US906434A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

P. KEIPER.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 'JULY 19. 1905.

Patented Dec 8, 1908. Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Sluvc ul'ot- For Mayor, W, 7

For CH3 ClevK Ppr Ci t Rkborney gw F KEIPER VOTING monmn.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19 1905. 906,434. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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FRANK KEIPEB OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

VOTING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed July 19, 1905. Serial No. 270,393.

Tolall whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, FRANK KEIPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, county of Monroe, State-of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Independent Card Ballot Mechanisms, of which the following is the specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an independent ballot mechanism for candidates that are not regularly in, nomination, by which the voter may vote for any person that he chooses for any oflice, although his name has not been regularly placed in nomination or placed upon the key board of the machine in connection with the voting and counting mechanism thereof.

My invention may also be used for voting for the candidates of parties'in excess of those regularly provided for by the capacity of the machine for which it is constructed, in which case a card ballot may be voted through said independent balloting device, which card ballot may contain the names of the candidates of one or more political parties.

This independent balloting mechanism is to be used as a part of the machine having otherwise a full complement ofregular voting and counting mechanism, that is to say, the

. machine may be constructed of any number of party lines of voting and counting mechanism, eachparty linehaving a separate voting and counting mechanism for each candidate. Ordinarily, the'number of party lines so provided is seven and a row of keys corresponding to those appearing in the party rows will be provided, which row of keys will constitute an eighth row referred to herein as the blank column, in connection with which keys a card ballot herein described will be used.

My invention further consists of means by which the manipulation of this card ballotand its fraudulent use will be effectually prevented, so that the voter will be limited strictly to its proper and oflicial use and fraud in connection therewith will be im ossible. In the accompanying drawmgs, igure 1 represents a vertical transverse section on the line I, I of Fig. 2. Fifg2 represents a side elevation of the arts 6 he machine as they would appear in igs. 1 and 3 looking at the mechanism shown in said figures from the right. Fi 3 is a horizontal transverse section on the ines III, III, and III, III

the upper part of said figure being shown on the s .ction line III, III, the middle part of said figure being shown on the section line III III of Fig. 1, and the bottom of said figure showing in plan view the top of the mac .ine. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inside of the machine, all unnecessary or immaterial parts being omitted to bring out more clearly what is the real feature ofmy invention. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the interlock by means of which the keys in the blank column are associated with the keys in the regular party rows. Fig. 6 is a crosssection of a series of office lines showing the interlock. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section view on the section line VII, VII in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail of the card ballot which may be used in connection with my voting machine.

In the accompanying drawings like numerals refer to like parts. I

It will be understood that counters are regularly used in connection with keys belongingto the party voting mechanism, such as is shown in Fig. 5, the counters being omitted from this disclosure however, for the reason that they do not constitute any part of this particular invention, it being understood that any arrangement of counters that may be desired may be used, such a'sis shown in the patent of Jas. H. Dean, No. 636,730.

In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings the reference numeral 1 refers to the casing of the machine, and that side of the casing which is furthest removed from the party rows of keys and counters.

2 refers to the top of the casing through which passes the keys 3, 3 in the blanli column. To theleft of thisrow of keys Iprovide in the top of the machine the slot 4, into which may be inserted the card ballot 5, which card ballot is shown in cross section in Figs. 1 and 3, and inpartial detail in Fig. 8. This ballot is inserted in the slot or opening 4 in the top of the machine, which slot has a converging throat, card ballot is fed or steered between two rollers 6 and 7, and onto a plate 8 near the bottom of said throat, which plate during the arrangement of the card ballot closes said 0' ening and prevents the ballot passing t erethrou h, Plate 8 is for the same purpose as wefi.

