US1402423A - Race game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

J. D. HOLM. 'R ACE GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION HL'ED MAY24, I920.

Patented Jan. 3,1922,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1. D. HOLML RACE GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1920'.

Patented Jan. 3',1922.

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J. 0. HOW. RACE GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY24, 1920.

M QVWA Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

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JOHN D. HOLM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RACE GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed May 2%,

one another under control of separate players. 7 r

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive game apparatus of this character, that will provide entertainment and call for alertness of eyes and muscle in order to win the race.

The racing objects are illustrated to suggest a boatrace, nautical scenery is pro vided, and the boats are caused to dip and rise. The hulls'of the boats show above the level of the racing-table, but the boats run in separate channels, and are mounted upon concealed carriages, rolling along tracks lain in the bottoms of the channels.

The dipping and rising of the boats is caused by rocking the racingtable, which may be covered by canvas to represent water, the canvas being extended around the borders of the table and its edges framed, whereby the edges of the table are concealed from'view, as well as the machinery beneath the table; avhile the undulating of the canvas suggests waves of the ocean.

T he rocking of the table is effected partly by an electric motor and partly by a returning spring; and the pitching boats are either advanced or retired by reason of the rocking of the table. The movements of the boats in either direction are, however, limited by means of stops, which may be pins placed in the paths of the boats. Each boat has a distinguishing number on its sail, and each player seeks to favor the advance of his boat and check its retirement, and thereby get it ahead of the other boats, and eventually win the race. As the table tilts downwardly-in one direction, every boa-titends to advance toward the goal, but such advance may be arrested byt-he next adjacent stop-pin, unless the player is alert enough to withdraw said stop-pin in time to prevent the boat from Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Jan. 3, 1922. 1920. Serial No. 333,709.

being arrested. On the other hand, as the table is tilted in the opposite direct-ion the boats tend to retreat, so that each player must be on the alert to restore the stop-pin and thereby check the retreat of his boat.

As some players are more alert than others,

some boats will gradually fall behind, others will gradually gain, and finally one will reach the goal. The winning boat is retained at the goal, while the remaining boats are automatically returned to starting posi tions. The rocking is automatically stopped, and the table is caused to remain permanently tilted in position to keep the boats at the starting points. The attendant may then return the winning boat and reset the apparatus preparatory to the next race, and set the table to rocking again.

Other features and advantages will here- I inafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a racing-table, showing the same tilted in a direction to advance the boats and also showing individual levers for controlling the boat movements.

l igure 2 is a plan of the table, showing the boats ranged at the starting points and illustrating a series of channels in which the boats race, as well as certain controlling connections extending from the racing channels to positions convenient to the players.

Figure 3 is part-sectional elevation of the table and one of the boats and its carriage, showing the mounting of the table, the table-rocking motor, and the resetting levers.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan illustrating the nearing of the goal by one of the boats, and also showing a slide or bar for detaining the winning boat, and an electric mechanism for releasing said slide or bar and retiring the losing boats to starting positions.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the racing-table, showing one of the channels therein, the boat-carriage, tracks, boat-stopping pins, and the rock-shaft whereon the pins are mounted.

Figure 6 is a sectional end elevation of the main features of the apparatus.

Boats or other racingobjects 10 are arboat-s as the table see-saws.

3, in parallel channels 12. The advance of the boats is effected at intervals, by tipping up the left-hand end of the table 11, or tilting down the right-hand end thereof, to form an incline down whichthe boats run, as at Figure 1. Each of the boats may travel independently of the others, and for this purpose each is mounted upon a car 13, having wheels 14 to run on parallel tracks 15, such a pair of tracks being laid in the bottom of each channel 12. The channels may be of such depth that the cars or carriages are concealed from the players; and to foster the illusion that the boats are sailing from time to time, the table may be surrounded by suitable nautical scenery, as at 16. This illusion is also fostered by the clipping of the Each car has a cradle to hold the boat; and this cradle may be in the form of opposite arms 17 ex tending upwardly and connected at their upper ends by tie-bolts 18, Figure 5, these bolts passing through the boat hulls.

