US472907A - Voting-booth - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. M. PATTON! VOTING BOOTH- No. 472,907. Patented ApxplZ, 1892.

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(No Model.) I 2Sheets-Sheet J. M. PATTON.

VOTING BOOTH. No. 472,907. Patented Apr. 12, 1892.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. PATTON, OF 'HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

VOTING-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.-472,907, dated April 12, 1892.

Application filed october 19, 1891- Serial 3N0. 409,133. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. PATTON, of Hannibal, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Voting-Booths, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The improvement relates to that class of booths which are adapted to be folded into a compact form. Considered generally, the improved construction comprises a back and two sides, said sides being hinged to said back and adapted to be opened out to form a three-sided closet-like structure suitable for isolating or screening the occupant while he prepares his vote, or to be closed so that the sides and back shall be parallel and quite close together to form a comparatively small, quite compact package, readily handledand stowed.

The improvement consists partly in the means whereby the folding is facilitated, partly in the means for securing the sides when opened and at the same time providing a desk for writing purposes, partly in the framing of the back and sides whereby lightness of structure is obtained and at the same time provision made for receiving the parts of the desk when not in use, partly in the means for hanging the curtain, and partly in minor details of construction, all substantially as hereinafter set forth and claimed, aided by the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a front sectional elevation of the improved booth opened, the parts being arranged as for use; Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the same, the section being taken above the desk; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, the desk and its support being folded into the planes, respectively, of the back and side; Fig. 4, a .front elevation of the booth as in use, the curtain being shown and partly drawn aside to exhibit the interior of the booth; Fig. 5, a plan of the booth opened as in use and showing the curtain-rod,.but not the curtain; Fig. 6, a view of the booth folded. The View may be considered either a side elevation or a plan of the package. Fig. 7 is an end View of the booth folded.

battens a serve to cover the edges of the canvas, The side B and the side Care constructed in an analogous manner, the side 13 consisting of the frame 1), the cross-bars b and b the canvas 19 and the battens b and the side 0 of the frame 0, the cross-bars c and 0 the canvas 0 and the battens a, substantially as shown. means of the hinges b to the inner side of the frame a of the side A, and so that said side can be folded against or substantially parallel with the inner side of the back A. The side 0, by means of the hinges 0 is hinged to a strip D, which in turn is fastened to the back A and projects frontward, substantially as shown, and sufficiently to provide room for the side B when folded, as described, against the back A, and to enable the side 0 when folded to inclose the side B,sub stantially as shown in Fig. 7. The side O'in width is preferably constructed so that its edge 0 when the booth is opened is even or thereabout with the edge 12 of the side B.

The side B is hinged bybe carried out with the canvas otherwise attached, it preferably is applied to the frames at b c at the outer side thereof, substantially as shown, partly to give a better appearance tothe structure, but more especially to provide spaces within the planes of the frames, respectively, for the reception of various parts of the desk, and as follows:

E represents a desk or table top suited for writing upon, which by means of the hinges e is attached to the cross-bar a of the back Aand adapted to be upturned into a horizontal or approximately horizontal position between the sides B and C and to be turned downward into the plane of the frame a, (said positions shown, respectively,.in Figs. 2 and 3,) and F F represent brackets attached, respectively, to the sides B and C and adapted .into the planes, respectively, of the frames (9 and when the booth is to be folded. The

two positions of the brackets are shown, re-

spectively, in Figs. 1 and 3. The bracket F is provided with journals f f, which engage, respectively, in the cross-bars b and?) of the side 15, and the bracket F is similarly provided with journals f f, which engage in the cross-bars c and c of the side 0. The brackets are respectively providedwith studs f f which, when the desk is raised and the brackets are in position to meet it, engage in perforations e e in the desk, substantially as shown in Fig. 1. By this means the desk is not only secured in position for use, but provision made for tying and bracing the sides B and C securelyin position, so that the booth shall retain its form in use, for the desk and brackets,when united in the manner described or in any other analogous manner, becomein effect a tie or brace for holding the sides B and C so that they shall not turn upon their points of connection with the back A.

In some States a voting-booth must be capable of being inclosed on all four sides To meet this requirement the present booth is provided with a curtain G. It is by means of the rings g, hung upon a rod H, which in turn is supported upon the sides B and O. The curtain can be drawn across the opening between the'sides to entirely inclose the voter in the booth. v The curtain-rod also serves as a tie for connecting the sides B and Gwhen the booth is being used. The rod is also preferably connected with one of the sides, so that it cannot become detached therefrom, and hence provision is made for disposing of the rod when the booth is folded, as follows: The rod is jointed to the side B at the outer edge thereof by means of a screw-eye h, which is inserted in the side B, and at the other end thereof the rod is provided with an eye h, which when the booth is opened can be made to engage with a hook k attached to the side 0. When the booth is folded, the rod is disengaged from the hook k and is turned around and made to engage with a hook h attached to the side B at the inner edge thereof. The two positions of the rod are shown, respectively, by the full lines in Figs. 4 and 5, and by the full lines in Fig. 6, and the broken lines in Fig. '7. As the side B is in width narrower than is the openingbetween the sides B and 0 when the booth is unfolded,the rod is necessarily somewhat longer than the width of the side B, and to provide for compactly stowing the rod when the booth is folded the rod is connected with the screw-eye h by means of the slot or elongated opening 11 substantially as shown, whereby the rod when the booth is folded can be slipped upon the screw-eye h to lap upon the strip D, substantially as shown in Figs. 6. and 7.

I claim v 1. Afolding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, the two sides, the desk, and the brackets, said back and sides each consisting of a frame and a canvas or other covering applied to the outside of said frame, said desk being adapted to be closed into the plane of the back frame and said bracket-s being adapted to be closed into the planes of the side frames, respectively, substantially as described.

2. A folding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, two sides, the desk, and the brackets, said sides being hinged to said back,

said desk being adjustable to be upturned, as described, said brackets being adapted to be swung into position to support said desk and said desk and said bracket being adapted when opened out to be interlocked to form a brace for holding said sides in position when the booth is unfolded, substantially as described. g

3. A folding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, the hinged sides, the curtainrod, and the curtain, one of said sides being furnished with the eye and hook, the other of said sides being furnished with the hook, and said rod having the elongated opening and the eye, substantially as described.

4.. A folding voting-booth having, in combination, the back, the two sides, the desk, and

the brackets, said back and sides each con- .sisting of a frame, cross-bars, and a canvas or other covering applied to the outer side of said frame, said deskbeing hinged to the upper cross-bar of said back and adapted to be raised into a position for use or to be closed into the plane of the frame of the back and said brackets being respectively journaled in the cross-bars of said sides and adapted to be swung horizontally into position to support said desk or to be closed into the planes of the side frames, respectively, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 15th day of October, 1891.

JOHN M. PATTON.

W'itnesses: V p

E. D. BREWINGTON, WILLIAM WALTERS.

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