GB2137514A

GB2137514A - Device for random presentation of indicia

Info

Publication number: GB2137514A
Application number: GB08309693A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Elizabeth Shona Coppin; Peter Barry Lockwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-04-09
Filing date: 1983-04-09
Publication date: 1984-10-10
Also published as: GB2137514B; GB8309693D0

Abstract

The device comprises a support or base, at least one rotatable hollow drum (1) mounted thereon so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis (2) and having an interior surface (7) defining a track or path for a ball (3), said path (7) having a plurality of circumferentially disposed recesses (not shown) or a plurality of inclined adjacent surfaces defining corners for receiving said ball under the action of gravity when the hollow body and ball are at rest, and with said recesses or corners being so disposed relative to indicia on the outer circumferential surface (6) of the drum that, in the rest position of the device, discrete indicia will be viewable at at least one reference point or region. Alternatively, the device may be arranged to rotate about a vertical axis with flexible or resiliently mounted biasing means being provided to act upon regularly arranged recesses or projections themselves arranged relative to circumferential indicia. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for random presentation of indicia means The present invention relates to a device for the random presentation of indicia means for use in playing games or the like.

Hitherto, two kinds of device for the random presentation of indicia means comprise a die having, for example, numbers or playing card symbols thereon, or a spinning device in the manner of a spinning top having indicia means such as coloured segments or numbers in segments thereof which are to come to rest in particular positions. Such known devices have the disadvantage of firstly requiring manipulation in their "throwing" i.e. in shaking a die or spinning a top, and, secondly, can require substantial space on which to be "thrown". Furthermore, in the "throwing" of known devices, disarrangement of playing pieces or the like may occur or there may be insufficient space for the throwing of such devices or there may not be a surface suitable to receive the known devices when thrown.Also difficulty is sometimes experienced by handicapped persons in the manipulation of the known devices.

Furthermore existing devices such as dice have a limited number of faces and therefore the number of different indicia which may be presented is restricted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for the random presentation of indicia means which overcomes at least some of the above mentioned disadvantages and/or to provide a device which may present a novel device for playing games.

According to the present invention a device for random presentation of indicia means comprises a base, at least one rotary hollow body with each body being mounted on said base so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and having an interior surface defining a track or path for the rolling passage of a rolling member contained within said hollow body; said track having a plurality of circumferentially disposed recesses or a plurality of surfaces inclined relative to adjacent surfaces and defining corners for receiving said rolling member under the action of gravity when the hollow body and rolling member are at rest, and with said recesses or corners being so disposed relative to indicia means on the outer circumferential surface or surfaces of rotary hollow body that in the position of rest of the device, discrete indicia means will be viewable at at least one reference point or region.

By reference to indicia means in the present application there is intended to be covered identifiable components such as comprised of colour, surface texture or contours, alphabetical figures, numeric figures or representations, written instructions, notation, symbols, pictures, patterns or other visual representations, e.g. markings corresponding to or similar to those on the faces of existing die or dice, or particularly where a plurality of rotary bodies are provided, markings similar to those contained on fruit machines and it is to be appreciated that a broad interpretation of this definition should be given.

Preferably each rotary hollow body comprises a hollow drum and whilst various shapes of recesses may be provided to temporarily retain a rolling member, e.g. a recess of circular section, such will preferably be provided by forming the interior, circumferential surfaces of the hollow drum forming the track to define a regular polygon and the opposite end or side faces of the drum may be of generally flat sheet material or of any other desired configuration. The rotary hollow body will be symmetrically mounted so as to rotate about a horizontal axis.

The exterior circumferential peripheral surface of the rotary hollow body, which will normally be in the form of a hollow drum, may be a cylindrical surface in which case the indicia means will be disposed thereon in such a relationship with respect to the recesses or corners within the rotary hollow body that in the position of rest the indicia means lie in a particular position with reference to the specific reference point or points, e.g. a cursor or window defined by a housing portion of the base, although the outer surface preferably comprises sides defining a regular polygon.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention where the rotary body is a hollow drum and wherein the interior and exterior circumferential surfaces thereof each define a regular polygon with the same number of sides on the outside as on the inside, if the polygons have an odd number of sides, then the inner and outer defined polygons correspond, i.e.

the sides are generally parallel and the corners of each correspond. However, where the inner and outer defined polygons have an even number of sides, then the inner defined polygons may be offset or out of phase relative to the outer defined polygons such that the corners of the inner defined polygons lie substantially halfway between the corners of the outer defined polygon or, expressed mathematically, the polygons are offset relative to one another by an angle of 1800/n where n is the number of sides of each polygon.

