US529608A - Balldt-box - Google Patents

Description

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

' W. 'M -DEMON.

BALLoT'BoX. N0.5Z9,608. Patented Nov. Z0, 1894.

wilgessc;

(No Model.)

2 sheetssheen 2.v

W. M. nEMfoTT." BALLOT Box.

No. 529,608. @A Patented Nov., zo,l A.189@ ifs@ i "Q e o /n l l ,/m A/f/\ I i EEK m z/ la l N A g WiummMlematz Wihgcsscs E i S Jlnrgzrys.

TH: Nonms PrrEns co. muro-Lomo., WASHINGTON. o. c.

' UNITED STATES j PATENT .()FFIcrt-.fy

WILLniM M; Ditivio'rr, or ,Bh'ooKvrLLn PENNSYLVANIA.

srscrrrcnrronfemin pert of Letters Ietet Necsaaeos, aeted November 20,1394.

I lppiieetitn tieainy 25,1894.

Towll whom; it may concern/ is a specicatiom This invention ithas for its object to effect certain improvements in ballot boxes of that character that are employed for balloting or voting with' balls, to aii'ord means for casting a secret ballot or vote. Y

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful ballot box easily, quickly andcon-` veniently l manipulated, y'while at'the same time providing against mistakes or the casting of more than one vote or ballot at one time; e With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the in@ vention is better understood, the same con-y sists in the novel construction, combination,

, and arrangement of `'parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed. 4 In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure 1 i is a perspective view of a ballot ybox conL horizontal sectional view on the line ,cf-zot' structed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central transverse Vsectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line :1J-0c ofl Fig. 2. Fig, 4e is a similar view on the lineyffy of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is adetail in perspective of the false bottom ofthe ball compartments. Fig.

. 7 is a similar view ofl the pivoted shifting block for each compartment of the ballot box.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates a box casing preferably constructed in a rectangular shape and made of any suitable material. 1, is inclosed atthe top by the removable anged box cover 2, that is secured onto the top of the box casing by means of the screws 3, or other suitable fastening means, and di-` rectly under the box coverrthe casing has litted transversely and centrally therein a central partition 4, that separates the interior of the box casing into two separate ball compartments 5, one of which is adapted to hold white and the other dark balls for the ordinary balloting purposes. Directly above each relates to ballot boxes; and;l

The said box casingc y ball compartment 5, the box cover 2, is pro- Be it known that 1,'W1LLIAM 1/I.'D1t1ll[rofrr,1I a citizen of the y.United States, residingatf Brookville, in the conntyofV Jefferson and,` State of Pennsylvania,l1ave invented anewg and useful Ballot-BoX, of which the following:

vided?, with th'ei glass covered 'sightfholes 6, through which the balls in the compartments ter. e Each of `said ball compartments 5, is in-k closed at the bottom by the main bottom board 7, that is disposed above the plane of the bottom or lower-edges of the box casingy 1, and, is proridedhereiewith a circuler drop opening 8, which communicates with the space below and above the board and is adapted to allow the ballot ball to drop therethrough. Directly over the bottom board 7, in each ball compartment 5, and resting on theend cleats 8, in said compartment is a false bottom 9, the space betweennwhich and lthe bottom board '7,being slightly greater than the l-size of the ballot balls v10, thatl'are employed, so

lmay be observed before balloting, but not afthat such ballotballs can be easily carriedto e lthe drop opening in the bottom board. The yfalsebottom 9, of each ball compartment is secured ink position in any suitable manner,

`and is provided'with a concaved top face 11,

that declines laterally toward one side edge lof the false botto'mand therefore toward theY location of the drop openingS, in the bottom board which is disposed nearV to one side vof fthe box casingl 1. Thesaidfalse bottom 9,1is

provided therein nearthe edge towhich the top face 11, declines with a ball opening or perforation 12, that is sufficiently large to loosely receive one of the ballot balls at a time, and said ball'opening or perforation 12, is arrangedy outl ofV vertical alignment with the drop opening in the bottom boardso that the' ballot ball willl not pass directlyfrom the opening`l2, into and through the opening`8.

