US986789A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

L. R. WINSLOW. VOTING MACHINE:

APPLICATION FILED 1111.2, 1909.

98 5739, Patented;Mar.14 ,1911.

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VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1909.

' Patented Mar.'14, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LENNA. R. WINSLOW, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Application filed January 2, 1909.

. b alt whom it may concern:

ie it known that I, LENNA R. ixsnow, a citizen of the l'nitcd States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cock and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful improvement in Voting-Ma chines, of which the following; is a SpQClfiCntlCll.

invention relates particularly to L'lOSHI'OdOCKlDg means for voting machines; and my primary object .is to provide improved closure-locking means for voting; machines, adapted to permit viewing of the vote registers a limited number of times only.

lt may he preparatorily stated that I accomplish my purpose. in the preferred construction, by providing for the shiftable closure ,or front plate of the machine which has apertures through which registers may be viewed when the plate is shifted, closurelocking mechanism which permits the closure to be shifted a predetermined number of times to enable the registers to be viewed in an authorized manner; and I provide interlock devices between the closure-actuating inccminism and the voting mechanism of the machine, whereby, when the closure is shifted to the register-viewing-position the machine is locked against the voting operation, and when the voting operation is in progress the closure is locked against shifting.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which F igure 1 represents a broken front elevational view of avoting machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a broken horizontal sectional view taken as indicated at line 2 of F i9. 1 and showing the shiftable front plateof the machine, the actuating mechanism therefore with the attached means for limiting the number of actuations of said shiftahle plate, portions of the voting mechanism of the iachine. and the interlock devices between the voting mechanism of the machine and the actuatingmechanism of the shiftable front plate; Fig. 3. a broken section taken as indicated at line 8 of Fig. l and showing" a portion of the closure-actuating mechanism; Fig. 4, a hori- Zontal sectional view taken as indicated at line lof Fig. 5 and showing a detail of the interlock mechanism mentioned: Fig. 5, a broken clcvational view of said interlock devices, section, the section being taken as indicated a rock-shaft thereof being shown in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14-, 1911. Serial No. 470,412.

at line 5 of F 4r; Fig; 6, a broken sectional view showing one of the guides of the shift able front plate of the machine, the section being;- taken as indicated at. line 6, Fig. 2; Fig. 7, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 2 and showing the closure-locking m *ans connected with the closure-actuating means of the machine, said closure-locking means being set to permit one actuation or shift of the closure or front plate of the machine; Fig. 8, a similar view showing said locking'anechanism set to permit three actuatiens of the closure; Fig. 9, a similar view showing the position of the parts of the locking-mechanism after one shift and return movement of the closure; and Fig. 10, a similar view showing the position of the parts after two shifts and rt'urn of the closure.

In the illustration given, A represents the casing of a voting machine; B. a. shiftable front plate or closure for said casing: C, closure-actuating mechanism; D, a locking device connected with said closure-actuating mechanism and serving to permit a predetermined number of shifts of said closure; E, a portion of the votil st-mechanism of the machine; and F, an interlock device between the closure-actuatine' mechanism and the roting-mechanism of the machine.

The casing A is provided at its front side with horizontal guides l in which is mounted a shiftable front plate or closure 2. The shiftable plate 2 is provided with apertures 3 which are normally out of registration with the registers 4 (shown by dotted lines) of the machine. The plate 2 is capable of being shifted in its horizontal guides to bring the apparatus 3 into registration with the vote-registers of the machine. The shiftable plate 2 is also provided with perforations through which extend the votingkeys 5, and adjacent to said perfonitions are slots (3 which accommodate the shanks of the voting-keys when the plate is shifted.

The mechanism C serving to shift the plate or closure B comprises, in the illustration given, an actuatingrod or slide 7 which extends through one end of the casing and lies near the inner surface of the shiftal'ile plate 2," a vertically disposed rock-shaft S equipped near its lower end wit-h an actu ating device 9 adapted to be actuated by the rod or slide 7, and equipped near its upper end with a, disk 10 adapted to actuate the plate 2.

The device 9 comprises a disk equipped j in Fig. 7, the stop 19 is substantially in conwith two fingers 11 and 12 which normally lie adjacent to the slide 7, as shown in Fig. 3. The slide T is equipped with a finger 13 which is located between the fingers ll and 12, and the slide is also provided with a recess ll adapted to receive the finger 12 when, during the outward movement of the slide T, the finger 13 engages the finger l1 and rotates the shaft 8 through the medium of the disk 9. The disk at the upper end of the shaft 8 is provided at its periphery with a recess 15 which engages a finger 16 carried by the plate 2. It will be understood that when the rock-shaft is rotated in the manner described, the disk 10, after actuation of the mechanisms D and F has occurred, will rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 and will shift the plate 2 in a position to bring the apertures 3 into registration with the registers l of the machine. \Yhen the slide T is returned to its normal position, the sloping wall of the recess ll engages the corresponding beveled surface of the linger 12 and rotates the rock-shaft 8 back to its normal position, thereby returning the plate 2 to its normal position.

