US501443A - Half to george draper - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 0 F ROPER 2 Sheath-Sheet 1. VOTING MACHINE.

Patented July 11 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. F. ROPBR.

VOTING- MACHINE.

No, 501,443. Patented July 11, 1893.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlI/Ill/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. ROPER, OF IIOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO GEORGE DRAPER do SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,443, dated July 11, 1893.

Application filed January 31, 1893. Serial No. 460,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. ROPER, of Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Voting Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to voting or balloting machines and has for its object the production of counting mechanism by which an honest ballot can be had, and the result registered, ready for inspection by the proper persons, immediately upon the closing of the polls, the ballot being secret, the said counting mechanism being so arranged that the voter may change his vote if, after casting it, he so desires, before leaving the voting booth, while at the same time the same candidate or different candidates for the same office cannot be voted for more than onceby the voter, the mechanism being provided with a releasing device, to operate upon the exit of the voter from the booth.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, to be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation of acounting mechanism embodying my invention, taken on the line 00-01:, Fig. 2, the front of the casing being removed. Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line y-y Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 3 and 3", are details of the units indicator, to be described. Figs. 4: and l are elevation and plan views respectively of one of the actuating and looking gears. Fig. 5, in elevation and partly broken out, represents an inclosing case adapted to be secured to one of the walls of a suitable booth, with the counting mechanism embodying myinvention indicated thereon. Figs. 6 and 7 are details to be referred to. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cam looking plate detached. Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of a voting booth or room to be referred to.

- In carrying out my invention I prefer to make use of a booth or chamber containing the operating parts, which the voter enters to indicate and register his choice, and I have so arranged the parts that after the voter has registered a vote for one candidate, a second vote for the same or another candidate for the same office will be prevented during the time that the voter remains in the booth or chamber, but the voter may change his vote, if he so desires, before leaving, or he may withdraw his vote altogether, and when the voter leaves the booth all the counting mechanism is put in condition for the entry of the next voter. I prefer to employ a booth or completely inclosed chamber which may be such as shown in United States Patent No. $15,549, dated November 19, 1889, and to which reference may be had.

I have herein shown abase or support (0 for the several counting mechanisms, which base may be fastened to one of the walls or partitions of the booth or chamber, and parallel to and a short distance from said base I have secured a cover or top at, these with the parts a, a, forming a casing to inclose the mechanisms.

Screws 2, 2, normally retain the top in place, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Each counting mechanism consists of a supporting post Z), see Figs. 1 and 2, herein shown as shouldered at its inner end to enter a hole in the base a, and threaded at b, to receive thereon a nut whereby the post is held rigidly in place, the outer end of the post extending beyond the cover or top and headed, as at b The actuator for the counter consists of a disk 0 having a long sleeve-like hub 0' surrounding the post from the base to the head b the under side of the disk having a projection c thereon near its periphery, for a purpose to be described, the outer end of said hub being preferably reduced to receive thereon a handlec see Fig. 5, held in place on the hub by a pin or stud 3. A plate or lever c pivoted at c to the base and adapted to swing between the base and the'disk c, has upon its surface adjacent to the disk limiting stops 0, 0 the inner side of the stop 0 being oppositely inclined to form faces 6, '7, see Fig. 8, the inner face 8 of the stop 0 being also inclined and substantially parallel to the face 7, to thus form a cam surface on said plate 0 the plate forming a locking device, as will be described, tolimit the rotation of the actuator, and thereby lock the counting mechanism.

The base a is recessed at a ,see Figs. 1 and 2, the recess extending under and beyond the counting mechanism, and, as herein shown, a plunger 01 is pivoted to the under side of the locking plate at d, the plunger resting in the recess,as clearlyshown in Fig. 1,and having its free end enlarged at d and reduced beyond the enlargement as at d the edges thereof being inclined or beveled toward the extremity of the plunger.

A recess or groove a extends from top to bottom of the base a, see dotted=lines, Fig. 5, intersecting the several recesses a and a-series of slotted slides 6, having beveled inner corners 6*, are retained in the groove by bridge-pieces e overlapping the adjacent ends of the slides and held in place by headed screws 6 extended through the-slots into the base a.

