US1509791A - Indicator for use in card games - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23 |924.

J. P. STEVENS INDICATOR FOR USE 1N CARD GAMES Filed May 21. 1923 mw Mm u m 11G JMU af K11 7 w l w @L ,n -.2 WWMZ@ @Vw W Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

J'OSIAH PERCI'VAL STEVENS, OF ATL-ANTA, GEORGIA.

INDICATOR FOR USE IN CARD GAMES.

Application led May 21, 1923.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JosIAI-r P. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Use in Card Games; and I do hereby declare the following to be'a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates toimprovements in indicators for use in card games and consists in certain improvements over the device described and claimed in my copending application SerialI Number 634,198, filed April 28, 1923, patented J une 24, 1924, No. 1,499,259. o

The present invention has substantially the same purposes and objects as the former `device namely to provide an indicator for use at card tables to point to the next dealer and being operable in conjunctionwith the pencil with which the score is kept.

As was pointed out in the prior patent, a great deal of dissension arises from the fact that track is often lost of where the deal lies and it is a general object of the invention to unmistakably point out the next dealer mechanically while providing a holder for the scorers pencil.

The present invention aims to provide over the prior device certain simplifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts which render the operation easier, the cost cheaper and the device more attractive and less complicated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device Aconstructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the cover removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of thel device with the cover removed and with the parts in an initial position.

Figure 4 is a similar-'view with a pencil inserted in the holder and the parts shown in a subsequent position.

Serial N'o. 640,452.

Figure 5 is a plan view with parts broken away similar to Figure 2 showing an intermediate position of the parts, and

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the final position of the parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 8 designates a base plate upon which thevarious parts of the device are mounted, the plate being preferably of thin metal in order to form an attractive article, lend the necessary weight to the device and provide an appropriate stand for resting upon the card table beside the pad upon which the score of the game is kept.

If desired a flanged or cupped cover 9 may be provided in conjunction with the base plate'1,'the cover being inverted soV thatv its open portionrests upon the base plate, its flanges forming substantially vertical walls, and its closed part being uppermost and provided with suitable indicia for designating the various players making up the card party. For instance as shown, the cover plate is divided into quadrants which are marked off bythe numerals 1, 2, 8 and 4. The cover may be secured removably to the base plate by appropriate means and a pointer or hand 10 of suitable ornamental conguration is adapted to move above the cover plate, and this pointer partakes of a rotary movement vabout the quadrants, each successive phase of the movement being in steps of approximately 90 degrees in order that the pointer will progress from one of the designating numerals to a position opposite the next subsequent .'numeral.

It is to -be understood however that the cover 9 may be entirely dispensed with as the pointer itself will point to and indicate the various four players in the card game. The cover serves to exclude dust and other foreign Vmatter from the moving parts and is desirable as a protection.

The base plate is provided at its rear central portion with an extension lug 11 lying beyond the cover, and forming a support for the cylindrical holder or barrel 12 which is of appropriate diameter to loosely receivethe pencil with which the score is kept, the pencil being indicated at 13 in dotted lines in Figure 4. The upper end of the barrel or pencil holder is not enlarged but its interior wall is 'slightly beveled or tapered, as indicated at 14 to serve as a guide for facilitating the introduction of the pencil into the device.v The pencil holder and adjacent Wall of the casing are providedin Figures 2 and 3, a pencil is inserted in With alining slots 15 and 16 respectively to admit of the sliding movement therethrough of an actuating head 17 provided with a tapered outer Wall 18 forming an inclined plane which extends into the socket or barrel 12 except when the pencil 13 is inserted. The head 17 forms part of a sliding bar 19 passing through guide slots 20 and 21 in the vertical legs 22 and 23 of a stirrup which is mounted centrally upon the base plate 8, the Walls of the stirrup being connected by a substantially horizontal bar 24 serving in conjunction With the base plate to support the shaft 25 Which carrie-s the pointer or index 10.

The shaft is located slightly to the side of the reciprocating bar 19 and the shaft carries a straight-faced disc 26 secured lixedly thereto and projecting` slightly into a slotted part 27 of the reciprocating bar 19. This slotted part 27 is made intermediately of the bar 19 and extends substantially half Way through the upper edge thereof. At the Vrear end of the slot is an upstanding pin 28 spaced from the rear Wall of the slot in order to admit therebetween a leaf spring 29V carried by a post 30 fixed to the base S near one edge thereof or remote from the reciprocating bar. Y

The spring 29 is biased to the position indicated in Figure 2normally urging the reciprocating bar 19 to the right. rlhe leaf spring 29 cooperates with a companion leaf spring 31 extending substantially par- A allel therewith and in fact perfectly forming an integral' portion of the leaf spring 29, the tivo leaf springs being produced from the end portions of the same piece of material and having their intermediate part clamped in the'divided end of the post 30. The free end portion of the spring 31 rests lightly against the straight faces of the disc 26 in order to normally hold the disc with the spring extending entirely in contact with one of the faces. This position is shown in Figures 2 and 6. The disc of course may be a square as shown or may be composed of any greater or less number of faces in accordance` With the number of the players to be indicated.

