GB1282670A - Improvements in or relating to scoring devices for games - Google Patents

Abstract

1282670 Scoring devices; dartboards M WICHINSKY and C LAUGHTON 23 Oct 1970 [31 July 1970] 50464/70 Headings A6D A6S [Also in Division G4] A scoring device has a number of vibration transducers, e.g. PU1-PU4, Fig. 4A, each associated with e.g. a concentric ring on a dart board, a dart striking the board causing a ring to vibrate, each transducer being connected to one of a series of switches, e.g. silicon controlled rectifiers, SCR1-SCR4, which, when triggered by an output from a transducer, apply a voltage to at least one terminal 1'-4', Fig. 4B, of a rotary switch 50, the number of switches being triggered depending on which transducer gives an output. A rotary arm 52 on the switch is connected to a counter and scans the number of 'live' contacts. The arm 52 connects a brake solenoid 66 to each terminal in turn, a 'live' terminal then operating the solenoid to move a lever 72, Fig. 5A, permitting a disc 68 of the counter to rotate one place, the disc having ten teeth 73. The gates of the switches SCR 1-4, Fig. 4A, are connected together via diodes D10-D12 so that, when an SCR is triggered (e.g. SCR2), all SCRs with a higher suffix (e.g. SCR3 and SCR4) are also triggered. When the disc rotates through ten places, it actuates a switch 76, Fig. 4B, which operates a brake solenoid 78 permitting a disc 84, Fig. 5A, of the counter to rotate one place. A cam 90, Fig. 4B, on the switch 50 operates a switch MS1 to permit only one revolution of the arm 52. A motor 74, Fig. 5A, drives both discs 68, 84 and the arm 52, the motor being reversible to permit zeroing of the counter discs. Instead of the counter discs 68, 84, solenoid driven steppers operating a stack of switches, Fig. 6 (not shown), may be utilized. The output of each transducer may be amplified, rectified and smoothed. A dart board comprises four concentric steel rings 8, Fig. 1, mounted on plastics and felt layers mounted on a cabinet 10. Magnetically tipped darts may be used and a wiper bar 14 may clear darts from the board. The bar 14 is driven by a sprocket and chain arangement driven in turn by a motor activated by coinin-the-slot device.