The locking-mechanism D comprises a bar 17 which may constitute an extension of the slide or rod T, being joined thereto by an oblique portion 18; a stop 19 adj ustably connected with the bar 17; an autoi'naticallv adjustable stop 20 connected with the bar 17 and provided with ratchet-teeth 21; a pawl connected with the bar 17 and engaging the teeth 21: and a pivoted pawl 23 carried by a stationary support Ql and adapted to engage the teeth of the automatically adjustable stop 20. The adjustable stop 19 preferabl comprises a bar provided with a longitudinal slot through which pass screws 26 which enter the bar 17. The upper edge of the bar it) provided with notches 2?, 2S and 29. Pivotallv connected with the bar 1? is a locking-pawl 30 provided with a rectangular nose -31. adapted to fit in any of the rectangular recesses or notches QT, and 29, according to the adjustment of the stop 19. The automatically adjustable stop 2O connected. by S(.".Q\\'fl1i(l l(il connection 20, with the bar 17, the connection permitting the stop 20 to slip with relation to the bar 17 after the pawl 23 engages a tooth of the ratchet and while the bar IT is being retracted, thus providing for automatic advancement of the stop 20 with relation to the bar 17.

The adjustment of the parts is such that when the stop 19 is fixed in the position shown in Fig. 7. one. actuation of the front plate 2 of the machine ma be made. whereupon lhe pawl 23 will engage the first notch of the ratchet-teeth on the sclf-zuljusting stop 20. Inasmuch as, in the position own tact with the self-adjusting stop 20. and inasinuch as the stop 20 will be held by the pawl 22) when an effort is made to return the bar 17 to its starting position, it will be understood that the front plate of the machine will be locked against return movement when shifted once, assuming the stop 19 to have been preparatorilv adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 7. hen the stop it) is preparatorily set in the position shown in Fig. 8, the front plate 2 may be shifted to the register-viewing position three times. The first shift and return of the plate '2, in this case, leaves the parts of the locking device in the position shown in Fig. i). the automatically adjustable stop 20 being ad vanced one tooth by the pawl when the plate is shifted to the register-viewing position, the pawl 23 then dropping into eugagenient with the first notch of lheralchct on the stop 20 and preventing a return of the stop '20 when the plate is returned to the normal or closed position. \Vhen the plate returned to the normal or closed position. the pawl 22 engages a fresh tooth of the. ratchet, as shown in Fig. 9. The next complete reciprocation of the front plate 2 lea ves thev parts of the locking device in the posi tion shown in Fig. 10. and allows for one more shift of the plate 2 to the open position, after which the pawl 23 will engage a succeeding tooth of the ratchet on the stop 20 and will lock the operating mechanism of the plate 2 against return movement.

The voting-mechanism E of the machine is of a construction well understood. and includes, besides the vote-registers l (indicated in dotted lines) and the voting-keys 5, a series of horizontally disposed bars 32 (one shown), corresponding with the horizontal rows of voting-keys; vertically disposed shafts 33 equipped with arms ill carrying the bars 32, the shafts 33 being thus conuected to move in unison through the medium of said arms and said bars; an initialperating lever 35 connected with one of the shafts 33 and by means of which the shafts are operated to move the bars o2 and unlock the vote-registering mechanisms when the voter passes to the. machine; and a finalaituating lever 36 b v means of which the shafts 3 are actuated after the voting-keys have been preparatorilv set by the voter, whereby the rearward moven'ient of the bars 1-312 will retract the voting-keys and cause the voteregistering mechanisms to be operated. it may be added that the lever '35 adapted to be turned in one direction by male voters and in the opposite direction by female voters. the shafts 33 being actuated. nevertheless, in the same direction.

