US1984185A - Voting machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1934. A. N. GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1951 gmknbc FIE! H H m whim v .l H 5 U G m V L A Patented Dec. 11, 1934 VOTING MACHINE Alvin N. Gustavson, Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, a

corporation of Delaware ApplicationApril 23, 1931, Serial No. 532,154

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in voting machines of the type in which votes are cast by the manipulation of indicators and more particularly toa means for controlling the operation of certain of the indicators during an election.

The preferred embodiment of this invention :discloses means in a voting machine for connecting or disconnecting at will the indicators or pointers from a party row lever to permit the casting .of .a ballot in accordance with the voting laws of all localities.

At general elections in localities where straight party voting is permitted a party lever is provided, the manipulation of which simultaneously casts a ballot for every candidate of the party. It not infrequently occurs that certain non-partisan candidates are up for election, that is, candidates who are not specifically affiliated with any of the parties and for whom a vote, independent of the party vote, must be cast. It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention to provide means for connecting or disconnecting any or all indicators from the party row lever to permit non-partisan voting.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which, when certain indicators which do not represent candidates or questions, may be concealed and prevented from manipulation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means, in a voting machine, for preventing the registering of all indicators which do not represent candidates or questions.

Other and further objects of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following specification which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a voting machine, showing the question indicators, the candidate indicators and party levers;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an indicator at the extreme right of a party row;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view from the front of the machine, showing the relative positions of the elements of this invention; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view, showing how some of the essential elements of this invention are assembled.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 1, the voting machine, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, is represented. The face of the machine as shown is comprised of a keyboard 12 on which is mounted a row of question indicators 13 and two rows of candidate indicators 14.

Party levers 16 are mounted on the keyboard 12 by brackets 17 which are located at the extreme left of each row of indicators 14. A vertical rod 18, which is mounted on the brackets 17. serves as a pivot for all of levers 16.

the party slightly below each row of candidate indicators 14. Interposed between each pair of bars 19 and movable relative thereto, is an intermediate bar 21. This intermediate bar is provided with lugs 22, the purpose of which will later be set forth.

The indicators 14 project through and to the rear of the keyboard 12 to which they are pivotally secured by means of lock nuts 23.

Integral with, and extending radially from the axis of each indicator, is a short lever 24 which projects into the space between parallel bars 19.

The lever 24 lies substantially in the same plane with the bar 21 and between a pair of lugs 22.

Close to the upper edge of the bars 19 and co-axially located are small openings 26. Each bar 19 contains the same number of openings as there are candidate indicators in the row. The co-axial openings 26 are adapted to engage and support pins 27. It will be noted from Figure 2 of the drawing, that the pin 27 lies to the right of the lever 24 and the lug 22 on the bar 21 lies just to the left of said lever. Indicators 14 may now be moved into voting position by causing the bars 19 to move toward the left which brings the pin 27 into engagement with the lever 24. The levers 24 may be disengaged from the bar 19 by removing pins 27. The heads 28 of the pins 27 lie in slots 29 which are cut in the keyboard 12. These slots permit longitudinal movement of the pins relative to the keyboard.

Mounted on the keyboard 12 and movable relative thereto is a retaining strip 31 which serves to hold the pins 27 in place. Openings 32, in said board 12 and covering the strip 31 at e channel shaped ballot label holders 33, the side walls of which terminate in inturned flanges 34. These holders support slidable ballot locking strips 36,

fixed holding strips 3'7 and ballot strips 38. Coaxial openings 39 and 41 in the holding strips 37 and holders 33 provide a means for access to the pins from the exterior.

obtaining Further openings 42 in the locking strip 36 may be made to align co-axially with the other openings 39 and 41 by sliding said strip to the right, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. A small knob 43, which is secured to the retaining strip 31, projects through a slot 44 in the locking strip 36. Through this knob it is possible to move the retaining strip 31 so that the opening 32 therein will lie on the same axis with openings 26, 39, 41 and 42.

When it is found advisable to block out certain indicators in a party row, the pins 27 which are nearest'these indicators are removed and locking clips 46 placed over said indicators. prevent the voter from manipulating the unused indicators.

When the party lever 16 is moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 1, the bars 19 move to the left. Pins 27 engage levers 24 and cause indicators 14 to move to the dotted line position shown in the same figure. The levers 24 rotate clockwise about the axis of the indicators until the extreme left position of the bar 19 has been reached.

Although applicant has shown and described but one modification of his invention, he does not intend to be limited thereto since it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I These clips claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a voting machine having a face plate, a row of candidate indicators on the face plate, a party lever, bars adjacent the rear of the face plate of said machine connected with said party lever, a pin projecting through suitable openings in said bars to operate an indicator, said face plate having a slot for receiving thehead of said pin, and permitting normal movement of said bars by manipulation of said party lever, a strip on said face plate, said strip having an opening and being movable to two positions, in one of which said opening registers with said slot to permit removal of said pin from said bars and in the second position said opening is out of registry with said slot, said pin being then retained in operative position by said strip.

2. In a voting machine having a face plate, a row of candidate indicators on said face plate, a party lever, bars adjacent the rear of the. face plate connected with said party lever, a pin supported solely by said bars to operate an indicator, said face plate having a slot for receiving the head of said pin and permitting normal movement of said pin with said bars by manipulation of said party lever, said head. being flush with said face plate, a strip on said face plate, said strip serving to retain said pin in operative position in said bars.

ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

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