GB2089086A - Gaming machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A gaming machine has a housing 10 for location in a predetermined, upright condition for normal operation of said machine. One or more display windows 22 are provided in the housing, and a reel assembly 14 has a plurality of reels 16 with symbols 20 on their circumferences for display at the windows. According to the invention, the reels (16) are each rotatable about an axis (18) extending upwardly when the housing is in its predetermined, upright condition. The symbols (20), which may be animals or humans, for example, are upright when the reels are arranged for rotation about the upwardly extending axis. This enables one or more stroboscopes (80) to be incorporated in the machine for flashing to illuminate intermittently the part of each reel displayed at the or each window of the machine as the reels rotate, to give an impression of movement of the symbols. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Gaming machines This invention relates to gaming machines According to the invention, there is provided a gaming machine having a housing for location in a predetermined condition for normal operation of said machine, at least one display window in the housing, and a reel assembly, the assembly comprising a plurality of reels having symbols on their circumferences for display at said at least one window in said housing, and the reels each being rotatable about an axis extending upwardly when the housing is in said predetermined condition.

The symbols on the reels may also be upright, i.e.

in the position in which they are intended to be viewed, when the reels are arranged for rotation about such an upwardly extending axis. The symbols may be conventional symbols, such as bells, or may be animals or humans, for example.

Where suitable symbols are used, one or more stroboscopes may be incorporated in the machine for flashing to illuminate intermittently the part of each reel displayed at said at least one window of the machine as the reels rotate. Each stroboscope may be operable in response to means rotatable with an associated reel, for example to give an appearance of movement of animals or humans.

Although the reels may be arranged about a single vertical axis, it is also possible for reels to be arranged about two or more vertical axes. In each case, a sensor arrangement may be arranged to respond to the reels adopting predetermined positions when the reels are stationary after having rotated. For this purpose, a disc containing openings may be rotatable with each reel and the sensor arrangement may be responsive to the movement of the discs by means of sensors co-operating with said openings. For example, the openings in the discs may be arranged so that they are aligned between emitters and sensors on opposite sides of the discs when predetermined symbols on the reels are displayed at said at least one window of the machine, and the sensors may be adapted for emitting a signal when such openings are aligned.

Means may be provided for ensuring that a signal is not emitted or, if it is emitted, does not actuate a responsive mechanism while the reels are stili rotating.

The reels may be caused to rotate by a suitable kicker mechanism, which may be substantially conventional. However, because the kicker mechanism operates in a different position to that normally found in such machines, a chain or other suitable drive may be connected between the kicker mechanism and the actuating arm of the machine, for example. Otherwise, electrically operated kicker means may be used.

Furthermore, the machine can be provided with stopper means for stopping the reels in random positions of the reels while ensuring that symbols are approximately located at said at least one window of the machine when the reels have stopped. However, because the stopper means will have to be re-positioned compared with those of normal machines, it may be desirable to use solenoids to operate the stopper means both for relasing the arms to enable the reels to be rotated by the kicker mechanism and for stopping the reels. A suitable timer can then be provided for operating the solenoids in sequence so that the reels stop at different times.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of part of a gaming machine; and Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a wheel assembly of an alternative machine.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a gaming machine has a housing for location in a predetermined position for normal operation of the machine, the housing in this position being shown schematically in chain lines at 10. The machine is in the form of a so-called one-arm bandit and can be operated by pulling on an actuating arm 12 in a conventional manner. The machine contains a reel assembly 14 which is different to conventional reel assemblies because it has reels 16 arranged above one another for rotation about an upwardly extending axis 18. The reels have symbols 20 on their circumferences for display at windows 22 in a display portion 24 of the housing of the machine, the window and display portions of the housing also being shown in chain lines.

The reels are mounted on three co-axial shafts 26 arranged along the axis 18 and located for suitably free rotation, one inside another. The two smaller diameter shafts have shoulders 28 each supporting the shaft carrying the reel above it and preventing axial movement of the shafts downwardly with respect to one another while allowing the reels to rotate independently of one another. Each shaft 26 is provided with a star wheel 30 and a kicker plate disc 32 containing holes 34 associated with respective symbols. The holes in the discs 32 are arranged in radially and angularly spaced locations according to the symbols with which they are associated. The star wheels 30 have notches which are each related to the position of a respective symbol on the associated reel.The discs 32 are parallel to one another and the holes 34 in the discs 32 are arranged so that different sets of predetermined holes in the discs are aligned at a predetermined location 36 when different sets of predetermined tokens are displayed at the windows 22.

An emitter unit 38 comprising a plurality of photo-emitters and a sensor unit 40 including a plurality of photo sensors are arranged on opposite sides of the discs 32 for emitting a signal to operate an indicator and/or, where permissible, a pay-out mechanism (not shown) when holes in all three discs are aligned at the location 36. A control unit (not shown) is provided for ensuring that the indicator and/or pay-out mechanism will not, in fact, operate while any of the reels 16 is rotating.

A conventional kicker mechanism 42 is arranged for engaging suitably provided saw-tooth formations on the discs 32 to rotate the discs and thus the reels 16 when the arm 12 is operated. Because the reels are vertically arranged, the kicker mechanism 42 is remote from the shaft 46 of the arm and is therefore connected to the shaft 46 by a suitable chain 44 passing over toothed wheels on the arm and on a drive shaft of the kicker mechanism. A suitable construction for the kicker mechanism will be readily apparent to people skilled in this field.

As in conventional gaming machines of this nature, stopper arms 48 having pawls 50 for engaging the star wheels 30, are provided in the machine.