In this manner it may be ensured that the uppermost side of the outer defined polygon lies in a substantially horizontal plane and thus this position may comprise the specific reference point or region.

Of course, even in this latter instance, a support structure may be provided so that other than the uppermost side of the outer defined polygon may be viewed at a specific reference point or points thereby defined and it is to be appreciated that such arrangement achieves a disposition of the incidia means so that each may be viewed discretely at the reference point or points.

It is possible, however, with polygons having an odd number of sides for the polygons to be offset, and the reference point so selected as to result in the indicia means being readily viewable in the rest position of the dice. Similarly, it is possible with polygons having an even number of sides for the polygons to correspond and not be offset and the reference points(s) or region to be appropriately selected.

It is to be appreciated that in the preferred embodiment wherein the rotary hollow body is a drum, the inner defined polygon may have more sides than an existing die e.g. it may have ten sides or have any desired number of sides and thus give a greater range of indicia means than available in certain known devices such as a dice.

It is also envisaged that a plurality of rotary hollow bodies may be provided on a base and be arranged side by side so that various combinations of randonmly presented indicia means of each rotary hollow body may be viewed, e.g. in the manner of a "fruit machine" or like gambling device and a suitable housing defining a viewing region or reference point may be provided on the base and suitable indicia means will be provided. Suitable lever means may be provided such that one lever may be manually depressed and the end of the lever or lever linkage be such as to act upon the rotary member or rotary members and to cause such to rotate.

With reference to the hitherto mentioned inner defined polygon, it is envisaged that the sides defining such polygon may in fact be curved inwardly or outwardly so as to result in the rolling member within the rotary body for longer or shorter periods of time, as desired.

The rolling member will normally be a spherical weight such as a ball-bearing and may be of a material or have a rubber or other resilient material coating to reduce the noise resulting therefrom and/or the interior surface of the drum or rotary hollow body may be formed of a rubber or resilient or the like sound reducing material or have such a coating applied thereto. Alternatively, the sound produced by operating the device may be made sufficiently loud, for example, for deaf persons, by, for example, selection of appropriate materials for the device.

It will be appreciated that a device according to the present invention is such that the base, which is stationary, can occupy a limited space and the rotary body may be readily caused to rotate about its fixed horizontal axis without requiring much space for said movement and without disturbing any adjacent objects. The device may, if desired, be incorporated in the structure of a game board, device or table.

Furthermore, the number of faces which may be provided on the body may be considerably greater than existing die or dice. Furthermore, "fruit machine" or other gambling type indicia presentation permutation devices e.g. in the manner of poker dice, may be provided in a single readily transportable unit for entertainment and amusement.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic vertical section through a rotary hollow drum having an even number of sides and being taken transverse to the axis of rotation with the support or mounting base therefor being omitted and is a section on the line B - B of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a section through the rotary hollow drum taken on the line A - A of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic section through an alternative embodiment of a rotary hollow drum having an odd number of sides; and Figure 4 is a schematic elevation of a simple embodiment of the invention incorporating the drum of Figure 3.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate schematicaily one possible embodiment of a rotary hollow body and rolling member for use in a device according to the invention. The hollow body comprises a rotary hollow drum 1 mounted on a horizontal axle 2 to rotate about a horizontal axis. The axle 2 is a needle bearing and is supported at each end by needle bearing mountings (not shown) mounted in upstanding portions of a base (not shown in Figures 1 and 2).

A rolling member formed by spherical weight 3, such as a ball-bearing, is provided to roll around the circumferential interior surface defined by inclined inner faces of the outer circumferential walls of the drum 1.

In Figures 1 and 2 the drum is generally speaking in the form of a regular hollow polygonal prism formed by end walls 4 and 5 and a circumferential wall 6 having surfaces defining an outer polygon of an even number of sides and which, in the example, has ten sides, i.e. is a decagon. The inner, circumferential surfaces 7 of the drum 1 also define an inner polygon of even numbered sizes of equivalent number to the outer polygon, i.e. is also a decagon in the example. The inner polygon is offset relative to the outer polygon by 1800/n where n is the number of sides of the polygon. (The polygons are offset since a polygon having an even number of sides is provided and it is desired in the position of rest that the uppermost outer surface of the drum should lie in horizontal plane or that the other faces lie at a particular desired disposition relative thereto).The outer surfaces 6 will have suitable indicia means, such as numbers, symbols, colours or pictures or the like as desired and as mentioned previously.

