US580141A - Voting-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MOTAMMANY. VOTING MACHINE.

No. 580,141. Patented Apr. 6, 1897.

Governor.

ooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. MOTAMMANY. VOTING MAUHINE.

UNITED STATES PATENT rmcn.

JOHN MCTAMMANY, OF SPENCER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,141, dated April 6, 1897.

Application filed November 22,1895. Serial No. 569,769. (No model.)

To (tZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN lllCTAMMANY, of Spencer, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of voting-machines in which a casing is employed having punches movable in guides in front of the casing adapted to be pressed inwardly or projected by a voter standing in front of the casing and a tally-sheet supported in the casing in position to be perforated by said punches, suitable mechanism being employed for feeding the tally-sheet progressively, so that after each voter has made a series of perforations in the sheet, representing his ballot, the sheet may be advanced and held in readiness for the next voter.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in a voting-machine of this class whereby the machine is rendered more efficient and desirable in certain respects, all as hereinafter set forth.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a machine provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig.7 represents a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the casing of the machine, the front plate or side of which is constructed to hold a series of fixed ballots b b 1), Figs. 1 and 2, and to this end may be formed with a series of recesses adapted to receive printed slips comprising said ballots and glass plates removably secured to the machine, or other suitable means for holding the ballots in place. Beside each ballot is a row of push-pieces 0, each in line with a name-space upon the adjacent ballot, there being as many rows of push-pieces as there are ballots. Said push-pieces are movable longitudinally in guides formed in the front plate of the casing.

lVithin the casing is a single vertical row of punches cl, which is fitted to slide in guides in a frame or holder (1, which is removably secured to the casing by means hereinafter described. The said row of punches extends vertically in the casin g, the punches being arranged to move toward and from the tallysheet 6, which extends from a supply-rollf to a receiving-roll f, journaled in the casing, the intermediate portion of the strip passing between the rear side piece of the frame d and a plate g, which contains orifices 9, serving as female dies to cooperate with the punches (Z.

There are as many punches as there are push-pieces; but as all the punches are arranged in a single row, while the push-pieces are arranged in a plurality of rows,the greater part of which are necessarily out of alinement with the punches, I have provided a series of levers t', which are pivoted at t" to fixed studs on the casing, each lever bearing at onepoint upon one of the push-pieces and at another pointupon one of the punches.

The relative arrangement of the pushpieces, levers, and punches is shown clearly in Fig. 6, where I have shown only a part of the levers and punches. The central row of push-pieces is or may be in alinement with the punches operated thereby, so that no intermediate connections are required, the push pieces of this row bearing directly against the punches they operate. It will be seen that by this arrangement of punches in a single row the record made by each voter is a straight row of holes extending at right angles with the length of the sheet, the latter being held stationary while the voter is manipulating the push-pieces and moved along one step after the voter has finished and before the next voter commences.

It is to be noted that there is no positive or permanent connection between the pushpieces and the levers, said push-pieces havin g slotted or bifurcated inner ends straddling the levers, as clearly shown in Fig. at, and, moreover, there is no positive or permanent connection between the levers and punches,

said levers simply bearing against the punches and not in any way hindering removal of the punches with their frame from the casing.

The feed-movement of the strip may be effected by any suitable means, the means here shown being a lever 70, pivoted at 7c to the casing and connected by a rod 70 with a lever L which is mounted to oscillate upon the shaft f of the receiving-roll said shaft having aliiXed to ita ratchet f which is engaged by a spring-pressed dog 7c on the lever It. A movement of the lever 7c in one direction will move the dog backwardly over the teeth of the ratchet, while movement of the lever in the opposite direction will move the dog forward and cause it to partially rotate the ratchet and the receiving-roll f.

I have provided mechanism whereby movement of the lever 7t preparatory to feeding the sheet will retract the projected punches before the sheet commences to move, so that the sheet cannot be torn by punches projecting into it. The mechanism shown in the present case, particularly in Fig. 2, comprises a slide 0, movable upon the punch-holding frame (1 and provided with a flange 0', which when the slide is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 strikes a pin 0 on any punch that may be projected, forcing said punch backwardly.

The slide 0 is moved in the direction indicated by means of a lever 0 pivoted at 0 to the casing and arranged to bear upon a pin or stud 0 projecting from the slide 0, a bar 0 fitted to slide in guides on the casin and hearing at one end against the lever o, and a slide 0 pivotally connected at o with the lever and having acam 0 arranged to move across the outer end of the bar 0, said slide 0 being guided by fixed guides 0 \Vhen the lever is moved to the left from the position shown in. Fig. 2, the cam 0 will force the bar 0 inwardly, causing the latter to move the lever o and thus move the slide 0 in the direction required to retract the projected punches.

