US673793A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

No. 673,793. l Patented May 7,1901. W. R. CUNNINGHAM &. `T. MAJOR.

VOTING MACHINE.

w/TNEssEs TH: sonal. mns w. Mdm-Luna.. wnnmlcrou. u. c.

no. 673,793. Patented may 7, 190|. w. n. summum & immun. VUTING MACHINE.

(Application lad Apr. 9, 1990.) Y (lo lodol.) l 3- Sheets-Sheet 2.

v w/rA/Essfs.- "31" 1km/roes;

6 J QZZILZZg/am Runnggham l Q) Thoma if @or y Patented Nay 7, 190|. w. n; CUNNINGHAM s, T. muon.

VDTINE MACHINE. (Application illed Apr. 9, 1900.)

3 Shoah-Sheet 3.

'(llo Indal.)

Hp v

l*UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. CUNNINGHAM AND THOMAS MAJOR, OF FRANKFORT, INDIANA.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 673,793, dated May 7, 1901.

Application filed April 9, 1900.

T0 @ZZ whmn it 11i/Cty concern,.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. CUNNING- HAM and THOMAS MAJOR, citizens of the United States, residing at Frankfort, in the county of Clinton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our said invention is substantially the same as that of our Patent No. 623,991, dated May 2, 1899, and like the invention of said patent relates to that class of machines by the use of which persons may so cast their ballots in any given balloting that the same shall be counted or registered as the balloting proceeds, and while the voter has his choice in -voting for any particular office he is eiectually precluded from voting more than once for the same person or the same oiiice. i

Said invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts of such a machine whereby the various advantages sought are attained, as will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying our present invention, portions ot' the casing and frame-walls being broken away in order to show the construction and arrangement at various points and exhibit individual parts of the mechanism; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of such a machine, the open position of the door being shown by means of dotted lines; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing portions of the interior of the machine at several points as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. l; Fig. 4, a'verticalsectional View as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows when looking v from the dotted line 4 4in Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6, views similar to the upper portion of Fig. 4, but showing two different positions of the lockingbar and illustrating how duplicate voting is prevented by means thereof; Fig. 7, a horizontal sectional view as seen when looking downwardly from the dotted line 7 7 in Fig.' 1, but on the same scale as Figs. 3 and 4, the central portion being broken away Serial No. 12,160. (No model-l to avoid rduplication of the various mechanisms; Fig. 8, adetail horizontal sectional view looking downwardly from the dotted line 8 8 in Fig. 1; Fig. 9, a detail view as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 9 9 in Fig. 8, the plate 3 lbeing broken away; Fig. 10, a detail sectional View, on an enlarged scale, of one of the locking-catches; Fig. 11, a detail sectional view showing the tube containing the balls by which the machine is locked against duplicate individual Voting, and Fig. 12 a detail perspective view of one of the votinglevers on an enlarged scale.

In our present machine the voting is elected by means` of a separate pin or punch 1, which, as shown in Fig. 3, should have a knob-like handle 71, and which is to be held in the voters hand and thrust in through an orifice 2 in the main face or front frame-plate 3 ofthe machine against a voting-lever 4, carrying a pawl 5, which engages with a ratchet 6 of a suitable register or counter, the stroke being sufficient to advance said register or counter a single notch or number. The register or counter 6 is held in operated'position byaspring-detent 7. The voting-levers 4 are mounted on rods 8 in such a manner that th'ey may have a slight movement thereon, being loosely mounted in respect to this slight movement under certain conditions,as will be hereinafter explained, but mounted to partially rotate said rods under other conditions. It may be here said that these rods are in themselves all alike and that the several sets of voting mechanisms are primarily all alike, the difference being in the locking mechanism by which duplications of whole-ticket voting and individual-ticket voting are prevented, as will oe hereinafter more fully described. Each of said levers is provided with an arm 9, which enters a corresponding oritice o (see especially Figs. 11 and 3) in a tube 10 and is adapted to pass inbetween the balls 1l in said tube, which under the pressure of said arm will separate, leaving an interstice into which the point of said arm will enter. The sum of the diameters ot` all the balls 11 in a single tube added to the thickness of the arm 9 on one of these voting-levers is equal to the length of the cavityin the tube between the closed ends thereof, (see Fig. 11,)

movement.

l Cf) so that when one of said levers has been thrust forward in voting the tube of balls becomes -to all intents and purposes a solid bar,`whic h serves as an effectual stop to any other of the voting-levers, thus certainly preventing duplicate voting.

