US2712900A - Handley - Google Patents

Description

J. HANDLEY 2,712,900

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR July 12, 1955 Filed Aug. 27, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet l J. HANDLEY July 12, 1 955 TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1952 July 12, 1955 J. HANDLEY 2,712,900

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR Filed Aug. 27, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 F/c; Z.

M Mad M m NF 0, W W J July 12, 1955 J. HANDLEY 2,712,900

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR Filed Aug. 27, 1952 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 M106 %IMM MM J. HANDLEY July 12, 1955 TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 27, 1952 54% 52mg MZMM 4% J. HANDLEY July 12, 1955 TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR TSheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 27, 1952 July 12, 1955 .1. HANDLEY 2,712,900

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR Filed Aug. 27, 1952 '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE FOR TOTALISATOR John Handley, Parley, England, assignor to The Union Totalisator Company Limited, Glasgow, Scotland, at company of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,707

6 Claims. (Cl. 235--92) The present invention relat s to improvements in ticket printing and issuing machines such as are used in race totalisator installations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ticket printin and issuing machine for use in a race totalisat-or installation which will be simple in operation and cheap to construct.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a machine which may itself be used as a small race totalisator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ticket issuing machine wherein each key is provided with an individual counter so that the number of tickets issued in response to operations of any one or more of said keys may be noted.

it is a further ob'ect of the invention to provide a ticket issuing machine having a counter individual to each key in which all of these counters can be simultaneously zeroised as and when required.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide means in a ticket issuing machine to ensure that if a key is held in the operated position one and only one ticket can be issued in response to the operation of that key.

It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a totalisator ticket issuing machine wherein a record is made mechanically of the identity of an operated key, which record is maintained until the next ticket is issued.

One or the characteristics of the invention is a ticket issuing machine for a race totalisator installation having an individual counter per competitor key and means whereby when a key is operated not only is the ticket issued but the counter records that one ticket has been issued for that competitor. In a preferred form of the invention there is also provided a total counter for the ticket machine which records the total number of tickets issued by that machine.

Another characteristic 0. the invention is a ticket issuing machine for a race totalisator installation having an individual counter per competitor key and an arrangement whereby between races or at any other desired times it is possible to zeroise all competitor counters simultaneously.

A further characteristic of the invention is a ticket issuing machine for a race totalisator installation having an arrangement controlled by any competitor key which prevents the issue of more than one ticket in response to operation of a key even if that key is held down for an excessive period.

A still further characteristic of the invention is a ticket issuing machine for a race totalisator installation which has means for maintaining a record of the last competitor key to be operated which comprises an indicator device, means responsive to operation of a competitor key to set the indicator device to indicate the identity of that key, means for holding the indicator indication until the next atent' a ticket.

2,712,959 Patented July 12, 1955 ticket issues, and means for resetting the indicator device as a result of the next printing operation.

Further objects, characteristics, and features of the present invention will become apparent from the succeeding description and from the claims appended to the specification.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 and 1A together form a plan view of a ticket issuing machine according to the present invention, shown partly in section, and with certain parts broken away.

Figs. 2 and 2A together form a partly sectioned view along the line Ii-II of Figs. 1 and 1A.

Fig. 3 is a part sectioned view along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1A.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of part of the operational equipment of the machine extracted therefrom.

Fig. 5 is an extracted view of a so-called memory register which appears also in Figs 1A and 2A.

The invention is described as applied to a ticket issuing machine which is basically similar to that described in U. S. A. application No. 673,353, filed May 31, 1946 (corresponding to British Patent No. 591,223), and to that described in U. S. A. Patent No. 2,601,949. The ticket issuing machine described herein, like that described in the above-noted two specifications, includes a control plate which is positioned by rollers carried by the keys, which rollers each act in separate curved slots in the control plate. The ticket machine of U. S. A. application No. 673,353, however, has three rows of keys, each with its control plate and that of U. S. A. Patent No. 2,601,949 has two rows of keys. In the drawings accompanying the present application the ticket printing solenoid and certain portions of the printing apparatus which are similar to the corresponding apparatus in the above applications are omitted in order to avoid complication of the drawings.

