Improvements in Apparatus for Recording Parliamentary and other Votes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 10th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Recording Parliamentary and
other Votes.
I, WALTER HENRY HOWE, of 8, Bisham Gardens, Highgate, in the County of
London, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for recording parliamentary and other votes
Land has-for-its-chief-object to provide-means-whereby,-in-the-case-of-a- scrutiny,-
the votes of the different electors can be identified.
In carrying out my invention I provide a set of number printing apparatus for
each candidate for election, each of which sets of numbering apparatus is advan-
tageously adapted to be operated by the rotation of a wheel within the box or
chamber wherein the electors record their votes. I also provide an independent set
of number printing apparatus which is adapted to be operated each time that the
numbering apparatus of either candidate is moved, in such a manner that each
vote that is given for a candidate causes the operation of the independent numbering
apparatus. The several sets of numbering apparatus are adapted to print upon a
band which is moved forward the required distance each time a vote is recorded.
The door of the voting chamber is preferably connected with the numbering
apparatus in such a manner that as a voter opens it the numbering mechanism will
be released or unlocked and I also preferably arrange that the rotation of either-
wheel shall lock the other wheels until the door is again opened.
A bell is also provided to indicate to the presiding officer at the voting station
when an elector has voted.
The numbers printed by the independent apparatus correspond with numbers
in a specially numbered book kept by the presiding officer in which are recorded
the rate book or other register numbers of the respective voters as they present
themselves.
With this arrangement of apparatus a number is printed against the number
indicating a vote which numbers, in the case of a scrutiny, can be used to identify
the voters.
In practice I find it advantageous to arrange a counting mechanism in connection
with the door before referred to, the number recorded by which should correspond
with the number indicated by the independent numbering apparatus.
י
1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Recording Parliamentary and
other Votes.
I, WALTER HENRY HOWE, of 8, Bisham Gardens, Highgate, in the County of
London, Printer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to apparatus for recording parliamentary and other votes
and has for its chief object to provide means whereby, in the case of a scrutiny,
the votes of the different electors can be identified.
In carrying out my invention I provide a set of number printing apparatus for
each candidate for election, each of which sets of numbering apparatus is
advantageously adapted to be operated by the rotation of a wheel within the box
or chamber wherein the electors record their votes. I also provide an independent
set of number printing apparatus which is adapted to be operated in such a manner
that each vote that is given for a candidate is recorded by the independent
numbering apparatus, the record printed by this apparatus serving for scrutiny
purposes. The several sets of numbering apparatus are adapted to print upon a
band which is moved forward the required distance each time a vote is recorded.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan view shewing the arrangement of my apparatus in conjunction
with the closed chamber (which for convenience term the ballot chamber) in
which the said apparatus is situated:
Figure 2 is an elevation drawn to a larger scale than Figure 1 of the apparatus
as seen by the voter :
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus on the line 3-3, Figure 2;
and,
Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Figure 2:
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Figure 4; and,
Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Figure 5:
Figures 7 and 8 are views illustrating details of construction; and,
Figure 9 is a view of a portion of the paper band printed by the apparatus :
Figure 10 is a view of a paper sheet on which the presiding officer records the
assessment number of each voter when voting.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.
a is the bed-plate of the apparatus, and b, b are two standards thereon between
which is fixed a plate coupon which the several sets of candidates numbering
apparatus are mounted. I have represented in the drawings four sets of numbering
apparatus d, d', d², d³ (Figures 5 and 6) for the several candidates and anothor set e,
mounted as hereinafter described, for the scrutiny. It is to be understood, however,
that the several sets of candidates numbering apparatus will vary according to the
number of candidates for election. These sets of numbering apparatus may be of
any suitable construction; in the drawings I have represented the several numbering
wheels of each apparatus (the figures on which are adapted to print an impression)
as being carried by a frame f sliding upon blocks f, on the plate c and provided
with rods f, f2 working in guides 73, 73 also on the plate c.
