US661831A - Voting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 66I,83|. Patented Nov. l3; I900. J. B. WEIGAND.

VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 2. 1899.,

2 SheetsSheet l.

m: Noams Farms ca, F'HOTO-LIYHQ, msuwsmw, n. c. 1

No. 66I,83l. Patented Nov. I3, I900. J. B. WEIGAND. VOTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Aug. 2. 1899,;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No- Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JOHN BERNHAR'I WEIGAND, OF ATHENS, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- EIGHTH TO FERDINAND A. STRIIPP, OF SAME PLACE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,831, dated November 13, 1900.

Application filed Au' uamstae leriaINo. 725,892. 'Iloinotlel.)

To (til whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BERNHART \VEI- GAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Athens, in the county of Marathon and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Thisin vention is an improvement upon the voting-machine shown and described in my prior patent, No. 630,148, dated August 1, 1899, the present invention relating more especially to certain improved mechanism for recording a straight vote, including devices for locking said mechanism and releasing same, means for preventing the operation of more than a single push-rod of the aforesaid mechanism, and means for simultaneously releasing all of the locking devices for the registering mechanisms of the machine.

The present invention also relates to the provision of simple and effective devices for conveniently resetting all the registering mechanisms which record the votes for the candidates for offices, said devices resetting each horizontal series of registering mechanisms by the operation of the shaft. which passes through the digit-wheels.

The invention therefore consists in the particularconst ruction and arrangement of parts to simplify the machine and insure a positive operation of the several mechanisms, all as hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which like letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a voting-machine constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of one of the drawers of the cabinet, illustrating the registering mechanism and locking devices therefor. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the locking devices and means for releasing same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the slides for releasing the locking devices. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the horizontal and vertical operating-rods and slide for locking the vertical rods. Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the individual operating-rods and slide for locking said rods. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the side pieces of the cabinet. Fig. 10 is a detail view of tumbling-shaft and sprin Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view of the upper end of the operating-rods for recording a straight ticket and lever for operating said rod.

In carrying out my invention a cabinet is provided to form a closed compartment A at the lower end, and above this compartment is formed a suitable number of drawer-compartments by means of the side pieces a and a top board ct, and horizontal partition boards or shelves a a vertical partition a forming a space at one side of the cabinet. Within the drawer-com partmen ts are located drawers B, which are divided by partitions 1) into a number of small compartments, each compartment containing a set of registering mechanism and locking devices therefor, and are divided by a partition a. The registering mechanisms and locking devices being identically the same in the compartments of each and every drawer a description of those in one com partmentwill therefore apply to all.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawings, 0 designates a transverse shaft, which is journaled at its ends in blocks 0, and upon this shaft are keyed ratchetwheels 0 and O and a gear Wheel G the latter meshing with a correspoi'iding gearwheel d, loosely mounted on a shaft D and fast to a digit wheel or drum D, having a peripheral series of numerals running from t) to 9 and representing u nits .of the register. Also made fast to the shaft O is a disk 0 having a single projecting tooth 0 which is adapted to turn a toothed wheel d, loosely mounted. on the shaft D and fast to a digitwheel D representing tens, said digit-wheel carrying a gear-wheel d meshing with a gearwheel O, connected to a disk O having a tooth 0 adapted to turn a toothed wheel (i attached to a digitwheel D representing hundreds. The digit-wheel D carries a gear wheel d, in mesh with a gearwvheel (1, loose on the shaft 0 and fast. to a disk 0 the latter having a tooth c turning a toothed wheel (1, carrying a digitwheel D representing thousands. It will be understood that the toothed wheels carrying the digit-wheels each have ten teeth, and by gearing said digitwheels to the disks having a tooth adapted to engage the toothed wheels of the next digitwheel the said digit-wheels are turned successively or progressively by the turning of the first gearwheel being operated by either ratchet-wheel O or the said gear- Wheel 0 and ratchet-wheels being all fast to the shaft 0, and are the only wheels that are fast to said shaft. In order to prevent accidental movement of the digit-wheels, the toothed wheels thereof are engaged frictionally by a spring-pawl or dog (V, Fig. 5. The numerals 011 the digit-wheels appear through sight-openings b in the front of the drawers, and in setting said digit-wheels or register ing mechanism by the devices hereinafter described the zero-mark of each digitwheel is brought on a line with said sight-openings. These sight-openings are normally covered by slides E, fitting in dovetailed recesses in the inner sideof the front of the drawers and have openings which are adapted to register with said sight-openings in order that a slight sliding movement of the slides back and forth will open and close the sight-openings. This movement of the slides is imparted by a vertical rod E, located in one side of the cabinet and having projecting pins 6, which engage perforations in said slides. This rod is so stepped orsupported as to have an axial movement, and being connected to all the slides in the manner just described it will when turned open and close all the sightopenings of the cabinet. The upper end of the rod E has a projecting handle 6 for convenience in turning the same, and the said rod may be provided with a suitable lock to prevent a voter operating it.

