US2180448A - Amusement device - Google Patents

Description

V-21, 1939- F. w. WILLIAMS 2,180,448

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Original File ad Feb. 15, 1954 3Shets-Sheet 1 lryvexyfor FLWJIiIHams 1 I l Ml,

Nov. 21, 1939- F. w. WILLIAMS AMUSEMENT DEVI CE Original Filed Feb. 15, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2- llyvelyfor F. WWilliams Nov. 21, 1939. F. w. WILLIAMS AMUSEMENT DEVICE Original Fiied Feb. 1.5, 1934 s Sheets-Sheet 3 llyv'eryfor F. W. Williams Patented Nov. 21, 1939 PATIENT OFFICE AMUSEMENT DEVICE Frederick'W. Williams, Heading 1y, Manitoba, Canada I Application February 15, 1934, Serial No. 711,405 Renewed June 1, 1937 22 Claims. (Cl. 273-86) The invention relates to improvements in amusement devices and an object of the invention is to provide an amusement device simulating a race track which has a number of toy horses mounted thereon for racing purposes and has an arrangement provided whereby the racing movement of any particular horse on the track is controlled electrically and by a player, it being understood that there is a player to control each racing horse.

A further object of the invention is to associate with each horse a carriage, normally during the race, electrically drivenat a predetermined speed and to provide electrical means which will permit of the speeding up of the horse by a player provided the player can make quickly a series 'of electrical connections by the manipulation of a control lever or the like-supplied.

A further object is to make it diflicult for the player to find the live contact points which will result in the speeding up of his horse during the race.

A still further object is to provide a construction which makes it easy for the operator of the 5 amusement device to vary the times at which the contact points mentioned are alive and also to vary the rotation in which they become alive.

A further object is to provide a race course 0 around which the horses have to travel in fixed electrical apparatus normally driving the horses so that all horses irrespective of their position on the track will complete a circuit around the track in the same time, such insuring that'a horses particular position on the track is of no advantage in the winning of the race which latter is entirely dependent on the manipulation of the control lever.

A still further object is to provide a motor driven carriage for each horse and to utilize the motor also to sway the horse, the swaying movement and pivoted horse legs provided simulating a galloping action.

45 A still further object is to provide electric means for positively indicating the first three winners of a race and also to provide means for automatically cutting off the current to the motors as soon as the first three horses have com- 50 pleted the course.

A still further object is to provide a combination stop and starting bar which can be actuated by the attendant or operator to simultaneously start the horses and which automatically 55 returns to its original position to line up the paths positioned side by side and to arrange the horses and hold them at the starting point of another race.

A further and more detailed object is to provide each carriage with a striking pin adapted to engage the last. mentioned bar and controlling 5 also the lamp illuminating mechanism provided the horse of that carriage comes in in first, sec- 0nd or third position at the finish of the race.

. A further object is to construct certain trip parts so that they can all be easily simultaneousl0 1y reset by the attendant.

With the above more important and other minor objects in view which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and con- 15 struction of parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of the race track.

2 is an enlarged detailed side view of a 20 horse with rider and the motor carriage with associated parts Fig. 3 is a' horizontal sectional view at 33 Figure 2.- r

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view at 44 Figure l and looking to the right.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view at 55 Figure 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the carriage bracket.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of part of the mechanism used for indicating the winners of the race and also showing the combination stop and starting bar and resetting device. v

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional View at 8 8 Figure 7.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view at 99 Figure 7.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view at Ill-l0 Figure 1.

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view at lI-I| Figure 10.

I Fig. 12 is a horizontal sectional View through the sliding contact tip utilized and parts immediately associated therewith.

' Fig; 13 is a perspective view showing the wiring diagram.

-In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several fig- 5 ures'.

The race track I is herein shown as oval shaped butany other desired shape could be used and the track is bordered at the inner and outer sides with upstanding fences 2 and 3. The track can be of any width and length desired but I have herein shown the track designed to accommodate t'en toy horses or ponies, each of which has its own course around the track.