The sailing table is mounted upon a horse or support 18, and is provided with pivots or trunnions 19 upon which it may see-saw; and its repeated tilting movements may be automatically effected by the aid of an electric motor 20, connected by pulley 21 and belt 22 to driving pulley 23 mounted upon shaft 24, said shaft provided with an arm 25 for rocking the table 11. This arm carries at its end a grooved wheel or trolley 26, which, once in each revolution of the arm, strikes and bends or tautens a cable 27, the upper end of which is connected at 28 to the table 11, to pull it down, and the lower end of which is connected at 29 to a stationary device. The operation of the arm upon the cable 27 is to cause the cable intermittently to pull down the righthand end of the table 11. Each time that the trolley 26 runs off from the cable, a spring 30 returns the table to the other extreme of the see'saw movement. Hence the table is sometimes pointing downwardly toward the right, as at Figure 1, and at other times upwardly. When the table is inclined downwardly, the boats in the fleet all tend to run down to the right-hand end of the table. hen, however, the table is tilted in the opposite direction, the boats all tend to recede toward the left, to the starting point of the race. The object of each player, therefore, is to secure the greatest possible advance of his own boat at the downward tilt of the lefthand end of the table, and to check the boat against receding at the opposite tilt thereof, the race being won by the contestant who is most successful in these manoeuvers.

The means whereby the player controls the advance and recession of his boat will now be explained. At the bottom of each channel are placed upstanding stop pins 31, arranged in the path of a cross-bar 32, placed upon the bottom of the boat-carriage, so as to arrest the carriage and boat, as in full lines in Figure 5. These pins 31 are placed at such short intervals that the carriage and its heat cannot travel far, either forwardly or backwardly, unless the pins are withdrawn from the path of the carriage. The withdrawal of the pins is under the control of the player, and for this purpose the pins in each channel are mounted upon a rockshaft 33, which extends the length of the channel. A cord 3st connects this shaft with a lever 35, to enable the player to rock the shaft. One end of the cord is wound around the rock-shaft as at 35*, Figures 2 and 5,

and thence extends down to pulley 36,thence outwardly to the pulley 37, and thence upwardly over pulley 38, to the end of lever 35, which is pivoted between its ends at 39. Pressure upon the lever 35 exerts a pull upon the cord, which rocks the shaft 33 to the right, thus swinging all the stop pins 31 to the dotted-line release position at Figure 5, beneath the cross-bar 32 of the carriage, thus permitting the carriage and boat to run freely either forwardly or backwardly, as the table may be tilted.

The player watches the boats and the table movements, and as he notices that his boat begins to lose headway and come to rest, because, of the upward swinging of the table at its right-hand end, to about the level position at Figure 3, he releases the lever 35, and a spring 40 upon the rock-shaft '33, Figure 2, returns the latter to normal position, and thereby restores the stop pins 31, thus arresting the backward travel of the boat as soon as its bar 32 strikes the nearest stop pin to the left. A returning spring ll may be provided for the lever 35. As soon as the table regains its level position and starts to tipping down again at its right-hand end, the operator again manipulates the lever 35, to withdraw the pins 31 to permit his boat to advance.

Since the game is in the nature of a contest among several players, there are provided individual levers 35 for the boats 10, these levers being placed in a row, the row being parallel with the courses over which the boats travel, so that the players may stand side by side and each have the advantage of watching the progress of every boat in the fleet. V

The cords 3-1- may be wound around the rock-shafts at points to coincide substantially with theaxis 19 upon which the table rocks, at which point there is little or no motion of the table, so that the rocking of the table will have no appreciable effect upon the cords, or upon the levers 35. The strands orreaches of cord may descend from the middle portions of the rock-shafts, forming a row or line as at Figure 6, and after turning beneath the pulleys 36 may diverge,

as. seen in plan Figure 2, to the pulleys 37, from which they may rise vertically to the pulleys 38.

When the foremost boat reaches goal, a sprit 42 which extends forwardly from its carriage engages a switch 43 and'closes the same, for the purpose of releasing a latch 44, to permit a spring 45 to operate a slid-' ing bar 46, which carries gates or looks 47, and thrusts one of them behind a lock pin 48 carried upon the said sprit 42, so that the boat is locked in winning position and cannot recede. The latch 44 is opened by means of a magnet 49, included in a direct circuit 50, which is closed by said switch 43; said circuit being grounded at 51 and 52, and including a source of power 53. Since each of the boats carries a circuit-closing sprit or projection 42, said circuit may be provided with a series of switches 43, by any of which it may be closed, one switch for each sprit 42. The closing of any switch will cause a current to flow around the magnet 49, thereby operating armature 54 and permitting the spring 45 to slide the bar 46,

so that one of the locking gates 47 will close behind the pin'48 of the winning boat, there being one gate 47 for each boat, and all the gates being carried upon the slide or bar 46, which is common to the boats.