The registering mechanisms hereinbefore described are operated through the medium of the ratchet-wheels C and C in recording a single vote and a straight ticket. In recording a single vote the ratchet-wheel O is operated upon by the push-rod F, one being provided for each candidate, the said pushrods being passed through the front of the drawers and through the transverse partitions 1), being provided at their outer end with a button F. Above the ratchet-wheel O the push-rod F is slotted to receive a gravity-pawlf, having a tailf to limit its downward movement, and said pawl engaging said ratchet-wheel turns it to the extent of one tooth upon each operation of the push-rod. The push-rods are projected to their normal position by means of a helical springf', connected to the partition Z) and to the rod, while backward rotation of the ratchet-wheel is prevented by a spring-pawl P. The rear end of the push-rod extends into the rear compartment of the drawer and is engaged by a locking device, hereinafter described, which enters a notch f in said rod.

It will be here noted that the registering mechanisms of each drawer all record votes for a particular office and are operated independently, the offices being designated in a vertical column at one side of the front of the cabinet, (see Fig. 1,) while the names of the candidates for the oflices are arranged in a horizontal line therewith, the push-rods being conveniently located at one side of the names. The candidates are also disposed so as to be in vertical columns below headings indicating the political parties to which the candidates belong. Now in order to lock all the registering mechanisms referring to a par- 1 ticular office upon the operation of any one of said rods a tu mbling-shat't G extends across the rear part of the drawer through the partitions b and is provided with upwardly-projecting pins g, engaged by outward]y-projecting pins f on the push-rods, the said tumbling-shaft having rearwardly-tin-ejecting [ingers g, engaging angle-slots IL in pivoted plates H, and are adapted to turn said plates into engagement with the notchesf in the push-rods. The plates H are held in locked engagement with the push-rods by flat springs I, attached to the rear wall of the drawer and bearing upon the tumbling-shaft, the latter being flattened to increase the frictional engagement. Though all of the locking-plates of any one drawer are brought into engagement with their push-rods upon the operation of any one push-rod of that drawer the said operated push-rod is not engaged until it returns to its normalposition, the locking-plate bearing against the side of the rod until it is in position for said plate to enter the notch, and to this end the fingers g are of spring metal to possess the required resiliency. The locking plates are released by a slide I, mounted in the side piece a of the cabinet, and provided with projecting pinsj, adapted to engage the bent ends g of the tumblingshafts, the slide J being operated by a plate or slide J having a transverse movement in the side piece and provided with an inclined slot with which a pin projecting from the slide J, engages. The plate J also operates a second slide, which releases the locking devices for the straight-ticket mechanisms hereinafter described.

Having thus described the mechanisms and manner of registering votes for the several offices separately, I shall now proceed to de scribe devices by which I provide for voting a straight ticket, through the intervention of which all the registering mechanisms for the candidates of any political party can be operated by pushing in a single push-rod. To this end a rod K, practically U-shaped in cross-section, extends vertically through each vertical series of drawers, and pivoted in said rod are a series of gravity-pawls 7t, which ongage the ratchet-wheels on the shaft 0 of the registering mechanisms to actuate the shaft in the same manner as does the ratchetwheel 0, that is operated by the individual push-rods.