For this purpose, there are ten separate similar spaced slots 4 formed in the track or course I and obviously, the outer slot will be the longest and the inner one the shortest and for this reason, the horse at the inner side of the track travels the shortest distance in a race and the horse at the outer side of the track, the longest distance and those in between a variable distance depending on the position of the slots.

The track or course is supported by a number of vertical equi-spaced partitions 5 from an underlying platform 6 and the platform is suitably supported in an elevated position from the flat base I which may be made from wood boards or the like. In each of the continuous oval shaped compartments 8 appearing between the partitions 5, I have located a carriage indicated generally by the reference numeral 9 and here it will be observed that there is one of the continuous slots 4% opening through the track centrally to the top of each compartment and that directly underlying the slot 4 and in the bottom of the compartment, there is a continuous slot II) in the platform for a purpose later disclosed.

The carriages which operate in the several compartments are all identically constructed as are also the horses associated with the carriages and for this reason the description of one horse and carriage for the same, will suffice.

A small motor ll of any approved type is supplied and this motor has attached to the ends thereof spiders I2 and I3 which rotatably support the motor shaft M. The front spider 13 has a transversely extending insulating axle l5 pivotally attached thereto by a bolt I5 and the ends of the axle carry screws forming spindles l6 and I6 and on the spindles, I mount current collecting wheels I! and II which are connected by lead wires l8 and I8 to the motor, the arrangement being such that the wheels I! and I1 actually form the terminals of the motor.

To the front spider, I connect permanently a two-armed horizontal lying bracket l9 which provides bearings for a cross shaft 2!! and a counter shaft 2| and to the ends of the crossshaft 28, I connect by suitable nuts driving wheels 22 and 22' of insulating material and each peripherally channeled. On the shaft 20, I mount rotatably a sleeve 23 and to the sleeve, I secure permanently a driving gear 24 which is continuously in mesh with a pinion 24 secured to the adjacent end of the motor shaft, the arrangement being such that the motor shaft drives the sleeve 23.

To the inner side of the gear 24 and on the sleeve, I mount a pinion 25 which is continuously in mesh with a driving gear 25 secured to the counter shaft. On the sleeve 23 I also mount a cam 26 which rotates therewith and is utilized to give a galloping motion to the mechanical horse used. To the counter shaft, I secure permanently a pinion 2'! which meshes continuously with a gear wheel 27' suitably secured tothe wheel 22.

According to the above arrangement, the driven motor shaft drives the wheel 22 through the connections provided and at the same time rotates the cam. i

The wheels I1 and i1, 22. and 22 support the parts above described and the motor carriage as a whole is mounted in each instance on a pair of continuous spaced track rails 28 and 28 carried by the platform and located in the bottom of each compartment, the arrangement being such that each motor carriage can travel continuously around the pair of tracks in the compartment in which it is confined.

The bracket l9 in each instance is so constructed that it provides an underlying centrally disposed arm 29 to which I have pivotally connected at 30' the lower end of an upstanding sway bar 30 which has the upper end thereof permanently fastened to the body of the toy horse indicated generally by the reference character 3|. The lower part of the sway bar is provided with a roller 32 which is held continuously in riding contact with the face of the cam 26 by the action of a coiled spring 33 extending between the sway bar and the extending end of the arm 29. When the cam has its major axis vertical as shown in Figure 5, the sway bar 30 is vertical.

The horse carries a rider 34 and is given an identifying number indicated at A and has the front and rear legs 35 thereof pivotally attached to the body as indicated at 36 for forward and rear swinging movement. The horses and jockeys can be painted in fanciful colors and in this way be made most attractive. To the under side of the carriage, I secure a downwardly extending spindle 31' which is fitted at its lower end with a roller 31 and it will be observed that the spindle extends freely through the slot ll] hereinbefore mentioned.

