US489169A - Registering and canceling ballot-box - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 'sheets-sheet 1.

E. H. TOWNB.

REGISTBRING AND GANGELING BALLOT BOX.

Pateted Jan. 3, 1893.

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E. H. TOWNE. i

REGISTERING AND GANCELING BALLOT BOX. i No. 489,169. Patented Jam. 3, 1893.

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ENOCI-I Il. TOVNE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

REGISTERING AND CANCELING BALLOT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,169, dated January 3, 1893.

Application led April 28, 1892. Serial No. 430,967. (No model.)

To all tlf/tom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ENOOH H. TOWNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of W'orcester and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Registering and Canceling Ballot- Box, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufticiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my present invention is to afford a simple, efiicient and economical instrument or means adapted for use at voting precincts, for receiving, canceling and regis` tering ballots, more especially to facilitate voting by the secret or Australian ballot system; and to provide therein mechanism of such organization and construction that it can be conveniently operated by an unskilled person and also not liable to become deranged or get ont of order by careless, rough or ignorant manipulation or usage. These ob.) ect-s I attain by mechanism such as hereinafter defined, or organized substantially as illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of my ballot-box, some of the parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of some of the operating parts shown separate from the case or frame. Fig. 3 is a vertical section at line cr cc showing the movable top drawn back, and the swinging bed in position for receiving the ballot, and Fig. t is a vertical section [part at line w w and part at the front of the register] showing the movable top at its forward position, and with the bed dropped.

The several parts of my ballot-box mechanism are as followsz-A denotes the case or receptacle which can be of any suitable form or size.

B indicates a ballot-receiving bed or drop table having a hinging support or horizontally pivotal axis at b on which it can swing downward at one edge, or be raised into horizontal position. Suitable dogs or spring pressed latches CZ are provided for retaining the front edge of the bed when in normal position. Said latches can be disposed as shown to engage the corners of the bed, or in other relation to effect similar result.

, C indicates a movable top or cover mounted to run back and forth on suitable guides ct a, and to travel from the position shownin Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, and serving as a means for operating the mechanism and for alternately covering and revealing the ballotbed as desired. A hand piece cis fixed on the top C to facilitate the convenient movement thereof back and forth by the operator.

D indicates an arm or means connected with the swinging bed B, whereby said bed is brought into horizontal position by the backward movement of the top C. The top or cover has a cam surface 3 on its under side with which the arm D engages, and it is also properly recessed to allow the arm to swing up when the top is at forward position. [See Fig. 4.]

Suitable means are provided for disengaging the dogs orlatches d bythe forward action of the movable top; in the present' instance consisting of a rod attached to the latch and having a lug h thereon that is engaged by a detent t' fixed in the under side of the top C at such position that the detent strikes the lug 7i, and forces off the latch when the top is advanced to its forward position.

F indicates a printing wheel or canceling device, and G a roll for inking the same mounted in aswingframef that is fulcrumed and carried within the'movable top as shown. Said wheel is adapted for traversing over the ballot as it lies upon the bed. A suitable spring e can be combined with the canceler frame for pressing the wheel down upon the surface to be marked; or the gravity of the rolls may in some instances be sufiicient for such purpose. When at rear position the canceling rolls are held up by engagement of the devices with the stationary supplemental top piece a.

Preferably two canceling rolls with their supporting and inking devices are employed, arranged as indicated in Fig. l, sothat in case short ballots are at any time used either one or the other of said rolls will be sure to mark the ballot. The apparatus may, however, be provided with one or more canceling devices as in any instance desired, the construction of each being substantially the same as that illustrated.

J indicates a reciprocating slide or part mounted on the cross frame A2 and having a cam surface or inclined slot J that engages with a depending arm I fixed to or mounted on the movable top C, said arm being best provided with a roll I that runs in said slot, and by means of which the slide J is given lateral reciprocative movement in conjunction with the top C as it is moved back and forth.

K indicates a counting register of well known kind arranged to be observed through a glazed opening in the side of the case, and having its pawl bar connected with the slide J by a rod K so that movement of the slide operates the register mechanism.

L indicates a bell the striker Z of which is worked by a suitable detent m on the slide J, or some equivalent moving part to effect a stroke as the top C is moved to its forward position.

