US995708A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. OOUMPAUGH.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1908. v 995,708, Patented June 20, 1911.

4 BHEBTS-SHEET l.

j soc. Z 6 0 5' IKREG. x Supt. Trig. I

. inn/34 fl kfij vwemtoz Q/Vihwaaeo v v C. m. Coudcw.

- f fl-mw G. H. OGUMPAUGH.

VOTING MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

- Patented June 20, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

um/who;

witnesses I $.yw64

rue: Mounts PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c

C. H. OCUMPAUGH.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

Patented June 20, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l-F L 0 000 M 0 M0Q0 fit 1m mm i 50110000 00 15111000000 L EUU BETH avwanboz I'm/Wanna 44. C 3A2. M

C. H. OCUMPAUGH.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27, 1908.

Patented June 20, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Swwwtoz W1 tn uses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. OCUMPAUGH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

VOTING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. OoUu- IAUGI'I, a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to voting machines, and has for its object to provide a simple, compact, efficient, and cheap construction having all the necessary and desired functions of such machines.

The invention consists in the construction herein described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section comprising an illustration of push buttons, one representing an individual candidate with its interlocking mechanism, and register, the other representing a straight ticket mechanism, and resetting mechanism; Fig. 2 is a partial transverse section looking at the register-actuating and resetting mechanism from the right; Fig. 3 is a partial elevation of the straight ticket push button and its connecting bar for actuating the push buttons of the individual candidates; Fig. 4 is a broken right end elevation the proximate end of the case being removed and the lengthwise bars of the machine shown in section; Fig. 5 is a perspective of the machine, its cover being raised, parts of the machine being broken away; Fig. 6 is a broken plan of a counter-actuating frame; Fig. 7 is a broken plan showing the buttons in the party and office columns, the irregular device, and group voting mechanism, the face plate being broken away to show the interlocking mechanism; Fig. 8 is a partial plan showing a modified form of abutment bar; Fig. 9 is an elevation partly in section showing in normal situation the irregular device together with the interlocking mechanism, resetting rod, ballot-retaining frame, and ballot receptacle; Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the initial situation of the mechanism; Fig. 11 is a partial bottom plan of the ball-supporting frame, the interlock ing bars being shown in section. Fig. 12 is a partial side view on a larger scale than Fig. 1, showing a register, support and operating devices; Fig. 13 is a View at right angles Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27,

Patented June 20, 1911.

1908. Serial No. 445,623.

thereto; Fig. 14 is an enlarged partial side view showing the lookout bar and operating device; Fig. 15 is a section on line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

The voting machine as shown comprises a box or case (Fig. 5) having a hinged bottom Z ends Z and Z sides Z and Z and a hinged cover Z having extensions Z. Said extensions may fit in recesses Z in the box ends when the cover is closed. As shown it is intended that the box containing the voting mechanism shall be placed 011 a table with the hinged side of the cover toward the inspectors. While the cover is shut, the voting mechanism is locked through the medium of the link mechanism K, K resetting-bar actuator J and a resetting bar H, so that no matter in what angle or position the box may be placed, even bottom side up, the voting mechanism will not move as long as the cover is closed, said bar H being in the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1. The raising of the cover Z by the voter, to gether with the fixed end sect-ions Z cuts off from the view of election oflicials and others, the vote indicators or buttons, and at the same time releases the locking mechanism so that the voter is free to make choice of any of the candidates whose names are shown on the machine. The extensions or fixed sections Z at right angles to the main part of the cover are of practical importance in securing privacy for voting. Being fixed parts of the cover and adapted to be housed in the case they do not seriously impair the compactness of the machine. When the cover is raised 90 degrees the bottoms of said sections do not rise above the level of the face plate, and they extend substantially to the front thereof, as shown in Fig. 5.

A (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) denotes single candidate push buttons, A straight ticket push buttons or vote indicators, and A (Figs. 7, 9 and 10) handles for irregular voting. These buttons and handles by preference are operatively supported in a face plate 1V below the top of the box.

B denotes a main push bar having thereon a button A, and D a supplemental or secondary push bar connected by an arm C to the main bar B. Said latter bar is operatively connected to the pivoted register E and hence to a, toothed wheel S fixed to a driving shaft 8 of the register E and is adapted to move said wheel into the path of counteractuating devices, including a frame G, The

bar D is a part of the interlocking mecha nism, and is simultaneously moved with and by the main bar B to lock outother bars. Each push bar B is connected to a resetting bar H by a pin N fixed to the bar and movable in a triangular opening in the latter, said pin being normally in the upper left hand angle as shown (Fig. 1).