The race track has as is usual, a location where the race is started and at this point, I locate on the inner side of the track a miniature judges stand 38 and directly opposite this at the outer side of the track, a starting post 39. When the race is to be started, the horses or ponies are all lined up side by side directly between the judges stand and the starting post, this being done by electrical means later described until therollers 31 of the carriages engage an elevated combination stop and starting bar 40 crossing the track and underlying the platform, the stop bar having the ends thereof slidably fastened to similar end standards M- secured to the base board 1.

I have shown the standards as vertically slotred at 4! and receiving slidably attaching bolts 40' secured to the ends of the bar 40. The bases of the opposing standards support rotatably a starting shaft 32 which is provided at the front end or outer side of the track with a weighted hand crank 42' cranks 43 which are connected by a link or wire 43' to the ends of the starting bar. The weight of the hand crank 42' is relied upon to hold the bar 40 in an elevated position but obviously one can lower the bar by swinging the hand crank upwardly. The stop bar in its up position accordingly lines up the horses prior to the start of the race and when drawn down liberates all the horses to simultaneously start the race.

At this point it will be observed that if the track rails are all supplied with current, the motors will be all rotated and consequently the carriages will be driven on the tracks and the horses will all have a galloping movement due to the swaying of the bars 30 and the pivoting of the legs and further, if the carriages be restrained by contact of the rollers 31 with the stop bar, the instant the stop bar is released, the horses will be away.

In this device, there is a person or player and carries also similar end cut out switch is located in the wire 45', the de-' controlling the racing or movement'of a selected horse and the race is made competitive by the player manipulating a control lever to vary the speed of travel'of his horse and this is brought about electrically by varying through the manipulation of the control lever, the resistance to the circuit flowing to the motor of the horse controlled by that particular control lever.

In the device herein shown, there are ten horses and ten control levers for the players and each control lever controls the shunt circuit across the primary circuit leading to the motor of the carriage of his particular horse and I might here explain-that as the distance which the several horses have to travel on the track is variable due to their position on the track, I have introduced a resistance in each primary circuit of such amount that unless otherwise varied, all horses if started together will travel around the track and finish side by side or even.

Any variation in the speed of travel of any horse is brought about by manipulating the control lever for that horse to shunt a lesser or second resistance across the fixed resistance of the circuit and obviously this will cause a heavier current to flow in the circuit which will result in a higher speed of the motor of that circuit and a faster travel of the horse associated therewith. These second resistances are all chosen so that if current were-flowing through them all, the ten horses if started evenly would go around the track and finish side by side.

In order to make it diificult for any player to speed his horse up, I have provided a number of contacts over which the control lever in each instance sweeps and have arranged the electrical connections so that at any given time any one of these contacts may be in circuit and the remainder out of circuit and that during the time it takes a horse to go around the track, each of the contacts may be alive a selected number of times.

By this latter arrangement, it is difficult for the player to find the contact which momentarily is alive and if he does not find this at the time the said contact is alive, his horse will not speed up. In other words, a player who most quickly finds the live contacts by manipulating the control lever will win the race.

I have also provided means for positively indicating the first three winning horses, this being done electrically, there being an electric circuit provided and arranged so that it is closed by each horse as he reaches approximately the finishing line and the circuit contains an electric lamp which positively indicates the number of the horse.

Reverting now to Figure 13, it will be seen that there is a source of electro-motive force such as a battery 44, one of the terminals of which is connected electrically by a wire 45 to say all the left hand rails 28 while the other of the terminals has a wire 46 leading therefrom which is connected by similar branch wires 4! to the respective right hand rails 28'. A resistance 48 is inserted in each of the branch wires 4? and these resistances are selected as. hereinbefore explained so that the currentpermitted to flow through the several primary circuits and to the motors of the carriages, will operate the motors so that unless otherwise altered, all horses if started together would go around the track and finish together. A main or control switch 49 is placed in the wire 46 to. control the several motor circuits and a tails of which will be later explained.

