US3069076A - voting machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 18, 1962 R. F. SHOUP ETAL VOTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 19 0 JNVENTORS.

RANSOM E 0 Dec. 18, 1962 R. F. SHOUP ETAL 3,069,076

VOTING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 PA/VSOM E .SHOl/P BY [DNA/Q0 4. FOX SP.

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s INVENTORS N Dec. 18, 1962 R. F. SHOUP ETAL 3,

VOTING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 l M 1 INVENTORS.

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VOTING MACHINE Filed May 9. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS. AMA Jan E 57400! BY [DWAPfi A. m; SA.

ATTOf/VEX United States Patent O 3,069,076 ViT TING MACHINE Ransom F. Shoup, Bryn Mawr, and Edward A. Fox, Sr.,

Morton, Pa., assignors to Shoup Research and Development Corporation, Ridley Park, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Fiied May 9, 1960, Ser. No. 27,825 7 Claims. (Cl. 23554) This invention relates to a voting machine of the type shown in Shoup Patents No. 2,054,102 and 2,826,365, and other Shoup patents.

One object of the invention is to produce an improved voting machine of the type set forth.

A further object is to produce a voting machine of the type set forth which includes improved means for preventing the opening of the curtain unless the voter has cast, at least, one effective vote.

A still further object is to produce a voting machine which can be readily adapted for voting in a general election or in a selective primary election, and which includes voter-controlled means for enabling a voter who mistakenly votes for a candidate of one party to nullify the vote and to proceed to vote for a candidate of another party.

The full nature of the invention wil be understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, fragmentary, elevational View with parts being omitted to show details of construction and the machine being shown available for use by a voter before any vote has been cast.

FIG. 2 is an enlargement of the lower right-hand corner of FIG. 1, certain parts being added and showing the machine after one vote has been cast, but before the curtain has been opened and the machine locked.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the lower left-hand corner of FIG. 1, but showing the parts in the position they assume when, at least, one voting spindle has been moved to vote-casting position, but before the curtain has been opened.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows the parts in the position they assume after the curtain has been opened and the voting mechanism has been locked against further use.

FIG. 4-A is a fragmentary, sectional view looking in the direction of line 4A4A 011 FIG. 4 and showing details of construction.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, rear elevational view of the lower-left portion of PEG. 1, showing the position of the parts after the curtain has been opened and the voting mechanism has been locked.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, perspective View showing details of a voter-controlled correction mechanism which enables a voter to nullify a vote mistakenly cast for a candidate of one party and to enable the voter to cast a vote for a candidate of another party.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view showing details, which are not readily seen in the other figures.

The general structure and operation of the machine illustrated can be understood from the Shoup patent referred to. For the purpose of the present disclosure, it is sufiicient to point-out that the machine includes a hou ing 10, a curtain 12 (corresponding to the curtain shown in the prior Shoup Patent No. 2,054,102), which is movable to closed position to provide privacy for a voter using the machine and to an open position to admit the next voter; a main cam bar 14 (corresponding to main cam bar 58 in Shoup Patent Nov 2,251,254), which is moveable, in one direction, to close the curtain and reset, or restore, the voting spindles, and, in the opposite ice direction, to open the curtain and lock the voting spindles; handle return members R-l, R-2, R-3, etc. (corresponding to return members 14 of Patent No. 2,826,365), and a slide 16 (corresponding to slide of Patent No. 2,826,- 365), which is movable to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, to close switch .18 to cause motor M to move the main cam bar in a direction to close the curtain, and which is movable, to the right, to close switch 20 to cause motor M to move the main cam bar in a direction to open the curtain. It will be noted that slide 16 is normally biased to the right, or in curtain opening direction by spring 17. (See FIGS. 1 and 4.)

The machine also includes conventional voting spindles which are arranged in columns and are rotatable by handles H. In the drawings, only the lowest spindles S-1 and S2, of one column; spindles S-3 and S4 of a second column, and spindles S-5 and 8-6 of a third column are shown, 'but it will be understood that each column has about forty spindles and that the spindles are connected by butterfly cams B-l, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-S, etc., and pull straps P-l, P-2, etc., (corresponding to butterfly cam 59 and pull strap 92 of Patent No. 2,876,-

028) to an interlock 22 (corresponding to the inter-' lock shown at the right-hand end of FIG. 2 of Patent No. 2,259,590) which is fragmentarily and diagrammatically shown at the top of FIGS. 2 and 4. The manner in which rotation of a voting spindle S5 moves its corresponcling pull strap P-2 and its wedge W-S to immobilize the voting spindles assigned to other candidates for the same ofiice; the manner in which the votes are recorded, and the manner in which the voting spindles are collectively reset, or restored, when the curtain is opened, can be understood from the patents mentioned and from other Shoup patents, and, therefore, are not shown nor described.