tained. A screw-plug sin the end of each tube (see Fig. l1) is provided as a means of adjustment for the balls 11, so that accuracy of distance may be easily secured and maintained and wear at any time taken up,

While a certain movement of the levers 4 on the' rods Sis provided for, they are nevertheless so connected. as that under certain conditions said levers are adapted to impart a'certaiu movement to said rods, and under other conditions said rods operate to move said levers back to position. Each votinglever has a notch made in its hub, (see Figs. 3 and 12,) and a stud or pinp in the rod extends out into said notch. Referring now to Fig. 3 and observing particularly that set of mechanism second in order from the top, it will be seen that the pin pin the rod is resting against the bottom side of the notch in the hub of the voting-lever, so that when the punch-pin 1 is thrust-in against said votinglever and the same is forced overit will during its movement partially rotate the rod A8. In this movement the pin p is carried up to the position shown in the upper setI of mechanism, and this indicates the amount of the The notch is sufliciently larger than the stud or pin to permit the other Votinglevers of the set to move idly a corresponding distance, so that all said other voting-levers on the same rod may be moved back and forth (so far as the .stopping devices permit) with-- out in any Way affecting the rod 8. Upon one end of eachof the rods 8 is a bell-crank lever 12, (see Figs. 3 and 10,) and up'on the other end of the upper one of said rods is an y arm 13 (see Fig. 4,) andupon the corresponding end of each of the other of said rods 8 is an arm 14. When the machine is arranged ready for avoter, so that all the voting mechl anisms are free to be operated, the rods 8 are capable of a certain amount of rotation, as

fwill be understood by noticing the different positions .of the upper two voting-levers in Fig. 3 and the rods on which they are mounted,as above indicated.- The arrangement is such, as will be seen by such comparison, that the rod 8 is in the operation of voting) ro- In other Words, the tubeand the balls therein constitute, in eect, a solidv cvave tated suliciently so that one arm of the bell-v crank lever 12 passes beneath the corresponding detent 15, which holds it to the rocked or partially-rotated position untilv the machine is again set free for the next voter. As above stated, the arm 13 at one end of the upper one of the rods 8 is different from the arms 14 on the corresponding ends of the other rods 8. This arm is adapted to swing over the top of a reciprocating bar 16 and the arms 14 are adapted to enter slots in said bar 16. The voting mechanisms immediately in connection with the upper one ofthe rods S are in the arrangement shown the Whole ticket voting mechanisms, and when any one of said voting mechanisms is operated and the arm 13 is thus swung forward .over the top of the bar 16, as shown in Fig. 5 none of the -singleticket-voting mechanisms can be operated, as the arms 14, which enter the slots in the bar 16, preventthe remaining rods 8 from being rotated sufficiently to permit a vote being registered. When, however, any other one of the rods 8 is rotated in the arrangement shown by the registering ofa vote, the bar 16 is raised, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the upper end of the bar 16 is caused to pass behind the arm 13. Thus the voting of any single-ticket-voting mechanism is caused to ef- ,fectually lock the machine,so that noneof the Whole-.ticket-voting mechanisms can be operated, while all the vother single-ticket mechanisms are left free to operate, the slots in the bar 16, into which the arms 14 enter, being o'f such a size and arrangement as permits the necessary movements, while the duplicationof individual voting is effectually guarded against by the ball-and-tube stopbar arrangement, which has already. been described. y 1

At a suit-able point on the rods 8 are p arts 17, preferably in the form of segments, which pass in front of .slits in the main face i or frame-plate'. These parts hear upon their surfaces the word Voted,7 and the apparatus iis-so arranged when the machine is in condition for voting on any orK all of the various voting units that this said word Voted will be concealed, but after the voting has been done it vwill be broughtup into registry with the corresponding slit in the plate, and thus displayed, so that the voter can tell ata glance when he has completed voting for the` Whole list of candidates, all the candidates for a sin- -gle oicebeing arranged to be voted for by means of the mechanism connected to a single one of the bars 8 and each barshaving one of these partsr 17. l