7 Suitable cards such as are shown inFig. 8, may be provided, which cards are of such a size as to fit the opening in the top of the machine and are ruled or printed with. spaces thereon, one for each office, said spaces being of said cards for the purpose of voting in the blank column for one or more than one of the offices as the voter may desire, thus f the voter wishes to vote for an unnomlnated candidate for mayor and another unnominated candidate for city attorney and a number of unnominated candidates for the ofiice of supervisor, he would write the names of said candidates in the proper places on the card and insert said card in the slot 4 with the edge to the right of said card as shown in Fig. 8 placed downward'in said slot and with the side of the said card containing the writing facing the keys of said blank column row. He would then press down in said blank column row the keys thereof that came opposite to the names that-he had thus written on the card. This'would indicate that he intended to vote for such candidates and would secure the subsequent marking of the spaces on which said candidates names occur on said card and would prevent the voter from voting for a corresponding candidate for the sameofiice on the party rows. The keys 3 which the voter would de ress in the blank column row are shown in igs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, except as shown in said figures the interlocking parts of said keys are omitted for the purpose of rendering clear the balance of the disclosures, which interlocking parts are shown in full in connection with said keys in Figs. 5, 6

' spring guard 12 is and 7. After the keys 3 have been depressed it is open to the voter to retract said keys and to withdraw the card ballot from the'slot for the'purpose' of changing the vote indicated thereonfor thepurpose of votingelsewhere on. the machine instead.

in order to prevent the voter from tampering with this card ballot voting mechanism, and to prevent him from taking any unfair" advantage thereof and to prevent him from voting in excess of the usualamount to which he is entitled, I provide the following mechanism: Pivoted on the shaft 9 are the swinging arms 10., which are curved laterally and which carry on their face the type 11. In front of the row of type carried by said'arms 10 is carried an inking ribbon 13, such as is used in an ordinary typewriter, said ribbon coming between the card ballot and the type. A

rovided in said throat for the purpose of ,lieeping the card ballot normally out of contact with said ribbon. For the purpose of causin the operation oi said ty e upon the car ballot, I provide the f llowing means: Carried on the sliding bar 14 are pawls 15, pivoted on pins -1 is shown in its normal or unvoted position.

When pushed down into voting osition its lower end projects below the p ane of the 'pawls 15. The'bar 14 on which the pawls 15 are carried has an endwise movement imparted to it by means of the crank 19. When the forward movement is imparted to said bar, the-pawls 15 react against said keys 3, which have been placed in voted position and are held against swinging free.

As said bar 14 advances the pawls are held to a movement between the keys 3 and the type carrying arms 10. The keys are rigid and cannot yield while the type arms are free to yield in the. direction of the card ballot and are pushed in that direction by the reaction of the pawls against them. By this means wherever. a key has been placed in voted position a number corresponding to the number of said key will be printed on the card ballot in the corresponding oflice line thereof. This shows to the election oflicers subsequently that the voter I has not voted elsewhere on the machine for the same offices.

In order toprevent the withdrawal of said card from the slot after the numbers have been printed thereon, I rovide the rollers 6 and 7, between Whic the card ballot must be inserted. These rollers are normally at a suitable distance apart to permit easy insertion of the card, but when the operating device of the machine is moved for the purpose of rinting the numbers on the card and for t e purpose of depositing the ballot, these rollers are elampedtogether on the card; to prevent its'removal from the machine and to force its depositing in the receptacle of the machine provided for that pur ose. Theserollers are caused to clamp on t e card by means of the slide 20, having thereon a cam 21 at its head end and a similar cam at its tail end, by means of which the roller 7 is moved at both ends to clamp rigidly against the roller 6. Sliding bearin s 22 are provided at each end of the .roller or permitting thislateral movement in the roller 7. The roller 7 ma be of any soft or elastic substance, while rol er 6 should preferably be of harder substance and should have thereon at suitable intervals teeth or corrugations by which it may the more firmly grip the card 5 to prevent its Withdrawal and to force or secure the depositing of it.