The vertical rods K are operated push-rods M, having buttons M, located as shown in Fig. 1, and for this purpose each push-rod M is provided with cams m, passing through an opening in the upper end of rod K, Fig. 11. By this means the operation of a push-rod M acts to depress its vertical rod -K, and the pawls it, carried by said vertical rod, turn the ratchet-wheels O and actuate all the registering mechanisms in the vertioal series. In order to look all the registering mechanisms upon theoperation of any one of the puslrrods indicating a straightticket, and thereby prevent a voter from registering a vote for any individual candidate after voting a straight ticket, the operation of any one of the vertical rods K is made to rock all the tumbling-shafts G, hereinbefore mentioned, and thereby look all the pushrods for the individual tickets. To the accomplishment of thisa vertical rod L is lifted by a cam Z on the push-rods M and is provided with projecting pins Z, which engage arms projecting from the tumblingshafts G. Therefore upon an upward movement of the rod L all the tumbling-shafts will be rocked and will actuate the locking-plates. To also provide against an operation'of the push-rods M after an operation of an individ ual push-rod,slides N are located across the drawers in front of the transverse partitions b and are provided with projections 91, lo- (rated normally to one side of notches in the vertical rods K, and said slides also provided with notches 01', forming a shoulder with which engages the inclined edge of a block f on the underside of each individual push-rod F. Thus when a rod F is pushed in to register a vote the block on the under side of said rod will move the slide N, and said slide engaging all of the vertical rods K will lock said rods against operation. These slides are all returned to their normal position simultaneous with the releasing of the locking devices for the individual push-rods or keys by the operation of the lever J and plate or slide J To this end aslide N is mounted in the side piece a of the cabinet parallel with the slide J and is provided with a projecting pin n engaging an inclined slot in the slide or plate J so as to be raised and lowered by the movement of the latter. The slide N is also provided with a series of lugs 71 having inclined surfaces, the number of lugs corresponding with the number of slides N, and are so positioned with respect to said slides that normally the upper ends of the inclines are on aline with the slides N. Therefore when a slide N is moved by a key or push-rod it will be projected against the upper part of the incline and when the apparatus or machine is set for another voter by the operation of the lever .l the raising of the slide N will cause the slide or slides N to ride upon the inclined lugs and be returned to their normal position.

Itis contemplated to operate the lever J by the actofopeningthedoorleading tothe booth in which the voting-machine is located, and for this purpose a flexible connection or rod j is attached to the upper end of the lever (see Fig. l) and is suitably attached to the door. However, it may be desirable to have the apparatus set by a ballot-clerk, in which case operating means could be extended out of the booth to a convenient place for operation.

It will be understood that the locking devices for the individual keys or push-rods, consisting of the tumbling-shafts G and pivoted plates H, will prevent the operation of a second key of a series after one has been pushed in; but as said locking devices do not prevent the operation of two keys at one time I have supplemented the same by devices which will remove this objection. These devices consist of slides T, located against the partition b above the slides N, hereinbefore referred to, and the said slides T are provided at their lower edge with notches t, through which the keys or push-rods F pass, the sides of the latter being beveled forwardly, as shown in the drawings, so that when a key is pressed inward it will move the slide to one side and against the other levers to prevent movement thereof, the beveled part of the keys or push-rods being such that only one of said keys can be pushed in at a time and no more. To this end one of the pushrods F is plain at one edge and beveled at the other, the second push-rod being beveled at both edges to a less extent than the bevel in the first push-rod, and the third push-rod is beveled at one edge to the same extent as the first, but on the other side, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. The slide T is provided with openings for the push-rods, and said slide is normally so located that the ends of the openings are positioned as shown in Fig. 8, from which it will be seen that the operation of the first push-rod does not move the slide at all, that a movement of the second push-rod will move the slide into the bevel of the first push-rod and prevent the latter from being operated, and that a movement of the third push-rod will move the slide into the first and second. Therefore the slide will block the movement of two push-rods at a time. After one key has been pushed in it will operate the locking device hereinbefore described and will of course prevent another key in that series from being subsequently operated, and as said slide prevents the operation of more than one key at a time a voter can cast but a single vote for each political office.