The interlock device i comprises a horizontall disposed nick-shaft 3T equipped with a crank connected with an endextension 39 of the bar 17; a vertically mov able slide or stop 40 connected with a crankarm 41 on the rear end of the rock-shaft 37; and a stop 42 supported on a stationary pivot 43 and having an arm 44 (so-acting with the vertically movable stop 40, and an arm 45 co-acting with the adjacent arm 84 of the voting-mechanism. The vertically slidable stop 4-0 moves in a guide 46 as shown in Fig. 1, and is provided near its upper end with a slot 47 adapted to receive the arm 44 of the member 42 when the slide 40 is in its normal position. lVhen the slide 40 is elevated as occurs when the shiftable front plate 2 of the machine is moved to the register-viewing position. the edge portion 48 of the slide 40 which lies beneath the slot 47 will be raised into the path of the arm 44 of the member 42. thereby preventing the voting operation. from being performed. The reason for this is that the arm of the member 4-2 lies normally in the path of the adjacent arm 34 of the voting-meehanism. and when the shafts 33 are turned to move the stop-bar 32 forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4, it is necessary that the member 42 shall turn on its pivot in order to pern'iit this movement. This can only occur when the slot 47 of the slide 40 registers with the arm 44 of the member 42. On the other hand. when the front plate 2 of the machine is in its normally closed position. the actuation of the voting-mechanism swings the member 42 on its pivot and causes the arm 44- to enter the slot 47 of the slide 40, thereby locking the plate 2 against opening. Thus it will be seen that it is impossible to shift the plate to the register-viewing position during the operation of the. voting n'iechanisin: and it is likewise impossible to perform the voting o ')erat-ion while the shiftable plate 2 is in the register-viewing position.

The operatioi'i may be described briefly thus: The judges of election may 1neparatorily set the adjustable stop 19 carried by the bar 17 to permit the necessary number of shiftings of the front plate 2 of the machine to enable the vote-registers to be inspected by authorized persons. such as precinct judge or the police: and after the front plate 2 has been thrown to the register-viewing position the number of times provided for. it effectually locked against return. so that an unauthorized lnfll'lllJllltltion may be detected. lVhen it is desired to shift the plate 2 to the register-viewing position. this is accomplished through the medium of the rod or slide 7 which is equipped at its outer end with a knob or handle 49. Then the slide 7 is turned outward y. the finger 13 thereof engages the finger ll. of the member 9 and actuates the rock-shaft 8. tl'irough the medium of which the disk is actuated thereby actuating the plate 2 through the medium of the finger 1G. Vhen the slide 7 is turned outwardly, the bar 17 is thereby moved and the self-adjusting stop is turned for ardly until the pawl 23 drops into engagement with the tooth of the ratchet on the stop 20. The possibility of returning the plate 2 to its normally closed position depends upon the initial adjustment of the stop 19. If said stop is initially adjusted in the position shown in F 7, the plate 2 cannot be returned to its normal position. If the stop 19 is initially adjusted in the position shown in Fig. 8, the plate 2 may be shifted to the register-viewing position three times, but may be returned to its initial position only twice. If the stop 19 is adjusted so that the locking-pawl engages the intermediate notch 28 of the stop,

the plate 2 may be shifted twice to the register-viewing position, but may be re turned to its normal position only once. When the plate 2 is moved to the registerviewing position. the rocleshaft 37 is turned to elevate the slide or stop 40, and the votingmechanism is thereby locked against actuation. lVhen the plate 2 is in the normally closed position. the slot 47 registers with the arm 44 of the member 42. and when the vote-registering mechanism is moved to the unlocked position. the arm 44 enters the slot 47. as shown in F 4, thereby locking the plate 2 against being turned to the register-viewing position. a

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only. and no undue limitation is to be understood therefrom.

In Figs. 1 and 2. G represents a lock applied to the casing front and having a bolt adapted to engage a stop 0 with which the bar 7 is equipped. The judges of election hold the key to this lock. and the lock will serve to prevent unauthorized persons from operating the mechanism and shifting the front-plate 2 during an election.

hat I regard as new. and desire to se cure by Letters Patent. is

1. In a. voting machine, the combination with shiftable means normally concealing the vote-registers of the machine. of locking means therefor permitting shifting to the register-viewing position a predetermined number of times only and automatically preventing actuation after a predetermined number of shifting operations.

2. In a voting machine. the eombinatitm with a shiftable front plate provided with register-viewing openings. of locking mechanism comprising a. mei'nber adapted to be actuated when said plate is shifted. and a coacting locking member adapted to engage said first-named member automatically and preventing retraction thereof when the plate is returned to its normal position.

In a voting machine, the combination with a shift-able plate provided with regisi ter-viewing openings, :1 bar adapted to be actuated with said shiftable plate. a stop movablv carried b v said bar, and a self-adjusting stop actuated through the medium I of said bar and co-acting with said first: named stop.