The ticket issuing machine according to the present invention is intended for use on American race courses, where the number of runners per race is limited to twelve. Hence the keyboard of the ticket machine has twelve competitor keys which are arranged in a single row, and one test key behind the competitor keys. Each ticket machine is a single pool-single bet value machine, and for this purpose the printing paper used is preprinted with pool and stake value for which the machine is to be used.

Each ticket machine is provided with thirteen Veeder counters, one per competitor key and one grand total counter, so that the total number of tickets issued and the number issued per competitor can be determined. This feature permits a single ticket machine to be used as a totalisator if the volume of betting is small, and also enables betting to continue if the control equipment fails. In such a case, when betting ceases, the totals at all machines are collected and use to determine the odds. There is provided a novel device for simultaneously zeroising all counters at the same ticket issuing machine.

When a fault develops on a ticket machine or in the central station, or when the central station reverts to the ticket machine a cancel signal it is often desirable to know the runner on which the operator last tried to issue For thisv purpose there is provided a novel memory register which is set when a ticket issues, and remains in the position to which it is set until the next ticket is issued.

Another important novel feature of the machine described is that an arrangement is provided to ensure that if a key is held down after a ticket has issued there is no chance of a second or subsequent ticket being issued for the same key operation.

General arrangement of the ticket issuing machine (Figs. 1, 1A, 2, 2A, and 3) ornoetitor keys such as l,

and it will be no numbered thumb discs of slot 43 in a control plate is a contact-operating roller 5.9%

arranged to close con tacts when its key is depressed, whereby to signal the bet to central station apparatus forming no part of the present invention.

The lower end of the shank of each key i passes th' a plate H52, and the key shank is embraced by a helical spring 1%. The lower end of this spring abuts on the plate 132 and the upper end abuts on a shoulder 1&4 on the key shank which shoulder is immediately below the roller 4-7.

When a key is depressed against the influence of its spring 103, the roller .7 thereof enters the slot $8 in the plate 4-9 s "h is individual to that key. its will be seen from Figs. 2 and 2A. the control plate is th by moved bodily to the left or to the right. The di ection in which, and the distance through which. the plate *4? is moved are dependent on the identity of he key him has been depressed When a key operated, a locking bar the right (in Fig. l). (to the left in Fig. the key in the operated position. This coking bar serves the double purpose of holding the operated key down until the ticket issues. when it is released to restore the ticket, and of ensuring the only one key can be depressed at once. This locking bar and its operation will be more fully described with reference to Fig.

Attached to one end of a control plate l9--see Fig. 1Ais a control finger 5b to the other end of which is attached a slidable bar This bar 44 is iournalled in two bearing b .kets l5 and 56, respectivel and carries l2 IO retain six strikers 54 to 59. There is one of these ":UliU'DCS per two competitors. Also carried by the car is is single striker 68.

The runner counters. of which there are twelve are mounted in pairs on tr e mach n behind the keys. One such pair, labelled No. 1 an l- E espectively. :n'c

shown in Fig. l. These two counters have two operating: plates 63 and til. respective y. The total counter. marked Total has an operating plate 69. When the bar it has been positioned gouse to operation or a one of the strikers S l to will be set to such :1 position that when bar 4 5 turns that counter which corresponds to the operated key is operated to clockup one ticket issued. The control plate 69 for the total counter is of such a. size that whichever key has been operated the striker 68 is in operative relation therewith.

