US665736A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

BEST AVAILABLE COPEv Patented lan. 8, !90L A. H. HART. vanua Jammie. (Applicatign filed Aug. 10, 1900.)

2 SIwetr-Sheot I.

(No Koziol.)

NYI. .5511155 A mgm/E rs BEsTAv/MLABLE com` No.' 665,736. Patented 1an. s, uson. .5, H. Hm.

VBTiNG E'CHME.

l (Application med Aug. 10, 1900.) (No Hedel.)

Wl TNE SSE S /N VEA/Tof? @f7/5M W27 A TTOHNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheqt 2.

BEST AVAILABLE com UNITED STATEsx.v

.PATENT OFFICE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPEGIF-ICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665.736, dated January 8, 1901. Appunti@ and um 10.1900. anni in. 28.512. oto-munir A To all whom it concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW H. HART, a.

'citizen of the United States, and a. resident of Winchester, in the county of Clark and State of Kentucky, have invented' a. new and Improved Voting-Machine, of which the following isa full, clean-and exact description.

This invention relates'to improvements in voting-machines, and is particularly an improvement on a voting-machine for which I obtained United States Letters Patent, dated June 7, 1898, No. 605,423, and the object is to make said machine more complete in its 'details and more extended in its usefulness.

I will describe a voting-machine embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

'Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View with portions broken away of a votingunachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 'of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a shifting and holding mechanism-employed.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a case of any desired size and in which the vote manipulating and recording devices are arranged. To provide for the voting of a large number of candidates, I provide two sets of voting devices, `which are indicated in Fig. l as A and B, one set being arranged directly forwardof the other set, and as the two sets are alike 1n all particulars a description of one will answer for both.

Arranged transversely in the case are shafts 6 7, and mounted to rotate on the shaft 6 is a series of delivery-rollers 8, and on the shaft 7 are a num bor of taken p rollers corresponding to the number of delivery-rollers and arranged forward one of the other. From each delivery-roller a tape 10 extends to its takenp roller 9 The tape is provided with a series of eousecuti ve numbcrs,the space between which gradually increases from the lower to the higher numbers, as indicated in my patcnt above mentioned. The tape LO extends over a plate 1l, so that the numbers may be secu through n sight opening or glass 12, ar-

ranged in the top of the case. The rollers are held under suitable tension by means of springs 13, secured to a cross-bar 14, having bearing'upon the rollers of the tapes. Oue flange of each roller 9 .is provided with ratchet-teeth 15, designed to be engaged by a dog 16, mounted to swing on a block 17, movable longitudinally in a slot 18 in the top of the casing. This block 17 is securedto a top plate 19, movable on the top of the casing and provided with an upwardly-extended nger 20.

Extended forward from'each block 17 is a etent 21, consisting of resilient metalfand having a hook end 22, designed to engage over a plate 23, extended transversely ofA the case. Extended from each block 17 below its detent 21 is a plate 24, designed to engage with a returning-spring 253, extended upward from the bottom of the case. This returningspring muy consist of wire or the like. The detent 21,forward of its hook portion 22,is inclined upwardgsoas to engage with and readily. slide over the front plate 23, and this extended end is designed to be engaged by a lifting device, here shown as a crank-lever 26, mounted in the casing and adaptedto be operated, as will be hereinafter'described, to raise a detent from its engagement with the plate 23. 4

-Supported by uprights or side pieces 27 is a table or tablet 28, upon which the names of the candidates are to be placed byany desired means, the names coming directly over the blocks 17, and consequently over the tapes operated by said blocks. This table or tablet 28 is arranged above the fingers 20, so that said fingers cannot be reached by a person for manipulating the same. When, however, it is desired to move one of the blocks to register a vote, the same may be moved by means of a lever 29, mounted to slide on a rod 30, su'pported by the side pieces 27. This lever has a downward projection 31, designed to engage with a finger 20,0ver which the lever may be placed.

1 In voting for a candidate the voter will slide the lever 29 along the bar 30 until the said lever is in line wi-th the name of the candidate on the tablet 28. Then by rocking the lever to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 the block 17 will be moved forward, consequently rotating the take-up roller 9 one IOC step, bringing a new number underneatnthe sight-opening, 1,2, and thus indicating the number` of votes for the candidate. Either one or all of the candidates may be th usvoted foi-or each one separately.

A bar 32 is supported by the side pieces 27, and onthis bar is mounted to swing a series of stopplates 33, a stop-plate being arranged forward of each plate 19 and Aadapted to be engaged by the upwardly-extended end 34 of said plate 19. A nger 35 extends downward and rearward from each plate o3, and when the plate is in its normal position the end of said linger 35 will be above the line of movement of the upward projection 34 on the sliding plate, so that said projection may pass underneath the finger to engage with the body portion of the plate. Each plate 33 of a setsay, the set A-is connected to asimilar plate directly in front of it in.the set B by means of a ba'r 36, this bar having pivotal connection with said two sets. By thisarrangement when a voter manipulates the block 17 to rezister his vote in one section-say, the section A-the `v0te for the opposition candidate, which may be marked over the corresponding slide in the section B, will be prevented, as by the swinging of the plate 33 on the section A the corresponding plate 33 in the section B Wil-l also be swung, movin'f its finger 35 into the line of movement of the upward projection 34 on the sliding plate 19, and therefore said sliding' plate cannot be manipulated' to record a vote for the opposing candidate. Thus the voting for two candidates for the same oiice will be prevented after voting for one of the candidates.

