IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF TAKING THE POLL OF VOTERS, AND FOR ENUMERATING AND REGIS- TERING VOTES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND INDICATING THE POLL
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Samuel Harrison, of Gloucester Road,
Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Horologist, and Charles Gottlieb
Rotter, of Choumert Road, Rye Lane, Peckham, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODE OF TAKING THE POLL OF VOTERS, AND FOR ENUMERATING AND REGIS-
TERING VOTES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND
INDICATING THE POLL."
✓
ealed the 26th July 1872, and dated the 2nd February 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Samuel Har-
rison and Charles Gottlieb Rotter at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 2nd February
1872.
We, WILLIAM Samuel HarrisON, of Gloucester Road, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey, Horologist, and CHARLES GOTTLIEB ROTTER, of Chou-
mert Road, Rye Lane, Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OF TAKING THE POLL OF VOTERS, AND FOR ENUMERATING AND

page_text: REGISTERING VOTES, AND IN THE METHOD OF AND Apparatus For RECORDING AND
INDICATING THE POLL," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to enable elections under the ballot
system to be conducted in secrecy, the voter at the time of voting being
out of all control and observation, and to provide mechanism (hereafter
to be described) which shall accurately enumerate and register the num-
ber of votes given by the voter without leaving the means by which the
names of his selected candidates may afterwards be ascertained.
The mode of operation and the arrangement of mechanism which we
employ is as follows:-The voter on presenting his qualification to be
given up to the officer in charge is passed through a turnstile or other
checking apparatus into a private compartment provided for the purpose,
where he finds as many pull handles (similar to bell pulls) as there are
candidates. Over each pull handle is labelled the name of one of the can-
didates, and a color which has previously been agreed upon to represent
him. Where there are four candidates, two to be elected, and the voter
entitled to two votes, he will by pulling two of the handles, which are in
connexion with a concealed recording apparatus, once each, or one of.
them twice in the case of cumulative voting, cause two votes to be
secretly registered according to his selection. The operation of pulling
any two of these handles once each or one of them twice effectually
locks the voting mechanism against any further operation on his part,
and it remains locked until he has passed out at the exit stile (provided
to prevent his readmission), and until a new voter has passed the
entrance stile.. This latter passing puts the recording apparatus in a
condition to be used as before by the incoming elector.
The recording apparatus we construct with a series of cylinders on one
axis having the ten numbers marked at equal distances on the outside,
indicating units, tens, hundreds, thousands, which numbers are seen
through a perforated plate. Each cylinder has ten pins on its face
actuated by a paul or escapement' pallet in connexion with the pull
handles.
To regulate the number of votes, which may vary considerably, we use
a count wheel having ten or other suitable number of screw holes; each
hole is numbered. This wheel is fixed upon a separate axis actuated
only by the pull handles, the regulation being effected by a screw
pin inserted into the hole of the wheel which corresponds with the

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Samuel Harrison and Charles Gottlieb
Rotter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM.
SAMUEL HARRISON, of Gloucester Road, Peckham Grove, in the County
of Surrey, Horologist, and CHARLES GOTTLIEB ROTTER, of 30, Choumert
Road, Rye Lane, Peckham, in the County of 'Surrey, Gentleman, send,
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the.
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,.
give and grant unto us, the said William Samuel Harrison and Charles
Gottlieb Rotter, Her special licence that we, the said William Samuel .
Harrison and Charles Gottlieb Rotter, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Samuel Harrison.
and Charles Gottlieb Rotter, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MODE OF