Returning now to the operations caused b movii bar 4- there is mounted on that bar a collar 53. his collar, which is moved with the bar as. moves a sector 52 via an intermediate ii The opposite sector-shaped end 1 36 oi the sector .52. is toothed and is in operative engagement with a gear wheel 197 on a shaft which carries a competitor printing type wheel 53. Hence the trol bar 44. also operates to position the type wheel 53. A second type wheel 3% is positioned by a large toothed wheel 1% which is itself positioned by the race number switch of the ticket issuing machine. The wheel 1 9 is itself positioned by a gear 11% the shaft of which is positioned through a worm ill on the same shaft as a race number switch Qilll. As has already been stated. the printing paper. ticket cutting means, and the novable platen, and its operating solenoid. are not shown.

In systems in which ticket issuing machines of the present type are used, when a bet has been recorded at the control station, the control station sends back an impulse to the ticket machine. This operates a control magnet, which in turn operates the operating solenoid for the ticket machine. This solenoid, which is shown. moves a platen forwardly so as to press the ticket paper against the type wheels and against fixed type members. it also causes the ticket to be cut oil and issued after printing.

Referring now to Fig. 3, when the solenoid operates it rotates a lever 81 through a link 19 (shown in Fig. 4). This link also moves the member 20, Figs. 3 and 4, for purpose which will be described later. When the lever .51 rotates, a cam 82 forming its other end engages a cam roller 33 mounted on a finger 112. This movement, which is against the influence of a spring 34, rotates the bar As can be seen from Fig. 1A, this roller 83 has such a length that it will be operated by the cam 32 whatever position the bar 44 has been set to.

it is convenient now to return to the counters. Each competitor counter operating plate has a lip 66 which projects through the plate 67 on which the counters are mounted. Further, in the front ends of the control plate bl there is a recess 62 in which is fitted the end of the operating arm 63 for the counter N0. 2 to which the plate 61 applies. At the rear end of the plate 6! there is a corresponding recess 64 for the operating arm 65 counter No. 1. Similar arrangements are provided for all competitor counters.

When the bar 44 is rotated, all of the strikers 54 to 59 and 68 mounted thereon are moved therewith. As the control plate 59 for the total counter has a wide lip, it is moved by the striker -58 wherever the bar 44 was set. Mounted on the rear end of the plate 69 is a block 114 whose upper surface has a recess in which accommodated the operating arm 115 of the total counter. Hence when the striker 68 moves the plate 69, the total counter "clocks one up. At the same time one of the strikers 5 3 to 59 strikes the lip 66 of the control plate for the counter individual to the operated key, so that this counter also clocks one up.

When the solenoid de-encrgises, there is nothing to hold the bar 44 of the shaft carrying the lever Si in the operated position. Hence the influence of the spring 84 on the finger 112 makes itself felt. This spring urges the finger clockwise, so the cam 83 :ushes the cam 82. and hence the lever 81 to the rest position, this being also assisted by the return stroke of the solenoid (not shown). At the same time the key is released in the manner to be described later, when the control plate 49 is restored to normal by the movement of the key in its slot under the influence of the keys spring 163. This restoration of plate -39 restores bar 44.

Test My operation When the test key '70 is Operated the ticket machine issues a ticket marked Test, but this ticket issue is not registered on the machines counters or in the control station equipment. The test key 7% is mounted behind the competitor keys and there is a second lock bar 120 associated therewith. This, like the other lock bar serves to hold the key down until the ticket issues.

When the key 70 is operated it does not move the bar 44, so the sector 52 and the type wheel 53 remain in their rest position in which Test is printed when the. machine operates.

At this point it is convenient to more fully describe the arrangement of the sector 52. It is pivotally mounted on a pin .71 which is mounted between two centralising collars 72 and 73. These collars are urged against a fixed collar by springs 75 and 76 respectively.

Also associated with the tea key 76 is a cam plate 7'7 mounted on a pivotally mounted rocker 73. When the test key is operated, it moves the cam plate '77 to the right in Fig. l, and this causes the rocker 73 to pivot about its mounting pivots. The rocker 78 carries a rightangle bent strip 79, which is called a locator, and when the rocker 78 pivots, the locator '79 carried thereby inserts its downward-extending portion in a slot 3% in the control plate 49. This prevents the control plate from moving, and also, with the mounting arrangements for the sector already described prevents the bar 44 from moving.

