to the drawing wherein the numeral I0 is employed to generally designate a portion of the keyboard of a voting machine of the type to which the invention is applicable. 'Ihe keyboard includes a number of horizontal rows II of pointers I2. The pointers are mounted on the front Wall I3 of the machine, being supported on shafts I4. Each pointer includes an larm I6 that is located forwardly of the front I3, the intervening space accommodating a candidate strip holder I1. At the pointed or free end oi each pointer I2 is a knob I8. 'I'he pointers are uniformly spaced and, thus, any shield arranged to cover a given number of pointers in oney of the rows II Will cover a corresponding number of pointers in any other row. Each strip holder l1 is secured beneath its row of Ipointers to the front I3 by means of pins or rivets I9. The rinr of each aperture for the rivets I9 is counter sunk, as indicated at 2l, for the purpose of positioning the holder in slightly spaced relationship to the front I3.

Between the rear wall 22 of the holder and the iront I3 is located a slide bar 23. This bar, being provided with slots 24 through which the offsets 2I project, is slidable the length of the slots and readily manipulated by a knob or pin 26 mounted at one end of the bar. Openings 21, corresponding in number and position to the number and position of the pointers, are adapted, when the bar is in its extreme right position, to register with openings 28 in the wall 22 of the holder Il, and such registry of these openings is designed to give access to certain connection parts within the machine from the exterior thereof. With the bar 23 in the position suggested in Figure 5, the `adjusting parts are not exposed but concealed by the solid portions of the bar adjacent the openings 2l. The structure of the bar 23, together with the arrangement of openings 21 and 28, and their purpose, forms no specic part of the invention, the adjusting feature of the bar only having relationship to the invention as will be hereinafter more fully brought out.

Mounted in the holder I1 is a card supporting strip 29 This strip is of course provided with slots or apertures that register with the apertures 28 of the holder. A ballot 3| may be placed on the strip 29 and a suitable transparent strip 32 `covers the ballot strip. The strip 29, ballot strip 3|, and cover strip 32 are mounted in the holder II by being inserted from the holder end shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. Of course, each holder being formed with top and bottom flanges 33 and 34, respectively, necessitates such procedure.

Attention is directed to the fact that the lower iiange 34 of the holder Il, together with an adjacent portion o the base wall 22, is laterally oi'iset to provide a space 36 between the lower portion of the holder and the machine front I3. A locking bar 3l projects partially into the space 36 and consists of a part 38 in which is mounted a pin or knob 33. The part 38 abuts the front I3 and from this part the bar is laterally offset substantially its own thickness, as at 49, being held in such spacing throughout the remainder of its length by the provision of one or more shoulder portions 4I. From Veach shoulder portion a pin 42 projects through a slot 43 in the front I3. In the present disclosure, a washer 44 and cotter pin 46 serve to prevent displacement of pin 42 from the slot 43 (see Figure 4). The lower edge of the bar 3l is formed with a multiplicity of uniformly sized and spaced slots or recesses 45 and it is apparent that as the bar is moved from one position to another, as limited by the pin and slot structure 42 and 43, the slots 45 will be moved over the front I3 at least their own length. The corresponding edge of each of the slots 45 is beveled, as indicated at 53, and in a direction such that when the bar is moved to the left, as viewed in the drawing, it will tend to override any part located between the bar portion 43 and the front I3.

Shields 41 for covering unused pointers I2 are provided in a number of differentlengths so that by their suitable combination they may be arranged to icover any desired number of unused pointers. Each shield 41 includes a frontal portion 48, having apertures 49 of a size to receive the pointer knob IS. If, as shown in Figure 6, the shield is adapted to conceal two pointers, only two apertures 49 will be provided. The lower, left-hand edge of each frontal portion 48 may be Cut away, as indicated at I, on all of the shields,

with the possible exception of the shields that are applied to the left end of the pointer rows I I`. As may be seen in Figure 1, the purpose of this is to provide freedom for the manipulation of the next adjacent unconcealed pointer. Each shield includes a bottom flange 52 and top flange 53. The top ilange is formed with two or more lugs 54, the size and spacing of which renders them projectable into the recesses or slots 45 of the locking bar 3l. The ange 52 of the shield is of such width as to approach or abut the transparent cover strip 32, whereas the ilange 53 is of a width to abut the front I3.

When it is desired to block ofi, conceal, or render inoperative certain pointers, one or more shields 41 are applied to the pointers and the locking bar 3l, at this time, is in its extreme right-hand position, as viewed in the drawing. Such position of the locking bar enables the lugs 54 of each shield to project through and beyond the slots 45. Movement of the bar 3l to the left causes the inclinededges 59 of the slots 45 to ride'ove'r 'thelugs 54 and, when the bar is in extreme" position, the solid portions between slots 44 completely conceal and engage the lugs 5,4 (see Figure 1).

