Patent GB-451143-A (GB)
Abstract: 451,143. Voting-apparatus. RELIANCE TELEPHONE CO., Ltd., 12, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, and ASHTON, W. T., 11, Wolverton Gardens, Ealing Common, both in London. June 4, 1935, No. 16061. [Class 106 (iv)] Electrical-voting-apparatus comprises means for registering any one of a number of alternative votes at any one of a plurality of positions, means for connecting the positions successively to counting apparatus and means whereby a registered vote may be changed into a different vote during the pre-counting period by operation of the registering means only. Each voter is provided with three keys AK, YK, NK, depression of which signifies respectively " abstain," " yes," " no." If the key AK, for example is depressed, relay A is operated by being connected to earth through CT, RS and a1. The last contact a1 operates to lock the relay by connecting it to earth on the other side of RS. Contacts a2 light a lamp AL to inform the voter that an " abstain " vote will be registered, while a3 and a4 prevent the locking of the other relays Y, N. If, however, the voter depresses one of the other keys YK or NK, before the count is taken, the relay A will be released and a relay Y or N locked up instead to register " yes " or " no ", a corresponding lamp YL or NL being lighted. The depression of any key may be rendered ineffective by means not shown unless the voter has operated a lock &c. of which he alone has the key. Taking the count. This is initiated by actuating a key CT which breaks the left-hand earth circuit to the relays A, Y, N (the operated relay remaining locked through the right-hand earth circuit) and supplies earth to relays ST, X. Contacts st1 prepare a stepping circuit for a collecting switch AC1 .. AC5, contacts x2 energize the driving magnet AC of the collecting switch and contacts x1 operate a relay Y. Contacts y1 then operate a relay Z having contacts z1 which release relay X. Contacts x2 thus open and the collecting switch wipers make one step. Contacts x1 release relay Y, y1 release Z, z1 energize X and the cycle commences again, the relays X,Y,Z thus forming a driving circuit for the collecting switch AC. Every time the wiper AC1 rests on a contact connected to an operated relay A, the driving magnet UY of a units counting switch UY1 .. UYS, is energized and this switch makes one step. At the tenth step a tens counting switch TY is energized and at the hundredth a hundreds relay HY. The total of the " abstain " votes is thus counted. Similar counting switches are connected to the wipers AC2 and AC3 to count the " yes " and " no " votes respectively. Indicating the result. When the collecting switch has stepped over all its contacts it operates a relay CC from wiper AC5 through lines 7, 8. Contacts ccl interrupt the driving circuit X, Y, Z, cc2 light a lamp ML to indicate that the count is complete, cc3 light a lamp UL to display the units of the " abstain " total and cc4 light lamps TL, HL to show the tens and the hundred (if required). Key CT is then restored to the position shown. This causes the switches AC, UY, TY to be restored by selfinterrupting circuits, and extinguishes the lamps NL, UL, TL. When the collecting switch reaches its initial position, a lamp CL is lighted, whereupon the switch RS is momentarily manually depressed to remove the holding earth from relays A, Y, N, which thus release and extinguish the lamps AL, YL, NL. The key RS can also be operated to cancel the votes registered in the relay before the count takes place. Recording the results. The lamps VL, TL, HL may be photographed by means not described. Testing. To test, e.g., the YK keys and their associated relays, &c. a key KY is depressed. This completes a self-driving circuit for a switch NT1 .. NT4 and also operates a relay YR which is locked through contacts yr1. Contacts yr2 supply earth through the wiper NT2 to all the relays Y in turn, these relays thus being operated. The key CT is next operated and the final indication of the lamps UL, TL, HL should equal the number of voting positions. All the lamps YL should also be illuminated. The " abstain " and the " no " equipment can similarly be tested by depressing keys KA, KN respectively.