The mechanism for making it impossible to open the curtain, unless, at least, one effective vote is cast, includes a handle 24 (FIGS. 1 and 4A) which is pivoted to a part of housing 10 and carries lever 26 which is pivoted to link 28 which is pivoted to lever 30. Lever '30 is fulcrumed at 31 to housing 10 and is pivoted at 32 to upright bar 34 which is guided for vertical movement by pins 36 passing through slots 38 in said bar. The lower end of bar 34 is pivoted at 39 to one end of lever 40 which is fulcrumed at 42 to housing 10. The other end of lever 40 is biased upwardly, or in counter-clockwise direction, by spring 44 to bring the lower corner 46 thereof into engagement with notch 47 which is formed in the adjacent end of slide 16. The mechanism referred to also includes a slide bar 50 which carries horizontal lug 52 and spaced vertical lugs 54, and is normally biased to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 4, by spring 56 to bring lug 52 into registration with the upper edge 48 of bar 34 and to bring lugs 54 into abutment with the vertical edges 55 of return members R-2, R-3, as will be seen from FIG. 1. It will be seen that, as long as lug 52 registers with the upper edge of bar 34 the latter can not be moved upwardly, the corner 46 oflever 40 can not be disengaged from notch 47, and slide 16 can not be moved to the right to close switch 20 and the curtain remains closed.

However, as soon as a voting spindle such as spindle 8-5, is turned in vote-casting direction, its associated return member is moved upwardly and to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. The functions performed by the upward movement of the return member form no part of the present invention. But, movement of the return member, such as R-3, to the right, causes its vertical edge 55 to engage lug 54 and to move slide 50, to the right or from the position shown in FIG. 1, to the position shown in FIG. 2. Movement of slide 50 to the right in response to the rotation of a spindle in vote-casting direction, moves lug 52 out of the way of upright bar 34. This permits the voter to turn handle 24 to raise bar 34 against the action of spring 44, to disengage corner 46 of lever 46 from notch 7 in slide 16. This in turn, permits spring 17 to pull slide 16 to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 4, to open switch 18 and to close switch 29 which now energizes motor M to move cam bar 14 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, to open the curtain.

Since the curtain opening and closing mechanism forms no part of the present invention, and since it is shown in the prior patents, it is not shown nor described in detail. Instead, only the linkage with which reversible motor M reciprocates main cam bar 14 is diagrammatically shown in FlGs. and 6.

Since the voting spindles can only be used when the curtain is closed, the machine also includes a locking mechanism for preventing rotation of the voting spindles, in either direction, as long as the curtain is open. This locking mechanism operates to prevent upward movement of the return members and, hence, any rotation of any of the butterfly carns which are carried by the voting spindles, and which, as stated, can not be turned without raising their associated return members.

As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5 of Patent No. 2,826,- 365, the locking mechanism which prevents raising the return members and, hence, rotation of their respective return members (which includes parts 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24, etc.), is permanently secured to the lower end of the corresponding return member 14 in said patent. That arrangement was an improvement over the restoring frame of Patent No. 2,054,102 and operates satisfactorily. But, the permanent attachment of parts 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, etc., of Patent No. 2,826,365, to the lower end of the return member, increased the weight and friction which the voter turning a voting spindle must overcome. In order to reduce this work-load so as to make rotation of the voting spindles easier, the locking mechanism of the present invention is not secured to the lower end of spindle return member. Instead, the present mechanism includes bell crank levers L-l, L2, L-S, etc., one for each spindle return member R4, R2, R3 (bell crank L-l being omitted from the drawings). Each bell crank is freely rotatable, in either direction, on a pivot 66, with one end 62 of each bell crank lever overlying, but not secured to, a pin 63 carried by the horizontal extension or foot 64 of the adjacent spindle return member. By this arrangement, the force needed to turn a voting spindle need only be enough to overcome the inertia of the spindle, and its associated return member and bell crank lever, and, therefore, is considerably less than that required to turn a spindle constructed according to Patent No. 2,826,- 365, in which the numerous parts of the locking mechanism are permanently secured to the lower end of the r turn member. The present locking mechanism also includes a comb bar 65 which has spaced lands 66 and which is constantly biased to the right, as viewed in PEG. 1 (to the left, as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6) by a spring 68. Comb bar 65 is provided with a pendent bracket 7 6, FIGS. 1 and 6, which is engageable with a pin 71 carried by bell crank lever 72 which is pivoted at 74 to the housing (FIG. 6). Bell crank lever 72 carries a pin 76 which rides in cam slot 78 in main cam bar 14. By this arrangement, when pin 76 rides in the high portion of slot 78 in cam bar 14, as in FIGS. 1 and 3, lever 72 is rotated in clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, to move pin 71 out of the way of bracket 7ll'on comb bar 65, which is now pulled by spring 63, to the position of FIG. 1 in which bell crank levers L-l, L-2, L-la, are free to turn from the position of FIG. 1 to FIG. 3. But, when cam bar 14 is moved to curtain opening position of FIG. 5, pin 76 will ride in the lower horizontal portion of slot 78 and bell crank lever 72 will be rotated in a direction to cause pin '71 to engage bracket '76 to push comb bar 65, against the action of spring 63, from the position of FIGS. '1 and 3, to the position of FIGS. 4 and 5 in which pins 75, which, as shown in F168. 4A and 7, are carried by the lower ends of the bell crank levers, will ride on lands 66 of the comb bar. Engagement of pins with lands 66 of the comb bar prevents rotation of the bell cranks in either direction, and, hence, upward movement of the associated spindle return members and the rotation of the voting spindles as long as the curtain is open.

