US254416A - Combined ballot-receptacle and satchel - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Feb. 28,1882.

0. WELLS.

COMBINED BALLOT REGEPTAOLE AND SATOHEL.

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(No Model.)

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. WELLS. v COMBINED BALLOT REOEPTACLE AND SATGHEL. No. 254,416. 3 Patented Feb. 28,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSBERN \VELLS, OF NE'WBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED BALLOT-RECEPTACLE AND- SATCHEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,416, dated February 28, 1882.

Application filed October 12,1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSBERN WELLS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Newberry, in the county of Newberry and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Ballot-Receptacle and Satchel and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a combined ballotframe and satchel, the object being to provide a ballot-receptacle capable of being conveniently handled and transported and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, whereby the receptacle may be readily secured to a table or desk while in use; also in the devices,as described, for canceling the ballot in the act of depositing the same; and, further, in the means for securing the satchel and contents after the voting has been completed,allashereinaftermorefullyset forth.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a vertical .longitudinal section on the line :0 a; of Fig. 2, showing my improved ballotreceptacle. Fig. 2 is a top View. Fig. 3 is a side view of satchel with ballot-frame removed, showing devices for closing and securing the satchel. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of same on the line y y of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of devices for securing the mouth of the satchel; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line zz of Fig. 1, near one end of the ballotframe.

Like letters indicate like parts in the several views.

A represents a satchel composed of any suitable material, and having an oblong rectangular mouth for the reception of the frame 13.

O is a detachable metallic band, nearly rectangular in form, which surrounds the mouth of the satchel and assists in holding the frame 3 in place. The band 0, frame B, and satchel A are provided with circular openings for the passage of the clamping-bolts l) D, by which said parts are connected.

In order to facilitate the operations of attaching and detaching the frame B to and from the satchel, the latter is provided with loops at a, by which it may be readily handled.

The clamping-bolts D D are screw-threaded at their inner ends, which enter nuts or screwcaps 11 b, that may be permanently attached to the band C or detached therefrom, as desired. At the outer ends of the bolts D D are jaws 00 for clamping the edge of a table, desk, or other suitable support, to which they are secured by means of the thumb-bolts d d.

The frame B is provided with an open cover, B, which is hinged at one end, and closing down over the journals of the rollers, hereinafter described, is secured at its opposite end by a hook or other suitable fastening arranged within the frame B. The rollers having been placed in position and the cover B secured before the ballot-box is attached to the satchel, it will be seen that after these parts have been connected by means of the bolts D the rollers cannot be tampered with or disarranged without first withdrawing said bolts.

The upper surface of the frame B and under part ofthe cover B hinged thereto are provided with half-round bearings c for the journals of the inking and printing rollers,which are thus held in place. These rollers are preferably four in number.

The inking-rollers E E are arranged in contact with each other near one end of the box. They are of different diameter. The smaller one, E, which adjoins the printing-roller F, is provided with a cog, c, that meshes with a similar gear, f, on the shaft of the latter roller. The gear f meshes with a gear, g, on the shaft of a feed-roller, G, that is thus caused to revolve toward and in contact with the printingroller when the latter is actuated by the crank H. The inking-rollers may be composed of any suitable material, or may be covered with cloth or other substance capable of absorbing and retaining a sufficient quantity of ink or other canceling matter.

An auxiliary or hand inking-roller, I, mounted in a suitable frame and composed of appropriate material, is provided for use in connection with the other rollers, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The printing-roller is composed preferably of a shaft, having a permanent collar, F, to which is keyed or otherwise secured the print- 1 three parts, suitably secured, the central depressed portion or band being composed of elastic material.

The several rollers, as before described, are held in place by the hinged cover B, which is secured by a hook, it, and pin 2', arranged within the frame. When the hinged cover B is closed it fits completely around the rollers, and, while preventing access to the box from above, it permits their operation to be observed. A guide-frame, It, is attached to the cover B immediately above the space between the rollers F and G, and through this space the ballot is passed. The crank H is now turned by the custodian of the ballot-box in such a way as to cause the rollers F G to revolve toward each other, grasping the folded ticket or ballot and crimpingitbetween the flanged roller F and depressed or centrallygrooved roller G at the same time that it is printed or marked by the type or the printingroller F. While the person in charge turns the crank H he also moves the hand-roller I forward upon the rollers EE, thus conveying ink to the printing-roller F. The crimped and printed ballot, after passing between the rollers F and G, drops into the satchel.

