US2296120A - Voting machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15, 1942.

R. F. SHQUP VOTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 25, 1941 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1942. R. F. SHOUP VOTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Filed April 25, 1941 Patented Sept. 15, 1942 6 VOTING MACHINE Ransom F. Shoup, Ardmore, Pa., assignor to The Shoup Voting Machine Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,233

4 Claims.

This invention relates to voting machines and more particularly to voting machines of the type illustrated in Shoup et al. Patent No. 2,054,102. In such type voting machine, there is provided a series of columns of counters and a ballotsupporting shutter or shield is arranged in front of each counter column. The shutters are vertically movable between two positions and are provided with apertures through which in one position of the shutters the counter totals can be viewed, while in the other position of the shutters the counter totals are concealed by the shutters. Mechanism for operating such shutters is fully disclosed and claimed in Shoup Patent No. 2,216,458 and includes a slide movable between two positions in one of which the shutters are in counter-exposing position and in the other of which the shutters are in counter-concealing position which is the arrangement of the shutters when the machine is in voting condition.

The machine is operated electrically under the control of a voter-actuated switch having an operating handle movable between two positions. Movement of the switch handle from one of its positions to its remaining position results in energization of the electrical driving means to close the curtains and condition the machine for voting with automatic de-energization of the driving means after these results have been obtained and subsequent return of the switch handle to its original position results in re-energization of the electrical driving means to open the curtains and restore the machine to its original condition with concomitant recording of the vote followed by automatic de-energization of the driving means after the machine has reached curtainopen position. The machine is equipped with an election ofiicers latch mechanism which is effective to lock the machine either in curtainopen condition or in curtain-closed condition and which must be operated after each change of condition of the machine before another change of condition can be effected.

An object of this invention is to provide in such type voting machine means for locking the voter-actuated switch in curtain-open position when the ballots are in counter-exposing condition and also to place the voter-actuated switch under control of the officers latch mechanism so that a voter can actuate the switch only once in each direction.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a voting machine embodying the invention, with certain shutters omitted;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear view of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2 showing different stages of operation;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of a portion of the switch control mechanism.

As is shown in detail in the Shoup Patent No. 2,216,458, the machine supports a plurality of columns of counters C normally hidden by vertically movable shutters 34 each having a pin 35 and slots adapted to aline with the counters to expose them. The machine also supports a horizontally movable slide 4| which is composed of a length of angle iron having a vertical wall Ma and a horizontal wall 4|b. In the wall 4|a are provided slots 42 for receiving the pins 35 and each slot has a vertical portion 42a communicating with a horizontal portion 42b from which an oblique portion 42c leads to a second horizontal portion 4211 at a different level. Movement of the slide 4| is effected through the medium of the handle 48 as disclosed in said Patent No. 2,216,458. With the slide 4| in the position shown in Fig. l, the shutters are in their upper or counter-exposing condition and movement of the slide 4| to the right (Fig. 1) results in downward movement of the shutters to their lower positions in which the counters are concealed.

A voter-operated switch is mounted on a plate Illa attached to the front wall of the housing Ill and comprises a contact box equipped with an operating member or arm 8| oscillatable between two positions and said arm 8| has a pin and slot connection with a rotatable member 82. The member 82 is shaped to provide a first pair of opposed shoulders 823 and 824 and a second pair of shoulders823' and 824' with the second pair being spaced further apart and having a greater radius than said first pair. A pivoted pawl 83 is provided for co-operation with the shoulders 823 and 823 while a pivoted pawl 84 is provided for co-operation with the shoulders 824 and 824 to control the permissible direction of rotation of the member 82. The rotatable member 82 is carried by a shaft 85 which extends through the plate |||a and wall and is equipped with an operating handle 86. A wiper 89 is rotatably supported by the shaft 85 and underlies the pawls 83 and 84 which extend beyond the face of the member 82. Springs 83a exert tension on the pawls 83 and 84 respectively tending to swing them into contact with the wiper 89. The wiper has an arcuate portion 81 the radius of which is at least equal to but preferably greater than the radius of the shoulders 823 and 824. Th arcuate portion 81 is of such length that it cannot engage both pawls simultaneously and is operative to maintain one pawl out of engaging relation to one shoulder While permitting the other pawl to assume engaging relation to the remaining shoulder. The pawls 83 and 84 limit the extent of swinging movement of the rotatable member 82 by cooperation with the shoulders 823 and 824' and by co-operation with the shoulders 823 and 824 control movement of the rotatable member by the handle 88 with consequent control of the operation of the switch. A lever 9| is pivotally supported by the stud 92 and has one end pivotally connected to the wiper to effect oscillation thereof. The other end of the lever 9| is connected by a link 93 with one end of a lever 95 having a pin and slot connection with a shield 94 carried by the ofiicers latch rod 22 herein shown schematically but fully disclosed in Shoup application, Serial No. 256,872, now Patent No. 2,241,485.