Registers E are each pivotally supported at 1 on a fixed bar I. This bar, shown in partial elevation in Figs. 1 and 12 and in transverse section in Figs. f and 13, will be fixed to the case, as indicated at 9 in Fig. 12. The bar B is connected to the register E at a point S in a vertical plane to the right of the plane in which is situated the pivot I which supports said register, and hence when the button A is pushed and moves bar B downward, it turns the register bodily on pivot 1 which carries the lower point of the register driving toothed wheel S (which point does not normally extend below the top plane of frame G) between two of the cross bars G of frame G, where it remains until bar 13 is reset. Therefore when said frame is longitudinally reciprocated by the closing of the machine cover and consequent depression of bar J, with its cam slot P, as described below, wheel S of the register is turned and advances the register one space. In Fig. 12 is shown, in broken lines, the position assumed by the register and its wheel S on the depression of bar B. As before stated the shaft 8 of wheel S is the register driving shaft, and will serve to advance the first counting wheel of the register by any suitable or known device, which not being of this invention is not shown herein.

The frame G comprises a plurality of parallel parts, such as part G corresponding in number to the registers and keys or indi- (-ators, The construction is such that the frame can actuate any and every register counter put in operative relation therewith. As shown in Figs. +1: and 12, frame G is movably supported in ways 10 on sides of the machine, and Fig. at shows that the cross bars G extend clear across the machine in a direction transverse to the party rows. The frame G with its pairs of cross bars underlying all the registers, when moved. necessarily operates every wheel S whose lower tooth has been carried between either pair of cross bars G, and counts on the corresponding registers.

The resetting-bar-actuator J, connected by links K, K to the cover, is provided with a cam slot 0 having a bar-moving inclined part O and a bar-holding part in which works a pin fixed to the resetting bar H. The actuator-bar J and resetting bar H are shown as reset in full lines in Fig. 11, the previous temporary situation of bar H being indicated by broken lines. Said actuator bar has also a cam slot P to receive a pin 1" fixed to the counter-actuating frame G. Slot P has a frameactuating part P and a part P separated from it by a straight vertical part which together act to leave frame G in situation to be moved when bar d is actuated n'iediately by the cover to cause said frame to do its work and to return for a repetition of the same. Resetting is effected by a movement of the cover through less than a complete circle, an angle of ninety degrees or even less being sufficient.

B denotes a push bar for actuating a straight ticket bar M. Said push bar B has fixed to it a pin N which normally projects into the upper end of the inclined slot N in bar M. The individual push bars I) in the party row are connected to said bar M by pins N fixed thereto and engaging openings N. The pushing in of a key A moves bar M by means of a pin N in slot N to the right (see Figs. 1 and 3) with the effect to force in all bars B having pins N in openings N in said bar M.

The straight ticket bar M is reset through the medium of thebars B by a reverse action of pins N and as will hereafter appear. The raising of the cover moves parts I; and J from the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2 to that shown by full lines in Figs. 2 and 1. This causes the pins N" and l to take their lowest positions in slots 0 and P respectively without moving the resetting bar H or the coiinter-actuating wheel 5%, or the straight ticket bar M, and leaves the push button t and bar 13 in operative situation. Upon the pushing of said button and bar down by the voter to the situation denoted by broken lines which show button A depressed in Fig. 1 the pins 1? and N are carried down without moving either the straight ticket bar M or the resetting bar H. It also carries down on its pivot 1 a register c E and the registe=actuating wheel S supported by the register case and operatively connected to the register wheel and thereby puts the point of a tooth of the register-actuating wheel S into position to be actuated by frame G as indicated in Figs. 1 and 12 by broken lines.

When the cover is closed by the outgoing voter the bar J is thereby pushed down and the counter actuating bar or frame it is first moved by pin 1", while pin 1"? is inoperative in the slot 0, but as the bar J is completing its descent said pin 1? enters the slot part and resets bar H by the pressure of said pin against the upper wall of said slot part the resetting of the push bar B being effected by pin N pressing upon the longer side of the triangular 01 ening in said bar H.

