GB967344A - Coin-freed mechanism,particularly applicable to amusement apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

967,344. Coin-freed apparatus. A. J. L. CROMPTON. March 27, 1963 [Feb. 6, 1962], No. 17624/62. Divided out of 967,343. Heading G4V. A coin-freed mechanism for an amusement machine comprises a pivoted coin shoot 12, Fig. 1 which is held in a first position by a spring 14 until moved to a second position by an electromagnet 16 where it can direct an inserted coin to rotate a spring-urged member 22 having a notch 27 in its periphery for receiving a spring-urged setting arm 28 which then pivots at 29 and operates one or more make-and-break contacts 36, a re-setting electromagnet 31 being arranged for pulling the arm away from the notch and thereby allowing the member to return to its original position. A striker pin 24 on the member 22 projects through a slotin in a director-plate 26. The mechanism may form one of a number of play-stations of the amusement machine described in Specification 967, 343. The shoot 12 is normally in the second position and a coin inserted into the shoot is directed to the right-hand side of a deflector plate 20 so that it can operate the striker pin 24 against the action of the spring 25 and cause operation of the contacts 36; further coins inserted at this time are deflected to the other side of the deflector and returned to the operator because operation of the contacts 36 has resulted in de-energization of the electromagnet 16. In a modification, the pin 24 is arranged to project directly into the coin shoot when the shoot is in its second position, the deflector plate in such a case being omitted. When the mechanism is used as a play-station in an amusement machine, the machine may be started by the insertion of a coin, a further pair of contacts 36 being provided for this purpose; these contacts operate a relay having contacts which start the machine. At the end of the machine cycle, the electromagnet 31 is momentarily energized to return the member 22 ready for the next game. The coins may be fed into a coin-tube 39 having a coin-dispensing mechanism at its lower end which comprises an electromagnet 42, Fig. 3 winch, when operated by the machine on the event of a "win", pivots a plate 40 across the lowermost coins so as to reject one or more coins into a pay-out receptacle. When the tube is full of coins, further coins which arrive slide over into a shoot 45 leading to a coin-box.