A spring arm 32 is carried by the head 17, being aflixed to the head as indicated at 33. The spring is olf set from the side Wall of lthe head 17 as indicated in Figures 2, 5 and 6 in order to permit of the lateral yielding of the spring from its pivot point The spring is also provided with an off set part 34 enabling the free end 32 of the spring to extend into the slot 27 of the reciprocating bar 19 and'to engage the adjacent face of the disc 26 at a point olf center or near the adjoining edge thereof.

Now Vin the operation of the device assuming the parts to be in the position shown the socket or barrel 12. As the pencil pushed down it encounters the inclined plane 18, forcing the head 17 over to the left. As this is accomplished, the spring turns the disc 2G and they shaft 25, the spring 31 yielding and permitting this movement. The spring turns the disc for about oneeighth of a revolution whereupon the corner of the disc Which is wiping over the spring 31 gets past the center and the spring 31 thereupon completes the angular turn of the disc 2G by forcing over this corner portion. Both springs 32 and 31 encountei` the side face of the disc and bring it to rest yieldably and gradually and make the movement of the parts noiseless while insuring that they are arrested at the proper point. The movement is accomplished with very little friction. The spring 29 restores the parts to the original position as soon as the pencil 13 is withdrawn for the purpose of setting down the score.

It will be seen that the pointer will therefore indicate the dealer as the score is set doivn after each hand of play.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention Without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thek following claims.

'Vhat is claimed is 1. An indicator for card dealers and the like comprising a rotary pointer, a disc in fixed relation thereto having (lat sides, reciprocating means acting off-center against the flat sides of the disc for initiating the rotary movement therein, and resilient keeper means associated with the disc and adapted to bear against the fiat sides thereof, said keeper means acting to take up and complete the movement of the disc and pointer and acting further to arrest the disc at the end of its movement.

2. An indicator for card dealers and the like comprising a pointer, a shaft therefor, a disc having straight sides secured fixedly to the shaft, a reciprocating bar having a yieldablc spring in position to engage a fiat side of the disc off center whereby to initiate a Amovement in the disc, and a flat spring bearing yieldably against a straight side of the disc and adapted to engage a corner of the disc When off center to complete the rotary movement thereof.

3. An indicator for card dealers and the like comprising a base, an upright socket. erected on the base and having a slot therein, said socket adapted to receive a pencil, a bar mounted to reciprocate on the base and having an inclined end for projecting through the slot in the socket to be encountered by the pencil, means on the base for guiding the sliding movement of the bar, a shaft erected on the base, indicating means carried by the shaft, a fiat sided disc affixed to the shaft adjacent the bar, a yieldable arm carried by said bar and adapted to engage the disc off-center whereby to initiate rotary movement in the disc and shaft on movement of the bar in one direction, means for yieldably holding the bar in an initial position With the inclined end thrust into the socket, and a spring having its free end engaging against the flat sides of the disc and adapted to have friction and silently complete the movement of the disc and bring the disc to a stop.

4. An indicator for card dealers and the like comprising a base, a frame on the base, a bar mounted to reciprocate substantially horizontally on the base and being guided on the frame, a socket for a pencil standing substantially upright on the base and having a slot receive one end of said bar,

said end of the bar being inclined whereby reception of a pencil in the socket Will shift the bar, means for yieldably holding the bar With the inclined end of the socket, said bar having an intermediate cut-out portion, a shaft journaled in said base and frame, indicating means associated with the shaft, a flat sided disc affixed to the shaft and projecting through the cut-out portion in the bar, a spring arm having one end secured to the bar near the inclined end thereof, said spring projecting substantially parallel with the bar and having an end portion off-set through the slot part of the bar and adapted to engage at its free extremity With the flat sided disc olf the center of the shaft, and a second flat spring bearing at its end portion against the flat sides of the disc and adapted to partially turn the disc and to stay the rotary movement of the disc When the Hat side thereof engages the free end portion of said second dimension spring.

JOSIAH PERCIVAL STEVENS.

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