Improvements in Election Ballot Voting Compartments or Desks.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Election Ballot Voting Compartments or Desks.
I, PETER BIBBY of Canada House, Flint in the County of Flint, Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a ballot voting compartment or desk that will
enable privacy to be secured to the voter, but which shall be cheaper to manu-
facture, easier to manipulate, lighter in weight for transit freights, less liable to
damage during transit, and occupy considerably less space, than the article which
has been hitherto provided.
In carrying my invention into effect, the plan I prefer is to form the compart-
ments of frames hinged together in pairs at their adjacent edges, so that when
opened out for use they will be somewhat in the form of a W, that is when viewed
in plan. In the compartments or alcoves thus formed, and at a suitable height
from the ground, I provide hinged desks on which the voter can record his vote
for a candidate, thus in two pairs of frames there will be three desks, onc in
each V which can each be folded up against the sides of the panels in the frames.
To fold up the article all that is necessary is, first, to fold up the desks against
the sides of the frames, and, secondly collapse or fold up the frames somewhat in
the same way as a draught or fire screen is folded up, the desks lying flat against the
panels so that they are not in the way of the frame being folded and so secured
by small fastenings on the edges. It will then only occupy a space equivalent to the
united thickness of the respective frames. When required for use, all that is
necessary is to unfasten and open out or expand the frames, the edges of, which
however are so formed that unlike a draught screen will not open out more than
to a given extent. The desks are then turned down and secured by small fastenings
and the compartment is then ready for use, the desks preventing the article being
collapsed and imparting the necessary lateral strength and rigidity to the structure.
It is obvious that the number of desks may be increased or diminished at pleasure,
thus with four frames I obtain three desks, two on one side and one on the other ;
with six frames five desks, three on one side and two on the other; with eight
frames seven desks, four on one side and three on the other, and so on.
Dated this 6th day of July 1895.
}
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Election Ballot Voting Compartments or Desks..
I, PETER BIBBY of Canada House Flint, in the County of Flint, Architect,
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 :-
This invention has for its object a ballot voting compartment or desk that will
enable privacy to be secured to the voter, but which shall be cheaper to manu
facture, easier to manipulate, lighter in weight for transit freights, less liable to
damage during transit, and occupy considerably less space than the article which
has been hitherto provided.

page_text: In carrying my invention into effect, the plan I prefer is to form the compart-
ments of frames hinged together in pairs at their adjacent edges, so that when
opened out for use they will be somewhat in the form of a W, that is when viewed
in plan. In the compartments or alcoves thus formed, and at a suitable height
from the ground, I provide hinged desks on which the voter can record his vote
for a candidate, thus in two pairs of frames there will be three desks, one in
each V, which can each be folded up against the sides of the panels in the
frames.
To fold up the article, all that is necessary is, first, to fold up the desks against
the sides of the frames, and, secondly, collapse or fold up the frames somewhat in
the same way as a draught or fire screen is folded up, the desks lying flat against the
panels so that they are not in the way of the frame being folded and so secured
by small fastenings on the edges. It will then only occupy a space equivalent to
the united thickness of the respective frames. When required for use, all that is
necessary is to unfasten and open out or expand the frames, the edges of which
however are so formed that unlike a draught screen, the frames will not open out
more than to a given extent. The desks are then turned down and secured by
small fastenings and the compartment is then ready for use, the desks preventing
the article being collapsed and imparting the necessary lateral strength and rigidity
to the structure. It is obvious that the number of desks may be increased or
diminished at pleasure, thus with two pairs of frames I obtain three desks, two on
one side and one on the other; with six frames five desks, three on one side and
two on the other; with eight frames seven desks, four on one side and three on
the other, and so on.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my ballot voting compartment constructed by
way of example of one single pair of panelled frames;
Figure 2, the same partly folded for transit; and
Figure 3, a plan of Figure 1, dotted lines being added to show the arrangement
when two pairs of frames are employed with three desks.
In these figures,
A are the panelled frames hinged together at their adjacent edges a, B the
hinged desks or tables arranged at a suitable height from the ground on which a
voter can record his vote for a candidate. As depicted in Figure 1, the upper
part of the frame only is panelled to ensure privacy, the lower part being left open
for the sake of lightness. It is obvious however that instead of using panelled
frames, boards, plates, or even frames covered with some suitable fabric, may be
used.
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. The improvement in portable ballot voting compartments, which consists in
forming them of one or more pairs of frames, boards, plates or their equivalent
hinged together at their adjacent edges so as to form one or more compartments
or alcoves, and arranging in cach compartment or alcove at a suitable height from
the ground a hinged desk or table so arranged that it will forin a surface for
writing on but which will fold flat against the boards and enable the frames to be
folded together when not in use substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. As a new or improved article of manufacture, portable ballot voting
compartments or desks arranged substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 27th day of January 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.