US1703561A - Amusement apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26; 1929. f. #W356i i J B. WATLING v uusuEnr APPARATUS l Filed Nov. 22, 1925 2 Shoots-Skiset 2 Ilm di!! Y MYMFM* $52,;

Patented eb. 26, 1929. n

UNITED STATESl PAT-ENT foFFlcE.

,f JOHN B. Wurm-G, oF cncAeo, ILLIN'ois.

kalszuslinmnm ABPARATUS'.

Applica/cien med mynnier 22, 1.923.y seriai No) 676,251.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of the coin-controlled type but more particularly to fortune-telling devices in which the operator may select any one of a number of available questions y and `the mechanism will display an answer to the question selected. v

The primary object of the present linvention is to provide a novel and ingenious'device of the type described which is simple in construction and capable of withstanding hard use. *y Y Theparticular embodiment off my invention which I have chosen toi'll'ustrate the principles 'thereof weighing scale of. well-known ty 'e andthe mechanism is so constructed an arranged that a single coinwill causeth'e apparatus. to

, register' the weight of the operator and` an# 'swer a vselectedv question; Y

The many other objects `and'"advantages of my' invention will'be' better understood by referencel .to the kfollowi'r'i'g specification 'when jc'zonsidered` in 'connection with 'the' accompanyingdr'awings, in which l. v

Fig. 1 is a front elevationof a .portion 'of the appa1atus,and

' Fig., 2Q is a rear elevation of the apparatus with wall of casino' removed, showing' the fortune-tellinginecanism. l y

drawings', 'the apparatus Referring to [the isisubstantially enclosed inA a casing 1Q provided with. an arcuate vopenil'tgg or window 4 llhto Vexpose the', vvei`,{ hingA scalemclifalVH 12. "The coin slot is'l'ocatedat 13.v I Awind'ow 14 exposes a segment of the inner or 'question Vring l5` on. the revoluble dial 16.l Axsimi'la-r window 17I exposesa segment of theouter or answer ring 18 on the dial'16." An'oper- Y the front of theca'si'ng.

ating knob 19 lis connected tothe outer' end of `a revoluble shaft 20'projectingthrough The weighing mechanism ism@ 'Snowman detailv as this mechanism'forrns no part'of lthe present invention. A Vcoin inserted in theslot 13 .actuates a rockA arm`21 to release they ratchet/'or toothed" wheel 22 controlling this mechanism, Oneextre'mity of this rock arm is provided with ia, coin. pocket 23`disposed beneath the lower end connected .to the coin slot. yThe Weight of f the coin causeslth-e pocketedfendI of. this arin to swing downwardly and lift thepawl 25 from the ratchetk wheel.

latter being mounted on the outerendof van yis incorporated .inV a f ries vat its outer end a Vsl'nl'tter'44 tono'rfmally of the chute 24y I The continued w downward movement of this' arm permits- Vthe coin YtoV drop 00in Chute 26. y

i At the bottom of Vthe chutel second coin pocket27 on the extremity of a rock arm 28, pivotally mounted on thefsupportg'V ingframe 29 at 30. This arm 28 is normally held with the pocket k27 in the position. indicated in solidvlincs in Fig. 2 by the spring 31' and the counterbalancing weight 32, the

imm -the pocket into', the

extension 33 of the arm. Astop 34V rejects laterally from this arm and is norma ly held in Cposition to engage a catch 35v on the inner,- en

of a lever 36. This catchispivotalzly connected to vthelever at k37. vA spring 38 rnormally holds they inner end of the catch 35 againstfthefstoppin 391011 the leverv'. The catch 35 preventsI the lever '3G-from ,swinging` downwardlyI when v the stop 34 yis in its normal position,v as indicated in Fg'2.

4Rocking of the' arm 2,8' in the manner, .de-

scribed, releases the vvstop from thevv catch 35. l

yAs soon as a coinhasbeen' emptied fromthe pocket 2.7 into the coin box 40, the 'spring 31 Vand.` the counterweight 32 cause the ar'm28'l to return to its normal position. V;"I lie ward movementl vof the lever' k36 pasty the stop 34 is permittedgby rockingfof the .Catch 35-upo`n its pivot.l l i The leveriis pivotallyconnected to the frame 29 at 41 and 'asecond-.Iever 42 viscon ynected to'y the-inner endofthe lever' 36 to formvr therewith substantially a bell crank. The outer extremity 43 of ,this lever 42 is bent forwardly and' then inwardly 'and carclos'e the winden Q17 and conceal the answer which are inscribed the questions and answers, as previously described. l l