When the race is won, it is desirable that none of the other boats shall proceed further; and preferably means provided forsending all of the remaining boats automatically back to the starting location, while the winning boat is retained at the goal. F or this purpose, the bar 46 is provided with projections 55 to engage arms 55 provided upon pin-carrying rock-shafts 33, to rock all of said shafts automatically, as the released bar 46 advances under the tension of spring '45. concomitantly the table is tipped up at its forward end and down at its rear end, so that all of the boats, except the one already locked by'bar 46, roll back to their starting positions.

At the same time the motor is rendered ineffective to rock the table. The mecha-.

is nism for this purpose includes a magnet 56,

which attracts an armature 56 and releases a latch 57, to permit the cable 27 to slacken, while a spring 30 rocks down the left-hand end of the table 11. The cable becomes so slack that the pulley 26 rides idly over it, or even fails to reach it, so that the rocking of the table bythe motor is discontinued. The magnet 56 may be included in the same circuit 50 as the magnet 49, or in a branch circuit grounded at 58.

Pressing to the right a lever 59, at Figure 3, tensions a cord 60, which runs over pulleys61, 62, thence to the right-hand end of the table at 63, and around pulley 64. This cord runs from pulley 64, as seen at 65, to a point of connection with slide 46, and pulls the same back to normal position, retensioning the spring 45, until the latch 44 snaps over lug 66 on said slide 46, to hold the same in preparation for the winning of the next boat race. Upon thrusting to the right a lever 67 at Figure 3, the cable 27, which runs over pulley 68, is drawn suiiiciently taut to enable the trolley 26 to vibrate the racing table, as already explained; the latch 57 catching over a lug 69 provided upon said cable 27 to hold the same until released by magnet 56 at the winning of the race by one of the boats, as already explained.

In operation, the boats are ranged in line at the rear of the racing table, as at Figure 2; the stop pins 31 standing upright and preventing the advance of all the boats. The attendant pushes the lever 59 to the right, Figure 3, and thereby pulls the goal bar 46 to its latched position, as at Figure 4; all of the switches being held open by their springs, shown diagrammatically at 70. The attendant also presses to the right at Figure 3 the lever 67, until it is held by the latch 57. This'tightens the cable 27, so that the running motor 20 can pull up the table by causing the trolley arm 25 to revolve and exert intermittent downward pulls on the right-hand end of the table. by means of cable 27; the table being returned by means of a spring 30 after each depression. The players stand in'a row, each grasping a lever 35 and watching his own boat, which may bear a. distinguishing number upon the sail, as seen at Figure 1. The. player pushes the lever 35 toward the right, at Figure 6, to withdraw the pins 31 from the path of his boat-carriage'l7- The boats may then run downwardly or toward the right, at Figure 1, until the table recovers a level position, as at Figure 3, preparatory to assuming its original position, in which it tilts downwardly to the left. If any layer does not now release the lever 35, his boat will roll back to starting location. But if the player is alert, he will release his lever and the spring 40 will rock the pins 31 back to intercepting positions, so that the boat will recede but little, if any. The described rocking of the table is repeated indefinitely by the action of the motor 20 and the spring 30; and as the table again tilts toward the right the alert player throws his lever 35 into working position again, thereby causing the pins to disappear so that the boat may roll farther towards the goal, that is, towards the right-hand end of the racing board, at Figures 1, 2 and 3.

hen the foremost boat reaches the goal its sprit 42 closes its switch 43, thereby causing a current to flow through magnet 49 and releasing latch 44, so that spring 45 is permitted to slide the universal bar 46 over to carry the appropriate gate 47 behind the pin 48, on the. sprit of the boat. At the same time, the electric current causes latch 57 to release lug 69, thereby producing slack in the cable 2'7, and permitting the spring 30 to tilt the table permanently back or downward at its left-hand end at Figure 3, so that all of the losing boats run back to their starting locations. Vlhen the attendant subsequently operates the lever 59, the cord 65 pulls the goal bar e6 back to the latched position, at Figure 4, thereby releasing the winning boat, so that it may run back to the starting position ready for the next race. V