In a declared primary election, the voter announces his political party before entering the voting booth and the election officers set the machine so that the voter can only turn voting spindles in the voting column, or columns, assigned to said party. In a selective primary election the voter does not declare his party aiiiliation and it is, therefore, necessary to provide means which, as soon as the voter casts a vote for a candidate of one party will immobilize all of the voting spindles assigned to candidates of all of the other parties running for the same office whereby the voter can only choose between the candidates of said party. To this end, bell crank levers L-l, L-2, L-3, etc., are connected, by pull straps P3, P-4, etc. (which are similar to pull straps P-1 and P to interlock 80 (which is similar to interlock 2.2). By this arrangement, if a voter turns on spindle, such as spindle S5, in FIG. 2, pull strap P3 is moved to the left and all pull straps engaged in interlock 89 will be immobilized. Under these conditions, the voter can turn other spindles which are associated with return member R3 (provided such spindles are connected to an interlock other than interlock 22). But the voter cannot turn any spindle associated with any other return member, such as spindle 8-3, the pull strap P4 of which is connected to interlock 80. In other words, the voter can only vote for candidates to whom spindles associated with return member R-3 are assigned, but the voter cannot move any spindle associated with any other return members even though slide bar 65 is in the posi on of FIG. 2 in which it does not immobilize the bell crank levers as it does in the position of FIG. 4.

In a general election, in which bell crank levers L-L L2, L-3, etc., are either eliminated, or are disconnected, if a voter turns on spindle, such as spindle S-5, and then finds that he made a mistake, or if he changes his mind, the voter can rotate the spindle in the reverse direction to push wedge W-S of pull strap P2 back into interlock 22 and the voter is free to turn any other spindle asso' ciated with any other interlock, such as spindle S1 or 5-2. But, because as shown in FIG. 7, the bell crank levers are not secured to the return members, movement of a return member to its lower position will not restore its associated bell crank lever. In other words, the reverse rotation of a voting spindle, such as, voting spindle S5 will lower return member R3, and will restore pull strap P-2, and wedge W-5 and will free all of the pull straps associated with interlock 22 but it will not restore pull strap P3 and wedge V 6 and will not free the pull straps engaged in interlock 86. Therefore, if a voter mistakenly casts the first vote for a candidate of the wrong party, he cannot correct the mistake and will lose his vote.

To overcome this difficulty without losing tire advantage derived from the detachable engagement of the bell crank lovers with the spindle return members, the present machine includes a voter-controlled correction mechanism whereby a voter can nullify a vote mistakenly cast for a candidate of one party and can proceed to vote for a candidate or" another party.

The correction mechanism referred to is best shown in FIG. 6, and includes a rotary lever 82 which is journaled in housing 16 and the inner end of which carries an arm 84 which carries a pin 86 which engages an ear 3'7 on bracket 76. By this arrangement, a voter who kes a mistake can turn lever 82 to the right, as viewed G. 6, to engage pin 86 with ear 37 and move comb bar tothe left, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. This causes the vertical edges 67 of lands 66 to engage the lower ends of the adjacent bell crank levers and move them from the position of FIG. 2, back to the position shown in FIG. 1. This movement of the bell levers restores their respective pull straps and allows the voter to turn any spindle.