As herein shown there are two slides e, and three counting mechanisms A, B, and C, ar-

ranged in a row or column, see Fig. 5, and

whatever the number of counting mechanisms in the row, there will be the same number of' slides, less one. Each row represents an office or position which is to be filled, and the same is indicated in the space A at the top of the row, as for instance, by the words For governor, &c., and the name and political party of each candidate are indicated inthe spaces A, B and 0', adjacent to the counting mechanisms. A fixed stop 6" is placed in the groove a at top and bottom, see dotted lines, Fig. 5, thus limiting the space in which the slides 6 may be moved.

In Fig. 5, the arrangement is such that two out of three candidates may be voted for, as for instance, where two presidential electors are to be chosen, and there are three candidates. This is made possible by inserting the short slides e, shown in Fig. 7, so that when the enlarged portions 01 of two of the plungers have been moved into the position shown in Fig. 5, by the mechanisms B and O, to be described, the space between the stops 6" is so nearly filled that the beveled end only of theplunger belonging to mechanism A can be inserted, preventing movement of the corre-' sponding plate 0 and leaving the stop 0 thereon in the path of the projection c of the actuator, to stop its rotation, and consequently the counting mechanism of which it forms a part. If the long slides 6, shown separately in Fig. 6, be used, the space left between the ends will be long enough to admit the enlarged part of only one of the plungers d, and the beveled ends of the others, permitting the actuator of only one mechanism to be operated to register a vote. The slides e are similar to the slides c in every respect, save that they are longer, and they are used when only one of several candidates for an office is to be voted for by the person voting, and the slots in said slides permit them to be moved in one or the other direction past the screws 6 In the casting of a vote the handle 0 0E the counting mechanism opposite the name of the candidate for whom the vote is to be cast is turned by the voter in the direction of the arrow 20, see Fig. 5, until the parts have assumed the position shown in the mechanisms B and C, or until the projection c is stopped by engaging the end 9 of the stop 0, the part d of the plunger having been moved forward between the beveled ends of the adjacent slides, and separated them, as shown, the beveled end (1 then projecting beyond the slides as in Fig. 1, and againsta cam ffast on a rod or shaftf' extended from end to end of the casing, the base being cutaway atf to permit free movement of the cam when turned bythe shaft, which has secured to one end projecting beyond the casing a crank or similar device f, by which the shaft may be rotated, and in practice this shaft will be rotated in the direction of the arrow 30, Fig. 2, to push any projecting plungers back into the position shown at A, Fig. 5, the means for rotating the shaftbeing actuated by the voter as he leavesthe booth and moves the closure F, see Fig. 9, which through the bent lever M, link N,twoarmed lever 50, and reciprocating rod 51, is connected bya pin and slot to an arm 52 on and to, move each of a series of shafts whereby all the countin mechanisms are put into normal position, ready to be operated by the next voter.

The particular construction of the counting mechanism herein shown will now be described, a detailed description of one answering for all.

A circular disk or plate 9 see'Figs. 3, 8 and 3 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as having a long hub g' extended beyond each side of the disk, said hub being free to rotate on the hub c of the actuator, between the disk 0 and top plate ct, best shown in Fig. 2, and disks 71-, t', k, of the same external diameter as the disks 0 and g, have concentric hubs 7t,wt", 7e, respectively, theinner end of each hub resting on the disk of the inclosed adjacent hub, and the outer end resting against the plate a the hubs g, h and i being of sufficient thickness to have a series of numbers ranging from O to 9 indicated on their outer ends, as shown inFig. 1, said hubs and their numbers being units, tens and hundreds indicators respectively, while the series representing thousands is indicated on the outer face of the disk 70. \Vhen the plate a, is in place, during the voting, only the units indicator can be seen through the opening g and the voter cannot determine how many votes a candidate has received,but he can tell when he has moved the units indicator forward one step toregister his own vote. Each of the disks g, h and i has a series of twenty teeth 7L2, 8.10., upon its inner side, see Figs. 2, 3, and 3 and upon the outer side two teeth g h 850., the disks being recessed between the said teeth, as at g in Figs. 3 and 3 for a purpose to be described, while the disk has twenty teeth k upon its inner side, and the disk 0 has two teeth and a recess, not shown, on its outer side, similar to the teeth and recess shown in Fig. 3.