When the balls l0, are placed in the compartments 5, the white balls being in onef compartment and the black balls in the other compartment, the lateral declination of the top faces-of the false bottoms 9, causesthe balls to run toward the ball openings or perforations 12, and the balls therefore gather `to gether toward one side of each ball compartment, and while being `worked throughthe ball openings or perforations 12, the' said balls are prevented from piling up or bunching one upon the other by means of aseries of guard pins 13. The guard pins 13, are projected inwardly from one side of the ball compartments 5, and extend longtudinallyof such IOO sides so as to project over the adjacent ball openings or perforations, so that when the balls that are placed in the compartments tend to bunch or gather over the openings or perforations 12, the said pins will hold the balls upon the false bottom and will not allow the same to pile one on top of the other while being worked through the openings or perforations 12, and by this construction the ballot box is effectually prevented from choking or clogging. It is to be noted that the guard pins 13, are arranged substantially horizontal above the false bottoms 9, at a distance less than the width or diameter of two ballot balls, so that it is absolutely impossible for two balls at one time to work in under the pins 13.

The ballot balls that are hunched around the openings 12, are worked into position to pass through such openings by means of the spaced upright shifting pins 14. A pair of these shifting pins 14, work in segmental slots 15, formed in the false bottom of each ball compartment, and the upper ends of these pins project above the slots and the plane of the false bottoms to points directly under the guard pins 13, so that the said pins in being worked back and forth will move or carrythe balls into the ball openings or perforations 12. Each pair of the upright shifting pins 14, is projected upwardly from a pivoted shifting block 16, arranged to work on the compartment bottom board 7, in the space therebetween and the false bottom 9. Each of said shifting blocks 16,is of a substantially triangular shape and is pivoted near its point on the pivot screw or pin 17, to the bottom board 7, and at a point between Ithe upright shifting pins 14, the said block is provided with a ball opening 18, that is adapted to be normally held in alignment under the ball opening or perforation in the false bottom directly thereabove, and said shifting block is of a width equal to the size of the balls, so that one ball at a time can be freely carried in the opening 18, to the point where the same will drop through the drop opening in the bottom board of the compartments.

The pivoted shifting blocks 1G, are normally held in position with their ball openings in alignment with the openings 4in the false bottoms by means of a spring 19, suitably arranged at the bottom of the compartments 5, and having the free ends thereof arranged to bear against one side of the shifting block as at 20, the tension of such spring being sufficient to always return the shifting blockstotheirpropernormal positions. Each of the pivoted shifting blocks 16, has loosely connected. to one end thereof a connecting,

link 21, the outer end of which is pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank key 1ever 22, pivotally mounted at its angle as at are respectively black and white to correspond with the color of thel balloting balls in the compartment for which the respective keys are used.

The front wall of the ball compartments 5, which may be designated by the numeral 25, is slightly spaced in from the front wall of the box casing l, in order to leave a space for the manipulation ot' the keys, and the front wall of the box casing 1, is provided with a hand opening 26, which communicates with the` key space in rear thereof and said hand opening 26, is partly covered by the semi-circular cover flange 27, secured to the front wall of the box casing and projected outv wardly therefrom from the upper edge of said hand opening so that the voter can only see to manipulate the proper colored key through the glass covered sight hole 28, formed in the box cover 2, at the top of the key space inclosed between the front wall of the box casing and the front wall of the ball compartments.

Below the bottom of the ball compartments 5, the box casing l, is open and is provided at its inner lower side edges with the inner guide cleats 29, that support the opposite side edges of the ball drawer 30, that is preferably securely closed by means of a suitable catch 31,.arranged at the front of the box casing. The ball drawer 30, is provided with a central longitudinal partition 32, that divides the drawer into two compartments one for the reception of the white balls from one ball compartment, and the other for the reception IOO of the black balls from the other ball coin-- partment, and. after the balloting or voting has been accomplished it is simply necessary to pull out the drawer and count the white and black balls to quickly ascertain the correct vote. The hall drawer 30 is of a greater length than the length of the ball compartments from the front to the back, and when closed the rear end of the ball drawer communicates with the rear separated ball pas sages 33, formed within the box casing l at the back thereof between the back wall of said casing and the rear walls 34, of the ball compartments, which terminate short of the cover of the box casing, and said cover has pivotally suspended therefrom the valve plates 35, one of which valve plates Works inside of each ball compartment and against the back .or rear wall 34, thereof, near the upper edge of such wall. On opposite sides the box casing 1, has centrally attached thereto the turning knobs 36, which are grasped for the purpose of revolving the ballot box to transfer the balls from the drawer to the ball compartment.` It will be easily understood that by grasping the knobs 36, and slowly revolving the box casing, the balls will run from the rear end of the drawer into the rear ball passages 33, and, as the box continues to revolve, the balls pass over the rear walls 34, and into the ball compartments 5, and as the box again assumes its proper upright position the plates 35, automatically IIO . casing provided with a central partition formclose against the walls 34, to prevent the balls from rolling back into the passages33. By this construction it will be obvious that after balloting the balls can be quickly transferred from the drawer back into the ball compartments.