In order to cushion the movement of comb bar 65 in response to the action of spring 68, we provide spring 91 which is carried on stud 92 which is carried by housing of the machine (FIG. 5).

The operation is as follows:

In a general election, a voter can vote for any candidate for a given ofiice regardless of the party of the candidate or of the voter. This can be done by turning lever 9i? (FIG. 1), which turns all of the spindles in that column, or by turning one or more voting spindles in various columns. As stated, if the voter makes a mistake, or changes his mind, he can rotate the mistaken spindle in reverse direction to nullify the mistaken vote and the voter can proceed to turn some other key or spindle.

In a declared primary, the election officer sets the machine, by means of external controls, so that when the voter enters the machine, only the voting spindles assigned to the party to which the voter declared his adherence, will be available for use and the voting spinles assigned to all other parties will be locked. But, in a selective primary, where the voter can select the party for whose candidates he wishes to vote, in privacy and after the curtain has been closed, bell crank levers L-l, L-Z' etc., are used which, by being connected to party-selecting interlock 80, will serve to immobilize the spindles and associated return members of all parties other than the party for which the voter casts the first vote. As stated, if the voter finds he made a mistake, or if he changes his mind, he can turn correction lever 82 to move comb bar from the position of FIG. 2, in which interlock 80 is immobilized, back to the position of FIG. 4 in which interlock 80 is free and the voter can turn some other voting spindle.

When the voter is finished voting he has to open the curtain so as to emerge from the machine, and, as will be seen from FIG. 1, which shows the parts in the position they assume before any vote has been cast, but in which the machine is available for use, the voter cannot turn handle 24 because the upward movement of bar 34 is prevented by the registration of lug 52 with the upper edge 48 of the bar. The inability of the voter to open the curtain indicates to the voter that he has failed to cast any effective vote. On the other hand, as soon as one voting spindle has been turned to, and left in, vote- F casting position, the lateral movement of its associated return member engages adjacent lug 54 and moves comb bar 65 to the right, or to the position of FIG. 4 in which lug S2 is out of the path of movement of the upper edge .8 of bar 34. This permits handle 24 to be rotated to raise bar 34 and to take corner 46 of lever 40 out of engagement with notch 47 in slide 16 which is now moved to the right by spring 17 to close switch 20 which activates motor M to move the main cam bar 14 in curtain opening direction.

it will be noted that, when the main cam bar 14 moves to curtain opening position, bell crank 72 moves slide bar 50, against the action of spring 63, to the position of FIG. 4, in which lands 66 underlie pins 75 on the lower ends of bell crank levers L1, L-2, etc., thereby immobilizing the corresponding spindle return members R-l, 11-2 and, hence, the voting spindles associated with said return members.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the bell crank levers L-l, L-2, etc., when connected to an interlock, such as interlock 8i), serve as a party selecting mecha nism in a selective primary election, and that they serve as a locking mechanism to prevent rotation of any of the voting spindles assigned to other parties.

It will be seen that, by merely connecting pull straps 6 P-3 and P-4, etc., to interlock 80, the machine can be adapted for use in a selective primary election and that, by removing pull straps P3, P-4, etc., or by disconnecting them, the machine is adapted for use in a general election.

It will also be noted that by providing correction lever 32 the voter can restore any bell crank lever which may have been mistakenly moved, thus enabling a voter to correct a mistake without any outside assistance which, to prevent fraud, is strictly forbidden.

What we claim is:

1. The combination with a voting machine of the type which includes:

at least one rotary voting spindle (S5), which is movable to a first non-vote-casting .position (FIG. A) and to a second vote-casting position (FIG. 2), and a spindle return member (R-3) associated with said voting spindle and movable, in one direction, upon rotation of a voting spindle to its second position, said return member being reversely movable to move said voting spindle to its first position of a fixed support (10),

a bell crank lever (L-3),

pivot means (60) mounting said bell crank lever on said support,

said lever normally occupying a first position in which one end of said lever overlies the adjacent end (64) of said return member whereby, movement of said spindle return member in said one direction moves said bell crank lever to a second position, said bell crank lever being wholly disconnected from said end of said spindle return member whereby reverse movement of said return member leaves said bell crank lever in said second position,

restoring means (65) engageable with the opposite end of said bell crank lever to move the latter out of said second, and to said first, position independently of the reverse movement of said return member,

and voter-operated actuating means (82, 84, 86) for operating said restoring means.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 in which said. restoring means includes:

a slide movable into and out of engagement with the opposite end of said bell crank lever,