From an inspection of Fig. 2,it will be seen that each sleeve-like hub forms the axis for the next one surrounding it, each being normally free to rotate in either direction with relation to the others, the disks attached to the hubs rotating therewith.

In order to move the units indicator step by step by the actuator, and thereby actuate the other indicators, as the votes increase, a post 7% is shown herein as secured to the base or adjacent to the disks, and upon which four similar star wheels m, m m and m are rotatable, see Figs. 1 and 2, said wheels being separated by suitable collars or washers m Each wheel has eight teeth, four of which, as n, are as wide as the thickness of the wheel, the other four teeth at alternating with the former and being less in width, see Figs. 2, 5t and at, all of the teeth having the same radial length, each wheel being so sustained upon the post an that the plane of its outer face is just beyond the plane of the inner toothed face of the corresponding indicator disk. The plane of the inner face of each wheel is beyond the plane of the outer recessed face of the next disk, as shown best in Fig. 2, so that one of the wide teeth 01 can enter between two adjacent disks only when two adjacent teeth on the inner face of one disk are just opposite to the pair of teeth on the outer face of the next disk, the recess in the disk face between the said latter pair of teeth permitting one of the teeth n to enter. The said tooth n will, when moved, engage the teeth on both disks, and will move them simultaneously through a certain space.

It should be here mentioned that the outer face of the actuator disk 0 has two such teeth thereon, and a recess, the same not being shown in the drawings to avoid confusion. Such face, however, is an exact counterpart in every way of the face'of the disk g, shown in Fig. 3. The narrow teeth a can enter between adjacent disks, meshing with the teeth of one, at any time.

The operation of the mechanism is as fol lows:Supposing the parts to be in the condition shown at A, Fig. 5, rotation of the handle c in the direction of the arrow 20 will rotate the actuator disk 0 and with it the projection 0 it impinging on the edge 6 of the stop 0 on the locking plate 0, and swinging said plate rearwardly on its pivot until the projection has entered the cam surface formed by the edges 7 and 8 of the stops 0, 0 continued movement of the projection gradually.

moving the plate and the plunger d forward until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 1, the projection then passing out from the cam surface until continued rotation brings it into the original position, the end 9 of the stop 0 having, by the movement of the looking plate, been brought into the path of the projection, looking it from further rotation. This is shown in Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 5. During the described rotation of the actuator the first of the two teeth on its outer face has engaged one of the narrow teeth of the wheel m and turned it until the next wide tooth has entered the recess between said teeth, the wide tooth at the same time slipping in between two of the twenty teeth on the inner face of the units indicator g, so that continued rotation of the actuator moves the star wheel m slightly, and the indicator 0 a distance of two spaces, the next narrow tooth passing into the second space of disk 0, and the next succeeding wide tooth resting against the periphery of the said disk 0, the recess having been moved beyond it, so that the star wheel cannot rotate. This tooth, resting thus on the periphery, in connection with the preceding narrow tooth engaging one of theteeth g of the indicator g, locks the latter from rotation, so that it is only moved on the next rotation of the actuator, the locking plate having been moved back to its original position by releasing devices, comprising the plunger d, cam f and actuating means therefor. The units indicator is moved a distance of two spaces at each complete revolution of the actuator, and as there are twenty such spaces, it takes ten revolutions of the actuator to rotate the units indicator once. The recess g on the disk of the units indicator is radially in line with the numeral 1 on the end of the hub g, and when the said indicator has been rotated once, indicating ten votes cast, the said recess will be brought into position to be entered by one of the wide teeth of the star wheel m at such time the numeral 1 on the units hub being radiallyin line with the zero on the tens hub, and further rotation of the units indicator will, by the engagement of the wide tooth with the recess, turn the star wheel in and carry the tens in dicator forward two spaces or one step, so as to bring the numeral 1 into the indicating line. In like manner each indicator actuates the next higher indicator one step for every complete rotation of the lower indicator, so that units, tens, hundreds and thousands are counted up and registered by the aid of the star wheels mflmim and m each star wheel locking the corresponding indicator from overrunning in the same manner as has been described for the star wheel m, a wide tooth resting against the periphery of thelowerindicator until the recess has, by the revolution of such indicator, been brought into position to be entered by said tooth. As has been stated, the voter can only see the numerals on the units indicator, and y can thus tell Whether he has registered his own vote or not, and when the voting is finished the top plate a may be removed and the count of each mechanism read off, although it is obvious that a portion of such top plate may be made separable just over the counting mechanism, so that it could be removed without moving the whole plate. No voter can indicate more than one vote on any mechanism, because the limiting step c on the locking plate prevents another rotation of the actuator, the first rotation of the actuator automatically moving said stop into locking position at the same time that the plunger (Z is moved forward between the slides.