Since the bar 44 has not moved, none of the strikers 54 to 59 is in operative relation to the control plate of a counter. It is, however, necessary to ensure that the total counter is not operated. For this purpose the control plate 69 for the total counter has a gap at its centre whose position is such that when the bar 44 rotates on printing, the striker 68 passes through the gap without operating the striker. This gap is not shown on the draw-- ings since to do so would unduly complicate Fig. l.

The counter zeroising (Figs. 1 and 1A) The total counter is separately zeroised by turning the knurled knob 121 on its right-hand end.

Passing between the two rows of six counters there is a common shaft 86. This carries a number of gear wheels 87, one per pair of counters, meshing with gear wheels 88, one per counter.

Each counter has a re-set shaft on which its wheel 88 is mounted, and this reset shaft has a longitudinal groove. Each disc of the counter carries a pawl which engages in the groove when the disc is reading 0. Under normal operation the pawl rides round the shaft, dropping into and rising out of the groove on each revolution. This reset shaft is mounted concentrically with the discs and when resetting occurs it turns in the direction in which the discs turn during normal operation.

If a disc is set at when the reset shaft starts to a turn, the disc is carried round therewith by the pawl being in engagement with the groove. If a disc is off 0, then the shaft turns alone until the pawl drops into the groove, whereafter the disc is carried round. Thus the counter is reset by turning the reset shaft through one complete revolution.

Returning to the present arrangement, it is necessary to ensure that during assembly all of the counters and their gears are so set that they all return to Zero together. Hence by turning the common shaft 86 it is possible to simultaneously zeroise all competitor counters. This simultaneous zeroising could be extended to include the total counter if this were convenient.

Mounted on the left-hand end of the shaft 86 is a worm 89 with which is meshed a worm wheel 90. The latter is mounted, as can be seen from Fig. l, on a vertical shaft having a split key-way 122 at its upper end. When it is desired to zeroise the counters a handle provided for that purpose is inserted via a hole in the top cover of the machine and engaged with the split keyway 122. Then the handle is turned until all counters zeroise. As has been pointed out above, the discs of these counters start to move at different points throughout the cycle, but they all reach 0 together. Thus they simultaneously zeroise.

Preventing duplicate ticket issue for one key operation See particularly Fig. 4)

Certain of the parts shown in Fig. 4 are also marked in Fig. l, but certain others are not. However, the relative positions of these parts in the machine will become apparent during the following description.

Each key such as 1 has two notches 13 and 13a in its shank. When a key is depressed, the lock bar 12, which normally engages all notches 13a is moved sideways by the sloping side of the notch 13a of the operated key. When the key is fully depressed, the lock bar 12 slides into its notch 13. At the same time, of course, it enters the notches 13a of all other keys. This movement of lock bar 12 occurs under the influence of a spring 14 fixed at its lower end to the machine frame.

Since the lock bar has moved to the left, Fig. 4, a check finger 16 mounted on the shaft 1.13 adjacent thereto is free to follow the lock bar. This it does under the infiuence of the spring 15, via an arm 124. The spring 15 is actually fastened between the machine frame and a check link 11 pivotally attached to the lower end of the arm 124. The left-hand end of link 11 is bent downwards and then leftwards and thereafter formed with a sloping face 19. The sloping face 10 is engaged by a control lever arm 3 mounted on a control lever 9. This lever is fast on a shaft to which is attached a further lever 125 whose purpose is to operate the contacts 18.

Returning to the key, it will be seen from Fig. 4 that a rocker bar 2 pivotally mounted at 4 and 5 is mounted below the plate 102 and immediately below the shanks of the keys. This bar is only shown in Fig. 4. The depression of the key therefore pushes the bar 2 downwards, causing it to pivot and to move a release bar 5 backwards. It should be remembered that Fig. 4 is a back view of the apparatus when considered with respect to Fig. 1.