The arms 48 are mounted on a shaft 52 and are biassed to move into engagement with the star wheels 30 by springs 54. Although the springs 54 are shown as coil springs around the shaft 52, any suitable springs may be provided. The stopper arms are arranged so that they are normally in engagement with the notches in the star wheels and hold the reels in positions in which symbols on the reels are appropriately aligned with the windows 22 in the machine.

Because the reels are arranged above one another ratherthan about a horizontal axis, conventional clock mechanisms for operating the stopper arms may be inappropriate. It is therefore possible to provide solenoids 56 associated one with each stopper arm for moving the stopper arms.

The solenoids 56 are mounted in the machine 10 with shafts 58 connected to extensions 60 of the stopper arms. A switch 62, operable by a cam arrangement or other means associated with the arm 12, is provided for connecting the solenoids to a power source 66 by way of a control box 68. Once the solenoids are connected to the control box by the switch 62, they immediately draw the arms 40 out of engagement with the star wheels 30, leaving the reels free to rotate. This happens almost immediately before the kicker mechanism causes rotation of the reels. An anti-walk means may be provided for preventing undesirable rotation of the reels at this stage.

The control box includes timers associated one with each solenoid for de-energizing the solenoids successively so that the solenoids release the shafts 58 and the reels 16 are stopped successively. In this way, it is possible for rotation of the reels to be controlled in a relatively simple manner.

In the embodiment of Figure 2, reels 16 of the machine are arranged in pairs in a housing 10 with each pair being mounted on a pair of concentric shafts located one within another in a manner similar to that in Figure 1. The shafts are rotatable about parallel, upwardly extending, axes when the machine is in an operative condition. The reels are provided with discs 32 and star wheels 30 in a manner similar to Figure 1. Furthermore, emitter units 38 and sensor units 40 are provided for responding to the positions of discs and thus of the reels as in Figure 1. Stopperarmsforthe starwheels are operated in a mannersimilarto that in Figure 1.

However, a significant difference arises in connection with the manner in which the reels are rotated.

As shown in Figure 2, any suitable ratchet mechanisms 70 are provided on the smaller diameter shafts and are connected to an electric motor 72 by a chain 74. When the electric motor is energized, for examply by pulling an operating arm similar to arm 12 of Figure 1, the chain 74 is driven and in turn drives the smaller diameter shafts by way of the ratchet mechanisms 70. The larger diameter shafts, which are fitted around the smaller diameter shafts, are driven by the friction between the shafts and are thus caused to rotate when the smaller shafts rotate. When the arm is released, the motor stops but the shafts continue to rotate, the smaller shafts rotating within the ratchet mechanisms 70.

The need for a mechanicai kicker mechanism is thus eliminated. It will be appreciated that the machine can thus be operated in a relatively simple manner without the need for complex mechanical parts. The reels are stopped by the stopper arms in the same way as in Figure 1 and subsequent operation of the machine is also similar.

Three stroboscope lamps 80, one of which is shown in Figure 1, are provided for flashing to each illuminate intermittently the respective part of an associated reel as that part is displayed at the respective window 22. Reed switches 82 are incorporated in series with the stroboscope lamps 80 and are responsive to magnets 84 carried by respective reels for causing the lamps to flash only when the reels are properly located.

Claims (13)

1. A gaming machine having a housing for location in a predetermined condition for normal operation of said machine, at least one display window in the housing, and a reel assembly, the assembly comprising a plurality of reels having symbols on their circumferences for display at said at least one window in said housing, and the reels each being rotatable about an axis extending upwardly when the housing is in said predetermined condition.

2. A machine according to Claim 1, wherein the symbols on the reels are in the position in which they are intended to be viewed when the reels are arranged for rotation about such an upwardly extending axis.

3. A machine according to Claim 2, wherein at least one stroboscope is incorporated for flashing to illuminate intermittently the part of each reel displayed at said at least one window of the machine as the reels rotate.

4. A machine according to Claim 3, wherein each stroboscope is provided with a switch operable in response to means rotatable with an associated reel.

5. A machine according to any preceding claim, wherein the reels are arranged about two or more vertical axes when the housing is in said predetermined condition.

6. A machine according to any preceding claim, including a sensor arrangement arranged to respond to the reels adopting predetermined positions when the reels are stationary after having rotated, wherein a disc containing openings is rotatable with each reel and the sensor arrangement is responsive to the movement or positioning of the discs by means of sensors co-operating with said openings.

7. A machine according to Claim 6, wherein the openings in the discs are arranged so that they are aligned between emitters and sensors on opposite sides of the discs when predetermined symbols on the reels are displayed at said at least one window of the machine, and wherein the sensors are adapted for emitting a signal when such openings are aligned.

8. A machine according to Claim 6 or 7, including means for ensuring that a signal is not emitted or, if it is emitted, does not actuate a responsive mechanism while the reels are still rotating.

9. A machine according to any preceding claim, including a kicker mechanism for rotating the reels, a suitable drive being connected between the kicker mechanism and an actuating arm of the machine to operate the kicker mechanism.

10. A machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, including electrically operated means for rotating the reels.

11. A machine according to any preceding claim, including stopper means for stopping the reels in random positions of the reels while ensuring that symbols are approximately located at said at least one window of the machine when the reels have stopped.

12. A machine according to Claim 11, including solenoids to operate the stopper means both for releasing the stopper means to enable the reels to be rotated by the kicker mechanism and for stopping the reels, a timer being provided for operating the solenoids in sequence so that the reels stop at different times.

13. A machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.