The provision made for causing the retraction of the punches prior to the movement of the sheet is a slot is in the red A and a pin connected to the lever 7s and passing through said slot, the latter giving the lever sufficient independent motion to enable it to retract the punches before it commences to feed the sheet.

I do not limit myself to the described details of mechanism for retractin the punches and for feeding the sheet, and may accomplish these results by any other suitable mechanism.

It will be observed that I have provided for the positive withdrawal or retraction of the punches. By this I obtain the following advantages, namely: first, there is no liability of the punches sticking in or adhering to the sheet when projected, and, secondly, the projected punches remain in their projected position while the voter is voting, so that they constitute an indication to him of the character of his vote.

E represents a shield or cover, which 0011- ceals the plate g, into which the punches are projected, thus preventing an observer at the rear of the machine from noting what particular punches are projected by any voter, but the major portion of the sheetis exposed, so that its movements can be seen and the punch-holes observed soon after they are made, and thus fraud or defective operation detected.

The frame (1, which carries the punches, is here shown as provided with spring-projected bolts (1, whereby it maybe locked to the easing, the withdrawal of said bolts pernlitting the plate to be readily removed with the punches.

To provide for the ready removal of either of the push-pieces from the casing, I provide for each row of push-pieces a locking-strip or piece "r, having a series of orifices r, the upper portions of which are formed to bear against the outer sides of collars or enlarge ments 0, formed on the push-pieces, while the lower portions of said orifices are larger than said collars. By raising the strip 0', so as to bring the enlarged portions of its orifices into alinement with the collars c, the push-pieces can be readily withdrawn from the casing, the collars being smaller in diam eter than the enlarged parts of the orifices 'r.

I claim 1. In a voting-machine, the combination of a single row of punches; sheet-feedin g mechanism whereby a tally-sheet may be moved across the row of punches; a plurality of rows of push-knobs arranged parallel with and on both sides of the row of punches; and levers extending side by side across the punches for engagement therewith and pivoted alternately on opposite sides of the row of punches, said levers connecting with the push-knobs respectively and having offsets so that levers in different planes may cooperate with pushknobs in the same plane, substantially as described.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination of a single row of punches; sheet-feeding mechanism whereby a tally-sheet may be moved across the rows of punches; a plurality of rows of push-knobs arranged parallel with and on opposite sides of the row of punches; levers extending side by side across the punches for engagement therewith and pivoted alternately on opposite sides of the row of punches, said levers connecting with the push-knobs respectively and having oifsets so that levers in different planes may cooperate with pushknobs in the same plane; and a central series of push-knobs in line with a correspondin g number of the punches and operating directly thereagainst substantially as described.

In a voting-machine, the combination of a row of punches; a delivery and a receiving roll for a tally-sheet to be acted on by said punches; means for projecting the punches; an operating-lever; and punch-retractin g and sheet-feeding connections between said lever, the punches and the sheet receiving roll, whereby the projected punches are positively retracted and the sheet moved in the order specified.

4. 111 a voting-machine, the combination of a row of punches, a delivering and a receiving roll for a tally-sheet to be acted on by said punches, means for projecting the punches, a punch-retracting slide arranged to engage the projected punches, an operating-lever, and intermediate connections between said lever, the retracting slide, and the sheet-receiving roll, whereby the said slide and roll are successively operated.

5. In a voting-machine, the combination of a casing open at the back, tally-sheet-carrying rolls in the casing, punches arranged between the plane of a sheet carried by said rolls and the front of the casing and adapted to be projected toward the back of the casing to perforate said sheet, and a shield or cover of limited extent interposed between the por tion of the sheet penetrated by the punches and the back of the casing, whereby secrecy is preserved as to the particular punches operated, while the tally-sheet is exposed so that its movements are visible,and the punchholes may be observed shortly after being made, for the purpose described.

6. In a voting-machine, the combination with a casing, and a row of punches in suitable guides within the casing; of a row of push-pieces rectilinearly movable in suitable guides in the casing and laterally removed from the plane of the punches, and couplinglevers pivoted to the casing and bearing against the punches and the push-pieces without rigid or permanent connection with either, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of November, A. D. 1895.

J OIIN MOTAMMANY. lVitn esses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

Images