Itl willA be observed that the slide bar 23 and locking bar 37 have portions of uniform length extendingbeyond one end of the holder II, and that1 the pins 26 and 39 thereof are in vertical alignment. Thus, if al1 of the slide and locking bars are correspondingly positioned, all of the pins will be aligned. It is apparent that access to the removal or mounting of shields 4l, together with accessto the removal or installation of strip 29, ballot strip 3l, and Cover strip 32 can onlyVv be had if the end portions of slide bar and locking )bar23 and 31, respectively, are exposed, and if these parts of the bars are not exposed, the strips and shields cannot be removed. To provide suitable protection against unauthorized and illegal manipulation of these bars, a cover lilate` 56.*irs provided. This plate includes a full length portion 5`I, having side ilanges 58 and 59. The ilange 5 9 4continues in a portion 6I that is oifsetfrom,butA parallel with the portion 56. The lov/verwend of theportionl includes a tab-like extension 62 from the rear face of which a pin 63.7projects. A collar 64 on the pin,v adjacent the portign 6I, serves as a means for positioning the DOrtion 6I a prescribed distance from the front I3 oefthemachine The portion 51 of `the cover plate `is provided with two or more pins 66. Each of these pins includes a large diametered area of sufficient length to terminate in the same plane as the collar 64, and from which extends a red uced diametered portion 6l that terminates in asomewhat enlarged head 63. The structure o f the pins is,` such as to enable their entry into the upper portions of keyhole slots 69 formed in the front I3. Downward movement of the cover platesecures it against disengagement from the front I3., On the inner face of the front I3, and therefore `accessible only from the interior of the machine, is a pivotal latch member 1I. The hook portion of the latch is engageable with pin 63 when it is projected through a slot I2 in the wallA I3. The latch servesV to secure the cover plate in its e lowermost position and prevents vertical movementthereof by which to free the pins from the keyhole slots 69.

For a clearer understandinga description of thejinstallation Vofwone or more shields 41 is given, as -follows: Atj the time the voting machine Vis to be set up forran election, it is known `how many rows of pointers and the number of pointers in each row that are required. The remaining pointers are required to be concealed, at least in part, and be prevented manipulation. At the time the machine is set up, access of course is had to the interior for other adjustments pertaining to a given election, and the latch 1I can therefore be disengaged from the pin 83. The cover plate 5B may then be removed and, by such removal, the end portions of bars 23 and 31 are exposed. It will be noted that the pins 26 and 39, by which these bars are adjusted, lie within the space ,13 formed by the portion 51 and its side ilanges 58 and 59 of the cover plate. Bar 31 is moved from the dotted to solid line position indicated in Figure l. A shield 41 is then mounted on the pointers by tting the apertures 49 over the knobs I8. When the shield is so positioned, the lugs 54 abut the front I3 and by again moving the bar 31, these lugs are securely locked in place. When the desired number of shields have been mounted and all of the bars 31 are returned to their left-hand position, together with any of the bars 23 that may have been moved for other purposes, the cover plate 56 may be restored to its position of concealing the end portions of the bars 23 and 31. After the cover plate has been mounted and moved to its lowermost position and the latch 1l adjusted to engage pin 63, the cover plate cannot be removed, and access, therefore, cannot be had by which to remove the shields and actuate any of the pointers. Thus, when the machine is in condition for voting, access cannot be had to its interior by which to release the latch 1I. If, from accident or design when the shields were mounted, the locking bar 31 was not moved to a position to secure the shields in place, the cover plate 56 cannot be mounted. This is due to the fact that the pins 2E and 39 of bars 23 and 31 would lie in the plane of the portion 6l of the cover and not within the space 13 of the portion 51.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of means for preventing voter access to the removal, adjustment, or actuation of certain parts on the face of a voting machine, it will be understood that variations of this structure, together with the means for locking other frontal voting machine parts, are within contemplation of the invention insofar as they are within the spirit and scope of 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 on its front a row of pointers mounted for pivotal movement, each of said pointers including an arm mounted knob; a shield mounted on and, at least in part, concealing a determined number of said pointers, means on said shield engaged with the knobs of said determined number of pointers in-a manner to prevent pivotal movement thereof, a locking bar mounted on the front of said machine movable into either of two positions, said bar having an end portion extending beyond said row of pointers, parts on said shield and said bar being cooperative in one position of said bar to secure. said shield against removal from the knobs of said pointers, a cover for enclosing the end portion of said bar when in one of said positions in a manner to prevent movement into the other of said positions.

