Patent GB-190221790-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Voting Machines.
Inventor: LOE SYVER
Filed: 1902-10-07
Granted: 1903-02-26
Abstract: 21,790. Loe, S., and Hoff, O. Oct. 7. Voting-apparatus.- Relates to machines of the type described in Specification No. 17,778, A.D. 1901, in which several series of registers, with their corresponding actuators, are arranged vertically. Each series of registers and actuators is subdivided into groups, the number of each in a particular group being equal to the number of candidates for the particular office to which the group is appropriated. The present invention provides (1) improved vote-limiting devices which operate, after the proper predetermined number of votes has been cast or selected for a particular office, to lock or render inoperative all other actuators of that group, and (2) means for adapting the machine for use at either primary elections, at which a voter can only vote for candidates belonging to a particular party, or at final elections, at which a " split" ticket may be voted. When employing the machine for voting a " split ticket," the actuators and parts occupy the positions indicated by full lines in Fig. 7, and, as the voter moves the proper number of actuators 16 into the set positions indicated by full lines in Fig. 10, the pawls 23 are held by an eccentric rocking shaft 26 out of engagement with ratchets 8 of the registers. The vote-limiting mechanism comprises a series of screw-threaded sleeves 32, arranged to slide on a vertical shaft 30, but held, as well as the separating- washers 34, against rotation by a long key 31. A spur-pinion 33 on each of the sleeves 32 gears with a toothed segment 35 on the actuator 16. The sleeves and gears are separated into groups of any desired number by adjusting the stop brackets 37, which are made in two parts to embrace the washers 34, and terminate in hooks 39 engaging a vertical screw rod 40, upon which they are held by nuts 41. Thus the washers 34 embraced by the brackets 37 become stops to limit the spreading movement of the sleeves 32 and the pinions 33 of the intermediate group. If, for example, but one vote may be cast for one of four candidates, four pinions 33 are grouped, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 12, between the blank sleeve 47 and the upper bracket 37, so that, when any one of the four upper actuators 16 is moved, the corresponding pinion 33 will move laterally and take up all the slack or space between the laterally-moving members, rendering it impossible to cast further votes by manipulating the actuators of that group. Similarly, two or more votes may be cast by adjusting the brackets 37 to leave the necessary amount of slack. The segments 35 are thrown out of gear with the pinions 33 while the machine is being set for a given election, and any of the actuators may be rendered inoperative by means of detachable holders. From Figs. 7 and 10, it will be seen that, when one of the individual-vote actuators has been moved, the section 53 of the " straight vote" stop blade is rocked rearwards, while the section 52 is rocked forwards, so that it stands in front of the shoulders 60<a> and locks all the "straight vote levers. Conversely, if one of the " straight vote" actuators be moved, the individual-vote actuators are locked by the section 53. When the voter has set all the actuators which be is entitled to use, he takes hold of the lever 80 and signals to the attendant, who, by turning a key 89, opens the jaws 87 and releases the plunger 82, whereupon the voter moves the lever 80 with the tie-bar 75 and the slides 70 into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the plunger is again locked by the jaws 87, so that it can be moved to its normal. position only by means of the attendant and the key 89. The forward movement of the slides 70 actuates the rocking shaft 26, and, subsequently, the links 68 of the bars 67, which restore the actuators to their normal positions, causing the pawls 23 to actuate the ratchets 8 and record a vote on each of the registers operated. After all the votes have been cast, and before the machine is opened up, the registers are locked by pushing bars 10 upwards and inwards, and securing them by screw nuts. The machine is adapted for use at primary elections by the provision of a party-selecting device consisting of bars 98, 99, having respectively projecting pins or teeth 98<a>, 99<a>, which are normally held by a spring 100 in the position shown by the full lines in Fig. 20. The sections 52, 53 of the " straight vote " stop-blade device are locked together, and screws are loosened, so that the shaft 55 on which the sections are mounted is free to oscillate. After the Republican, Democratic, and other tickets or ballots have been placed in the respective frames 92, and one of the actuators in the extreme right-hand column has been moved into the set position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 20, the free end of the arm 60 acting on the one section or the other of the blade 52, 53 locks the shaft 55, and throws the arm 102 towards the left. The action of the arm 102 on the tooth 99<a> moves the bar 99 to the left and the bar 98 to the right, causing all but the extreme right-hand tooth 98<a> to force the three left-hand arms 102 to the right. The rocking of the three shafts 55 by the movements of the arms 102 causes their respective stop blades to move in front of the stop shoulders 60<a> of all of the actuating- levers of the three left-hand series or sections of the machine. Thus, the movement of any one actuator of any series locks all the actuators of all of the other series, while the other actuators of the selected series are left free, subject to the control of the vote-limiting mechanism.