imparted to the units wheel of each numbering apparatus by means of a pawl g
mounted on a lever g' loose on the axle carrying the numbering discs and connected
by a link g² with an arm on one of the guides f³ on the plate e whereby as the
numbering apparatus is pushed forward the pawl slides over one of the teeth
of the ratchet wheel 93 fixed to the said units disc whilst as the apparatus is
returned the pawl by engaging with the ratchet wheel will cause the latter and
The motion is

page_text: the said wheel to be moved one tooth as will be readily understood by referring to
Figure 4 on the drawings. The motion of the units wheels is imparted to the tens
and other numbering wheels in the usual manner.
h (Figures 3, 4 and 5) is the impression roller, and i is a roll of paper band o
which is passed around the impression roller and wound into another roller i¹.
The impression roller is mounted on brackets h', h' on the bed-plate a, and the
roll is carried by a spindle i² running in slots or guides in the upper ends of the
said brackets, in such a manner that as the said roll increases in diameter it will
rise in the guides, and that the roll will bear upon the surface of the impression
roller / whereby as the roller rotates in the direction of the arrow 1, Figure 4,
the said roll will rotate in the direction of the arrow 2 in the said figure to roll
up the band.
In
In using my apparatus it is obvious that only one set of candidates numbering
apparatus must be operated, whilst the set of apparatus e for the scrutiny must be
operated simultaneously with each set of candidates numbering apparatus.
order to permit of effecting such simultaneous operation I advantageously provide
the following arrangement of mechanism, that is to say, I provide a movable
platform (Figures 4, 5 and 6) which runs upon rails j, j supported on the base a,
the wheels, carrying the said platform upon the rails being provided with teeth
and engaging with corresponding rack teeth on the rails so as to ensure the.
platform always maintaining its proper position relatively with the rails. The
platform has fixed upon it a bracket k, shewn most clearly in Figures 4 and 6,
which bracket is adapted at its upper part-to-project above-the-cross-plate c-and to-
carry the set of numbering apparatus e and its guides, in such a manner that when
one or the other sets of candidates apparatus makes an impression on the band 1°
the scrutiny apparatus will also make an impression.
Upon the platform jare mounted two crank discs l, m (Figures 3, 4 and 5) the
former of which is connected by a rod with a cross head 2 provided with a
guide-bar sliding in guides 14, 14 upon the platform j whilst the crank disc m is
connected by a rod n to the frame of the scrutiny set of numbering apparatus e.
The cross head is formed with a groove or notch o and on the several frames of
the candidates numbering apparatus are tongues o¹, o' arranged to project
downwards in such a manner that, by traversing the platform j, the cross head 12
can. be brought into engagement with either of the said tongues o' so that the
rotation of the crank disc will reciprocate the connected set of numbering
apparatus and cause it to print upon the band 10.
As the platform j is being traversed in order to bring the cross-head 12 into
engagement with one or the other set of the candidates numbering apparatus, the
scrutiny numbering apparatus e is also moved so as to bring it opposite to the
scrutiny column on the band " corresponding to the candidate's name whereby, when
the candidates numbering apparatus is operated to record a vote, the scrutiny
apparatus will also be operated.
In order that a voter shall be enabled to move the platform to engage the
cross-head with the numbering apparatus of the candidate for whom he desired
to vote, 1 connect the said platform j by a rod p (Figures 4 and 6) with a crank
disc p' mounted on a shaft p² which extends to the outside of the apparatus where
it is provided with a crank handle p³ by turning which the platform may be
reciprocated. Adjacent to the said handle I arrange an indicator q having within
it the names of the several parliamentary or other candidates, and in connection
with the said indicator is a pointer q' which is fixed to the platform j and moves
therewith, whereby a voter may at once see when the apparatus is in proper position
for voting for a certain candidate. This arrangement of indicator and pointer will
be readily understood by reference to Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings.