page_text: TAKING THE POLL OF VOTERS, AND FOR ENUMERATING AND REGISTERING VOTES,
AND IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND INDICATING THE
POLL," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Samuel Harrison and Charles Gottlieb Rotter, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
áscertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Samuel Harrison and
Charles Gottlieb Rotter, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
and on reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say
The object of this Invention is to enable voters at elections by a
simple mechanical process to record their votes in secrecy, the voter
being at the time of voting out of all control and observation, and to
provide mechanism which will accurately register and enumerate the
number of votes given by the voters without affording them the means
of disclosing (with proof) the names of their selected candidates, or by
which such selected names may be by other persons afterwards
ascertained.
The mechanical apparatus for recording and enumerating the votes is
placed in an apartment or office, hereafter called the secrecy voting
compartment, and access can only be made to the apparatus through a
number registering turnstile opening inwards, and so constructed as to
pass but one person into the compartment at a time. Such act of
passing will lock the stile both for ingress and egress, and it will remain
locked during the voter's occupancy of the compartment and until he
shall have passed out at the other side of the voting compartment through
another turnstile opening outwards, hereafter called the exit stile. The
turning of the exit stile by the voter passing out through it unlocks the
entrance stile to admit the next incoming voter, the exit stile remaining
locked both for ingress and egress until unlocked by the entrance
stile.

page_text: The recording and enumerating apparatus is placed between these two
stiles in such a position that the elector at the time of voting is masked
by the walls of the compartment and completely private, although if
found desirable the voter may be under personal supervision while
voting without in any degree impairing the secrecy of his vote. The
operation of recording votes is somewhat similar to ringing a door bell,
with a loose portable handle to be attached by the voter to the pull
instead of the ordinary bell pull handle. Pulling the loose handle will
detach it, and thus mechanical testimony is given to indicate to the voter
the fact of having registered his vote. Each candidate will have a seperate
pull piece, over which his name must be plainly seen marked on a dis-
tinguishing color, and a distinguishing raised figure is placed near the
pull for the use of the blind. The colors and figures are for the use of
voters unable to read. Candidates previous to elections must arrange
what colors and figures they will be identified by. The recording
apparatus will register the number of votes, whether cumulative or
plump, allotted to each voter, but no more, and is so constructed that
it may be adjusted for certain variations in the numbers of candidates
and representatives.
The state of the poll, shewn by figures seen through a perforated iron
plate, may be taken instantly before, at, or after the close as may be
desired.
The recording and enumerating apparatus are enclosed in a strong box,
locked and sealed by the candidates or their agents, by the returning
officer, and any other authorised persons, in order to prevent tampering
with the state of the poll until it shall have been verified by each person
interested, and the seals removed by them or by their permission.
}
The enumerator is so constructed that the figures are locked by
mechanism in such a manner that their numeral order cannot be
altered without breaking the machine open and destroying the seals.
The progressive changes of figures from one to another are in every case.
completed instantly by one action, for example, the figures 999 are'
instantly and completely altered to 1000 by the registeration of the next:
vote. Only the proper indicating numerals are in view at the time of
taking the state of the enumerator. This enumerator is also used to
enumerate the voters passing the entrance stile.
We now proceed to describe the secrecy voting compartment, the
entrance and exit turnstiles, the mechanism we employ in connecting

page_text: them, and the enumerating and registering mechanism used for re-
cording the votes; and in order that the same may be distinctly.
understood we have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative
thereof, and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference
corresponding with those in the following explanation thereof, that is
to sav