Border pieces t and are arranged about the ballot-bed B affording suiiicient depth to insure of the top C passing over the ballot without interfering` with it. The rear and end borders 4 are best attached to the bed and the front border 5 to the frame or casing as indicated. To prevent the ballots adhering to the surface of the bed detents or lifters n n are provided which preferably consist of small springs or bars let into the surface of the bed and extending transversely thereto, their ends passing down through openings and projecting beneath the bed in such manner that when the bed swings downward the lower ends of the lifters come in contact with the bar or stationary part N, thereby causing them to be pressed upward from the top surface of the bed for lifting the ballot and permitting air to enter between it and the bed surface so it will slide down into the containing chamber. The lifters n may in some instances be omitted if preferred.

The operation is as followsr-The box is presumed to be closed; or with the top in position as in Fig. 4. When a voter approaches the warden or attendant draws back the top C to the rearward position, as in Fig. 3; this elevates the bed B to horizontal position where its front edge is caught and retained by the latches d, at the same time the slide J is moved to the right hand limit of its action, as in Fig. 2, drawing back the register pawls. The voter then lays his ballot [folded with the names or marked face inward] upon the bed B, and

the attendant immediately slides forward the movable top C to cover the bed and ballot. This movement causes the printing wheels F to traverse across the upper surface of the ballot printing thereon the name of the city or town and numbers of the ward and precinct where the voting takes place, or such other canceling mark as may in any case be preferred; asthe top C reachesits forwardlimit the engagement of the detents 7L and causes thelatches or dogs (Z to be thrown off releasing the front edge of the bed and allowing it to drop to the position indicated in Fi get, thereby depositing the ballot within the chamber of the box. This forward movement of the top C also carries the arm I or its roll I forward in the cam seat of the slide J and thus produces a reciprocative action of said slide J and thereby, through the rod K and pawls, moves the registering counter one step forward; and also through the action of the .detent m rings the bell L one stroke. Then as another voter approaches the movable top is again drawn back and the operation is repeated.

I claim as my invention herein to be secured by Letters Patent,

l. A ballot-box provided with a downwardly swinging ballot-receiving bed, and a movable top or slide adapted for alternately concealing and revealing said bed, in combination with means substantially as described,where by said bed is caused to drop when said top is moved over it to its forward position, and said bed again brought into horizontal position by retraction of said cover, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a ballot-box., of the swinging ballot-receiving bed pivotally supported at one edge, latch devices that retain its opposite edge when elevated, the movable top adapted to slide over and from said bed, a canceling wheel or marker carried by said movable top, throw-olf detents that release said latches and bed as the movable top approaches its forward limit of action, and an arm or means for returning said bed to horizontal position with the refractive action of said movable top, substantially as set forth.

3. In a ballot-box, the combination, of the swinging ballot-receiving bed, the movable top or cover for alternately concealing and revealing the same, the counting register, the register-actuating slide having an incline slot or cam, and the lug or arm fixed to said cover and engaging said incline, substantially as described, for etfectin g movement thereof simultaneously with the movement of said cover, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a ballot-box, the combination, of the swinging ballot-receiving bed, the movable top, means substantially as described for releasing and 11e-adjusting said ballot-bed, the counting register and the register-actuating connections controlled by said movable top, substantially as set forth, whereby said bed and counting register are operated by the forward and backward movement of said top.

5. The combination, substantially as described,of the ballot-bed, the movable top arranged to slide over and from said bed, and the canceling wheel with its inking roll mounted on a swing-frame that is pivoted within said movable top, said wheel adapted to roll upon said bed when the top is moved forward, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a ballot-box, the combination of the receiving bed hinged or pivotally attached to swing downward within the case, latching devices for retaining said bed, the movable top sliding over and from said bed, its supporting guides, the canceling markers, the counting IOO IIO

register, the actuating mechanism of said register controlled from said sliding top, and the latch-releasing detents all organized substantially as described whereby forward movement of said top koperates the registering counter, the bedreleasing latches and canceling marker, for the purposes set forth.

7. In a registering ballot-box, the combination, of the top or cover mounted on guides to move forward and backward for alternately concealing and revealing theballot-receiving space,the reciprocating slide having the cam or slot, an arm attached to said movable top and engaging said slot, the count-register having its paWl-bar connected for operation to said slide by rod K', the bell L and the bellstriking detent carried on said slide, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 26th day of April, A. D. 1892.

ENOCH H. TOWNE. Witnesses:

ELLA P. BLENUS, WM. S. BARTON.

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