I advantageously move the different parts to perform the printing operation
through the medium of a turnstiler (Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5) which the voter
operates as he leaves the ballot chamber after placing the pointer 7' in the proper
position. For this purpose I attach to the vertical spindle r' of the said turnstile

page_text: a bevel wheel (Figure 5) which engages with a bevel pinion ³ mounted on a
shaft. This shaft has mounted upon it two wheels s, s which engage with
gear teeth on the peripheries of the two crank discs 1, m for operating the voting
and scrutiny numbering mechanisms respectively, so that when the turnstiler is
rotated the said crank discs will be operated to move the numbering mechanisms.
In order that the said wheels s, s shall always be in gear with the teeth on the
crank discs l, m, the said wheels are connected to the shaft r by splines or feathers,
or the said shaft is made square in cross section, as shown in the drawings, and
the wheels themselves are held in brackets s', s' fixed to the platform j so that as
the said platform is moved the said wheels s, s will also be moved to the same
extent.
The several gear wheels, are so proportioned that a quarter of a revolution of
the turnstiler shall move the numbering mechanisms forward to print and return
them to their original positions so that the cross-head is free to be moved into
engagement with either of the sets of candidates numbering mechanism by the
next voter.
In order that the successive voters entering the ballot chamber shall not be able
to ascertain by the position of the index finger for whom the previous voter voted,
I provide at the entrance to the ballot chamber a second turnstilet (Figures 1, 3, 5
and 6) the shaft to of which is connected by bevel gearing t¹ to a horizontal
shaft 2 which carries at one end a gear-wheel t³ engaging through the intervention
of another gear wheel with gear teeth upon the periphery of the crank disc p¹
through the medium of which the platform j is moved, whereby as a voter enters
the ballot chamber, the said disc pt will move the said platform j and consequently
also the index finger q¹ so that the latter shall not afford any correct information.
Each of the turnstiles r, t is provided with a ratchet wheel u and pawl u¹
(Figures 3, 4 and 5) for preventing the turnstile being turned in the wrong
direction.
The wheel 3 is not fixed to the shaft 2 but is connected thereto by means of a
ratchet and pawl indicated by the letter u2 in Figures 3, 5 and 6, so as to allow of
the voter moving the platform j by means of the handle p³ without imparting
movement to the shaft t².
In practice it is advisable that as a voter enters the ballot chamber the admission
turnstile t shall be locked behind him and remain locked until he shall have left
such ballot chamber, I therefore provide in conjunction with each turnstile a bolt
or locking device which is operated as follows:- that is to say, as a voter enters
the ballot chamber the locking bolt in conjunction with the admission turnstile t is
moved so as to limit the movement of the turnstile to a quarter of a revolution
and prevented from being moved by the next person wishing to vote whilst the
bolt in conjunction with the exit turnstiler is disengaged therefrom, the latter
being free to turn as the voter leaves the ballot chamber. As, however, the voter
is leaving the ballot chamber the bolts are again operated, that is to say, the bolt
in connection with the exit turnstiler is moved to prevent the said turnstile being
rotated more than a quarter of a revolution whilst at the same time the bolt in
connection with the admission turnstile t is moved to disengage it from the said
turnstile and thereby leave the latter free to be operated by the next voter. This
Arrangement of locking bolts will be most clearly understood by reference to
Figure 6 wherein v, v indicate respectively the bolts in connection with the
admission and exit turnstiles t, r, the said bolts being adapted to slide vertically
in guides v2, v² fixed to the base a of the apparatus. In connection with these
bolts is a rack bar 3 the two ends of which are formed with inclined cam-
surfaces, which extend through apertures in the bolts in such a manner that,
when the said bar is reciprocated transversely of the apparatus, one bolt will be
raised and the other simultaneously depressed. On the shaft t2 is mounted a gear
wheel v³ which engages with one end of the rack bar ³, and on a shaft ve which is
connected by bevel gearing with the vertical shaft r¹ of the exit turnstile is mounted
another gear wheel ', similar to the gear wheel 3, which engages with the other

page_text: end of the said rack bar vº. These wheels, are not nxed to their respective
shafts but are connected thereto by ratchet and pawl mechanism (the ratchet and
pawl mechanism in connection with the wheel being represented in Figure 8
and that in connection with the wheel v' in Figure 6); arranged in such a manner
that when the shaft 2 is rotated, owing to the operation of the admission turnstile t,
the said wheel vs will move the rack bar v3 from the position shewn in Figure 6
towards the left hand, thereby depressing the bolt so as to bring it into the path
of the arm of the turnstile operated by the incoming voter. Simultaneously with
the depression of the bolt the bolt is raised out of engagement with the
turnstile r,
the wheel slipping on the shaft : when the voter passes the
turnstile in leaving the ballot chamber the reverse action takes place, that is to
say, the wheel is positively moved by the shaft and moves the rack bar to
the right hand, whereby the bolt v¹ is depressed and the bolt v raised to allow of
the turnstile t being again moved, the wheel during this operation slipping
around upon its shaft t2.