4. In a voting machine. the combination with a closure, of a member actuated therewith, a stop carried b v said member and adjustablv secured thereto. a second stop movablv connected with said member and coacting with said first-named stop. means connected with said member for ad 'ancing said secondnamed stop. and means prevent-- ing the retraction of said second-named stop after it has been advanced.

In a voting machine. the eon'ibinatimi with a closure llHt'G'fUl. ot' a bar adapted to be actuated therewith. a stop adjustabl sccured on said bar. a second stop slidablv mounted on said bar and equipped with a ratchet, a pawl mounted on said bar and engaging said ratchet, and a pawl mounted on a stationary support and adapted to engage said ratchet.

t. In a voting machine. the combination with a shiftable closure therefor, of a bar actuated therewith. a stop and means associated therewith for securing the same to said bar in any one of a number of set positions. a second stop movablv connected with said bar and equipped with ratchet teeth of a length corresponding with the positions of adjustment of said first-named stop, a pawl connected with said bar and adapted to advance said second-named stop, and a pawl carried by the stationarv support and co-acting with said ratchet.

T. In a voting machine. the combination of a casing equipped with a shittable closure. closure-actuating mechanism located in said casing and having an actuating member projecting from the casing. and locking mechanism connected with said actuating mechanism and comprising means adapted to permit a limited number of actuations of said closure and automatically preventing actuation after a predetermined number of shifting operations.

S. In a voting machine, the combination 5 of a casing provided with a shiftable clo- Y sure. a verticallv disposed rock-shaft in said casing equipped with means for actuating said closure, a slide extending through said casing and equipped with means for actuating said rock-shaft, and locking means connected with said slide and comprising means serving to lock the closure against retraction after it has been shifted a predetermined number of times.

t). In a voting machine. the combination ot a casing equipped with a shiftable closure. voting mechanism. means for releasabl locking the voting mechanism against actuation, a member shiftablc with said closure, and interlock mechanism comprising a rock-shaft connected with said member, a slidable stop actuated by said rock-shaft, and means interposed between said stop and said first-named means and cooperating therewith to lock said first-named means in position for preventing the voting operation when said closure is moved to the register-viewing position.

10. In a voting machine, the combination of a casing provided with a shiftable closure, voting mechanism, a pivotally mounted stop adapted to be moved into and out of the path of said voting mechanism, a vertically slidable stop coacting with said firstnamed stop, and means actuated with said closure and serving to actuate said secondnamed stop.

11. In a. voting machine, the combination of a casing equipped with a shiftable closure, voting mechanism, means for releasablv locking the voting mechanism against actuation. a member shittable with said closure, and interlock mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted stop cooperating with said 1110211155 and adapted to lock the latter in position for preventing the voting opera tion when in one position, a rock-shaft connected with said member, and a slidable stop actuated by said rock-shaft and adapted to be moved into and outof the path of said first-named stop, for the purpose set forth.

12. In a voting machine, the combination of a casing equipped with a. shiftable closure, voting mechanism. means for releasabl v locking the voting mechanism against actuation, a member shiftable with said closure, and interlock mechanism comprising a movable stop adapted, when in one position, to lock said means against actuation and when moved from such posit-ion to permit said means to be actuated, a rock-shaft connected with said member, a second movable stop actuated by said rock-shaft and provided with an otl-set portion adapted to be moved into and out of registration with said first-named stop, for the purpose set 13. In a voting machine, the combination with a shiftable front plate provided with register-viewing openings, of preparatorily setv locking-mechanism permitting said plate to be shifted a limited number of times and automatically preventing actuation 0t said front plate, after a predetermined number of shifting operations, and a key-controlled lock controlling said shittable plate.

l4. In a voting machine, the combination of a casing equipped with a shiftable closure. voting mechanism, a longitudinally shittable member for releasably locking the voting mechanism against actuation, a member shiftable with said closure, and interlock mechanism comprising a rock-shaft connected with said last-named member, and a slidable stop actuated by said rock-shaft and adapted to lock said first-named member against actuation When said closure is drawn to the register-viewing position.

15. In a voting machine, the combination of a casing equipped with a shiftable closure, voting mechanism, a longitudinally shift-able member for releasably locking the voting mechanism against actuation, a member shiftable with said closure, and inter lock mechanism comprising a rock-shaft connected with said member, a swingingly mounted stop cooperating With said firstnamed member and operating, when in one position, to prevent operation of the Voting mechanism, and a slidable stop actuated by said rock-shaft and adapted to be moved into and out of the path of said first-named stop, for the purpose set forth.

, LENNA R. VVINSLOW. In presence of- ARTHUR G. GRIFFIN, CHAS. I-I. DECKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

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