In the curtain-open condition of the voting machine, the various elements are in the positions shown in Fig. 2. The pawl 83 prevents SllfilClEIlt clockwise rotation of the member 82 to actuate the switch 88, and the pawl 84 engages the shoulder 824'. the machine, the election ofiicer operates his latch rod to lift the link 93 thereby swinging the wiper 89 into position to lift the pawl 83 out of engaging relation to the shoulder 823 (Fig. 3), and releasing the switch for actuation by the voter. The voter then swings the handle 88 to move the rotatable member 82 clockwise from its Fig. 3 position to the position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the pawl 83 engages the shoulder 823 to prevent further clockwise rotation of the member 82. Such movement of the member 82 fully actuates the switch to energize the electrical driving mechanism to close the curtains and to efiect operation of the other mechanisms necessary to condition the machine for indication by the voter of his vote. The actuation of the wiper 89 to lift the pawl 83 out of engaging relation to the shoulder 823 also sets up a condition permitting the pawl 84 to move into engaging relation to the shoulder 824 following clockwise rotation of the handle 86 to prevent return counter-clockwise movement of the member 82 to its original position. The wiper 89 is again actuated upon the machine being put into operating condition with the curtains closed either by automatic operation of the oflicers latch rod as disclosed in Shoup Patent No. 2,241,485 or by manual operation of such rod by the election ofiicer to lift the pawl 84 out of engaging relation to the shoulder 924, thereby freeing the member 82 for counter-clockwise movement by the voter to again actuate the switch 80 to open the curtains and record his vote.

A lever 97 has an elongated slot through which the stud 92 extends and a pin 99 on the member 86b is adapted to be engaged by one end of the lever 91 to hold the switch in curtainopen position. A spring 98 tends to rotate the lever 91 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2 for the As the voter enters purpose of maintaining the end of the lever 91 out of the path of the pin 99. The extent of the lever 91 is such that with the slide 4| in shutter raised position, it is engaged by the slide to maintain the end of the lever 91 in the path of the pin 99. The lever 91 thus is effective to lock the switch against movement out of curtain-open position when the shutters are in counter-exposing position. Upon movement of the slide 4| to shutter lowered position, the spring 98 swings the lever to remove its end from the path of the pin 99.

Because of other mechanism not herein illustrated, the slide 4| cannot be returned from counter-concealing position to counter-exposing position except when the machine is in curtainopen condition. It is possible, however, that after conclusion of the voting period and before actuation of the slide 4| from counter-concealing position to counter-exposing position and with the machine unconnected to a source of electric power, some one may accidentally or intentionally move the switch VS into the position shown in Fig. 4, in which event, the right end of the lever 97 would underlie the pin 99, which condition, in the absence of the slot in the lever 91 would prevent movement of the slide 4| into counter-exposing position. However, because of the provision of the slot in the lever 91, the slide 4| is returnable from counter-concealing position to counter-exposing position under the circumstances above assumed for the pin 99 will act as a fulcrum for the right end of the lever 91 while the left end of the lever will move downwardly to a suflicient extent to permit return of the slide 4| to counter-exposing position. Upon return of the switch during conditioning of the machine for a future election to the position shown in Fig. 2, the lever 91 will assume the position shown in Fig. 1 to lock the switch against further operation until the slide 4| is again moved into counter-concealing position.

