IMPROVEMENT IN VOTING BY BALLOT :-
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1886
Complete Left, 19th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 3rd June, 1887.
I GEORGE BAKER Carpenter and Joiner of 4 Batemans Cottages Redan Hill
Aldershot in the County of Hampshire do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows, IMPROVEMENT IN VOTING BY BALLOT :-
For this purpose I place in a box or case sliding bars or leavers, acting upon
wheels forming an index, with pulls and springs attached thereto, so that when the
sliding bars or leavers are pulled one vote will be registered on the index.
Under the sliding-bars I place sliding bolts with springs, preventing more than one.
sliding bar or leaver being worked at one time.
Accross and over the sliding bars or leavers I place a horizantal bar, with arms
attached to be acted upon by the sliding bars or leavers and acting upon a locking
bolt over each sliding bar or leaver to lock the bars when a vote is given.
To the horizantal bar I attache a rod or rods with cranked arms connected to a
sliding knob at back of the box, to give a signal to the returning officer when a vote
is given and enable him to lock or unlock the bars as he may require.
I likewise purpose fixing to each sliding bar or leaver a small punch, to peirce or
mark a strip of prepaired paper, when a vote is given, to enable a scrutin to be obtained
if required.
Thin Niantaruth law fT.. 1000
'

page_text: I GEORGE BAKER, Carpenter and Joiner, of 4 Batemans Cottages, Redan Hill,
Aldershot, in the County of Hampshire, 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, improvements in voting by ballot.
For this purpose, I place in a box or case, sliding bars or levers, acting upon
wheels forming an index, with pulls and springs attached thereto, so that when the
sliding bars or levers are pulled, one vote will be registered on the index.
In front of the sliding bars, I place sliding bolts, with springs, to prevent more
than one of the sliding bars or levers being pulled at one time.
Accross and over the sliding bars or levers, I place a horizontal bar, with arms
attached thereto, to be acted upon by the sliding bars or levers, and in turn acting
upon a locking bolt over each sliding bar or lever, to lock the bars when a vote is
given.
To the horizontal bar, I attach a rod or rods with cranked arms, connected to a
knob at the back of the box, to give a signal to the returning officer when a vote is
given, and enable him to lock or unlock the sliding bars as he may require.
I likewise purpose attaching to each sliding bar or lever a small punch, to pierce a
strip of prepared paper when a vote is given, so that a scrutiny can be obtained if
required.
The apparatus is so arranged that the voter cannot possibly record more than the
number of votes he is entitled to give.
To effect this purpose, I attach a sliding bar with a slot in it, by a link to a cranked
arm on the horizontal bar, which acts upon studs in an expanding rod, attached to
the knob at the back of the box, over the sliding bar I fix a pawl with a spring
attached, which drops into a notch in the expanding rod, and locks it as soon as the
required number of votes is given, the number of votes can be regulated by a stud on
one half of the expanding bar being fixed in holes in the other half, figure 1 on
sheet 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed, is a view of the outside of the box,
showing the pulls and the spaces for the names of the candidates. The boxes can be
made with any number of pulls, the pulls being easily detached, if there are more
pulls than there are candidates.
Fig. 2 sheet 1 is a back view of the box, the door being open, showing the spaces
for the index dials, and the knob for the returning officer.
Fig. 3 sheet 2, is a plan of the box, shewing the vertical sections, fig. 4 is the

page_text: sliding bar-a, fig.-5-is the index wheel-b-fig.-6-is the arm--attached
to the horizontal bar-e-for lifting the locking bolts-G-fig. 7-shows the locking
bolts G. figs. 9 and 10 on sheet 3, are vertical and horizontal sections of the drums
and punches of the apparatus for punching and winding the recording strip of paper,
for obtaining a scrutiny.
Fig. 11 on sheet 3 shows the slide for regulating the number of votes to be given
by each voter, and the expanding bar connected to the returning officers knob.
Fig. 12 on sheet 3-shows one of the sliding bolts, for preventing more than one
of the sliding bars being pulled at one time.
I will now more particularly describe the various parts of the apparatus, and the
manner in which they work.
When the knob under the candidates name is pulled out, the sliding bar a is drawn
forward in a grove in the bottom of the box, pushing aside the sliding bolts---
thereby effectually stopping the other pulls, there only being sufficient room for one
of the sliding bars-a-to pass between them at one time, at the same time a lug on
bar-a-lifts the arm-f-on the horizontal bar-e-setting free the locking
bolts G-which drop into notches in the bars-a-that are not being pulled, and
locking the bar pulled as soon as it is forced back by the spring-K, when the
sliding bolts c are returned to there place-by the spring D, fig. 12 (sheet 3) and
fig. 3 (sheet 2).
When the sliding bar-a-is drawn forward one of the teeth in the wheel-b-
fig. 5-on sheet 2-is drawn through the slot in bar-a-and registers one on the
index.
→
When the arm-
--is lifted the horizontal bar-e-is partially turned, raising the
cranked arm-L-which is connected to the vote limiting slide-m-and pushes out the
knob at back of the box one half of an inch, each time a vote is recorded, the
slide-m-being forced down again by the spring-n,- unlocking all the bars-a-
untill the limited number of votes are given, as soon as the limited number of votes
are given, the slot in the bar-h-is brought under the pawl-O-which drops into
the slot in bar-h-and over the slide-m, preventing it from rising, and locking
all the bars-a-untill the returning officer pushes in the knob at back of the box, and
unlocks them for the next voter.
When the knob is pushed in, a punch-p,- is forced through the bottom edge
of the recording strip of paper, denoting how many votes has been given by each
voter.
To the horizontal bar-e, I fix a cranked arm-J, which is attached by rods to
a ratchet on the drums-y, of the recording strip of paper, which is placed in a
compartment under the box, and draws the paper forward past the punches one quarter
of an inch every time a vote is given.
To each of the sliding bars-a-I attach a cranked lever-r-fig. 4 sheet-2-and
fig. 10 sheet 3, which passes through the bottom of the box, and are connected to the
punches-s,
8,- as shown on fig. 10-sheet 3,- so that every time the sliding bars-a-
are pulled forward, one of the punches-s-is forced through the recording strip of
paper, fig.-8-sheet-2-is a horizontal rack-t-working in connection with the
index wheel-b, so that when a vote is given, the index wheel-b-pushes back
the rack-t-which on being relesed from the teeth of the wheel-b, is forced back
by a spring-v, fig. 3 sheet 2. and striking a hammer-w-which rebounds and
rings a bell-x-giving a signal to the returning officer that the vote has been recorded
on the index.
Having thus described the nature of my invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood, that I am aware that it has before been pro-
posed to register votes upon an index, and that slides may have been used for that
purpose, I do not therefore make any general claim to arranging apparatus to effect
these objects, but what I claim is.
(First) The employment of a slide with a slot for the teeth of the index wheel to
pass through to register the vote, substantially as herein described.

page_text: (Second) The employment of sliding bolts, to prevent more than one of the sliding
bars being pulled at one time, substantially as herein described.
(Third) The method of locking and unlocking the sliding bars every time a vote
is given, substantially as herein described.
(Forth) The employment of a slotted slide, to allow any given number of votes to
each voter, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I the said George Baker, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty seven.