and means normally biasing said slide out of engagement with said opposite end of said bell crank lever, and in which said actuating means includes lever accessible to a voter using the voting machine, and linkage operatively connecting said lever to said slide whereby rotation of said lever moves said slide into actuating engagement with said opposite end of said bell crank lever to restore said bell crank lever to restore said bell crank lever to its first position. 3. The combination with a voting machine of the type which includes:

a plurality of columns of voting spindles which are rotatable to a first, non-vote-casting position and to a second vote-casting position, and

spindle return members associated with said columns, respectively, each of said return members being movable, in one direction, upon movement of a spindle in the associated column, to its second, votecasting position and being movable in the opposite direction to move said voting spindle back to its first position, of

a fixed support (10),

a plurality of bell crank levers (L-l, L-2, etc.),

pivot means (60) mounting said bell crank levers on said support with one end of each of said levers overlying the adjacent end of the associated return member but being wholly disconnected therefrom, whereby movement of a spindle return member in said one direction also moves said bell crank lever in the corresponding direction but movement in the reverse direction of the return member does not affect the movement of said bell crank lever, manually operable restoring means to move said bell crank lever in said reverse direction,

and locking means (P-Z, 3t?) operative on movement of said bell crank lever for selectively preventing movement of the remaining crank levers and their associated spindle return members.

4. The structure recited in claim 3 in which said look ing means consists of an interlock (8d) and pull straps (P-2, 'P-3) connected to the respective bell crank levers and engaging said interlock whereby movement of one of said bell crank levers in response to the movement of its associated spindle return member immobilizes the remaining pull straps and prevents movement of their associated spindle return members and of the voting spindles in the columns associated with said spindle return member.

5. A voting machine including:

a plurality of columns of voting spindles, each of which spindles is movable to a first, non-vote-casting position and to a second, vote-casting postion, spindle return member (R-l, R-2, R-3) associated with each of said columns and movable in one direction on rotatation of a voting spindle in its associated column to its second, vote-casting position, said return member being movable in the reverse direction to return said voting spindle to its first position, an interlock (22), means (P-1, P-2) operatively connected to said interlock and operable upon movement of one of said voting spindles to its second position to actuate said interlock for immobilizing the remaining voting spindles,

a locking element (L-l, L-2) associated separably with each return member in such a manner that movement of an associated return member in said one direction engages and moves said locking element in the corresponding direction whereas movement of said associated return member in the reverse direction disengages it from said locking element,

and means (1 -3, 1 -4, 88) operable upon movement of one of said locking elements, in response to the said movement of its associated return member, for immobilizing the remaining locking elements and preventing movement of their associated return members in said one direction and, hence, immobilizing the voting spindles associated with said return members.

6. A voting machine including:

a plurality of columns of voting spindles, each of which spindles is movable to a first, non-ro sting position and to a second, vote-casting position,

spindle return members (R2, R3) associated with said columns, respectively.

a first interlock (22),

pull straps (P-l, P-2) connected to said spindles and operatively connected to said interlock to actuate said interlock to immobilize the remaining voting second interlock and with said return members,

said return members in such a manner that movement of one of said return members in said one direction immobilizes the remaining return members and their associated voting spindles.

7. The combination with a voting machine which includes:

a curtain,

a motor (M) for opening and closing the curtain,

a first switch means (38) for energizing said motor to close the curtain,

a second switch means (26) for energizing said motor to open said curtain,

a first slide (in) movable to a first position in which it activates said first switch means (18) and to a second position in which it activates said second switch means (20),

means (17) normally biasing said slide (16) to its second position,

at least one voting spindle (S-S) rotatable to a first non-vote-casting position and to a second, vote-casting position, and

a spindle return member movable in one direction upon movement of said spindle to its second position and movable in the opposite direction to restore said spindle to its first position,

of a locking mechanism for preventing the opening of said curtain unless said voting spindle has been moved to, and is left in, its said second position, said locking mechanism including a second slide (50),

a first lug (54) carried by said second slide,

means (56) normally biasing said slide to a first position in which said lug is in the path of movement of said return member, whereby movement of said return member in said one direction engages said first lug and moves said slide to a second position,

a second lug (52) carried by said second slide,

a lever (34) movable to a first position in which one end thereof engages said second lug when said second slide is in its first position, and in which first position the other end of said lever engages and immobilizes said first slide,

said lever being movable, when said second slide is in its second position, to a second position in which said other end of said lever is disengaged from said first slide to permit the latter to activate said second switch means (44) for normally biasing said other end of said lever into engagement with said first slide, and

means operable by the voter when said second slide is in its second position for moving said lever into its second position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Shoup Mar. 11, 1958 Shoup Mar. ll, i958

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