The lever 91 is omitted from Figs. 3 and 4 for the sake of simplifying these figures. The electrical mechanism for operating the machine is fully disclosed in Shoup Patent No. 2,281,603.

I claim:

1. In a voting machine, a voter-actuated rotatable control member shaped to provide a first pair of opposed shoulders and a second pair of opposed shoulders with the second pair being spaced further apart and having a greater radius than said first pair, a pivoted pawl for each of said second pair of shoulders located in engageable relationship to said shoulder and movable into engageable relationship to the corresponding shoulder of said first pair upon rotation of said control member in one direction, means tending to move said pawl into said last-named relation, said first pair of shoulders being spaced sufficiently apart from each other and said second pair of shoulders being spaced suihciently close to each other to prevent engagement of either pawl with a shoulder of the first pair except when the remaining pawl is in engaging relationship to the opposite shoulder of said second pair, a rotatable wiper coaxial with said control member and in underlying relation to said pawls, and means for oscillating said wiper between two positions, said wiper being so shaped that in each of said two positions it maintains one pawl out of engaging relation to its associated first pair shoulder while permitting the remaining pawl to assume engaging relation to its associated first pair shoulder.

2. In a voting machine, a voter-actuatable rotatable control member shaped to provide a first pair of opposed shoulders and a second pair of opposed shoulders with the second pair being spaced further apart and having a greater radius than said first pair, a pivoted pawl for each of said second pair of shoulders located in engageable relationship to said shoulder and movable into engageable relationship to the corresponding shoulder of said first pair upon rotation of said control member in one direction, means tending to move said pawl into said last-named relation, said first pair of shoulders being spaced sufficiently apart from each other and said second pair of shoulders being spaced sufiiciently close to each other to prevent engagement of either pawl with a shoulder of the first pair except when the remaining pawl is in engaging relationship to the opposite shoulder of said second pair, a rotatable wiper coaxial with said control member and in underlying relation to said pawls, and means for oscillating said wiper between two positions, said wiper having an arcuate portion of greater radius than said first pair of shoulders and other arcuate portions of less radius than said first pair of shoulders, said lastnamed portions being at either end of said firstnamed portion,

3, In a voting machine, a voter-actuatable switch having a handle oscillatable between two positions, a control member rotatable by said handle and shaped to provide a first pair of opposed shoulders and a second pair of opposed shoulders with the second pair being spaced further apart and having a greater radius than said first pair, a pivoted pawl for each of said second pair of shoulders located in engageable relationship to said shoulder and movable into engageable relationship to the corresponding shoulder of said first pair upon rotation of said control member in one direction, means tending to move said pawl into said last-named relation, a rotatable wiper coaxial with said control member and in underlying relation to said pawls, a bar movable to and fro, and means interconnecting said wiper and bar to efiect oscillation of the former upon reciprocation of the latter, said wiper having an arcuate portion of greater radius than said first pair of shoulders and other arcuate portions of less radius than said first pair of shoulders, said last-named portions being at either end of said first-named portion.

4. In a voting machine, a voter actuatable switch having a handle oscillatable between two positions, a control member rotatable by said handle and shaped to provide a first pair of opposed shoulders and a second pair of opposed shoulders with the second pair being spaced further apart and having a greater radius than said first pair, a pivoted pawl for each of said second pair of shoulders located in engageable relationship to said shoulder and movable into engageable relationship to the corresponding shoulder of said first pair upon rotation of said control member in one direction, means tending to move said pawl into said last-named relation, a rotatable wiper coaxial with said control member and in underlying relation to said pawls, a bar movable to and fro, and means interconnecting said wiper and bar to effect oscillation of the former upon reciprocation of the latter, said wiper being so shaped that in each of said two positions it maintains one pawl out of engaging relation to its associated first pair shoulder while permitting the remaining pawl to assume engaging relation to its associated first pair shoulder.

RANSOM F. SHOUP.

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