The borders of the racing table 11 are covered by colored canvas 71, which extends beyond the borders and is attached to the framing T2 of the apparatus. This extended partof the canvas is made slack, as at 73, to permit the rising and falling of the table and foster the illusion that the pitching boats are sailing in water.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The combination of a racing-table having tracks, carriages running on said tracks, racing objects mounted upon the carriages, means for tilting the table up and down, and manually controlled means for arrest ing the objects, said table having channels in which rails are laid.

2. The combination of aracing-table having tracks, carriages running on said tracks, racing objects mounted upon the carriages, means for tilting the table up and down, and manually controlled means for arresting the objects, each carriage comprising opposite arms extending upwardly and con nected at their upper ends by a tie-bolt passing through the racing object.

3. The combination of racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the objects along the table, powerdriven means for causing the table to tend to alternately advance and retire the objects, and individually-operable means for arresting the forward and backward travel of the objects, said power-driven means comprising a motor and means co-operating therewith to tilt the table up and down.

4:. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the objects along the table, powerdriven means for causing the table to tend to alternately advance and retire the objects, and individually-operable means for arresting the forward and backward travel of the objects, said power-driven means comprising a motor to tilt the table in one direction, and a returning spring to tilt the table in the opposite direction.

5. The combination of a racingtable pivoted between its ends, means connected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing objects guided upon said table to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, and manually-controlled arresting means individual to the objects.

6. The combination of a racing-table pivoted between its ends, means connected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing objects guided upon said table to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, and manually-controlled arresting means individual to the objects, said table-moving means comprising a'motor, a driving arm connected thereto, a cable or connection caused by said driving arm to pull one end of the table, and a spring or means for returning said table.

7. The combination of a racing-table pivoted between its ends, means connected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing obj ects guided upon said table to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, and manually-controlled arresting means individual to the objects, said table-moving means comprising a motor, a driving arm connected thereto, a cable or connection caused by said driving arm to pull one end of the table, said arm carrying at its end a roller or trolley to tauten the ing said table.

8. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the racing objects, means to urge the objects alternately forward and back, and a series of movable stops in the path of each object to arrest its forward and backward travel.

9. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the racing objects, means to urge the objects alternately forward and back, a series of movable stops in the path of each object to arrest its forward and backward travel, and manual means to control each series of stops independently of the others, thereby to enable each player to control the advance and retraction of his racing object.

10. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the racing objects, means to urge the objects alternately forward and back. a series of movable stops in the path of each object to arrest its forward and backward travel, and manual means to control each series of stops independently of the others, said stops in the form of pins, and said controlling means comprising devices to move said pins out of and into the path of the racing objects.

11. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the racing objects, means to urge the objects alternately forward and back, a series of movable stops in the path of each cable. and a spring or means for return- 7 object to arrest its forward and backward travel, andmanual means to control each series of stops independently of the Others, each set of stops being mounted upon a rockshaft, and the controlling means comprising a series handles individually connected to the respectiverock-shafts.

12. The. combination of aLracing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to guide the racing objects, means to urge the objects alternately forward and back, a

series of movable stops in the path of eachobject to arrest'its forward and backward travel, manual means to control each series of stops independently of the others, each set of stopsbeing'mounted upon a rockshaft, and the controlling meanscomprising a series of handles individually connected to the respective rock-shafts, and a station ary frame whereon said handles are mounted; theconnections between the handles and rock-shafts being constructed to compensate for the tilting of the table.

13. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, means to 7 guide the racing objects, means to urge the objects alternately forward and back, a

series of movable stops in the path of each object to arrest its forward and backward travel, manual means to control each series of stops independently of the others, each set of stops being mounted upon a rockshaft, and thecontrolling means comprising a series of handles individually connected to the respective rock-shafts; the connections from the rock-shafts to the handlescomprising cords which are attached to the rockshafts at points having little or no motion at the tilting of the table, and run-over pulleys to the handles.

