GB1471866A - Gaming machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1471866 Gaming machines A SHAW 27 June 1974 [12 April 1973] 17750/73 Heading G4V [Also in Division H2] A gaming machine has a rotating chance reel mechanism and a drive means, incorporating a stepping motor 1 operable to move the rotatable chance reel 4 through a series of incrementally spaced positions and automatically to hold the reel securely in any one of said positions when the drive is rendered inoperative. Play of the machine is instigated by pressing switch 22. Timer 24 operates pulse generator 5, either or both of which may have a random operation. Pulses are fed to phasing unit 6 which drives the stepping motor and hence reel 4 via gear-box 2. Frequency divider 10 divides the pulses by the reduction factor of gear-box 4. The output pulses are counted; up to 10 by a first stage 13 and in 10's by second stage 14. A semi-conductor switch device 19 is operated each revolution of the reel by shield 18 interrupting the field from magnet 17. The device zero's the counters and frequency divider 10. To ensure that the reel can only be stopped so that a symbol is showing at a viewing window there is a feed back circuit which is closed by switch 27 when the timer stops. Thus if the factor of division is 10 and less than 10 pulses have been generated then the pulse generator is kept operative until the 10 pulses have been reached. Output lines 16 are used to trigger a payout arrangement if appropriate. There may be three reels each with a separate stepping motor. The output lines 16 would then be connected to a comparator circuit for payout operation. The reel rotates at least one revolution at each operation. Switches 27, 28 may be of the mechanical, electromechanical or electronic gate type and are operated by timer 24. Switch 28 opens before switch 27 closes to prevent zeroing of divider 10 as a player may be deprived of a win. There is a reverse switch 31. A push-button switch 21 allows the reels to be moved independently and incrementally through a predetermined number of positions in either direction. This extra movement could be held over for several games. Further, one or more of the reels may be arranged to perform a rocking motion by moving alternatively in the forward and reverse directions by a predetermined amount, e.g. by six reel symbols, upon operation of a switch (not shown); the rocking motion occurring for a random time. If an aperture for viewing shows 3 lines of symbols a winning combination could be by a diagonal, horizontal and/or vertical line of symbols.