2. In a voting machine having a front panel, a plurality of bars so mounted on said panel as to be slidable thereon to a common limited extent 6 from one to another position, corresponding end portions being accessible for moving said bars into either of said positions, a cover adapted to be mounted on and in prelocated position on said panel, said cover serving to enclose the accessible end portions when in one of said positions cooperating parts on said end portion and said cover serving to secure said bar in said one position, and means for securing said cover against removal from said panel.

3. In a voting machine having a iront panel and a row of pointers mounted for pivotal movement thereover, a shield mounted and individually engaged with a predetermined number of pointers in a manner to prevent pivotal movement thereof, a locking bar on said panel adjacent said pointers, said bar having a main portion engageable with and adapted to secure said shield against displacement and an end portion extending beyond one end of said row of pointers, a -cover for said end portion, means in said cover engageable with said end portion when main portion engages said shield whereby to prevent movement of said bar out of shield engaging position and other means for securing said cover to said panel, said other means being operable from the interior of said machine.

4. In a voting machine having a front panel an a row of pointers mounted for pivotal movement thereover, a shield mounted and individually engaged with a predetermined number of pointers in a manner to prevent pivotal movement thereof, a locking bar on said panel adjacent said pointers, said bar being movable into either of two positions and having means thatin one position, is engageable with and adapted to secure said shield against removal from said pointers, an end portion on said bar being accessible to facilitate movement of said bar, a cover for said end portion, said cover being applicable to said panel to enclose said end portion in said one position of said bar, cooperating parts on said end portion and said cover serving to prevent movement into the other position, and latch means on said panel for securing said cover against displacement.

5. In a voting machine having a front panel and a row of pointers mounted for pivotal movement thereover, a shield mounted and individually engaged with a predetermined number of pointers in a manner to prevent pivotal movement thereof, a locking bar on said panel adjacent said pointers, said bar being movable into either of two positions, parts on said shield and said bar cooperating, in one position of said bar, to secure said shield against displacement from said pointers, an offset end portion on said bar, a cover applicable to said panel to enclose said end portion, means locating said cover in a position to cause a wall thereof to engage said end portion in said one position and secure said bal' against movement into a position to release said shield, and latch means for said cover, said latch means being accessible for operation to secure or release said cover from within said machine.

6. In a voting machine having a front panel on which are mounted rows of pointers capable of pivotal movement into Vote indicating position, means for controlling the movement of any of said pointers, said means including shields for securing any given pointers in a non-vote indicating position, a plurality of bars so mounted on said panel as to be movable into either of two positions, main portions of said bars being adapted, in one of said two positions, to secure said shields against displacement from said pointers, end portions of said bars extending uniformly beyond the pointer rows, a cover adapted to be mounted in a predetermined position on said panel to enclose the end portions of said bars, said end portions, when in position to secure said shields against displacement, being Within the lateral limits of said cover and permitting securing said :over to said panel to prevent gaining access to and adjustment of said bars into another position.

7. In a voting machine having a front panel, a bar so mounted on said panel as to be slidable thereon to a limited extent from one to another position, an end portion being accessible for moving said bar into either of two positions, means on the main portion of said bar effective in one of said positions to secure certain parts against removal from said machine, a cover adapted to be mounted on said panel to enclose said end portion when in one of said positions, and cooperating means on said cover and said bar serving to secure said bar against displacement from said one position.

8. In a Voting machine having a row of pointers mounted for pivotal movement over the front thereof, a shield mounted on and, at least in part,

concealing and preventing movement of a prede termined group of said pointers, a bar mounted on the front of said machine movable into either of two positions, said bar having an end portion extending beyond said row of pointers, and said bar being operative, in one position thereof, to secure said shield against removal, a cover adapted to be moimted on said front to enclose the ond portion of said bar when in said one position, and means on said cover and said bar cooperating to secure said bar against movement into a position to release said shield.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,119,139 Davis Dec. 1,191 1,747,114 Gustavson Feb. 11, 1930 2,091,590 Gustavson Aug. 193'! 1,850,873 Gustavson Mar. 22, 1932 1,363,885 Lausterer Dec. 28,1920 1,975,992 Ulithoff Oct. 9, '934 2,189,951 Gustavson Feb. 13, 1940 Certicate of Correction Patent No. 2,424,613. Julyr 29, 1947.

' ALVIN N. GUsTAvsoN It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 5, line 70, claim 1, beginning with the word when strike out all to and including positions7 in line 72, same claim, and insert insteod and means on said end portion and cover cooperating to secure said bar in shield securing position; and that the said Letters Patent should be refad with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of October, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,424,613. July 29, 1947.

l ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 5, line 70, claim l, beginning With the Word when strike out all to and including positions in line 72, same claim, and insert instead and means on said emi portion and cover cooperating to secure said bar 'in shield securing' position; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Oflce.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of October, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

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