US742275A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

A. F. BARDWELL.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1903.

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A. F. BARDWELL. VOTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION NLRB JUNE 5, 190s.

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UNITED STATES Patented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

FREDERICK ALBERT BARDWELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

VOTlNG-VEACHENE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,275, dated October 27, 1903- Original applicatitn filed November 2l, 1902, Serial No. 132,349. Divided and this application liled .Tune 5, 1903. Serial No.l60,225.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ARTI-IUE FRANCIS BARD- WELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suilolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Voting-Machines, of

'which the ollowin g is a specification, referencebein ghad to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for enabling a voter who does not wish to vote for any of the candidates nominated for a given office and who desires to cast a vote for a candidate whose name does not appear on the regular ballot to register his choice--that is, to vote independently, as it is called-and this application is iiled in compliance with a requirement for division made in the application, Serial No. 132,349, filed by me November 2l, 1902.

l In the drawings, Figure l is a front view of so much of a voting-machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail showing in front elevation the keyholeclosure for the independent-ballot device. Fig. 3 is a detail showing in rear elevation the handoperated shutter l'or the independentballot device. Fig. 4 is a central sectional view of the shutter mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a detail of the hinge-plate for the keyholecover shown in Fig. 2.

In my new construction the slidable shutter a, which normally (or in its lowered position) covers the web of the independent-ballot roll, is raised by the independent voter by hand. The slidable shutter a is formed with a-horizontal slot c, through which the web of the roll is disclosed to view by raising said shutter, and is further formed with a vertical slot d in its lower end. To the said shutter is secured a thumb-piece c, the shank o1' which projects through a vertical slot f in the upper face-plate of the machine. To the rear lace of said shutter c is secured a spring g, which is bent, as shown in Fig. el, to form a springcatch and is provided with a lip 7L and adapted to engage under the detent fi, secured to the stationary strip j. The shutter is locked in its lowered position bythe engagement of the spring-catch with the detent c'. by

turning (No model.)

the indcpendent-ballot actuator 7U' (which is 5o like the independent-ballot actuator of my Patent No. G96, 925, granted April 8, 1902, and so need not be vfurther described) its lower ear l is made to engage the upper ear m of the twin-eared slide n, and thereby to raise 5 5 the said slide and the L-shaped plate o, to which the spreader-rod p and the resettingstrip q are secured, as shown in Fig. 3. Projecting from the roar :face of the twin-eared slide ais a screw-stud o', which when the said 6o slide is raised forces outwardly the springcatch and thereby disengages it from the detent c'. The independent voter can now by pressing upwardly on the thumb -piece c raise the shutter a until its slot c registers scribed 1n my said patent, the L-shaped plate 7o 0, connected with said resetting-strip, is also drawn down, carrying with it the twin-eared slide 'n and the shutter u, and therebyT shielding the roll from view. As the shutter Inoves downward the lip h on the spring-catch g rides 7 5 on the detent z' until the shutter reaches its lowered position, at which time the catch g engages with the detent fz', and so locks the shutter in its lowered position.

The mechanism for shifting the web of the 8o ballot-roll and the connection of said mechanism with the entrance and exit bars is the same as that described in my said patent and need not be further alluded to here.

After the indepen dent-ballot actuator 7D' has 8 5 been turned forward a half-turn (the limit of its movement) it may be turned backward to the same extent and no more. This movement resembles that of the ordinary doorlock. tuator will not restore all the parts to the position which they had prior to its forward turning, Yfor the L-shaped plate o, to which the spreader-rod j) and spreader are attached, will remain in its raised position, as it should in 9 5 order to prevent the subsequent turning of any other actuator in that column andthe consequent casting of an illegal ballot there- But the backward turning of said ac- 9o by. Hence where avoter inadvertently turns an independent-ballot actuator 7c he cannot by turning said actuator backward restore to himself the privilege previously had of turning one ot' the other actuators in that column. To minimize the opportunities for such an inadvertence on the part of the voterj the following provision is made: A triangular hingeplate a is formed with a hole 'v in its lower end and is thereby adapted to iit over the escutclieon of the keyhole, through which access is obtained to the independent-ballot actuator L, as described in my said Patent No. 690,925. The upper edge oi said hingeplate u is bent over, and the flange so formed is provided with slots i0, adapted to receive the ears which are formed on the upper edge of the shield-plate y and are bent over to form a hinge for said shield-plate. rl'he two side edges and parts ot' the lower edge of the shield-plate are turned inwardly to form a holder for a card having instructions for independent voters printed thereon and giving` notice that the keyhole underneath the shield-plate gives access to the actuator of the independent-ballot mechanism. Projecting downwardly from the middle of the lower edge of said shield-plate is a keyhole-cover lug 2, which covers the keyhole just referred to. In order to obtain access to said actuator, the voter mustraise the shield-plate and deliberately uncover the said keyhole. By this construction inadvertence on the part of the voter is ei'tectually guarded against.

IVhat I claim is l. In a voting-machine, the combination of a key-operated actuator; a manually-operated shutter; means for locking said shutter in its closed position; and means driven by said actuator for releasing said locking means.

2. In a voting-machine, the combinationol a key-operated actuator; a manually-operated shutter; means for locking said shutter in its closed position; means driven by said actuator for releasing said locking means; and a resetting device.

3. In a voting-machine, the combination of an actuator; a shutter adapted to be manually opened; means by which said shutter is closed and locked; and means operated by said actuator for releasing said locking means to permit said shutter to be opened.

l. In a voting-1nachine7 the combination oi.' an actuator; a manuallyopened shutter; means l'or closing said shutter; mechanism by which the closing et said shutter is made to lock it in its closed position; and means for releasing said locking means io permit said shutter to be opened.

5. In a device for registering independent7 votes, the combination of a shutter; locking means therefor; and a key-operated actuator by which said locking means are released to perm it the operation of said shutter.

C. In a device for registering independcnt votes, the combination of a shutter; automatic locking means therefor; and a keyoperated actuator by which means are released.

7. In a device for registering independent voies, the combination of a shutter; mechanism for siinultz'meously closing and locking said shutter; and means for releasing said shutter to permit its being manually opened.

S. In a device for registering independcnt votes,the combination ol' a shutteradapted to be manually opened; mechanism t'or simultaneously closing and locking said shutter; and means operable by the voter for releasing said shutter to permit its being manually opened.

9. In a device i'or registering independent Votes; the combination of a machine-casing formed with a hole through which access is obtained to an actuator; said actuator; and a manually-operated cover for said hole.

lO. In a device for registering independent votes, the combination of a machine-casing formed with a hole through which access is obtained to a voting' mechanism; said voting device; and a cover lor said hole; and means vfor securing a label in said cover.

ARTHUR FRANCIS BARINVELII.

IVitnesses L. L. BARDWELL, F. M. BARDWELL.

said locking

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