The sliding bar 20 is moved longitudinally by the crank 23 keyed to the shaft 24. The crank 23 has on its outer end a pin 25, which engages with the slot 26 in the bar 20. When the shaft 24 and the crank 23 rotate in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3, the slide 20 is moved forward until the pin 25 on cured by the rollers.

the crank 23 passes out of the slot 26 on the bar 20. By the means of this bar and the cams thereon the rollers are first pinched against the card. As the shaft 24 revolves at the same time it drives forward the bar 14, causing the type arms'to advance following closely in thelr motion the sqlpeezing together of the rollers 6 and 7, so t at immedi ately following the pinching of the card between the rollers the type arms 11 are caused to strike the card and make their imprint thereon through the ribbon 13. .This imprint, of course, not being made on the card until after the card has been inched and se- Until t ese two operations have been completed, the roller 6 is not given any rotary movement, but immedi ately following the pinching of the card and the marking of it, the roller 6 starts to revolve because of the engagement of the active part of the gear27 with the gear 28. Until that point is reached, the gear 27 resents merely an idle part to the gear 28, ut after said point is reached the active or toothed part of the gear 27 reaches the gear 28 and forces its revolution; The gear 28 is carried on the shaft 29, which in turn carries the gear 30, which gear in turn meshes with the beveled gear 31 carried on the shaft 32, which shaft .carries the roller 6. By means of this arrangement I secure the following sequence of operations and in the following manner.

33 represents the power shaft of the machine, which is driven-by the operating lever of the machine for the purpose of securing the counting of the vote and the depositing of the card ballot. Keyed to this shaft is the crank 34, having therein the slot 35, engagin with the pin 36 on the sliding bar 37. This s iding bar has at its left end a rack 38, meshing with the pinion 39, keyed to the shaft 24. The first part of the revolution of this shaft causes the roller 7 to advance towards the roller 6 and pinch the card ballot between, following closely on which the type arms 10 are caused to make their impression on the card. At the same time, the plate or bar 8 is withdrawn from the bottom of the slot 4 by .means of the cam slide 40, driven by the crank 41 on the shaft 24, thus permitting the depositing of the card, immediately after which the active portion of the gear 27 reaches the gear 28 and starts through the train of gears the revolution of the roller 6, forcing the. depositing of the card. The movement of the operating lever in the reverse direction will cause the reversal of the movement of theparts to restore them to their normal-position. Springs 42 are rovided by which the bar or pin 8 is drawn back to the normal position for the purpose of closing the bottom of the slot.

In the moving of the bar 14, the awls 15 them from their contact with the card, the pawls also moving beyond the keys 3, after which the pawls are movedto the right in Fig. 3 by means of the springs 43, it being understood that before the ,bar 14 moves in the reverse direction the keys 3 have been reset byv the resetting mechanism of the machine, any suitable mechanism for resetting may be provided such as shown in the patent to Dean above referred to.

By means of the above described mechanism a single card ballot may be used'for the whole of the machine on which may be included votes for any and all unnominated candidates and for regularly nominated candidates which cannot be placed upon the key board of the machine. I also prevent the casting of more than one ballot at a time by a voter because obviously only one impression will be made in each operation of the machine by the type, and this impression both as to the character of the type and the .color of the ribbon by which it is made can cator and common to said receptacle for impressing on a ballot suitable characters to inicate what vote indicating mechanisms of the blank column have been operated, and means for positively feeding said ballot into the machine, and for ositively preventing the Withdrawal of said ballot after the impressing means has been set in operation.

2. The combination in a voting machine of vote indicating mechanism belongin to candidates whose names appear on tie ke board of the machine, vote indicating mechanisms for candidates whose'names do not appear on the key-board of the machine, said mechanisms being referred to collectively as a blank column, interlocking mechanism between the vote indicating mechanisms for j pass beyond the type arms 10 an release lfor particular candidates on such ballot, and

means for positively feeding said ballot into the machine, and for ositively preventing the withdrawal of said ballot after the impressing means has been set in operatic-#1.

3. In a voting machine the combinaton of a casing having a slot in which a card ballot which may be suitably marked to indicate votes thereon may be deposited, a ballot receptacle, a row of keys parallel to s'aid slot having one key for each office line on the machine, said row being-referred to as a blank column row,'means operated by said keys for subsequently stamping on a card ballot the numbers of the keys that have been voted, and means to hold a card ballot stationary in the slot while the numbers are being stamped thereon, and to positively feed it into the re- .ceptacle of the machine immediately thereafter.