At the front side of the track, I locate a counter 50 for the players and between this counter and the front side of the race course as a whole, I reserve a passageway 5| for an attendant. On the counter, I have located a plurality of similar pivoted controlling levers 52, there being a con trollever for 'each horse or pony operating on the track so that with the device as shown, ten players can play the machine, each player manipulating a selected control lever.

Each control lever is adapted in its pivotal movement to sweep over and make contact with any one of a plurality of similar contact pins 53 and in the present instance, I have shown five contact pins associated with each lever (see Figure 1). Reverting now to Figure 13, it will be observed that the pivotal point of each control leveris connected electrically by a wire 54 to one of the wires 41 and that in each of these wires 54,1 have inserteda resistance 55. The resistance 55 in each instance is less than the resistance 48 already mentioned.

In a suitable location, I locate a number of similar insulated contact blocks 56, five being herein shown and to each of these several contacts, I connect separate wires 51, 58, 59, 60 and (ii. The wire 51 is connected to say the first of each series of contact pins 53, the wire 58 is connected to .say the third of each series of contact pins 53 and the wires 59, 60 and GI in like manner are connected respectively to the fifth, fourth and second contact pins of the series. A small electric motor 62 is provided which has the terminals thereof connected with the terminals of the battery and the circuit thereof controlled by the switch 49 and this motor is utilized to drive in any suitable way a cam 63 of insulating material which is engaged bya roller 54 at one end of a suitably guided and slidable shifting bar 55 which is spring pressed towards the cam.

The other end of the bar is provided with a contact tip 66 which in the end, shifting movement of the bar under the influence of the cam, is adapted to successively sweep over the aligned contact blocks 56. A branch wire 61 connects the bar 65 with the wire 46 and in this connection, it Will be understood that the bar forms an electrical connection between the wire 61 and the tip 66.

. According to the above description, it will be seen that if the switch 49 be closed and the other switch in the wire 45 be closed and none of the control levers be in contact with any of the pins 53, then all the horses will be travelling on the tracks and will'complete one revolution in the same time and here it will be kept in mind that the current is flowing at such time through the primary circuitscontaining the selected resistances 48. Should, however, any player manipulate his control lever to contact with the particular pin 53 which is alive due to the fact that the tip 66 is at that time contacting with the block electrically connected with the contact pin engaged by the control lever, then the particular horse controlled by that player will speed up as the resistance 55 in the then secondary or shunt circuit is less than the resistance 48 in the primary circuit.

As the contact tip 66 is moving at all times, it will be obviously quite diificult for a player to find what might be termed the live contact pin 53 .and as all the players operating the control levers are encountering the same difficulty, the

race will not only be highly amusing and exciting for the players but also quite realistic as far as the movement of the various horses is concerned.

I might here mention that naturally the race will be started by having all horses brought up side by side with the rollers 31 engaging the bar 40 and at this time, the curent can be on and all motors ll operating. When ready to start the race, the operator actuates the crank 42 to drop the bar 40 and simultaneously clear all rollers 31. When the horses are at the bar 40 and the motors I I are running, the sway bars 30 are all swinging so that the horses at the time of starting will ap- 7 pear to be quite restive and anxious to get away.

I might here point out that the operator of the race track can change from time to time, if .he so desires, the connections between the wires 51, 58, 59, 60 and BI and the contact blocks 56 and this will make it most difficult for a player playing from time to time getting wise to the particular contact pins with which the control lever should be engaged in order to continuously speed up his particular horse.

While I have shown in the drawings, definite connections between the contact blocks and the contact pins, any arrangement of wiring could here be used and accordingly the operator can make it very difiicult for any player even with considerable experience to always win.

In order that there may be no dispute as to what horses win first, second and third position in a race, I have supplied electric lamps which will be illuminated by the winning horses and will positively indicate the numbers of the first three horses finishing in the race.