The setting of the machine for another voter is accomplished by the shutting of the door to the machine,which when open stands acrossV the path of the voter in making his entrance to the booth andmust be closed by him before he can make suchl entrance and reopened before he can have access to the voting devices. This door 2O is an ordinary door mounted on pivots 21 and carries on its inner sur- IOO IIO

face a cam-track 22,'which passes between studs 23 and 24 on a vertically-moving plate 25, which carries the detents 15, by which through the bell-crank levers 12 the rods 8 are locked when the voting is done.k Studs 26 in the plate 25 strike one arm of each of the bell-crank levers 12, and thus force them over to position when the plate is raised, rocking the shafts 8, which through the pins io p force the voting-levers 4 back to position for use by the next voter, the bar 16 being at the same time forced back to its proper position by said rods through the arms 14. The raised position of the plate 25 and the parts carried thereby is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The locked position of the bellcrank lever 12 is shown in Fig. 10. As heretofore indicated, the detents l5 are pivoted to the plate 25. They are prevented from moving too far downwardly by the studs '27 and are permitted to rise under the contact of the appropriate arm of the bell-crank levers 12 by a spring 28 secured thereto, the other end of which rests upon a stud 29. The engaging arm of the bell-crank lever 12 is shown as serrated. This is so that said bell-crank lever will be caught and held by the detent 15, even if the voting-lever is only pushed in part way. This precaution is taken to frustrate any possible attempt to vote twice by pushing the voting-lever nearly in and then permitting it to return to position without being caught by the detent.

The door 2O has on its outer side a catch 30, which swings around and engages With a latchlever 3l on the outside ofthe machine. This latch-lever is so arranged as to operate an alarm-bell 32, so that the movement is audibly and visually announced. The latch-lever 31 is to be manipulated by the voter before entering the booth. While the voter is in the booth engaged in the operation of voting, this catch-and-latch arrangement is inaccessible to him. A spring 33 is employed to bring the door sharply and certainly back to position.

The counters or registers severally consist of a series of permutable wheels 50, 51, and 52,bearing numerals on their faces and mounted on a common shaft 53, as best shown in Fig. 7. These are operated, as heretofore explained, by the ratchet-wheels and pawls 5. These counters or registers are shown as having three Wheels each, which is usually sucient,as voting-precincts usually contain only a few hundred voters; but of course additional wheels can be added and the machines thus put into condition to count thousands, if desired. Immediately behind these counters is a plate 54, forming one wall of the frame or case tothe mechanism, and through this wall, immediately behind each counter, is a small opening 55, (see Fig. 3,) through which the counters can be seen. These openings may be covered with glass, if desired; but as they are quite small and are ordinarily only inspected in the presence of the entire election-board, so that tampering with them is in any case difficult and, if attempted, certain to be detected, such glass coverings are regarded as unnecessary.

The plate 54 is shown as carried by the hinges 57 and secured by the locks 58. In preparing the machine for use this plate 54 is unlocked and swung back on its hinges, and the counter-disks are turned so that each willhave the O (naught) on the side nextthe inspection-openings. The disks may be separated from each other by sliding along on the shaft freely when the plate 54 is swung back, so that they may be revolved at pleasure independently of each other. After being revolved to position they are moved close to each other in position for use and the plate replaced and locked in position. Said plate is provided with projections 56, which pass in alongside the several outer disks of the several series of disks, which prevent'them from becoming disassembled while this plate isin place and the machine in operative condition.

When the machine is in condition for use and during the time the voting is going on, this back plate is completely inclosed and hidden Vfrom view by means of an imperforate door 59, which is mounted on hinges 60 and is fastened by locks 6l.

As heretofore stated, the voting is accomplished by means of a punch-pin 1, adapted to be inserted indiscriminately through any one of the numerous holes 2 in the face or front plate 3 of the votingmachine. By this arrangement we dispense with all projecting voting-levers, such as have been used in voting-machines, leaving instead a practically smooth face having small holes through which a suitable punch or pin may be inserted.

IOO

This arrangement is superior to that wherein a separate lever is permanently connected to each individual voting mechanism for various reasons. The space required is less, and a greater proportion of the face-place is free t-o be seen, so that the device as a Whole is less confusing to the voter, which tends to accuracy in voting. It is also of much advantage t'or the reason that a voting-machine to be practicable must necessarily be equipped with a sufficient number of'voting mechanisms to be provided for the largest possible number of candidates in a general election and in large places where--for example, city, township, county, State, and national offices may all need to be voted for at one electionthe candidates are very numerous. A machine of suitable size and character for such duty is manifestly much larger than is necessary in smaller places and in less general elections. Under the lastnamed circumstances that portion of the plate not required can be completely covered by a sheet of paper or otherwise, thus confining the voters attention to the portion of the plate which is left uncovered and in condition for voting, which, in effect, reduces the machine from a large to a small machine and adapts it to the ble to be bent or broken od by malicious persons and the machine thus damaged. Thus by our arrangement we are enabled to fur-- nish a machine with a veryplain and simple face and one which is easily adapted to all requirements.