4. The combination in a voting machine of vote indicating mechanisms belonging to regularly nominated candidates, vote indicating mechanisms for unnominated candidates, interlocking mechanisms between the two kinds of mechanisms of the same series,

and means to indicate on a ballot the voting mechanisms that have been operated for voting for unnominated candidates, means to hold said ballot stationary while said indicating means is operating thereon, and means for positively feeding said card forward immediately thereafter.

5. The combination in a voting machine of a single ballot receptacle for receiving card ballots'for voting for all the candidates of that voters choice that may not have been nominated, means for indicating on a card ballot that the'voter has not voted elsewhere on the machine for candidates for the same ofiices for which votes are indicated on the card ballot, a pair of gripping rollers to hold said card ballot in its normal position and against withdrawal, said rollers operating to hold said card before and during the time the above named indicating means is operating thereon.

6. The combination in a votingmachine of a sin le receptacle for card ballots for voting for a the candidates of that voters choice that may not have beennominated, means for indicatin on a card ballot that the voter has not vote elsewhere on the machine for candidates for the same offices for which votes are indicated on the card ballot, means operating to hold firmly said card ballot in its normal (position, said means operating to hold sai ballot before and during the time the above named indicating means is operating thereon.

7". A voting machine comprising a plurality of irregular vote indicators, one for each ofiice to be filled, and a plurality of ballot impression devices, and each having an impression face different from the others and controlled, one by each of said vote indicators, a single receptacle for card ballots each of which ballots is adapted to be operated on by a plurality of said lmpressionfaces, and means for holding a ballot firmly in normal position before and during the operation of said impression faces thereon.

8. A voting machine comprising a plurality of irregular vote indicators, one for each oflice to be filled, and a plurality of ballot impression devices, and each having an impression face controlled, one by each of said vote 'ndicators, a single receptacle for card ballo.s each of which ballots is adapted to be operated on by a plurality of said impression faces, and means for holding a ballot firmly in he rmal position before and during the operation of said impression faces thereon.

9. A voting machine comprising mechanism for marking a card ballot, said mechanism consisting of a plurality of pivoted carriers having type faces at the free ends thereof, a longitudinally movable bar having pawls thereon, voting keys, one for each pawl and carrier, movable; freely into and out of voted position, each of said pawls moving between the end of its key when in voted position and its swinging carrier, and being shaped to react against: its key and drive the type face of its carrier against a card ballot to produce an impression thereon.

10. A voting machine comprising mechan-' ism for marking a ballot, means for operating said ballot-marking mechanism and a ballot key upraised to control the actuation of the ballot-marking mechanism by its operating means, said ballot key being retractile by the voter, and means independent of 'said ballot key for imparting movement to the means whereby the ballot-marking mechanism is operated, and means for clamping a ballot in its normal position while it is being marked.

11. A voting machine comprising a plurality of irregular vote indicators one for each office to be filled, and. a plurality of ballot impression devices each movable into set positions by one of said indicators and each having an impression face, and means for causing an impression to be made on a card ballot by impression devices that have been set and means for clam ing a ballot in its normal position while it is being marked.

12. A votingv machine comprising a plurality, of irregular vote indicators one for each office to be filled, and a plurality of ballot impression devices each movable into and out of set position by one of said indicators and each having an impression face and means for causing an impression to be made w on a card ballot by impression devices that have been set, and means for clamping'a ballot in its normal position while it is being marked.- 13. A voting machine comprising a plurality of irregular vote indicators, one for each office to be filled, and freely movable into and out of set position to change the vote, a plurality of ballot impression devices each having an impression face, and each controlled by one of said indicators, and means for causing an impression'to be made from impression devices corresponding to indicators left in set position, and means for clamping a'ballot in its normal position while said impression devices are being operated.

