US1475154A - Game - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20 1923. 1,475,154

A. B. FOANS GAME Filed March 14. 1922 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS' Patente' Nov. 20, 1323.

' embodying this invention.

ANDREW B. roams, or new roan, N. Y., Assrenor. r0 KENTUCKY DERBY ooivrraiar INC., A CORPORATION 013 NEW YORK.

GAME.

Application filed March 14, 1922. Serial no. 543,734.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that 1, ANDREW B. FoANs, a citizen of the United States residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of. New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a game in which a number of units such as yachts are propelled about a course in simulation of a race by the actuation of a series of hand wheels manipulated by the players.

The object of the invention is to provide a conveyer for propelling a unit about the course and automatic means brought into action by the speed of the conveyer for disengaging the unit from the conveyer so that it will momentarily remain stationary.

Another object of the invention is to provide nieans carried by the conveyer for rock ing the unit after it has been released from its propelling means or while it is stationlhnother object of the invention is to'provide devices for'throwing the hand operating means out of action and means actuated by the devices for bringing a motor into action to propel any of the stranded units about the course to the finish line after the race is over.

The invention resides'more particularly in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents. a plairview of a game Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 22 of the same.

Fig. 3 isa detail view showing the'yacht in engagement with the gripping device.

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse section take along the line 4+4 of Fig. 1. I I

In the drawing the numeral 5 designates a tank which is partly filled. with water to create the illusion of a boat race. The tank can be divided into any numberof courses but for the purpose of illustration two are shown with a partition 6 dividin them. The tank is supported on a frame and a passageway 8 alongside of the tank is provided for the operator, while the players stand on a floor '9 within easy reach of a counter 10 extending upwardly from the floor.

In the tank is arranged an'endless conveyer consisting of a chain 11 guided about sprockets 12 and 13 mounted to revolver pressure of the water have a tendency to flex the spring as indicated in dotted lines releasing the yacht or unit which remains stationary until the next gripping device comes'into its path. Each course is in the form of an elongated O and one unit is propelled by each conveyer. The gripping members are sufliciently wide to engage any unit that has drifted out of the course or the path of the chain. The chain after it leaves the sprockets is guided on tracks'17 thus preventing it from sagging so that there -will beno danger of the gripping members passing under the spring member thereby missing it. In other words the shifting positions of the spring member caused by the water on the floating unit is compensated by the depth and shape of the members. Then the unit has been released from the chain it is rocked by anyone of a number of cams 18 fixed at intervals to the chain;

The means fordriving the conveyer includes a vertical shaft- 19 fixed to the sprocket 12 and having a bevel gear 20 at its lower end. A horizontal transmission shaft 21 with bevel. gears 22 and 23' ateach end transmits motionto the conveyer, when a sliding clutch member 24 feathered on the shaft is in engagement with the gear 22.

The. last named gear is'loosely mounted on hand wheel 25 fixed-to a vertical driving shaft 26 with a bevel gear 27 at its lower 7 end is actuated by one of the players to revolve the shaft. Any number of the hand wheels can be employed andeach one independently operates aconveyer.

a The supplemental driving mechanism for operating the conveyer when the hand wheel is out of action consists of a horizontal jack shaft 28, havinga looselymounted bevel gear 29 at one end in mesh with the bevel gear 20, and a bevel gear 30 at its other end. The gear 30 is engaged by a bevel gear 31 fixed to one end of the rotor shaft 32 and driven by a motor 33 preferably of the electric type. Any number of the conveyers can beconnected to the motor and all the conveyers are driven simultaneously when desired. A sliding clutch member 34 feathered on the jack shaft is adapted. to throw the motor in and out of action.

A. device for simultaneously actuating all the clutches consists of a pair of forked levers 35 having roller studs to engage grooves in theclutch members as is well known. The levers are connected together by a rack member 36 the front portion of which is toothed as shown in Fig. 2 to engage a pinion 37 under control of the operator. By oscillating the pinion it slides the clutch members on the jack and transmission shafts to engage either, of the gears or they canbe stopped in a neutral position without engaging any of the gears thereby throwing the hand wheels and motor out of action. Any number of clutches can be used and operated by thepinion. to either place all the hand wheels out of action or to have the motor actuate the conveyers.

The yacht on'onecourse practically follows the chain and the division 6 prevents it from drifting outside of itscourse. Each course has a bar 38 swinging on a support 39 fixed in the tank. The bar is made of a single length of wire and it has a tail 40 whereby the bar'can be swung against the T side of the tank. The bar when in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 is the finish point ot' the race, but when it is swung out of the way the units are ready to start the race. The tails of the two bars shown in the drawing are linked together at 41 so that the actuation of one will operate the other. 'VVhen the bars-are in action to stop the units the link prevents them from swinging over by a sliding latch 42 engaging a stud 48 on the link. This arrangement holds the bars rigidly in position to stop the units,'while the conveyer isv traveling in the same direct on and the gripplng devlces merely wipe under the spring device on the I units.

It will be seen that the=course or courses withthe movable objects thereon 'lie in the same horizontal plane with the operating 'means and are in front of both the operator and the players so that the players will view the. yachts or objects on the line of direction in which theobjec'ts are traveling and canalso'see the objects turn about the course.

It is also to be understool that I am not I limited to the construction of the device as shown and it will be understood that the platform 8 if desired, may be placedat one side of the course and with such construction the counter 10 would be eliminated and the hand operating wheels 25 can be placed nearer to or connected with the structure containing the tank.

I claim: I

1. In a game the combination with an endless conveyer, of means for manually operating the conveyer a unit coactingat times with the conveyer, and means connecting the conveyer with the unit :Eor propelling it about a course said means being controlled by the speed of the conveyer for disconnecting the unit. 7 V I 2. In a game the combinationwith an endless conveyer, of means for manually operating the conveyer, a unit coacting at times with the conveyer, and a yielding device connecting the conveyer with the unit for propelling it about a course, said device being controlled by the speedo'f the conveyer for disconnecting the unit.

3. In a game the combination with an endless conveyer, of means for manually operating the conveyer, a unit coactin g. at times with the conveyer, means connecting the conveyer with the unit for. propelling it about a course, said means being controlled by the speed of the conveyer for disconnecting the unit, and means for rocking the unit.

.for, engagement with'any one of the gripping devices controlled bythe speed of the conveyer for releasing the member from the device. V

6. In a. game the combination with a conveyer, of manual means "for operating the conveyer, a clutch for controlling the manual means, and amotor broughtv into action by the clutch control for actuating the conveyer when the manual means is out of action.

' 7.111 a game the combination with a plurality of conveyers. of manual means for individually operating the conveyers, a clutch controlling each of the manual means,

4. In a game the combination with an end and a motor brought into action by the clutch control, for actuating the conveyers I When the manual means is out of action.

8. In a game the combination with an endless conveyer, of means for manually operating the conveyer, said operating means being located atone end of the conveyer, a unit coasting at times With the conveyer, and a yielding device connecting the conveyer with the unit for propelling it about the course, said device being controlled by themy hand in the presence of two subscrib- 1 ing Witnesses. ANDREW B. FOANS.

Witnesses:

INEZ M. SoHoMBs,

WILLIAM MILLER.

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