US153579A - Improvement in vote-counting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

B. F. LARSH.

Vote-Counting Apparatus. N0 153 579 Patentedluly 28,1874.

j 96H2 9721 Z 0 98: I lt 9 'HE GRAPHIC CO. PHDTG 'L|TH.39& 4l PARK PLACEJIX UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. LARSH, OF EATON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WIL- LIAMD. QUINN, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN VOTE-COUNTING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,579, dated July 2B, 1874; application tiled June 19, 1874.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. LARSH, of Eaton, Preble county, Ohio, have invented anew and useful Counting Apparatus, of which the following is a specication:

This invention relates to that class of counting apparatus which consists, essentially, of a series of rotating disks or wheels whose peripheries are numbered, so as to indicate any necessary combination of figures whenever said disks are properly manipulated by keys or other actuating' devices; and my improvement is designed to render such machines especially applicable for use when ballots are being counted.

For this purpose I provide an operating-key and a primary and secondary' disk for each and every candidate, which key and disks are so arranged, with respect to one another, as that, as each candidates name is called by the person engaged in counting the ballots, an attendant at the register, by depressing the appropriate key, may cause the primary disk to rotate and expose a new figure for every such depression. As soon as the primary disk has performed 011e complete revolution it then automatically rotates the secondary disk a single degree, and the combination thus eii'ected can be continued until all the ballots have been counted, and the last combination thus indicated will correspond with the number of Votes cast for each respective candidate. I also provide two or more independent switches, one for all the candidates of one of the parties, and the other switch or switches for all the candidates of the opposing party or parties, and whenever a clean or unscratched ticket is announced by the election clerk the attendant of the counting apparatus depresses the proper switch, so as to force down all the keys and to simultaneously rotate the disks belonging to the candidates whose party has just been called. p

Having tous brieily indicated the leading features of my invention, I will 110W proceed to give a detailed description of the same.

' In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a counting apparatus em`- bodying my improvements, one of the switches being shown in its normal or elevated position,

and the other switch represented as depressed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, from front to rear of the machine, in the plane of one of the primary disks. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the secondary disks in the act of being rotated by its primary, and Fig. 4 is a plan of a couple of detents and their accessories on an enlarged scale.

A represents an inclosingbox or housing, having a hinged lid, a, a convex portion, B, and a horizontal platform or table, O, the latter being notched or perforated at c to admit the stems D of the keys l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The lower ends of stems D are piv oted to the long arms of levers E, which latter are hinged, at f, to a partition, E, that extends longitudinally across the box beneath table C, while the short arms of said levers carry feedhands G, which are constantly pressed toward the shaft H by springs g. I are springs which instantly restore the keys 1 2 3, 8vo., to their normal or elevated position as soon as they are relieved from pressure. The shaft H, which is a fixed one, extends transversely across the box A, and has loosely journaled upon it ten primary disks, J, and the saine number of secondary disks, K. Each primary disk has secured to it an annulus, L, provided with ratchet-shaped teeth l, with which the feed-hand G of the appropriate key is adapted to engage. Projecting from the primary disk J toward its accompanying secondary, K, is a stud, j, which is adapted, at every complete revolution of said primary J, to engage with one of the teeth of a sprocketwheel, M, the latter bein g journaled to a bearing, m, near the upper and rear side ofthe box A. Secured to this bearing m are plates N, whose tongues u n serve, respectively, as pawls or detents for the sprocket-wheel M and secondary disks K, said secondaries being notched at k to receive the tongues n. The secondary disks are provided with pins O, which project toward the primary disks J, and said pins are arranged on a circle concentric with shaft H, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The pins O and studs j must be situated at different radial distances from shaft Hin order that neither ofthe devices O or j may come in contact with one another when the disks are rotated. The peripheries of all the disks are provided with numbers, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, and by referring to this illustration it will be seen that the primaries are numbered from one to ninety-nine, while the secondaries may have an equal or less series of numbers upon their peripheries. R and S are switches, which are, respectively, pivoted to the housing at r s, and which, the instant they are released, revert to their normal position. This retraction of the switches is effected by the agency of springs W, as shown at the left of Fig. 1. The switch R is long enough to rest upon the rst ive keys, l 2 3 4 5, while the other switch, S, is of the same length, so as to be capable of resting upon the five remaining keys, 6 7 8 9 10. This arran gement is based upon the supposition that the two opposing parties have each tive candidates in the field; but in case a greater number are running it will then be necessary to employ a larger apparatus, so as to afford a separate key for each candidate. T is a window in the portion B of the box for observing the combinations as rapidly as they are effected. U is a hook, and V a staple, for securing the lid a in its closed condition. A lock may, however, be substituted for these retaining devices.