It sometimes happens that a person after casting his vote, upon deliberation or from any other motive, desires to change or annul his vote, before leaving the booth, and, in all the registering and counting devices known to me, such change is impossible, and I have herein made such change possible, yet providing means for preventing the retrograde movement of the counting mechanism for more than the single vote.

Referring to Fig. 1, supposing the vote to have been cast, to change the same or withdraw it, the handle 0 is turned in the direction opposite to the arrow 20, Fig. 5, until the projection c is brought again into the cam surface between the stops 0, 0 further rotation withdrawingthe plunger (Z and, through the star wheel m this time moved in a reverse direction, carrying the units indicator back one step, and if the handle is carried still farther in the same direction, the projection c is brought up against the outer side of the stop 0 locking it from further rotation. It will thus be seen that the plate 0 looks the actuator from rotation in either direction after it has been moved sufficiently to register a vote or withdraw it. The projection c is rounded, as shown, to facilitate its passage through the cam surface.

\Vhcn a vote has been withdrawn the counting mechanism is in condition to be used by the next voter, in such case however, the handle having to be turned a little farther than would be the case if the parts were in the position shown at A, Fig. 5, but as suitable directions would be placed in the booth stating that the handle was always to be turned in a certain direction as far as possible in order to register a vote, no objection would ensue from the greater movement required. When a vote has been registered and the plunger moved forward, the locking plate then preventing further rotation of the actuator, another count cannot be made until the releasing device has been operated to move the locking plate out of the path of the pro ection, and, as hereinbefore stated, the releasing device would be operated by the exit of the voter from the booth.

YVhile I have shown in Fig. 1 only three counting mechanisms, and in a single row, it

is, of course, to be understood that as many mechanisms as desired may be included in any one row, and as many rows used as may be necessary, according to the circumstances of the case, my invention not being in any way limited to the number of rows or to the counting mechanism in said rows.

I do not wish to restrict myself to the exact construction and arrangement of the various parts herein shown and described, as the same may be somewhat altered and departed from, and yet come within the scope of my invention.

In other voting mechanisms so far as I am aware, it has been customary to rotate the counting disks by means of levers, pistons or pawls, dependence being placed upon springs or weights to insure action.

In this my invention I have dispensed with all such more or less complicated and unreliable devices by connecting the actuating device, provided with a suitable handle, directly to the units disk by gearing, and operating it positively, to thereby rotate the said disk, thus doing away with the evils incident to all complicated mechanism which is liable sooner or later to become inefficient and to discredit the sure and positive action of the counting apparatus, which, to properly fulfill the important use for which it is designed, should be absolutely accurate. I also provide means whereby each voter can see that his vote is registered by partially exposing the units disk,so thatits proper rotation may be observed.

As the other disks are not exposed, the total prior vote is not known to any Voter unless such total vote be less than the amount registered by the units disk alone.

I claim 1. In a voting apparatus, the combination with a series of independent ballot-counting mechanisms arranged in groups, and a looking plate, and a releasing device including a plunger, for and connected with each mechanism, combined with a series of removable slides separated by said plungers, guides for the slides, stops at the ends of the series separated a predetermined distance, movement of one or more of the mechanisms throwing the locking plate into operative position and mo'ving the connected plunger to separate the slides and fill the space between the stops, whereby one or more mechanisms may be operated and the others made inoperative, and means. to actuate the releasing devices to simultaneously retract the extended plungers and to release the counting mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a series of counting mechanisms, and a plunger connected to and positively actuated by each mechanism and havinga beveled outer end and an adjacent enlarged portion, of a guide parallel to said series of mechanisms, fixed stops at the ends, and slides movable longitudinally in the guide and normally separated by the projecting beveled ends of the plungers, the total movement of said slides being substantially equal to the enlarged portion of a predetermined number of plungers, whereby only a corresponding number of counting mechanisms can be operated to move the plunger connected to each and thereby move the slides longitudinally against the stops, to thus regulate the number of counting mechanisms which may be operated at a time, substantially as described.