The type aflixed to the roller F may indicate any desired letters, numbers, or characters adapted to denote the locality of the pollingplace, or may be arranged to cancel the ballot by imprinting upon the same any abitrary combination ofcharacters. Ifnumerals areemployed, their selection may be arbitrarily determined by the use of dice. In this case the custodian of the ballot-receptacle, before arranging it to receive the ballots, will by a throw of the dice determine the number to be used in canceling the ballots. A sufficient number of type-collars F to represent numbers from nine to fiftyfour, inclusive, will be provided, and the collar containing type representing the number so selected will be placed in position upon theshaft of the printing-roller. In this way not even the judges of election will have any prior knowledge of the canceling-number to be emafter falling into the satchel when several are folded together, and no others need be counted.

As an additional safeguard against fraud in depositing ballots, the color of the cancelingink or other matter employed for the purpose may be selected in like manner by throwinga die the faces of which are differently colored. After the voting has been completed the ballotreceptacle is detached from the table by loosening the thumb-screws d d. The clamping-bolts D D are then withdrawn, thus disconnecting the frame B from the satchel and permitting access thereto for the purpose of removing and counting the contained ballots. This preliminary count being completed, the ballots should be returned to the satchel, and the various parts of the frame B may be detached and also placed therein.

Within the frame B, beneath the inking-rollers, is a receptacle, K, in which the smaller-detached parts of the apparatus may be secured. This inner receptacle is provided at the bottom with a hinged door, L, having a slide-fastening, m. The band 0, together with the clam ping-bolts, fran1eB,and its detached parts, havingbeen deposited in the satchel, the mouth of the latter is secured for transportation by means of the devices shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6. These devices consist of the clasps M Nandlocking-barO. Theouterclasp,M,isprovided with a suitable handle, and has loops pp, that correspond in position and engage with vertical slots 8 8 in the inner clasp, N, and in the sides of the satchel near its upper portion. In adjusting these clasps the mouth of the satchel is folded together longitudinally and placed between the clasps, so that the loops 1) p on the clasp M are made to pass through theslotsinthesatchel,andalso through the slots 5 s in the clasp N, which fits between the bent ends of the former clasp. The bar 0 is now passed through theloopspp and through slots in the ends of the clasp M, which are bent at right angles to the body of the clasp. The bar 0 has a stop, if, at one end, that prevents it from slipping entirely through the loops 1), while its opposite end, beyond the extremity of the clasp M, has an opening, '0, through which is passed and secured a padlock, 10, thus securely closing the mouth of the satchel, which may now be conveniently transported to the place where the ballots are to be canvassed.

This ballot-receptacle greatly diminishes the ordinary opportunities of fraud, and, besides its convenience of transportation, is not capable of being readily tampered with.

It will be understood that I do not herein claim the fastening devices illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, such devices being adapted for use in many analogous ways, and therefore reserved for a separate application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the frame of aballot-receptacle, of a satchel detachably attached thereto, and provided with fastening devices,

substantially as described, whereby the ballots and detached frame maybe secured therein, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the satchel A and detachable frame B, having hinged open cover B, adapted to be secured within said frame, of the inking-rollers E E, printing-roller F, and pressure or feed roller G, substantially as specified.

3. In a ballot-receptacle provided with devices arranged to print or mark the ballots as deposited, the combination, with suitable inklug-rollers, of a feed-roller, G, having a central depressed portion composed of elastic material, and a printingroller composed of a shaft having the central detachable type-collar, F, and securing-collars F F, substantially as set 20 forth.

4. In acombined ballot-receptacle and satchel, the combination, with the satchel A, frame B,

and band 0, having nuts or screw-caps b b, of the clamping screw-bolts D D, havingjaws c c and thumb-screws d (1, whereby the parts are connected and detachably secured to a suitable support, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a satchel having a detachable top or frame provided with rollers for printing or marking ballots as deposited, of clamping-bolts adapted to connect the satchel and frame and secure the same to a table or other support, and means, substantially as described, for securing the ballots and detachable frame and contents in the satchel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OSBERN WELLS.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. GLENN,

JAMES F. KILGORE.

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