Now in order to provide for readily and conveniently resetting the registering mechanisms in the several drawers of the cabinet the shafts D are extended through one side of each horizontal series of drawers and one end of each shaft is flattened to receive a key for turning said shafts, and as the digit-wheels and gear-wheels carried thereby are all loosely mounted upon said shaft-s provision is made through the medium of said shafts for turning the digit-wheels to zero. (See Fig. 5.) To this end a collar U is keyed to the shaft at one side of each digit-wheel, and in one side of said collar is formed a recessin which is pivoted a gravity-pawl a, having a tail end that engages a wall of the recess to prevent excessive backward movement of the pawl and project the forward end, the latter being in the path of the pin a on the side of the digit-wheel or an integral part thereof. The pawl will permit an operation of the digitwheel by letting the pin pass the pawl, but when the shaft and collar are turned from right to left the pawl will engage the other side of the pin and the tail of the pawl striking the wall of the recess in the collar will cause the pawl to turn the digit-wheel. It will be understood that the collars are fixed to the shaft so that all the pawls on one shaft will be on a line with each other, and the pins are so disposed on the digit-wheels that when the pawls engage the pins and the shaft is turned to a certain extent all the zero-marks of the digit-wheels will be brought on a line with each other. To prevent a voter from tampering with the resetting mechanism, the key ends of the shafts are covered by a long narrow door IV in the side piece a of the cabinet and said door is securely locked.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of my improved voting-machine will be readily understood, for supposing a voter wishes to register a straight Democratic ticket the button or key m at the head of the first political column to the left is pushed in, which will depress the corresponding rod K, and thereby actuate the registering mechanisms for all the candidates in that column, the said key also lifting the rod L, which operates the locking devices for the individual keys or push-rods. After the voter has left the booth the lever J is operated, which moves the slide J to release the locking devices, and the machine is then set ready to record another vote. Should the next voter desire to register a split ticket, the operation of the push-rods individually will look only the registering mechanisms in the horizontal series of drawers as the rods are operated, and the operation of the first individual push-rod will operate the corresponding slide N, which will lock the vertical rods K, and thereby prevent a subsequent operation of a key or push-rod for a straight ticket. hould any one attempt to register two votes by pushing in a key for a straight ticket and simultaneously operate a key for an individual candidate, the attempt would be frustrated by the slide N, which would become inoperative. After the closing of the ballot the lever J may be locked by any suitable means, and then by turning the rod E the slides E will be moved to uncover the sight-openings and will expose the votes for each and every candidate, and as the act of voting a straight ticket registers one vote for each individual candidate on said ticket there is no figuring required. Registering mechanisms may be provided for each pushrod which operate the straight ticket in order that a record may be kept of the number of straight votes cast.

The mechanisms and parts constituting the apparatus are all constructed with a view of making the machine as coinpactand simple as possible, and the arrangement is such that the mechanisms and devices will work smoothly and easily in order that the operations may be positive and an accurate record or count of each vote made. It will also be noted that the improvements which form the sub ject-matter of this application provide effective means for preventing fraud in registering votes and also provide for conveniently resetting the registering mechanisms as well as provide a perfect operation.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iS

1. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and pushrods operating the same, of vertical rods op erating the registering mechanisms in vertical series, said rods having notches, slides having projections adapted to engage said 'notches, and means moving the slides by the operation of the individual push-rods, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and rods operating the same, of vertical. rods operating the registering mechanisms in vertical series, slides adapted to engage said vertical rods, and means operating the slides by the operation of the individual push-rods, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and rods operating the same, of rods operating the registering mechanisms in vertical series, said rods having notches, slides having projections adapted to engage said notches, blocks on the under side of the individual pushrods adapted to move said slides, a vertical slide having means for returning the firstmentioned slides to their normal position, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and rods operating the same, of rods operating the registering mechanisms in vertical series, said rods being U shaped in cross-section and carrying gravity-pawls pivoted therein which engage and operate the registering mechanisms, slides adapted to engage said rods, and means operating the slides onthe operation of the individual push-rods, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and individual rods operating the same, of rods operating the registering mechanisms in vertical series, said rods having notches, slides having projections adapted to engage said notches, blocks on the under side of the individual push-rods and adapted to move said slides, a vertical slide having inclined lugs for returning the aforesaid slides to their normal position, a sliding plate having an inclined slot with which a pin on the vertical slide engages, and means for operating the slotted plate, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and individual push-rods operating the same, of rockshafts operated by said push-rods, pivoted plates operated from the rock-shafts and adapted to engage the push-rods, said rockshafts having projections at their ends; ver tical rods operating the registering mechanisms in vertical series, rods operating the rock-shafts upon the operation of the vertical rods, and means operating the aforesaid vertical rods, horizontal slides adapted to engage the vertical rods, and means operating said slides on the operation of an individual pushrod; together with slides engaging the rockshafts and horizontal slides to return them to their normal position, and means for op erating said slides, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and rods operating the same, of a horizontal slide for each horizontal series of operating-rods, said slides having notches or openings through which the rods pass,- and said rods having beveled edges with which the slides engage, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a voting-machine, the combination with the registering mechanisms and cabinet having sight-openings on a line With the registering mechanisms, of slides having openings adapted to register with the openings in the cabinet, a vertical rod having pins engaging the slides, and means for turning said rod, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN BERNHART WEIGAND.

WVitnesses:

MARGARET RYAN, T. H. RYAN.

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