A shortlever 52 ispivotally mounted on the frame at 53 and'one end of this lever is provided with a roller 54 which operates upon the periphery of the sprocket 49fand is 'held in yielding' engagement therewith by the spring 55j.v 'Thefsprocket act'sras a cam andth'erjo'ller' as a camfolloweri sc ,that ro tation ofthe sprocketirnparta rocking ino-a '110 y tion to the lever 52. An arm 56 projects downwardly from the lever 52 and has its lower extremity connected to the lever 42 by a link 57. The forcing outwardly oit the roller 54 by a tooth of the sprocket causes the Y lever 42 to swing in a clockwise direction and to move the shutter 44 to closed position. rilhe catch 35 permits the outer end of the lever 36 to swing past the stop 34 but prevents the dropping of the lever past this stop when the roller 54 enters the next depression between the teeth on the sprocket 49. Vifhen the stop is withdrawn 'troni the catch 35 by the downward movement et the arm 28 in the manner described, the lever 42 swings in a counterclockwise direction by force ot gravity and moif'es the shutter 44 to bring the opening 58 in this shutter into registration with the opening or window 17 in the front panel or mirror of the casing l0, exposing the particular answer to tie question exhibited througli the window 14. This counterelockwise movement ot the lever 42 is permitted by the slot 59 in the link 57, and the extent ot such movement is determined by the guide 45. rlfhe lever 42 is shown in solid lines 2) in closed shutter position and the open shutter position is indicated in dot. The slot 59 in the link 57 also permits movement 'of the arm 5G caused by the continuous rotation or the shaft 20 without materially moving the lever 42 when'this lever has been brought to Closed shutter position. i spring-actuated chainstightening Vdevice 60 is pivotally mounted on the frame 29 as 6l, the yroller er idler pulley k62 `maintaining constant pressure upon the chain, as indicated in 2.

ln the present embodiment ofthe invention, there are thirty-two teeth on the sprocket 49 connected. to the dial' 16. The ring 18 containing the answers Vis divided into thirty-two equal segments, corresponding :to the number ol teeth on the sprocket 49,'v a different answer being placed in eachk The question ring l5 is similarlysegment. Y divided into thirty-two equal segments with one quest-ion in each segment, but there are only eight different questions, each quadrant having the saine series of questions and arranged in the same order. It will therefore vbe evident that tour answers are provided 'toi' each question. The answers are so prepared and located (hat an aijipropriale one will be imposed for each. question asked.

lprefer to have the number ol answers a iiiviilthe same time brought into registration with the Window 17 but remains concealed until .on the dial l2 in the usual manne-r.

the operator has dropped a coin .in the slot 13. The descending coin in turn renders the weighing` apparatus operative and causes the shutter 44 to be moved to open position, exposing the answer. The pointer G3 of' the weigliing apparatus indicates the weight is soon the knob is turned again to tlieright to change the question, the shutter 44 is trippedl and returns to its normal position, closing the answer opening. V f

lt will be readily evident that this device is amusing and oiers an inducement to the public'to use the weighing scale. The censtruction is simple, strong, and fully capable oit withstanding the hard usage to which such a device is subjected. The dial may be readily eli'znged at any time to provide a new set of questions and answers.v The arrangement ofthe questions and answers upon the 'same dialis advantageous.

l am aware` that many changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I reserve the right to make all such as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a. device of the class described, a housing having two openings therein', a rotatable disk member arranged Within the housing and having portions visible through the openings, means for manually operating said disk member, al shutteigda coin-controlled trip device for holding the shutter in'position to obstruct the view ot the disk member through one opening, said tripdevice operable upon insertion of a coin to release the shutter,and means actuated upon rotation of the disk member adapted tov reengage the shutter with said trip device after eacli` o eninu o eration.

2. vln an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a casing providedlwith a plurality of windows therein, a manually revoluble dial 1n the casing 'having a series yot questions thereon adapted to be succes-V sively brought into position before one of Vsaid windows andv a' series of answers on said dial adapted to be successively brought into position before another of'said windows, a shutter adapted to normally conceal the answer insaid position and adapted to move by gravity to expose the answer,l

means Vlor releasing the shutter to permit movement thereof by gravity to expose the answer, and means to move the shutter'to closed position upon presenting another question before a window.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination ot a casing provided with a plurality of windows therein, a revoluble ldial within the casing having a series ol questions thereon adapted to be successively brought into position before one of said windows, a knob for manually rotatingthe dial and a series of answers on said dial shutter adapted to normally conceal the answer in said position and adapted to move by gravity to expose the answer, coincontrolled means for locking the shutter in the concealing,` position and adaptedv to be released upon the insertion of a coin to permit movement of the shutter by gravityto expose the answer, and means to return .the shutter toa concealing position upon operation o the knob. Y f

4. In apparatus ofthe class described, the combination of a casing provided with a plurality of windows thereinpa manually revoluble dial in 'the casing havingV a series of questions thereon adaptedto be 'succes sively brought into position before one of into position before another of saidl Win- 2o .saidwindows and a lseries of answers on said dial adapted to be successively broughtV dows,` a shutter adapted to normally conceal the answer in said position andV adapted to move by gravity to exposev the answer7 coin controlledmeans for locking the shutter in concealing position and adapted to release theshutter to permit movement thereof by gravity toexpose the answer upon insertion of acoin, and means co-operable between the shutter and the dial tov cause the shutterto `'move to closed positionv to conceal the an-Y swer, said means also permitting rotation of l the dial independently of the shutter and coin-controlled'mechanism when the shutteris in la closedv position, t'

' Y JOI-INE. WATLING.

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