V the connections. between the handles and rock-shafts being constructed tocompensate for the tilting of the table; springs being provided for returning the rock-shafts to normal positions.

15. The combination of a table, a series of racing objects guided thereon, means under joint automatic and manual control for racing the objects against one another,

and a detaining member at the goal common to all of said objects and operable by any thereof, each ofv said objects having a pin at its forward end, and said detaining member having gates movable to positions back of said pins for detaining any of the objects. '16. The combination with a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, and joint manual and automatic means for controlling the travel of the objects, of normally latched means for detaining the Winning object at the goal, and means controllable by the winning object for releasing said detaining means.

17. The .combination with a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, and joint manual and automatic means for controlling the travel of the objects, of normally latched means for detaining the winning object at the goal, means controllable by the winning object for releasing said detaining means, and a'springfor operating the released detaining means.

18. The combination with a racing-table, aseriesof racing objects thereon, and joint manual and automatic means for controlling the travel of the objects, of normally latched ins-ans for detaining the winning object at the goal, and means controllable by the winning object for releasing said detaining means, said releasing means including an electric circuit under control of the winning object.

19. The combination with a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, and joint manual and automatic means for controlling the travel of the objects, of normally latched means for detaining the winning object at the goal, and means controllable by the w n- 1ningnobject for releasing said detaining means, said releasing means including an electric circuit under control of the wnmlng ob ect, sa1d detaining means common to all of the racing objects to detain the same, and said electric circuit closable by any of the racing objects and including the means to unlatch said common detaining means.

20. The combination of a racing-table, racing boats guided thereon, power-driven means for rendering the table manually controllable, stops or means for checking forward and backward movements of the boats, and means operable by any boat for both detaining it at the goal and also disabling the stops for the remaining boats and bringing the table to rest in a backwardly tilted position.

21. The combination of a racing-table, racing objects thereon, means for rocking the table to cause the objects to advance or retreat, and manually-controllable means for checking the forward and backward movements of the objects; said rocking means comprising a motor and an arm driven thereby, a slack cable tautened by said revolving arm and connected to the table to move it in one direction, and a spring to return the table.

.said driving arm to pull one end of the table, said arm carrying at its end means 22. The combination of a racing board, a series of'racing objects thereon, means for racing the objects, means at the goal portion of the racing-board for detaining any object, said means being normally ineffective, an electric circuit closable byany object upon reaching the goal, means controlled by said electric'circuit for rendering said detaining means eifective, said detaining means in the form of a slide having: a series of detaining devices thereon, one for each racing object, a spring foroperating said slide, a latch releasable by said electric cir cuit for detaining said slide, and means to return said slide to normal position against the tension of said operating sprin 23. The combination of a racing-board, a

series of racing objects, means to guide the objects along the board, means to effect repeated rocking of the board to alternatively tor, a driving arm connected thereto, a cable caused by said driving arm to pull one end of the table, said arm carrying; at its end means to tauten the cable and a spring for returning saidtable, a device tending to slacken said cable to render it inoperative, latch holdingsaid device, means operable by an object to release said latch to permit said spring to return said table to its downavardly and rearwardly tilted position and hold it there. and means concomitantly producing sufficient slack in said cable to dis able the same.

25. The combination of a racing-table pivoted between its ends, means connected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing objects p uided upon saidtable to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, manually-eontrolled arresting means individual to the objects, said table moving means comprising a motor, a driving arm connected thereto, a cable caused by to tauten the cable and a spring for returnin; said table, a device tending to slacken said cable to render it inoperative, a latch hold-ingsaid device, means operable by an object torelease said latch to permit said spring to return said table to its down- 'wardly'and rearwardly tilted position and hold it there, means concomitantly producing suiiicientslackin said cable todisable the same, and means for restoring said cable to effective condition.

26. The combination of a racing-board,'a series of'racing objects thereon, means for racing the objects, means at the goal portion of the racing-board for detaining any object,

said means being normally ineffective, an electric circuit closable by any object upon reaching the goal, means controlled by said restoring said detaining slide to normal position.