In a conspicuous place so that it can be clearly seen by both the operator and the players, I have located a lamp board 68 which in the present instance, will have three vertical rows of lamps with ten lamps in a row. Those lamps in the first row or to the left indicate the winner of the race, those in the second row indicate the second position in the race and those in the third row indicate the third position in the race.

In Figure 13, I have shown diagrammatically at 69 and it the positive and negative terminals of the several lamps. A wire H connects with the wire 45 and has three branch wires 12 leading therefrom which connect electrically with the negative terminals of the lamps in the several rows. On the base board I, in a location immediately adjoining the bar 40, I locate two similar opposing bearings 13 which support rotatably end spindles M extending outwardly from the ends of a tubular shaft M. A coiled spring 15 is mounted on one end of the shaft and has one end fastened to the shaft and the other end fastened to the base board I and this spring is designed to resist a rotary movement of the shaft in a clockwise direction.

The shaft carries in selected locations a number of sets of stop pins 16, there being four radially disposed pins in each set as shown best in Figure 7. There is a set of pins for each horse on the track and directly opposite each set of pins at the side remote from the bar 40, I mount permanently a guide member 17 which slidably supports a striker 18, the striker having the end towards the pins longitudinally slotted as indicated at 18' and being supplied at the inner end of the slot with an upstanding lug 18 A lug I9 is permanently secured to the guide member and the said lugs carry aligning pins upon which a coiled spring 80 is mounted, the spring operating at all times to spread the lugs.

The guide member is supplied in each instance with a laterally extending curved supporting arm 8| which supports pivotally a trip or dog 8|. One end of the dog is adapted to pass through a suitable slot provided in the side of the guide member and engage with a notch 82 provided in the side of the striker. A spring 83 normally forces the dog into the notch. The end of the dog remote from the notch extends into the path of travel of the roller 31 so that as the horse approaches the finishing point, the roller will trip the dog and release the striker which will then fly ahead and hit the pin I6 which happens at that time tobe in its path of travel. Here it will be observed that if the striker should hit the uppermost pin, then the slot 18 will accommodate the other pins when they swing up.

Reverting now to Figure 13, it will be seen that the stop pins 16 are electrically connected to the positive terminals of the electric lamps, the upper, intermediate and lower stop pins of say the first set or that towards the observer being connected by an electric wire 84 to the negative terminal of the lowermost lamp in the first vertical row of lamps, the intermediate stop pin being connected by a wire 85 to the negative column of lamps and the lowermost stop pin being connected by a wire 86 to the lowermost negative terminal of the third vertical column of lamps. Similar wires as shown connect the other several sets of stop pins with the other negative terminals of the lamps.

A wire 81 is tapped off the wire 46 and connects electrically with the several guide members l1 and accordingly the instant the striker 18 engages one or other of the pins 16, an electric circuit is closed through a particular lamp. The arrangement of the wiring for the lamps is such that should say that horse at the outer side of the course win the race, then the lowermost lamp in the first vertical column of lamps will be illuminated and the same is true if any other horse wins the race, that is to say, the lamp in the first vertical column will be illuminated which corresponds to the winning horse.

It will be observed that after one horse has won the race, the tubular shaft will have been rotated a partial revolution by the striker 18 having struck the uppermost of the pins 16, it being here understood that the spring 80 is momentarily stronger than the spring 15. When the next or second horse reaches the finishing line, the striker actuated by that second horse will strike the intermediate pin then aligned with such striker and will cause a further rotation of the shaft M which will illuminate the proper lamp to indicate that that particular horse is second in the race.

Similarly the striker released by the third winning horse as it approaches the starting line, will strike the lowermost pin of the set aligned with such striker and by contact therewith will illuminate a particular lamp indicating that that particular horse took third place in the race.