My counting apparatus is manipulated in the following manner: The election being over, and the ballots about to be counted, some one is appointed to attend upon the register, and as soon as a candidates name is called the attendant immediately depresses the key corresponding with said candidates name, as shown at l in Figs. l and 2. The result of this action is to elevate the short arm of lever E, thereby causing the feed-hand G to rotate the primary disk J the distance of one of the ratchets I, after which the feed-hand, lever, and key are immediately restored to their original position by the stress of spring I. This partial rotation of disk J exposes the numeral l on its periphery, so as to be plainly seen through the window T, it being understood that all of the disks are rst set so as to bring' their zero marks opposite said window before the register is manipulated. As soon as another candidatels name is announced the attendant depresses a suitable key to indicate a ballot for him, and so on for every single name that is called; but for a clean or unscratched ticket the attendant has simply to depress the appropriate switch, R or S, thereby simultaneously operating all of the keys that represent the candidates of that party, as seen to the right of Fig. 1. This act will cause all of the appropriate primary and secondary disks to ro tate and allow their indications to be read off. As soon as the attendant removes his finger from the switch the conjoint stress of springs I and IV instantly restores said switch to its normal or erect position. After either of the primary disks J have made one entire revolu-v tion, thereby exposing the numerals 79 at the window, the stud j then engages with the sprocket M, which latter rotates far enough to cause one of its teeth to mesh with the pins O of the secondary disk K. This engagement ofthe sprocket with the pin O causes the secondary disk K to rotate a sufiicient distance to expose the numeral l, which, in connection with the two zeros on the primary that have now been brought into view, indicate that 011e hundred votes have been cast for the candidate. As soon as the votes have been all counted, the last combinations upon the disks will indicate the ballots that have been cast for all the candidates, respectively, and, by comparing said combinations with the tallysheets, it will be apparent at once if any mistakes have been made in the count.

In order to facilitate the manipulation of the keys, and to prevent the liability of operating the wrong one, said keys may have the candidates names written on them, or else their names may be written or printed on slips of paper and pasted on the table C, in line with the appropriate stems D. The switches It and S may also have the names of the opposing parties applied to them.

In the drawings, a single primary disk and a single secondary disk are shown as arranged for recording the votes for each candidate, and the four orders of numerals upon the peripheries of said disks will effect sufficient combination for use in villages, townships, and other precincts; but when employed for large cities a greater number of disks may be provided for each candidate.

The position of the window through which the various combinations are read is suggested in Fig. 4 by the dotted lines, and it will be seen, by referring to this illustration, that the two disks to the right indicate, collectively, 1,534 votes, while the disks to the left show that 4,300 ballots have been cast for the candidate represented by said disks.

I claim as my inventionl. In combination with the primary disks J j and secondary disks K k O of a counting apparatus, together with their described or equivalent operating devices, two or more independent switches, R S, for simultaneously operating a number of actuating-keys, in the manner herein described, and for the object stated.

2. In combination with the switches R S, the retracting-sprin gs W, for the object stated.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

BENJAMI)T F. LARSH.

Attest:

GEO. II. KNIGHT, O. P. CAYLOR.

Images