27. The combination of a racing table pivoted between itsends, means'c'onnected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing objects guided upon said table to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, manually-controlled arresting means individual to the objects, said table-moving means comprising a motor, a driving arm connected thereto, a cable caused by said driving arm to pull one end of the table, said arm carrying at its end means to tauten the cable and a spring for returning said table, a device tending to slacken said cable to render it inoperative, a latch holding said device, and means operable by an object to release said latch topermit said spring to return said table its downwardly and rearwardly tilted position and hold it there. f

28. The combination of a racing-board, a series of racing objects thereon, means for racing the objects, means at the goal portion of the racing-board for detaining any object, said meansbeing normally ineffective, an electric circuit closable by any object upon reaching the goal, and means controlled by said electric circuit for rendering said detaining means effective. r

29. The combination of a racing-board, a series of racing'objects tliereon,-nieans for racing the objects, means at the goal portion of the racing board for detaining any object, said means being normally ineffective, an electric circuit :closable by any object upon reaching the goal, means controlled by said electric circuit for rendering said detaining means effective, said d tain ing means in the" form of a slidehaving a series of detaining devices'thereon, one tor each racing object, a spring for. operating" said slide, and a latch releasable by said electric circuit for detaining said slide.

30. The combination of a racing-table, a series of racing objectsthereon, means for racing the objects,means at the goal portion of the-racingtable for'detaining any object,

said means being normally ineffective, electric circuit closable by any ob ect upon reaching the goal, and means controlled by said electric circuit for rendering said detaining means effective, said circuit having a maining objects to starting positions.

32. The combination with a series of racing objects and guiding means therefor, of individually-controllable means for racing the objects, and means operable by any object upon reaching the goal to detain itself at the goal and cause the return of the remaining objects to starting locations.

33. The combination of a table, a series of racing objects guided thereon, means under joint automatic and manual control for racing the objects against one another, means rendered eflective by any object upon reaching the goal to detain it there, and means for concomitantly returning the remaining objects to starting locations. r

34. The combination with a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, and joint manual and automatic means for controlling the travel of the objects, of normally latched means for detaining the Winning object at the goal, means controllable by the winning object for releasing, said detaining means, and means for concomitantly returning the remaining objects to starting locations.

35. The combination with-a racing-table, a series of racing objects thereon, and joint manual and automatic means for controlling the travel of the objects, of normally latched means for detaining the winning object at the goal, means controllable by the winning object for releasing said detaining means, said releasing means including an electric circuit under control of the winning object, said detaining means common to all of the racing objects to detain the same, and said electric circuit closable by any of the racing objects and including the means to unlatch said common detaining means, and means for concomitantly returning the remaining objects to starting locations.

86. The combination of a racing-table having tracks, carriages running on said tracks,

racing objects mounted upon the carriages,

means for tilting the table up and down,

manually-controlled means for arresting the objects, and means operable by any of said objects upon reaching the goal to detain itself and concomitantly effect a permanent tilting of said table to return the other objects to starting locations and disable the obj cot-arresting means.

87. The combination of a racing-table pi oted between its ends, means connected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing objects guided upon said table to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, manually-controlled arresting means individual to the objects, and means operable by any of said objects upon reaching the goal to detain itself and concomitantly effect a permanent tilting of said table to return the other objects to starting locations anddisable the arresting means.

38. The combination of a table, a series of racing objects guided thereon, means under joint automatic and manual control for racing the objects against one another, objectdetaining means, and means dependent upon the winning of the goal by any object, for operating said detaining means and concomitantly returning the other objects to starting locations.

39. The combination of a racing-table pivoted between its ends, means connected to said table to give it repeated see-saw movements, racing objects guided upon said table to be urged alternately forward and backward thereby, manually-controlled arresting means individual to the objects, said tablemoving means comprising a motor, a driving arm connected thereto, a cable caused by said driving arm to pull one end of the table, said arm carrying at its end means to tauten the cable and a spring for returning said table, a device tending to slacken said cable to render it inoperative, a latch holding said device, means operable by an object to release said latch to permit said spring to return'said table to. its downwardly and rearWa-rdly tilted position and hold it there, and means for restoring said cable to normal condition.

40. The combination of a table, means to tilt the table repeatedly, racing objects rid-. ing upon said table, a framework, and canvas covering the edge of the table and extending to the framework, a slack being provided in thglcanvas to permit the movements of the ta e.

JOHN D. HOLM.

Witnesses:

THoMAs C. PATTERSON, J r., GORA V. BROWN.

Images