To make the voting more interesting, Il may attach the representation or photograph of the candidates to each swinging plate 33', as indicated at 37. Obviously when the plate is swung the ligure will be caused to move toward the voter as in the act of bowing.

At one side within the casing is a device to enable an oicial of elections to register the total number of votes cast and also to restore tb'e several parts to their normal position after having .been -manipulated by a voter. This means consists cfa feed-roller 38, similar to the feed-rollers 8 and mounted ou the same shaft, and a take-up roller 39, similar to the rollers 9 and mounted ou the same shaft therewith. A number-tape 40 extends between said rollers 38 and 39, and the take-up roller'39 is operated by a dog 41 engaging with'the'ratchet-toothed flange of said roller, said dog being pivotally connected to a block 42, mounted to slide in a slot i-n the top of the casing and from which a finger 43' extends upward. The detent heretofore described is omitted in this portion of the device. The block 42, however, carries a spring-yielding rod 44, having a downwardly and forwardlyinclined end45, adapted to engage with the crank-shaft 26. Ob viously when the block 42 is moved forward the rollers will be rotated tobi-ing a new number underneath the sight-opening 46, giving the total nnxnber'ofvotes cast, and dni-ing this movement the end 45 ofthe bar 44 by engaging the under side of the crankllever 26 will raise the same, and this crank-lever engaging underneath the ends of the detents 2l that may b e projected beyond the plate 23 willraise the hook portions 22 out of engagement with said plate 23, so that the spring-rods 25 will return the blocks 17 t their normal position.

In orde-r that the detente o'f the two devices orseotion's VA B of the machine may be simultaneously lifted` I provideoa shifting-bar 47, removably connected with the fingers 43 or blocks 42 of the two sections,as plainly indicated in Fig. l.

As it is desired that' the voting shall be secret or not seen by the election official, a partition 48 is extended upward from the case between the parte operated by the voter and the part operated by the election odcial.

In some sections or districts it is necessary 9o that a person to become qualified to vote must show that he has paid a poll-tax preceding election day, and as an incentive to vote it may be agreed upon the receipt given for the payment of the poll'tax that the voter shall receive back acertain percentage thereof after election day, and therefore to keep the exact register or tally of each voter means is provided to receive. his poll-tax receipt or certificate. When the voter presents himsoli to vote, he hands said receipt or certicate to the election oicial, who will pass it through a slot 49 in a receptacle 50. arranged in the casing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* l. In a voting-machine, a case, a plurality of delivery-rollers, a plurality of take-up rollers, numbered tapes extended between the delivery and take-up rollers, one roller being forward of the other, blocks movable over each take-up roller, operative connections between said blocks and the take-up rollers, lingers extended upward from said blocks, -a rod extended across the machine above said blocks, and a lever mounted to slide on said rod for engaging with either one of the fingers, substantially as specified.

2. In a voting-machine, a case, a plurality of delivery-rollers, a plurality of takeup rollers, numbered tapes extended between the delivery and take-up rollers, one roller being forward of the other, blocks movable over each take-up roller, dogs carried by said blocks for engaging ratchet-teeth formed on the take-np rollers, fingers extended upward from said blocks, a rod extended across the machine above said blocks, a leverA mounted to slide on said rod for engaging with either one ofthe fingers, and a table or tablet ex tended over said blockssubstantially as specified.

3. A votinmmachine com risin a case,

BEST AVAILABLE COFv two sets of delivory-rollers,i\vo sots of take- Y up rollers, means for operating each reke-up' roller individually, a sliding plate carried by snidmeans und hvng en upwardexiended forward end, a. swin ging plateforwnrd of-eaoh fol. sid sliding pianos-andv having afdownwerdly and rearwardly inclined fnger, the end of which is normally above the spce of the upward .extension of the sliding plate,

and a bar connection between'the two inlined swinging plate-s, substantially as specified.

4.4 A voting-machine, comprising a. case,

two seis ofdelivery-roliers, two seigs of teilzeuprollers, means for operating each take-up roller iudvid nally, a sliding plate carried by said menne and having an upwardly-extended.

forward vend, a swinging plaie fastened t'o each of said sliding plates and having a'downwnrdlyend rearwardly inclined ngenbhe .and of which is normally above the space of In .testimony whereof I have signed my' mime to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses ANDREW H. HART. Witnesses: l. Y

S. T; PBEWIT, G. M. HART.

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