If desired, the box casing l, may be provided with the rubber feet 37, for the same to rest upon in order that the dropping of the balls may be heard better, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. At this point attention is directed to a guard lever 38, that is pivoted intermediate of its ends on the pivot screw or pin 39 at the bottom of the key space so as to dispose the opposite ends of the lever under the adjacent bell crank key levers, so that in depressing one of said key levers the other key leveris locked against depression, whereby only one key at a time can be manipulated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters lPatent, is-

1. In a ballot box, the combination of the box casing provided with separate ball compartments, a ball drawer arranged to work within the casing below the compartments thereof, a key operated ball dropping device for each ball compartment, and means for introducing the balls into the compartments from the drawer without removing the latter, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ballot box, the combination of a box ing central ball compartments, and a main and false bottom foreach ball compartment, said bottoms having openings out of vertical alignment, pivoted shifting blocks supported to work between the two bottoms and provided with ball openings adapted to be held normally in alignment with the openings in the false bottoms, saidshifting blocks being also provided with upright spaced shifting pins, key operating devices connected with said pivoted shifting blocks, and a ball drawer workin g within the casing below the ball compartments, substantially as set forth.

3. In apballot box, the combination of a box casing provided with separate ball compartments and a main and false bottom` for each ball compartment, provided -with openings out of vertical alignment, said ball compartments having front walls spaced in from the front wall of the box fcasing to leave a key space, a ball shifting device working between the two bottoms of each ball compartment, pivoted shifting blocks working between the two bottoms, bell crank key levers pivoted in the front wall of said ball compartments and carrying on one arm operating keys, links connecting the other arms of said key levers with said pivoted blocks, and the ball drawer, substantially as set forth.

4. In a ballot box, the combination of the box casing provided in its front wall with a hand opening, a central partition forming separate ball compartments, and a main and false bottom for each ball compartment, said bottoms having openings out of vertical alignment, and the compartments being provided with inside front walls spaced in from the main front wall of the box casing to leave a key space, a ball shifting device working between the two bottoms of each compartment, key operated levers connected with said shifting devices and working in said key space between the two front walls, the box cover provided with sight holes above each ball compartment and at the top of the key space, a fixed cover [lange projected outwardly from the front wall of the casing and surrounding theupper edge of saidhand hole, and `the ball drawer, substantially as set forth.

5. In a ballot box, the combination of the box casing provided with separate ball compartments and a main and false bottom having openings out of vertical alignment, the false bottom of eeah compartment being provided with a concaved top face declining laterally toward the ball opening, and a segmental slot intersecting the ball opening, a series of guard pins projected inwardly from one side of each ball compartment over the opening in the false bottom thereof,a key operated shifting block working between the two bottoms of each compartment and provided with a ball opening therein, and upright shifting pins at bothsides of the ball opening and working in the segmental slots of the false bottoms, and the ball drawer, substantially as set forth.

6. In a ballot box, the combination of a box Xcasing provided with separate ball compartments having short rear walls forming rear separated ball passages within the box casing at the rear thereof, a separate ball dropping device for each compartment, the partitioned ball drawer of a greater length than the length of the ball compartments,valve plates pivotally suspended from the cover of the casing and working within each ball compartment at one side of the rear wall thereof, and turning knobs arranged on opposite sides of the box casing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. DEMOTT.

Witnesses:

J. W. WALKER, CYaUs H. BLooD.

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