Having thus fully described our said invention, what we claim as new, and desire .to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a Voting-machine, with a series of voting-levers mounted on a shaft with a part located in front of an orifice in the casing for receiving the impulse from the push-pin and having separate projections, of a tube having orifices therein to permit the ,entry of such projections, and a series of balls in said tube between certain ones of which balls the projection on one of said levers is adapted to enter, said balls and said projection beingl of sufficient'size that the sum of their diameter will fill said tube longitudinally, whereby a single voting-lever l is permitted free motion sufficient to ,accomplish the voting while such motion on the part of all theothers of the series is prevented.

2. The combination, in a voting-machine, of a casing with .a series of apertures, a rod within the casing, a series of voting-levers adapted to be operated byeJ push-pin inserted through said apertures in the casing, mounted on said rod, a pawl pivoted to each of said voting-levers, registers or counters embodying ratchet-wheels with which said pawls engage, a tube arranged alongside the voting-levers and containing` orifices opposite thereto,and a series of balls wit-hin said tube, each of said voting-levers being provided with an arm proj ecting therefrom at an angle to register with the corresponding orifice in the frame and extending out over said pawls and also adapted to engage with said ratchetwheels.

4. The combination, in a voting-machine, of a rod having pins or projections thereon,

aseries of voting-levers mounted on said rod the hubs whereof contain notches to receive said pins or projections whereby said votinglevers are adapted to have a limited movement on said rod, arms rigidly secured to the ends of said rod, and a vertically-moving bary with which the arms on the ends of the rodsl are adapted to engage, said several parts being arranged as described, whereby, when an individual'ticket has been voted, the wholeticket-vot'ing mechanism is locked against further effective movement, and whereby, when a whole ticket has been voted, the indi'vidual-ticket-voting mechanism is locked against further eective movement, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, in a voting-machine, of a series of rods, a series of voting-levers mounted on each of said rods, `arms rigidly attached to the ends of said several rods, and avertically-moving bar provided with engaging points forsaid arms', said engaging points being arranged'as described to lock the machine against duplicate voting, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a Voting-machine, of a series of` rods, a series of votinglevers mounted on each of said rods, a bell-crank lever secured upon each of said rods, a vertically-.movable bar 'arranged adjacent to said bell-crank levers, and a spring-catch on said bar adjacent to each bell-crank lever, said catches being adapted to engage with an arm 0f the adjacent lever whenever the .correspending rod is rocked by the operation of voting, and to be released whenthe bar carrying the catches is raised, Substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, in a voting-machine, of the levers for'operating the mechanism mounted on shafts, parts on said shafts adapted to engage with locking mechanism, said locking ,mechanism comprising a locking-.bar carrying catches for individually locking the several voting mechanisms and provided with suitable projections, and a door swinging in proximity to said bar and provided with a cam-track traveling against the projections .on said vertically-moving bar, whereby said bar is moved upwardly when said door is swung in one direction and moved down- Wardly when said door is swung in the other IOO IIO

direction, the catches being thus carried out of engagement whenl the door is closed, and restored lto position for further engagement ,whelili the door is opened, substantially as set ort v 8; The combination, in Va voting-machine, of va series of voting-levers, a series of counters each composed of V severaldisks and a ratchet-wheel Amounted on a shaft or rod, pawls ,on said votinqglevers .engaging with said ratchet- Wheels whereby said counters are operated, and a movable plate arranged near L said counters and carrying projections adaptyed to extend in Aalongside said counters, Vwhereby, when said plate is in position, the

several disks-of said counters are held in operative relation to each other, and whereby, when said plate is removed, said counters are permitted to be separated longitudinally of theshaft, and adjusted, substantially as set forth.

v9. The combination, in a voting-machine,

of a rod, a series of Voting-levers mounted on said rod, means for operating any one of said voting-levers, a connection between eaeh of said Voting-levers and said rod whereby when a voting-lever is operated in the operation of voting said rod will be partially rotated, a part on the end of said rod bearing a Word or symbol indicating the faet that the same has been operated and Voted, said part being arranged behind the face-plate of said Votingmaehine, and said face-plate containing Aa suitable slit opposite the position to which the Word or symbol is raised in the voting operation, whereby the vot-er is visually informed when each Vote east by him is completed, and enabling him to detect and supply omissions before leaving the booth, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals, at Frankfort, Indiana, zo

this 4th day of April, A. D. 1900.

WILLIAM R. CUNNINGHAM. THOMAS MAJOR. Witnesses:

ELMER E. SHERIDAN, GEORGE L. KERN.

Images