3. In a voting apparatus, the combination with a series of positively and directly actuated ballot counting mechanisms, and stopping devices between and op rated directly by said mechanisms to permit a predetermined number of mechanisms in the series to be operated, of a series of pivoted locking plates, one for and connected to each mechanism, moved directly by rotation thereof into position to look its own particular counting mechanism when one ballot has been cast, and releasing devices to act upon the locking plates of the operated mechanisms and restore them to normal position, substantially as described.

4. A base plate, a recess therein, a post rigidly secured to the plate, a pivoted locking plate, and a plunger connected thereto and movable in said recess, combined with an actuator rotatable on said post, a series of indicators concentric therewith, mechanism intermediate said actuator and indicators, whereby rotation of the actuator moves the adjacent indicator step by step, it in turn moving the other indicators to register or count, and a projection moved by the actuator to throw the locking plate into position to hold the mechanism inoperative after each step until released, substantially as described.

5. In a voting apparatus, a post, an actuator thereon including a rotatable disk with a projection on its inner and a recess and two teeth on its outer sides and having a sleevelike hub surrounding said post, and a pivoted stop-carrying plate having a cam surface thereon to be at times engaged and moved by the projection, combined with a series of separate concentric number-indicators each supported by the hub and disk of the preceding indicator and rotatable with relation to the actuator and to each other, a disk for each indicator provided with a series of teeth on one side and two teeth and a recess on the other side, a series of star wheels having alternate wide and narrow teeth adapted at times to mesh with the series of teeth on one disk and the two teeth of the next disk and rotate the disks simultaneously, and a releasing device for the stop-carrying plate, substantially as described.

6. In a voting apparatus, counting mech= anism, a rotatable actuator therefor, and a suitable projection carried thereby, combined with a locking plate having limiting stops, a

cam surface thereon formed by the two contiguous edges of said stops and adapted to be entered by said projection when rotated in either direction, to move the locking plate and bring one or the other step into the path of the projection, to lock the actuator from further rotation in that direction, substantially as described.

7. In a counting or registering mechanism, a units indicator, an actuator to move it one unit or step at a time, and a suitable projection carried thereby, combined with a locking plate having a limiting stop thereon and adapted to be moved by said projection, and a releasing device for said plate, movement of the actuator advancing the indicator one unit, the projection on the actuator engaging the locking plate and moving it to bring the limiting step into engagement with said projection, at the conclusion of its rotation whereby the actuator and indicator are locked from movement, substantially as described.

8. In a counting mechanism, a units indicator and actuating mechanism therefor provided with a suitable projection, combined with a locking plate having a cam surface and limiting stops, and independent means to move said cam surface into the path of said projection, rotation of said projection bringing it into engagement with said cam surface and moving the plate to bring the stops into the path of the projection at the conclusion of its rotation,to thereby limit its rotation in either direction, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A booth, a closure therefor, inclosed counting mechanism movable step by step to count and register the successive votes cast, and an actuator therefor accessible to and operable by the voter to advance the counting mechanism one step to indicate his vote or to retract said step to thereby annul his vote so indicated, if desired, combined with looking devices to prevent alteration of the registered votes, and connections between the closure and locking devices whereby the exit of the voter actuates said locking devices and also automatically frees the actuator for the registration of the next vote,substantially as described.

10. A voting apparatus containing the following instrumentalities, viz:-a series of manually actuated counting disks to register successive votes cast, mechanism under the control of a voter to effect a retrograde movement of said disks to cancel, withdraw or change his vote when cast, and a locking device to prevent registration of more than a single vote at a time, combined with means beyond the control of the voter to effect a release of said locking device to permit registration of a succeeding vote in like manner, substantially as described.

11. In a voting apparatus, a series of inter dependent counting disks provided with characters, and a units disk movable step by step 6 sonata to actuate the other disk and thereby regisname to this specification in the presence of ter accumulatively successive impulses or two subscribing witnesses. movements, combined with a shield or cover for said disks provided with an opening, CHARLES F. ROPER. 5 through which the characters upon the units \Vitnesses:

disk are exposed, substantially as described. HENRY LAWRENCE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my EDWARD 'l. ROSS.

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