US74932A - Improvement in ballot-boxes - Google Patents

Description

JESSE P. onrein, for LANCASTER; onto.

'Lefrrsyram No. taeeakzaad Fetal-afg 25, 136s.

MPROVBMENT In 'Bittner-BOXES.' i

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TOIALL WHOM I'I MAY CNGERN; y ,Y

Be it known that I, JESSE P. OUTGAL-lg'of Lancasteayin. the county-'of'-Fairield, and State of 'Oh have inventeda new-and useful Improvement in Puniet-Boxes;` and I do hereby declare Vthe following to bea full, clear, and ex'act description ofv the same, reference being had to th'enccompanying drawing, making: a part of this specificatiom'inwhichi i Figure 1 represents aside 'elevation of my improrcd ballot-box', the side of the box orcase enclosing the i same removed for the purpose of showing the internal arrangement' and constricton'; and

Figure 2 is a similar rear lend elevation. 1 i f i t I Similar letters of reference denotecorresponding partsin beth figures.

-My invention consists, iirst, in the provision or employmentl of'a4 double spiral hopper, arranged in such manner as to keep the ballsseparate, and to convey them to their tumblers a continuous iiow; second, in the employment of `a crescent-shaped tcm-bier, by which the ballsare takenv separately'from theho'pper'and deposited in the drawer orfreceptacle underneathfand, third, in the' arrangement of 'the' 4spring-trigger or reti-actor, by which the,tumblerisfeperatedgas hereinafter vset forth. i i

In' the accompanying dr awings,.A`-represents an outer case'orboxj, made in this instance of a'rectangular,

form, but which `rnaybe made in any desired or suitable form, andof any suitable niaterihprovidedfwith the bottom, B, and withthe sliding eoveror top, C. D is an.inner frame orbox, of any suitable construction, around which, and between which and the outer frame,iA,fare arranged two series 'ofepiral anges or ledges, a b, arranged in such manner as to form the two spiral ways oriinesl c cZ-running from opposite sides of the top of boa: vD around said box, and terminating Iin upright` discharge-passages `or outletsfas shownate f, iig. 2f The upper surface ofthe innerihox, D, is divided by a di:1 ;,ronalrib or ridge, 'from which, asa centre, the surface is inclined down` `Ward irl-'opposite directions, communicating-with the opposlte dues c d, starting'from opposite sides of said box insuchmanner as to form suitable hopper-sor receptacles communicating each with its appropriate spiral fines, At a convenient point in the verticalpassages or outlets e j' are two crescent-shaped tumblers E E ,one in each outletLpassage, closing: the same, and adapted', by the concave or pocket formedI therein, to receive andretairi one ofthe balls g or g; g, for example, representing the white ball, 'and g the black. The crescent-shapedtumblers ar'e mounted or hung )upon central pivot or pivots, 'upon'or with which they are free to' turn each independently of the other, and are provided? on their lower surface or si of a-link or `connecting-rod, ,'lis attached,the opposite or front-end of which rod t' is connected to avlslide F inthe manner representedtin ig. 1. 4 The slides F are mounted .insnitable parallel ways outhehorizontal partition Y Gr, and have oonnectedftoi'them'in any suitable manner ('sce figs. I and 2) one end of'a spring, II,`the opposite end of which is connectedto the'partition G, or it may be connected to" any other `suitable stationary point in de with aprojecting pin orV lever, h, to whiehone endlA thev box, and which-maybe of any desired construction, so arranged as to hold the'slides in the position,repre;A sented bythe drawings, except when acted upon -by'some;entaneousgforce.l I is a drawer, arranged 'in the -bottom of'thebox A, underneathpartition G, to receive the balls froni the spiral hopper when discharged the rotationA of-t'he tumblers, and A is an openingin the front of Vthe' box, through which either or b'oth the sli'des are reached and the tuniblers operated for discharcngtlie balls from theinrespe'ctive hoppers. The front ofthe'b'ox or case maybemarlced upon opposite sides of the aperture AV with 4painted'or' inlaid representations i a white and a black bail,`to indicate the slides, by the operation of 'which a ball of the desired and corre; ispondiugf'color` isl discharged. l g i l Theoperation isasfollows: The p-erson desiring to deposit either ,a white or black ball or ballot inserts Ahis hand througlrfopening A inthe ontercase A,and, rioting upon which lside the balls ofthe desire-d color are located, bymc'ans' of the painted representations'nthe front of the'. case, operates or draws forward thei'islde upon that side-ofthe box, and thereby, through pitman j, rotatesthe corresponding tumbler, and discharges one ball of the desired colorinto thebox ordrawer IL The tumblers arev so formed las to' receive but a single ball,

:ind the pocket therein should correspond in depth pretty nearly to the diameter of the ballsemploy'ed, ,so'that a continuation of outer'curved line cti-the crescenbshape'd tumbler in the completion of the circle will nearly or quite embrace within it the ball lying in the pocket orrccess formed therein.- i

` By 'this arrangement it wil-l befseeathat'but a single. ball can be. discharged by the forward movement?, of. i

the slide, the form ofthe tumbler being such as to present an effectual barrier tothe balls in the hopper whenever said tumbler is operated. The'slides nre provided with sockets, lips, or thumb-pieces, in any convenient v manner, to facilitate their operation or forward movement, and the moment the fingerv is withdrawn, the spring H causes them to resume their former position, shown by the drawings, to receive another ball. I Y

By the construction and arrangement shown, it Will be seen that it will be a, matter of impossibilityfor` any person except the operator or voter to form any idea of the vete or color'of ballot cast, as the opening or aperture in which the hand is inserted to cast such ballot need only be just large enoughv to admit the hand or the fingers; andivhen the hand is thus inserted, either slide may be operated and either color of ball deposited, at the optionoil the operator. y

It will be obvious that the-forni of the box or tumbler may be Varied'fromtrectangular to cylindrical or octagonal, or from crcscent-sl1aped topolyg'onal; that the construction and arrangement of the spring and slide may be varied; the action of the 'springupon the tumbler may be reversed,if desired, in such manner thatvthe tumbler may be moved into proper position to receive the ball` by the operator, While the action of the spring in retra'cting the slide will cause its discharge;y and that the machine, as a whole, may be made of, any desired dimensions or capacity-without departing from my invention; but the construction and' arrangement described constitute an economical and effective one, and one, it is believed, that willbe foundy to accomplish the desired end in a satisfactory manner. I

Having new describedmy 4improvement-s in ballot-"boxes, what Iv claim, anddcsire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' LvThe double spiral hopper, by which the balls are kept separate and conveyed tothe tumblers in the v manner described. v

2. The crescent-shaped tumblers, by means of which the balls `are taken separately from the hopper and deposited in the drawer as set forth. v I

3. Thespring H, in combination with the slide, and tumbler' for retracting the same, asset forth,

' JESSE P. OUTCALT.

Witnesses:

JACOB RADEBAUGH, JOSEPH A. SHAW.

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