The bars B have connected thereto as stated interlocking bars D provided with wedge shaped ends D which are pushed hetween balls L, or the like, movably supported in a conduit in a frame. -Said frame comprises parallel members F oined by curved members F the ball conduit being continuous except as interrupted by the abutments and push bars. Any plane passing, in the present instance, transversely through two balls in the curved section has an included angle greater than a right angle with a plane passing through the balls in one of the parallel sections, and balls moved from one of the parallel sections toward another are never obliged to turn a right angle or an angle less than a right angle.

B denotes an adjustable or removable abutment or ball-stopping bar detachably secured in place by pins 13* (see Figs. 11 and As shown in Fig. 8, the abutment bar B may be provided with a slot extending across parallel members of the frame and adapted to receive the ends of push bars D The irregular push or interlocking bars are indicated by D (see Figs. 9, 10 and 11). Each is pivoted to a rotatable or rocking covering cylinder B and has a wedge foot similar to those of bars D to crowd balls and lock out other push bars whenever said cover is rotated by its handle A from the situation shown in Fig. 9 to that shown in Fig. 10.

T denotes a ballot-receiving slot or chamber in the rocking cover B the chamber being shown covered in Fig. 9 and open in Fig. 10. T denotes a ballot inserted in said chamber preparatory to being cast by dropping into a receptacle X screwed at X to a support M V (Fig. 9) denotes a cord.

F (see Fig. 4) is a flexible connection such as a cord fixed at D to push bars pertaining to different parties, and F 2 is a rod upon which the intermediate part of the cord rests. The purpose of the cord is to lock out one of the push bars to which it is attached when the other is operated. As many such cord connections may be employed as required.

H is a lockout bar operated by a cam H having a handle H Slots H opening through the lower edge of the bar and provided each with a horizontal extension, which leaves a tongue 11, are adapted to receive pins in the vertical open parts of said slots fixed to the push bars in such manner that the bars are locked by said tongues 11, when the handle H is swung down in a vertical plane parallel with bar H and the lower cam-end H of the handle bearing against the adjacent wall moves bar H to the right. The bar H extends from the rear to the front of the machine adjacent the indicators for a particular office and parallel with the plane of the party column whereby the bar is operative when moved as above described to lock out all the party indica tors for the particular office. Handle H being situated and movable parallel with the back of the machine moves the bar H in the line of the indicators corresponding to the ofiice to be locked out.

In Figs. 1 and 4 is shown another form of lock-out device. To the foot of a bar D is pivoted a lever D having a fulcrum in a bracket at D Said lever extends through a slot (indicated by broken lines) in the case and has a handle D accessible at the rear of the case. The selection of a straight ticket vote is accomplished by pushing the button A (Fig. 1) which through the medium of the straight ticket bar M, actuates all of the buttons A for'the individual candidates belonging to the same party as the straight ticket button, and through the medium of the abutment bar B push bar D and the interlocking mechanism contained in frame F, all the other indicators for the same office are locked against action. If after having actuated a straight ticket button, the voter desires to change an indi-- vidual vote, he is free to do so by pulling out or raising to normal position the button A of the candidate whom he wishes to change and in its place pushing the desired button for the same oflice. If any straight ticket button A has been actuated to move the several buttons A in the corresponding party row, the restoring to normal position of any button A in said row will reset the straight ticket button A to normal position through the medium of the straight ticket bar M (Figs. 1 and 3). does not affect any other individual buttons A in said row, for the reason that during movement of bar M to the left by operation of the button A being reset, opening N and pin l the pins N of the other buttons in said row, being then at the lower left corners of their openings, allow movement of bar M without moving other buttons A, said other pins N not impinging against the inclined sides of the corresponding openings, but remaining at rest while the lower horizontal sides of the openings pass under them. Fig. 3, in broken lines, shows the position of parts when push A has been depressed. If it is preferred to vote an individual or split ticket, and it is not desirable to vote the straight ticket first and then change buttons A, the voting may be done by actuating any buttons for any candidates for any ofiice at any place on the face of the machine, provided there is not a button A or handle A already actuated for a candidate for the same office.