The bar 5 has a shank of reduced diameter embraced by a restoring spring 27 which bears on the shoulder on bar 5 and on the machine frame in which it is journalled.

Hence when a key is depressed, release bar 5 moves backwards in Fig. 4, tensioning the spring 27.

In the normal position, the front end of the bar Sis engaged by a pin 6, called the retaining pin, which is carried by a retainer 7. This is pivoted to the frame at 126 and its right-hand end urged forwards by spring 126'. However, although bar 5 is moved, 6 and 7 cannot yet move as the end of the retainer 7 is held by a square pin 26 which will be described later. Also engaging the bar 5 in the normal position there is the contact arm 8. Thus when the bar 5 is withdrawn, the arm 8 is placed under control of the sloping face 10 of the link 11.

While the link 11 is moving to the right, the contact lever 9 is moved backward (in Fig. 4) by the spring 17,

A anchored to the machine frame, the arm 8 remaining in contact with the face 10 or" the link 11. At the end of its travel the arm 125, which moves with the lever 9, operates the contacts 18. When the lock bar moves to the left again to lock the operated key in position the arm 8 follows it, and when it has returned a certain amount, the contacts 18 are opened by the arm 125 turning backwards. These contacts are included in the ticket issuing operating circuit, and ensure that a ticket can issue only if the operated key is fully depressed.

During the printing operation, the link 19 is pulled and this via the arm 127 and the shaft 128 rotates the finger 20. This finger 20, arm 127 and shaft 128 will be found in Fig. 3 also. The finger 20 thus rotates in such a way that its end descends, and pushes the pawl 21 downwards until the pawl 21 slips off the end of the finger, when the pawl 21 springs back until it hits a stop 22.

As the ticket issues, the link 19 returns so that the finger 23 returns to its original position. During the upward travel it engages the pawl 21, which is lifted by the finger 2i and carries the rocker 23 therewith. The pawl 21 is mounted on the rocker 23 which is pivoted to the frame of the machine at 129. The end of the rocker 23 remote from the pawl 21 rotates to the left. At its end it is pivoted to the extreme end of the cancel link 24.

Therefore the link 24 is also moved to the left, and it rotates the cancel shaft 25.

The cancel shaft 25 carries a pin engaging a slot in the lock bar 12, and when the shaft 25 is rotated as described in the previous paragraph, the action of the pin 130 on the bar 12 causes the bar to move to the right. This releases the operated key, which springs back to its normal position under the influence of its spring 103.

The return of the lock bar restores, via 16 and 124, the check link 11, and the restoration of the key allows the rocker bar 2 and the release bar 5' to return to rest, so that all the apparatus is back at rest.

The operation described above is the normal operation. it is now necessary to consider What occurs if the key is held down, either manually or-as a result of a fault.

It will be remembered that when the link 19 returns on the issue of the ticket, the cancel link 24 moved to the left. When this happened, the retainer 7 was no longer held by the square pin 26. Hence the pin 6 drops behind the pin 26 as the retainer 7 rotates under the influence of the spring 126.

Normally, of course, the key returns to normal and the rocker bar and the release bar also returns to normal. The restoration to normal of the release bar 5 then pushes the pin 6 away from the pin 26, this permitting the link 24 to return to normal.

However, if the key is held or jammed down, the release bar does not return to normal, so that the pin 6 remains behind the pin 26. The result of this is that the lock bar 12 is held out. This, via the check finger 16, the shaft 123 and the arm 124 holds the check link 11 in its right hand position. This holds the contact arm 9 in its forward position in which the arm 125 is out of engagement with the contacts 18. Hence these contacts cannot close again until the operated key has been propa erly released, and that key, or a different one. operated. Thus it is not possible for a second ticket to be issued.