page_text: split eye
will open, the hook will be released, and a vote be recorded by
the pin p on the bar B having moved the 10-toothed ratchet wheel R,
Fig. 8, one tooth. At the same time the wheel W, Fig. 4, will be turned
the distance of one of its pins by the action of the lever or paul 7, and in
the case where only one vote is to be given to any one candidate the
screw pin s will throw back the repose detent D, and the locking hook L
will fall into the notch N should the bar B be pulled at again before the
locking hook L is raised on to the repose detents.
The wheels W, W,
fixed on the axis A have each 10, or other suitable number of pins, one .
of which pins in each wheel is longer than the others, so that when the
full allowed number of votes have been recorded the long pins, being
opposite each other, will simultaneously throw back all the repose
detents, releasing all the locking hooks to catch into the notches N, N,
which catching will prevent more votes being given until the voter has
left the secrecy compartment and another voter has entered it.
raise the locking hooks L, L, and prepare the recording machine to
repeat the voting operation a lever U is fixed on the axis T, on which
axis the lifting pieces are also fixed, V, V, these being actuated by the
stiles' locking lever connected at Z. The passing out of and into the
secret voting compartment raises the locking hooks sufficiently high to
allow the repose detents, pressed by their springs, to pass under the
locking hooks, where they will be maintained until the voter draws the
bar B and by the screw pin s throws back the detent D.
То
When it is required to use the recorder for the cumulative voting the
screw pins 8, 8, must be withdrawn from the bars in order that the
maximum number of votes may be given to any one candidate, or dis-
tributed among the others as may be desired. In this case all the
locking hooks will remain on the repose detents until the voter has
polled his allotted number of votes, when the long pins on the wheels w, w,
acting against the tail pieces t, t, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, will throw back all the
detents, and the recorder will be locked.
For each candidate there must be a bar B, an enumerator, Fig. 8, and
all the necessary fittings to form one set of voting apparatus. It will be
seen, therefore, that the size of the recorders and the numbers of bars
will depend upon the number of candidates competing.
The object of the count wheel C, Figs. 6, 9, and 10, fixed on the end
of axis A is to set and regulate the recorder to the number of candidates

page_text: allowed to be returned, or the number of votes to be given. This regu-
lation is effected by inserting the stop pinn into one of holes which are
numbered on C, say, into the hole number'd 3. The axis A on being
released by the stiles' lever turns by force of the spring F back to the
stop J, so that three votes can be given before the long pins on the
wheels W, W, will throw back the repose detents. The use of
the click K, Fig. 5, and ratchet G, Figs. 6 and 5, is to take up and
secure the shifting action of the pauls 1, 1, on the bar B. S, S, are
. springs to bring back the bars; M, M, are cushions of india-rubber to
deaden the sound of contact.
Figs. 5, 8, and 12 show a plan of the enumerator constructed to
register 9999 for each candidate. In this instrument are three wheels of
the kind shewn at a, Fig. 5 and 8, each having a finger or tooth which
turn the wheels x¹, x², Fig. 8 and 5, cut with ten notches, one-tenth of
a revolution to every one turn of the finger wheel a, Figs. 5 and 8.
The enumerator is connected to the bar B by the click arm Q, provided
with a slot into which the enumerating pin p is inserted. One pull of
the bar B moves the wheel a one-tenth of a revolution. b, b, are the
dials.
The holes in the walls of the office, Fig. 1, are to enable an officer
placed outside the compartment to see through a part of the voting.
compartment in order, where required, to detect voters while in secret
employing force to damage the recorder or the compartment.
-
;
Our plan for preventing personation at elections is as follows:-Any
person claiming to vote shall present himself to the officer in charge of
the entrance turnstile, to whom he shall give up his ticket of qualifica-
tion, having previously obtained such ticket from the authorised source,
and shall then and there sign his name in a book provided for the
purpose, in order that the admitting officer may compare the signature
with that which was made by the bona fide voter when application was
made to have his name placed on the registeration list of electors. Blind
voters and those unable to read shall be attended in every case by one
or two qualified voters, whose names will therefore be on the electors
registeration list, and can be used for comparison of signatures. These
attendants shall sign the book for the applying voter, and shall vouch
that he is the true person he represents himself to be before he shall be
passed through the turnstile to vote.
:

page_text: under supervision, seen through two holes shewn at "holes," Fig. 1,
without impairing the secrecy of his vote.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Samuel Harrison and
Charles Gottlieb Rotter, have hereunto set our hands and seals,
this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-two.
WILLIAM SAMUEL HARRISON. (L.S.)
CHARLES GOTTLIEB ROTTER.
(L.S.)