W is a face plate of the machine through which the several cylindrical covers 13 pro ject slightly. This plate has indicators in party and office rows, including a row of straight ticket indicators, each of which has a distinguishing number. It being some-- times easier to read a ballot sheet supported This operation in an upright position than on the horizontal face plate, the inner side of the cover is provided with like party rows, and oflice rows in which the names of the candidates appear, and with each name the number indicating the party row to which the name belongs. The voter thus seeing the numbered names of his candidates on the upright plate has, when voting a straight ticket, but to turn to the horizontal face plate and operate the indicator bearing the same number.

To operate the irregular mechanism (Figs. 9 and 10) the button of handle A of the irregular cover B (Figs. 7 and 9) is turned to the left, which exposes the opening T in which can be placed the irregular ballot card T (Fig. 10) on which the voter has written the name of his preferred candidate. It being assumed that a single candidate is to be elected for an office, the name of but one candidate should be written on the ballot, which ballot is inserted in the opening T The bolt T is of larger dimensions than the opening so that it projects as shown. There is one irregular device for each row of candidates for the same office, and because of the interlocking bar D connected with the interlocking mechanism frame F, but one handle A can be actuated at a time, and if one of the buttons A for the same office has been actuated it prevents actuating another handle A hen an irregular handle A is actuated it interlocks through the medium of the interlocking rod D and the interlocking parts in frame F to prevent the operation of any of the buttons A for the same ofiice.

The interlocking frame consists of pairs of sections F (Figs. 1 and 7) in approximately parallel planes connected by curved sections F At or about the point of joining a section F and sections F, there is an adjustable or removable grouping or abutment bar or stop B (Figs. 7 and 11) which is held in place by a removable pin B. This bar B is so placed that it acts as a stop to prevent the selection of more than one candidate for the same office in the frame section that it cooperates with, except in cases where bar B is removed at the opposite end of the frame section. The curved section F has like interlocking parts L as do sections F, and so arranged that on the removal of the grouping stop B the movable parts L contained in the sections F and F of the frame become practically one continuous interlocking mechanism, so that it will permit of multi-candidate or group voting, that is, one candidate can be selected for the same office in each of the two rows of buttons A corresponding with the two parallel sections F, or two candidates may be selected by the voter in the same row in preference to one in each row. The entire frame comprises a series of frame sections F with connecting sections F and at each end of the sections F are removable abutments B so that group voting may be done at any place on the ma chine. It will be understood that there is at least one section F for each oflice to be voted for.

In case there are more than two candidates for the same office nominated by each party, and one or more of the candidates has been nominated by one party and indorsed by another, to prevent cumulative voting for this candidate, I provide interlocking mechanism with buttons A which are shown in Fig. A in normal position. If either button is actuated the other is locked against action. If it is desired to change the actuated button, it can be withdrawn and the other button actuated, or if desired the preferred button may be actuated, but this resets the button first actuated, the length of the interlocking cord F being such that it will permit of but one button to be left in place to bring its corresponding register in position to be actuated when the voter is through making his selection.

F (Fig. 4) is a cord or similar article which is connected at D with each of the bars B of any candidate who has been nominated by one party and indorsed by another party for the same o'tiice. This cord is car ried over a rod F (Fig. 4t) which acts as a bearing for the cord. Rod F in this case extends the length of the machine in the same direction as do the buttons representing the candidates of any one party.

The resetting and registering mechanism are such that when the voter makes a selection and closes the cover Z this action, through parts K, K J and H, resets the machine and registers the vote selected, and locks the parts of the machine against. acci dental registering, by moving or shifting of the case containing the mechanism. (See Figs. 1, 2 and 4). The closing of the cover Z gives the resetting-bar-actuator J a longitudinal movement and this through the means of angle P in cam I (Fig. 1) and the frame G actuated by said cam, turns the star wheel S of any register E, which has been left in registering position by the voter, one notch, which moves the unit wheel of the register one figure. The part 0 of the cam or cam slot 0 of the resetting bar J holds the resetting rod H in normal position while the register frame G is actuating the selected registers. The shape of the cam O and cam P is such that when the pins that travel in these cam slots reach the point 0 and P respectively, the cam P returns the registeractuating frame G to its normal position; at the sametime that the slot 0 is moving the resetting bar H, and forcing the actuated buttons A to their normal position, this movement carrying the registers and their corresponding star wheels S out of the path of the moving bars G of the frame G on its return to normal position, the relation of the movement being such that on the return of frame G to normal posit-ion, the resetting bar H does not permit the bars G to overtake the star wheel S, and they are never allowed to come in contact with wheel S on the return movement of frame G, because of the fact that the resetting bar H has moved the wheels out of the operating position of bars G The return of push buttons A to normal position forces the actuated straight ticket button A to its normal position through the medium of push bar B and the straight ticket bar M having cam slots N and N acting upon pins N fixed to the bars. (Fig. 3.)