In order that the horses may be automatically stopped after the first three winners have been indicated, I have designed the switch hereinbefore mentioned in the wire 45 so that it will automatically open immediately after the third horse has come in. The switch is best shown in Figure 7 where it will be observed that the wire 45 is connected to a short bar 88 (see also Figure 13), permanently secured to the end of the shaft 14 and adapted to contact with a spring arm 89 suitably secured to the bearing 13 and suitably insulated therefrom. Actually, this switch controls the circuit through the wire leading to the several track rails 28. By arranging the bar 88 in respect to the spring arm .such that the bar will clear oif the upper end ter which, due to their momentum, travel as.

far as the bar after the switch in the wire 45 has been opened.

In order to simultaneously reset all the strikers 18 after the finish of the race, I have provided a cross shaft 99 rotatably mounted in suitable end bearings 9| carried by the base board 1. The shaft is supplied at the forward end with a Weighted crank 92 and carriesa plurality of similar resetting arms 93 permanently fastened thereto and arranged to swing upwardly through the slots 18' in the turning of said shaft and engage the lugs 78 and in the continued turning of the shaft to force the strikers back until they are caught by the dogs.

As soon as the strikers are cleared from the pins 16, the spring resets the shaft 14 and this causes the contacting of the members 88 and 89 and the electrification of the track rails so that all the remaining horses will then move up to the bar 40 to take a position for starting a further race. During this resetting of the nonwinning horses, the operator will hold the crank 92 so that as the horses pass and trip the dogs, the strikers will not be operated. Obviously the instant the horses pass the dogs, the dogs will lock the strikers so that when all horses have finally passed the dogs, the crank 92 can be released and the strikers will remain in their locked position.

In order to insure that there will'be no. lamp or lamps illuminated after the third winning horse has reached the finishing line, I have supplied the shaft M with a set of guard pins 94, one at the lower end of each row of pins 16 and according to this arrangement, when any striker 18 is actuated after the first three horses have finished the race, that striker will engage the guard'pin opposing it and as such guard pin is not electrically connected with the lamp board 68, there will be no other lamp illuminated.

While for the purpose of this description, I

have shown the contact pins 53 positioned so that they could be all readily connected by'a player by using a contact plate which he might carry, any such possibility can be obviously avoided by locating such contact pins so that a player cannot molest them in any way to his advantage. While I have shown and described horses as carried by the swaying'arms, it will be understood that any other animal or device could be substituted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In anamusementrace course, a plurality of tracks positioned side by side and encircling the course, a racing carriage mounted on each track and meansfor propelling said racing carriages,primary electric circuits connected through said tracks with said propelling means, each primary circuit containing a resistance selected to compensate for the variation in the distances required to be travelled by the carriage in encircling the course, a secondarycircuit for each carriage and connected with said means for .propelling said-racing carriages through the track rails, a second selected resistance introduced in each secondary circuit, the second resistance being in each case less than the resistance in the primary circuit, a multi-contact player controlled electric switch in each secondary circuit and means for intermittently making or breaking during the race any switch contact connection in said multi-contact player-controlled switch of any secondary circuit and a releasable stop meansassociated with the track at the start and finishing point of the race and engageable with the carriages to align the same across the course at the start of the race. I

2. In an amusement race course, a plurality of pairs of track rails positioned side by side and encircling the course, a racing carriage mounted on each pair of rails and provided with an electric driving motor, primary circuit containing a resistance selected to compensate for the variation in the distances required to be travelled by the carriage in travelling the course, a, secondary circuit for each motor and connected with the motor terminals through the track rails, a second selected resistance introduced in each secondary circuit, the second resistance being in each case less than the resistance in theprimary circuit, a multi-contact player controlled electric switch in each secondary circuit, means beyond control by any player for intermittently making or breaking during the race any switch contact connection in said multicontact player-controlled switch of any secondary circuit-a releasable stop bar crossing the track at the start and finishing point of the race and engageable with the carriages to align the same across the course at thestart of the race and means actuated by the moving carriages for positively visibly indicating the first three winners of the race. 3. In an amusement race course wherein a plurality of competing driven racing carriages move along the course in fixed parallel paths and the race is finished at a selected finishing line crossing the course, means for visibly and positively indicating the first three carriages reaching the finishing line, said means being selectively actuated by the moving carriages as they successively reach the finishing line.

i. In an amusement race course wherein a plurality of competing driven racing carriages move along the course in fixed parallel paths and thefrace is finished at a selected finishing line crossing the course, means for visibly and positively indicating the first three carriages reaching the finishing line, said means being selectively actuated by the moving carriages as they successively reach the finishing line and means for automatically stopping the driving of all carriages immediately subsequent to the said three carriages crossing the line.