In order to allow the wheels 5 and 7 to slip round upon their respective shafts t²
and as described, the pawls 8, v8 in connection with the said wheels are pivotted
thereto in such a position that during the movement of either turnstile the pawl
of the wheel on the shaft t2 or 6 of the moving turnstile is in engagement with
the ratchet wheel_v fixed to that shaft; but at the end-of-the-movement of the -
said turnstile the wheel will have arrived at such a position that the pawl will fall
out of engagement with the said ratchet wheel until returned to its former position.
by the movement of the rack bar when the latter is operated upon by the other
turnstile.
w (Figures 5 and 6) indicates a bell which I advantageously arrange in con-
junction with the exit turnstile in such a manner that each time the turnstile is
operated by a person leaving the ballot chamber one arm of the said turnstile will
strike the arm w¹ of the bell and thereby indicate to the presiding officer that the
ballot chamber is unoccupied.
In order to effect the inking of the numbering discs I mount on the standards b, b.
an inking cylinder a (Figures 4 and 6) and an ink duct and I provide ordinary
inking rollers y, y carried by two arms y', y' and running around a circular path y³
formed upon the standards b, b in such a manner that as the rollers move upon the
path they come into contact with the type as will be readily understood by reference :
to Figure 4 of the drawings. Motion is imparted to the levers y carrying the
inking rollers from the shaft t2 driven by the admission turnstile through the
medium of the bevel wheel y³ (Figures 3 and 5) which engages with a bevel crank
pinion on one end of a shaft y on the other end of which is a crank disc y.
The crank pins of the crank pinion y and of the disc y' are connected by links y'
with rearward extensions of the levers y', y', whereby, as the said shaft y' is rotated,
the desired movement will be imparted to the inking rollers y, y.
The diameters of the wheels y³, y are so proportioned relatively with the speed
of the shaft that each time the turnstile t is inoved a quarter of a revolution, the
inking rollers Y, will be moved up or down so as to pass once over the face of
the type.
On the shaft y is a sprocket wheel y connected by a chain y with corresponding
sprocket wheely on the axle of the inking cylinder whereby a partial rotation
will be imparted to the said cylinder each time the shaft y' is actuated.
The movement of the paper band 20 after each printing operation is effected from
the shaft 2 in connection with the admission turnstile t. As shewn in Figures 3, 5
and 7 the motion of the shaft 2 is communicated to the impression cylinder h
through the medium of the train of wheels z, z', 22, 3 and 2, which latter engages
with a ring of teeth on one end of the impression cylinder. It will be understood
that as the mction of the band is due to the rotation of the impression cylinder h
the distances the paper band is moved from time to time will be the same, notwith-
standing the decrease in the diameter of the roll i and the increase in diameter of
the roll as hereinbefore described.