When the key is partly restored, the spring 27 pushes the release bar 5 forward, and this pushes the retainer pin clear of the pin 26. This, as already described. releases the cancel link. Hence when a key is depressed for a further transaction, the normal operation is resumed.

Memory register (See Fig. 5)

As has been pointed out above, it is often useful to preserve a record of the competitor on which the bet to which the last issued ticked applied. For this purpose the device of Fig. 5 is provided. it includes a movable sector 133 having a numbered face 135 aligned with a hole 136 in the upper plate of the machine casing. This sector is mounted on a boss 37 so as to be rotatable therewith.

The boss 37 is mounted on a hollow shaft or sleeve 31. notch shown at 39, which is wide at the right-hand end thereof and narrow at the left-hand end thereof. Mounted within the sleeve 31 there is a shaft 36, which is called the striker shaft. Mounted in the striker shaft 36 there is a pin 35 which projects in the normal position through a longitudinal slot 34 in the sleeve 31 into the wide portion of the V-shaped notch. Hence the sleeve 31 is movable longitudinally with respect to the striker shaft. but is so arranged by virtue of the pin 35 that the striker shaft 36 rotates with the sleeve 31.

When a key is depressed, the movement of the control plate caused thereby moves the arm 33 attached to the control plate (see Fig. 2), which moves the arm 32 (Fig. 5) and hence rotates the sleeve 31 and the shaft 36. The boss 37 and sector 138 do not move yet.

When the printing solenoid operates, (See Fig. 1A), a link 137 moves towards the front of the machine. rocking a pivoted bar 42 shown in Fig. 1 in broken lines. Referring back to Fig. 5, this lever 42 carries a stud 1, which engages a flange on the end of the shaft 36. When the lever 42 is rocked, the end thereof in Fig. 5 is moved to theleft, so the stud 41 moves the striker shaft outward.

When the sleeve 31 rotated, it carried the shaft 36 round with is (see above) so the pin 35 will be occupying a position in the wide end of the notch which represents the competitor number for the last operated key. This is achieved by, for example, a keyway on the shaft 36 co-operating with a key on the inner surface of the sleeve 31, or vice versa.

The result of these arrangements is that when the pin 35 is moved to the left in a direction parallel to the axis of shaft 36 it forces the boss 37 to turn until at the end of its travel the pin 35 is in the apex of the V notch. When this has occurred, the boss 37 and sector 138 have On its lower surface the boss 37 has a V-shaped 8. been so positioned that the runner number for the 0p erated key is displayed at the hole 136.

When the ticket issues, the link 137 returns to its rest condition so rocking the lever 42 until it is once again in the position of Fig. 5. In this condition the pin 35 is once again in the wide end of the notch.

The sector 138 is held in position by a ball 40 mounted in a hole in the frame of the machine urged against the sector 138 by the leaf spring 43. This ball bears on one of a number of recesses or holes 138 in the sector.

There are 33 of these, one per competitor and one for the rest condition of the plate 49.

Hence the sector 138 is set by depressing a key to a position determined by' that key, and is held in that position until it is reset to a new position when a different key is operated. Thus there is provided a form of mechanical follow-up which gives the memory feature required.

What is claimed is:

l. a ticket-issuing machine such as is used in an electrical race totalisator system, a number of competitor keys, at number of counters each individual to one of said competitor keys, a rotatable bar, means responsive to operation of a competitor key to move said bar longitudinally. the amount and direction of movement of said bar being characteristic of the identity of the operated competitor key, a number of counter-operating devices carried by said bar and so disposed on said bar that when said bar has been moved longitudinally in response to opcration of one of said competitor keys one of said counteroperating devices is in operative relation with the counter individual to the operated competitor key, a mechanical linkage interconnecting said bar and ticket-printing means and arranged to set said printing means to the position for inting the identity of the operated competitor key as a result of the longitudinal movement of said bar, said printing means being arranged to operate after said print- Eng means has been set, and a mechanical linkage connected to said bar and arranged to rotate said bar when said printing means is caused to operate, the rotation of said bar causing that one of said counters which is individual to the operated competitor key to be operated by one of said counter-operating devices.