14. A voting machine comprising a lurality of irregular vote indicators movable into and out of voted position to indicate .or change an irregular vote, one indicator for each office to be filled, a plurality of ballot impression devices one corresponding to each indicator and each having an impression character thereon, and means for causing the ballot impression to be made subsequently to the movement of the irregular indicator to voted position, and means for clamping a card ballot in its normal position during the .operation thereon of said impression devices.

15. A voting machine comprising a plurality of irregular vote indicators movable into '1 and out of voted position to indicate or change an irregular vote, one indicator for each ofiice to be filled, a pluralityof ballot impression devices one corresponding to each indicator and each having an impression character and means for causing the ballot impression'to be made on a ballot While stationary, and the ballot to be fed thereafter subseguently to the movement of the irregular in icator to voted position.

16. A voting machine comprising a plurality of irregular vote indicators movable into and out of voted position to indicate or change an irregular vote, one indicator for each office to be filled, a plurality of ballot impression devices one corresponding to each indicator and each having an 1m ression character thereon to identify the bal ot with the corresponding office to be filled, and

means for causing the impression to be made on a ballot while stationary, and the ballot to be thereafter positively deposited subseguently to the movement of the irregular inicator to voted position.

17. The combination in a voting machine of a receptacle therefor, said ballot being freely movable into and out of said receptacle, independently of the position of the marking keys, a plurality of irregular vote indicators movable into and out of voted position to indicate or change an irregular vote, independently, of the position of the'card ballot, one indicator for each office to be filled, a

plurality of ballot impression devices one ballot to be thereafter positively deposited from said marking receptacle.

18. A combination in a voting machine of a card ballot receptacle and means operating in connection therewith to mark and deposit a ballot in said receptacle, said means operating first to prevent the removal of the ballot from said receptacle, second, to stamp one or more characters thereon, and third, to positively feed said ballot from said receptacle.

19. The combination in a voting machine of a card ballot receptacle, and means operating in connection therewith to mark and deposit a ballot from said receptacle, said means operating, first, to prevent the removal of the ballot and hold it stationary while the characters are being marked thereon; second, to mark one or more characters thereon; and

- third, to positively feed said ballot from said receptacle.

20. The combination in a voting machine of a card ballot receptacle, a pair of gripping and feeding rollers constituting a part of said receptacle, said rollers being normally held apart so as not to interfere with the insertion or removal of a card from said receptacle, means to bring said rollers toward each other to clamp a card ballot between them, and means for revolving said rollers to cause the feed of a ballot.

21. The combination in a voting machine of a card ballot receptacle, a pair of gripping and feeding rollers constituting a part of said receptacle, said rollers being normally held apart so as not to interfere nth the insertion or removal of a card from said receptacle, means to clamp a card ballot between said rollers, and means for revolving said rollers to causethe feed of a ballot.

22, The combination in a voting machine of a card ballot receptacle, means for first looking a card ballot in said receptacle and 'then feeding it from said receptacle, mechanism operating said means to look a ballot and mechanism independent of said first named mechanism operating said means tofeed the ballot from said receptacle, substantially as described.

23. The combination in a voting machine of a card ballot receptacle, keys controlling the marking of a card ballot, said ballot being freely and directly movable into and out of said receptacle without moving the keys,

means for first locking a card ballot in said receptacle and then feeding it from said "receptacle, mechanism operating said means to look a ballot and mechanism independent of said first named mechanism to operate said means to feed the ballot from saidreceptacle, substantially as described.

24. The combination in a voting machine of pivoted carriers having type faces at the freeends thereof, and capable of a printing movement, a longitudinally movablebar having pawls thereon one for each carrier, vot- In testimony of which I have hereunto set ing keys movable freely into and out of the my hand and seal in the presence of two witpath of said pawls, means for moving the bar nesses. longitudinally whereby the pawls thereon are 1 FRANK KEIPER'. [L. s.]

5 caused to react against the keys that have Witnesses:

been placed. in voted position to cause a CHARLES EDELIVIAN) printing movement in said c'arriers. Y ISIDORE SIMON.

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