page_text: The paper band which I use in conjunction with my apparatus is preferably
divided into twice as many columns as there are candidates, half of the columus
serving for recording the votes and the other half for the scrutiny numbers.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that each of the candidate's
sets of numbering apparatus records only the number of votes which have been
given for that candidate whilst the set of numbering apparatus for the scrutiny
corresponds with the total number of votes given. In order therefore, for the
purpose of scrutiny, that the different votes may be analyzed, I provide the
presiding officer at the voting station with a book having printed in it the numbers
from 1 consecutively upwards (as shewn in Figure 10) according to the number of
voters on the register and as each person presents himself to the presiding officer
to record his vote the rate book or assessment number of the voter is placed against
the number corresponding with the order in which he presents himself.
The mode of operation is as follows:-Assume there are four candidates,
SMITH, BROWN, JONES and ROBINSON, whose names are placed in the
indicator of the apparatus; voter No. I now presents himself to the presiding
officer who having entered the rate book number, say, 595 opposite No. 1 in his
book, allows the voter to pass into the ballot chamber. Should this voter desire to
vote for SMITH he then moves the handle p³ to bring the index finger q' opposite
to the said name and thereupon leaves the ballot box, in doing which the figure I
is printed in the first column of the paper band and also in the first scrutiny
column; voter No. 2 follows, after having his number, say 6001 recorded and
passes into the ballot chamber and votes for BROWN, whereupon the figure 1 is
printed in the second column, and the figure "2" in the corresponding scrutiny
portion of the band; voter No. 3 whose rate book number is, say, 5944 may also
desire to vote for SMITH, the result being that the figure 2 is impressed in the
first column and the figure 3 in the scrutiny portion of the band, this being
the total number of the votes recorded; voter No. 4, say, rate book number 3652
yotes for JONES, and this being the first vote given for this candidate the figure 1
is therefore printed in the third column but it being the fourth vote recorded the
figure 4 is printed in the corresponding scrutiny column. It will thus be under-
stood that each voter prints in line with the vote which he records for his candidate
a number corresponding with the number against which his own rate book number
is placed in the presiding officer's book whereby in case of scrutiny the votes can
be readily analyzed. It will also be understood that at the close of the poll it will
not be necessary to count the votes as the last printed number in each candidate's
column indicates the number of votes which have been recorded in his favour.
I practice I find it advantageous to arrange in connection with one or the other
of the turnstiles a counting mechanism, the number recorded by which should
always correspond with the number of persons who have voted according to both
the presiding officer's book and the total recorded by the scrutiny numbering
apparatus.
Although in the foregoing description I have described the scrutiny set of
numbering apparatus as printing in four different columns, it is to be understood
that all the scrutiny numbers may be printed in a single column, in which case it is
only necessary to provide the record band with one column more than the number
of candidates necessitates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for recording votes the combination of a number of sets of
numbering apparatus corresponding with the number of candidates, and an
independent set of numbering apparatus adapted to be operated each time that
the numbering apparatus of either candidate is moved, substantially as, and for
the purposes, described.
2. In apparatus for recording votes in which several sets of numbering

page_text: apparatus corresponding with the number of candidates is employed and an
additional set of apparatus for recording the number of votes for scrutiny
purposes, the provision of means whereby either set of numbering apparatus may
be engaged with an operating handle outside the apparatus and whereby the
scrutiny number printing apparatus shall print in different columns, substantially
as described.
3. The combination with vote recording apparatus of the kind wherein several
sets of numbering apparatus are employed in combination with a set of apparatus
for enabling a scrutiny, of two turnstiles having arranged in connection with
them means whereby when one turnstile is unlocked the other is locked and
vice versa substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
4. In vote recording apparatus of the kind in which a scrutiny set of numbering
apparatus is arranged in conjunction with two or more sets of candidates numbering
apparatus and in which turnstiles are arranged in conjunction with the admission
and exit of the ballot chamber, utilizing the movement of the said turnstiles for
operating the different parts of the mechanism substantially as, and for the purpose;.
described.
5. The improved vote recording apparatus consisting of the parts constructed.
and combined substantially in the mauner hereinbefore described and illustrated.
in the accompanying drawings and operating as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Dated this 11th day of March 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.