2. in a ticket issuing machine as claimed in claim 1, means for moving said rotatable bar which comprises a plate having a plurality of curved slots, one per competitor key, a roller mounted on each said key, said rollers being so disposed with relation to said slots that, when a key is depressed, the roller mounted thereon enters the corresponding slot and causes the plate to move longitudinally, the direction and amount of said movement of the plate being characteristic of the operated key, and a mechanical linkage between said plate and said rotatable arm so arranged that said rotatable bar and said plate move together.

3. in a ticket issuing machine as claimed in claim 2, a total counter, and further counter operating means attached to said rotatable bar, said total counter and said further counter operating means being so arranged that said total counter is operated when a ticket is issued in response to operation of an one of said competitor keys.

4. In a ticket printing and issuing machine such as used in electrical race totalisator systems, a pivotally mounted sector carrying a number of indications of which one at a time is visible through an aperture in a frame plate in close proximity to said sector, spring means for normally retaining said sector in the position in which it is standing, a boss which carries said sector, a hollow shaft mounted within said boss and rotatable with respect thereto, means responsive to operation of a competitor key to rotate said hollow shaft to a position characteristic of the identity of said operated competitor key, a striker shaft mounted within said hollow shaft, a pin mounted on said shaft and projecting through a longitudinal slot in said hollow shaft in such a way that said striker shaft and said hollow shaft can rotate together but said striker shaft can be moved longitudinally with respect to said hollow shaft, in which said pin proiects further into a V-shaped aperture in said boss, in which in the normal position of said striker shaft said pin is in the Wide end of said v'-shaped aperture, and in which rotation of said hollow shaft, said striker shaft and said pin in response to operation of a competitor key sets said pin to an angular position within the wide end of said V-shaped aperture which position is characteristic of the identity of the operated key, and means responsive to the issue of a ticket to move said striker shaft and pin longitudinally with respect to said hollow shaft and said boss, the pin during said movement resting on one side of said V- shaped aperture to turn the boss and the sector against the influence of said spring means into aiignment with the hollow shaft, when said sector is retained by said spring means in a position in which the identity of the operated key is displayed.

5. In a ticket printing issuing machine as claimed claim 4, spring retaining means which comprises a fiat plate in close proximity to the surface of said sector, a ball mounted in an aperture in said flat plate in such a position as to engage in any one of a number of apertures on said sector, and a leaf spring adapted to press said ball against an aperture in said sector.

6. in a ticket-issuing machine such as is used in an electrical race totalisator system, a number of competitor keys, a number of counters each individual to one of said competitor keys, a total counter, a rotatable bar, means responsive to operation of a competitor key to move said bar longitudinally, the amount and direction of movement of said bar being characteristic of the identity of the operated competitor key, a number of counter-operating devices carried by said bar and so disposed on said br that when said bar has been moved longitudinally in response to operation of one of said competitor keys one of said coun er-operating devices is in operative relation with the counter individual to the operated competitor key, an additional counter-operating device on said bar and so formed that when said bar has been moved said additional counter-operating device is in operative relation with said total counter whichever of said competitor keys was operated, a mech ti'cal linkage inter-connecting bar and ticket-printing means and arranged to set said printing means to the position for printing the identity of the operated competitor key as a result of the longitudinal movement of said bar, said printing means being arranged to operate after said printing means has been set, and a mechanical linkage connected to said bar and ar tagged to rotate said bar when said printing means is causec to operate, the rotation of said bar causing that one or said counters which is individual to the operated con petitor key to be operated by one of said counteroperating devices and said total counter to be operated by said individual counter-operating device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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