'5. In an amusement race course wherein a plurality of competing driven racing carriages move along the course in fixed parallel paths and the race is finished at a selected finishing line crossing the course, visibleelectric signalling means associated with the course and adapted to positively identify the first three carriages finishing the race, said signalling means being actuated by the said three carriages and means for automatically stopping the driving of all carriages immediately subsequent to the crossing of the line of the third carriage.

6. In an amusement race course wherein a plurality of competing driven racing carriages move along the course in fixed parallel paths and the race is finished at a selected finishing line crossing the course, an electric lamp board having a group of three lamps for each carriage on the course, the lamps in each group when illuminated indicating respectively first, second and third winning positions in the race, means actuated by the first three carriages finishing the race and adapted to illuminate selected lamps to indicate their respective winning positions I in the race and means for automatically stopping the driving of all carriages immediately subsequent to the said three carriages crossing the finishing line.

'7. In an amusement race course wherein a plurality of competing driven racing carriages move along the course in fixed parallel paths and the race is finished at a selected finishing line crossing the course, an electric lamp board having a group of three lamps for each carriage on the course, the lamps in each group when illuminated indicating respectively first, second and third winning positions in the race, means actuated by the first three carriages finishing the race and adapted to illuminate selected lamps to indicate their respective winning positions in the race, means for automatically stopping the driving of all carriages immediately subsequent to the said three carriages crossing the finishing line and means for automatically maintaining all lamps extinguished after the said three carriages have reached the finishing line.

8. In an amusement race course, a plurality of tracks positioned side by side and encircling the course, a racing carriage mounted on each track, electrically operable means for propelling each carriage, a primary electric circuit connected in parallel branches through each track with said propelling means, a resistance in each primary circuit branch to compensate for the variation in the distances required to be traveled by the carriages in encircling the course, a secondary circuit connected in parallel branches with said primary circuit branches, a multicontact electric switch in each said secondary circuit branch positively and selectively operable by the player to complete a circuit through any one of the multiple contacts, and means beyond control of any player and operating independently of the player controlled switch for periodically and successively during the race making and breaking the secondary circuit between each of the contacts in said multi-contact player-controlled switches and the electrically operated propelling means.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8 in which a second resistance is introduced in each secondary circuit.

10. In an amusement race course, a plurality of tracks positioned side by side and encircling the course, a racing carriage mounted on each track, electrical propelling means on each said racing carriage, a primary electric circuit connected through each track with said propelling means, a secondary circuit shunting said primary circuit, a multi-contact player-controlled selectively operable electric switch in said secondary circuit, a motor circuit connected with said primary circuit and said secondary circuit, a current changing circuit connected with said primary circuit and said motor circuit, a plurality of terminals in said current changing circuit, a lead extending from each of said terminals to one of the contacts in said multicontact player-controlled electric switch and means in said switch current changing circuit for intermittently making or breaking contact during the race with any of the terminals in said switch current changing circuit.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 which includes a resistance in said primary circuit.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10 which includes a resistance in said primary circuit and said secondary circuits.

13. In an amusement race course, a plurality of tracks positioned side by side and encircling the course, an electrically propelled racing carriage on each track, a primary playing circuit connected in parallel branch circuits through each track to said carriages for causing all said carriages to move around said course in the same time, a secondary accelerator circuit of greater current strength than the primary playing circuit and connected in parallel branch circuits through each track to said carriages, a multi-contact player controlled switch selectively operable in each accelerator circuit for closing its circuit to move its respective carriage at full speed, and means beyond player control for continuously shifting the energization of all said switch contacts during play.