After rotation, the weight 3 comes to rest randomly in any one of the corners of the inner defined polygon and directly under the central axis of rotation. When in this position, the outer defined polygon is disposed such that it presents its uppermost side in a horizontal plane. The indicia means may be of such variety as desired and may even have one or more such indicia the same, if required.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a device forming an embodiment of the invention and comprises a rotary hollowdrum 8 (shown in vertical section in Figure 3) wherein the sides 9 defining the outer circumference of the drum are of an odd number, five in this example, and wherein the sides 10 defining a track for rolling member 3 are of the same, odd number (five). The sides 10 defining the regular pentagon are disposed to correspond with the disposition of the sides 9 defining the outer regular pentagon so that the corners and sides of the two defined pentagons correspond with the result that, when the drum comes to rest, the weight 3 lies directly under the axle 11 and the uppermost surface 9 is presented horizontally.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of a complete device inciuding the drum 8 of Figure 3 and includes a rectangular base 12 having two generally rectangular, spaced apart, upstanding portions 13 between which there is mounted the rotary hollow drum 8.

The drum 8 is accessible at the front, rear and top.

The drum 8 is rotatably mounted by means of a needle axle 11 mounted in needle axle bearings 14 located in the upstanding portions 13. In the position of rest of the drum 8 with the weight 3 lying directly under the axle 11, the uppermost face (not visible) bearing indicia is presented horizontally.

Indicia means 15 in the form of dice spots are illustrated in the example, although any desired alternative indicia means may be provided.

A plurality of rotary hollow drums may be provided, side by side, and a housing portion on a support base may define front viewing windows or specific reference points for viewing indicia means and a cut-away portion at the back of the housing may be provided (not shown) for manual rotation of the drums or a lever or like mechanism (not shown)may be provided for effecting such rotation.

In an alternative arrangement the device according to the present invention could be mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and in which case flexible or resiliently mounted biassing means would have to be provided, preferably within the interior of the rotary hollow body, to act upon regularly arranged recesses or projections, preferably within the body, arranged relative to the indicia means on the outside of said body so as to bring the body into rest in specific dispositions. Such means as flexible arms, spring biassed ball-bearings or the like might be provided as biassing means.Thus according to the alternative aspect of the present invention, a device for random presentation of indicia means comprises a base, at least one hollow body rotatably mounted on a central, non-rotatable axle mounted on said base and having a plurality of projections or recesses circularly arranged in the interior thereof and engageable by resilient or resiliently mounted or biassing means non-rotatably mounted on the central axle about which the rotary body rotates such that said biassing means act to cause said rotary body to come to rest with discrete indicia means viewable at a specific reference point.

CLAIMS (FILED ON 20.12.83) 1. A device for random presentation of indicia means comprising a base or support means, at least one rotatable hollow body having an outer circumferential surface or surfaces with each hollow body being mounted on said support means so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and having an interior surface defining a track or path for the rolling passage of a rolling member contained within said hollow body; said path having a plurality of circumferentially disposed recesses or a plurality of surfaces inclined relative to adjacent surfaces and defining corners for receiving said rolling member under the action of gravity when the hollow body and rolling member are at rest, and with said recesses or corners being so disposed relative to indicia means on the outer circumferential surface or surfaces of rotatable hollow body that in the position of rest of the device, discrete indicia means will be viewable at at least one reference point or region.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the interior circumferential surfaces of the hollow body which form the path define a regular polygon which provides said corners for receiving the rolling member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which each reference point or region is a cursor or a window defined by a housing portion of the support means.

4. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which the outer surfaces of the hollow body define a regular polygon.

5. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the interior and exterior circumferential surfaces of the hollow body each define regular polygon viewed along the horizontal axis with the same number of sides being on the outside as on the inside.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which each polygon has an odd number of sides, and in which the inner and outer defined polygons correspond such that the sides of the polygon are generally parallel and the corners of each correspond.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which the inner and outer defined polygons each have an even number of sides and the inner defined polygon is offset or out of phase relative to the outer defined polygon such that the corners of the inner defined polygon lie substantially half-way between the corners of the outer defined polygon.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 in which the defined polygons are offset relative to one another by an angle of 1 800/n where n is the number of sides of each polygon.

9. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which the inner and outer sides of the polygons are offset and the reference point or region is so selected as to result in the indicia means being readily viewable in the rest position of the device.

10. A device as claimed in claim 5, in which each of the inner defined and outer defined polygons have an even number of sides and the polygons correspond and are not offset and the reference point or region is appropriately selected so that the indicia means are readily viewable in the rest position of the device.

11. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 in which the rotary hollow body is a drum and the interior circumferential surface thereof forms the path to define a regular polygon and the opposite end or side faces of the drum are of generally flat sheet material or of any other desired configuration and the drum is symmetrically mounted so as to rotate about a horizontal axis.

12. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11 wherein a plurality of rotary hollow bodies are provided on the base and arranged side by side.

13. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 in which suitable lever means are provided so that the lever may be manually depressed and the end of the lever or lever linkage be such as to act upon the rotary hollow body and to cause such to rotate.

14. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 wherein a plurality of surfaces inclined relative to adjacent surfaces define said path and the surfaces

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. which there is mounted the rotary hollow drum 8. The drum 8 is accessible at the front, rear and top. The drum 8 is rotatably mounted by means of a needle axle 11 mounted in needle axle bearings 14 located in the upstanding portions 13. In the position of rest of the drum 8 with the weight 3 lying directly under the axle 11, the uppermost face (not visible) bearing indicia is presented horizontally. Indicia means 15 in the form of dice spots are illustrated in the example, although any desired alternative indicia means may be provided. A plurality of rotary hollow drums may be provided, side by side, and a housing portion on a support base may define front viewing windows or specific reference points for viewing indicia means and a cut-away portion at the back of the housing may be provided (not shown) for manual rotation of the drums or a lever or like mechanism (not shown)may be provided for effecting such rotation. In an alternative arrangement the device according to the present invention could be mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and in which case flexible or resiliently mounted biassing means would have to be provided, preferably within the interior of the rotary hollow body, to act upon regularly arranged recesses or projections, preferably within the body, arranged relative to the indicia means on the outside of said body so as to bring the body into rest in specific dispositions. Such means as flexible arms, spring biassed ball-bearings or the like might be provided as biassing means.Thus according to the alternative aspect of the present invention, a device for random presentation of indicia means comprises a base, at least one hollow body rotatably mounted on a central, non-rotatable axle mounted on said base and having a plurality of projections or recesses circularly arranged in the interior thereof and engageable by resilient or resiliently mounted or biassing means non-rotatably mounted on the central axle about which the rotary body rotates such that said biassing means act to cause said rotary body to come to rest with discrete indicia means viewable at a specific reference point. CLAIMS (FILED ON 20.12.83)

1. A device for random presentation of indicia means comprising a base or support means, at least one rotatable hollow body having an outer circumferential surface or surfaces with each hollow body being mounted on said support means so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and having an interior surface defining a track or path for the rolling passage of a rolling member contained within said hollow body; said path having a plurality of circumferentially disposed recesses or a plurality of surfaces inclined relative to adjacent surfaces and defining corners for receiving said rolling member under the action of gravity when the hollow body and rolling member are at rest, and with said recesses or corners being so disposed relative to indicia means on the outer circumferential surface or surfaces of rotatable hollow body that in the position of rest of the device, discrete indicia means will be viewable at at least one reference point or region.

thereof are curved inwardly or outwardly so as to affect the rolling movement of the rolling member as desired.

15. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13 wherein the rolling member is a spherical weight

16. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 15 wherein the rolling member is of a material or has a rubber or other resilient material coating to reduce the noise resulting from the rolling action thereof and/or the interior surface of the rotary hollow body or drum may be formed of a rubber or resilient or the like sound reducing material or have such a coating applied thereto.

17. A device for random presentation of indicia means substantially as herein described with referpence to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A device for the random presentation of indicia means comprises support means or base, at least one rotatable body rotatably mounted on a central, non-rotatable axle mounted on said support means base and having a plurality of projections or recesses circularly arranged on the interiorthereof and engageable by resilient or resiliently mounted on the central axle about which the rotary body rotates such that said biassing means act to cause said rotary bodyto come to rest with discrete indicia means located on the exterior of said rotary body being viewable at a specific reference point.

19. A device as claimed in claim 18 in which the rotary body is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and the flexible or resiliently mounted biassing means are provided to act upon regularly arranged recesses or projections arranged relative to the indicia means on the outside of said rotatable body so as to bring the body to rest in specific dispositions in random manner.

20. A device as claimed in claim 20 in which the rotatable body is hollow and the biassing means are provided in the interior thereof to act upon the readily arranged recesses or projections within the interior of said rotatable body.

21. A device as claimed in any claims 1 to 20 in which more than six outer circumferential surfaces bearing indicia means are provided on the exterior of the rotary or rotatable body.