It will be seen that whenever any push buttons A that have been actuated are returned to normal position, any actuated irregular handles A are returned to normal position, through the resetting bar H, whereupon the ballot T will drop out of the slot or chamber T into the irregular ballot receptacle X, from which the ballot may be removed after loosening cord V (Fig. 9) by the otficials after the election is over, or the receptacle X may be made so as to unscrew from the irregular frame X as shown at X (Fig. 9), in which event the receptacle would be made with a closed bottom. The final movement of resetting bar J through the medium of the incline O in its cam 0, brings the resetting bar 11 to such position that through the medium of cam slot N (Fig. 1) it looks against action all the push buttons A, A and arms A and when the lid Z is shut, all of the indicating and registering mechanisms are locked against movement no matter in what direction the box may be turned or moved, and on the raising of lid Z the mechanism is ready for the next voter. I provide the case with a key lock V which may be made with a spring so that it will require being unlocked between each voter registering his vote.

If it is desired to lock against action the buttons representing any oflice, as for example where a voter is prohibited from voting on the question of expenditure of money, I provide a lockout device, shown in Fig. 4, consisting of bar H which is reciprocated by the movement of the cam H (Fig. 4:) on the exterior of the case. As shown, when the handle H of the cam H is in a vertical position, the bar H is not interlocked with the push bar B, but when the handle H is in a horizontal position, the lockout bar H is moved so as to bring the horizontal walls of the bayonet joint slot H opposite the pin H on the push bar B and into position to lock the said push bar against action.

Instead of the lockout bar H it is proposed to connect the lookout devices directly with the push bars substantially as represented in Fig. 1, in which D denotes a lever pivoted to a push bar and provided with a fulcrum at D and having a handle D extending out through the back side or end (or both) of the case. By means of the handle the power end of the lever can be elevated in the case slot, indicated by broken lines, and the push rod lowered to force its wedge shaped part between balls (or between an abutment and a ball if desired) to lock out any group, it being understood that there would be an interlocking lockout wedge D for each office, and that there is no key on the push bar thus operated in the lockout. One of these wedges is shown in section in Fig. 1 as having its upper or bar part broken away. This connection of the ofiicial lockout D D with a push bar and push bar connections, it will be understood, is necessary to the maintenance of the stable disposition of parts whereby it is insured that no turning or moving of the closed box will disturb the working condition of the parts, as before set forth.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a voting machine, the combination of a face plate having straight ticket voting keys provided with distinguishing numbers, and having columns containing the names of oflices, and a second adjacent face plate with similar columns and with the names of the candidates, said latter names being numbered to correspond with the key numbers, whereby a voter may vote a straight ticket by seeing the candidates num bered names on the latter plate and then operating the key similarly numbered on the first plate.

2. In a voting machine, the combination of a face plate, a plurality of individual candidate-voting indicators, a register for each indicator, a register support, a pivot connection between each of said registers and the register support, and a pivot connection between each indicator and the single corresponding register whereby either indicator may turn its own register on its sup porting pivot.

3. In a voting machine, the combination with a case and a cover therefor, of a face plate, a plurality of individual candidatevoting indicators, a register for each indicator, a register support, a pivot connection between each of said registers and the register support, a pivot connection between each indicator and the single corresponding register whereby either indicator may turn its own register on its supporting pivot, register actuating means, and means connectin the actuating means operatively to said cover whereby closing the cover counts one on indicated registers.

4. In a voting machine, a containing case, a cover therefor, a fixed support in the case, registers pivotally mounted on said support,

a register actuating device, vote indicators In testimony whereof, I have signed this one for each register, each 1nd1cator always specification in the presence of tWo snbscrib- 1 111 Working connection with the same register ing Witnesses.

to move it bodily on its )lVOt into 006 )era- 1 tive relation with the register-actuating de- CHARLES OCUMPAUGH' vice, and means intermediate said device and \Vitnesses:

cover and operated by closing the cover to L. A. VOEHRLEN,

advance the registers of actuated indicators. 1. E. BRINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3.

Images