14. In an amusement race course, a track encircling the course, an electrically propelled racing carriage thereon, a primary playing circuit of fixed strength connected through said track tothe carriage, a secondary accelerator circuit of greater strength than the primary circuit and shunting the same to said track and carriage, a multi-contact player controlled selectively operable switch in the secondary acceleratcr circuit, and means beyond player control for intermittently energizing the individual contacts of said switch in a predetermined successicn during play.

15. A racing game apparatus comprising a body portion having a plurality of separate raceways therein, a racing object on each raceway, an independent driving device for each object, an independent controlling device for each object to regulate the speed of travel thereof, and means connected to each of the regulating devices for varying the effective adjustments of all of the regulating devices at one time.

' 16. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; individual motors for actuating the racing objects over the course; a primary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined speed; a secondary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined higher speed; a player controlled electric switch having a movable contact and a plurality of fixed contacts arranged in parallel in one of the circuits of each motor; and means beyond the control of any player for intermittently and simultaneously making and breaking the circuit through corresponding fixed contacts of all of the switches.

1'7. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; individual electric motors for actuating the racing objects over the course; a plurality of circuits for each motor; a different resistance for each circuit such that when each motor is operating in a corresponding circuit all of the racing objects will operate at a predetermined speed, such speed being different for each group of circuits; player operated switches, one for each motor, each switch being in the Qal circuit having the least resistance and operable to make and break such circuit to vary the speed of operation of the motor; and motor operated means operating independently of the player operated switches for periodically changing the speed varying effect obtained by the operation of the switches.

18. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; individual electric motors for actuating the racing objects over the course; a primary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined speed; a secondary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined higher speed; a player controlled multi-contact electric switch in one of the circuits of each motor; and mechanically actuated means operating independently of the player controlled switch and beyond the control of any player for periodically making and breaking the connection between each of the contacts of the switch and the motor during operation of the racing objects regardless of the position of the player operated switch.

19. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; individual electric motors for actuating the racing objects over the course; a primary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined speed, each circuit including a resistance; a secondary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined higher speed, each secondary circuit having less resistance than the primary circuit; a player controlled multicontact electric switch in each secondary circuit; and mechanically actuated means operating independently of the player controlled switch and beyond the control of any player for periodically and successively making and breaking the connection between each of the contacts of the switch and the motor during the operation of the racing objects regardless of the position of the player operated switch.

20. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; individual electric motors for actuating the racing objects over the course;

a primary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined speed; a secondary electric circuit for each motor for operating the motor at a predetermined higher speed; a player controlled switch in one of the circuits of each motor, having a plurality of fixed contacts in parallel in the circuit and a movable contact manually movable to successively engage the fixed contacts; and motor operated means operating independently of the player controlled switch for periodically and successively but not in regular order connecting and disconnecting the fixed contacts in the circuit.

21. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; individual electric motors for actuating the racing objects over the course;

an electric actuating circuit for each motor, each circuit containing a multi-contact switch adapted to be positively operated by a player; and mechanically actuated means operating independently of the player controlled switch, and not controlled by any player for periodically and successively but not in regular order making and breaking the circuit connection of each switch contact.

22. An amusement race course having a plurality of racing objects; means for driving said objects, including individual electric motors and an electrical circuit for each motor; means for varying the speed of the objects, including a player operable switch having fixed contacts arranged in parallel in each circuit and a movable contact in each circuit operable by a player to engage any one of the fixed contacts; and a mechanically actuated switch for periodically making and breaking the-circuit through each of the fixed contacts, said mechanically actuated switch including a plurality of fixed contact blocks each connected in circuit with one of the fixed contacts of the player operable switch, a contact finger connected in the circuit, and means for moving the contact finger to successively engage the fixed contact blocks.

FREDERICK W. WILLIAMS.

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