US2044328A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1936. B RADTKE I I 2,044,328

GAME APPARATUS Filed July 29, 195:, v s Sheets-Sheet 1 Bruno Radzf/ze INVENTOR.

L 35 BY 171s ATTORNEYS.

June 16, 1936.

2': k 1 L J9 cam-um -L 80 4! V 22 I 4 i 1 f 27 ml] ..5 I i m B. RADTKE GAME APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR;

Hi8 ATTORNEYS.

June 16, 1936. B, RADTKE 2,044,328

GAME APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Bruno Rad tfie INVENTOR.

J1 I5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 16, 1936 PATENT OFFICE:

GAME APPARATUS Bruno Radtke, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Exhibit Supply Company, Ch of Illinois 1 icago, 11]., a corporation Application July 29, 1935, Serial No. 33,651

3 Claims.

provide a new and improved free play or free game device for a game or amusement apparatus, the same being particularly adaptable for use in conjunction with game apparatus of the so-called pin and marble game type.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel device for preventing operation of the coin slide when the free game registering dial has been moved away fromits initial or zero position to register one or more free games to the players credit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide anovel device for manually resetting the free game registering dial back into its initial or zero position independently of the main or principal actuating member for the free game registering dial.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts-to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a game apparatus embodying a preferred formof the present invention; I

Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view, on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the free game unit or device embodied in the invention, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the free game unit or device, on line 4-4 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 55 in'Fi 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View on 1ine'6-6 in Fig. 3;

'Fig. 'I is a sectional view on line 1-1 in.

Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an elevational detail view of a par embodied in the present invention and Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit embodied in the present apparatus.

A game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention is shown in the drawings, is therein generally indicated at H], and comprises a cabinet H which includes an inclined playing board i2 having a master ball exit opening or ball-receiving pocketl3 therein (Fig. 2).

Providedin the cabinet ll, adjacent one side thereof, is a ball runway or ramp l4 (Fig. 1) and slidably mounted in the cabinet II at the lower end of the runway or ramp ll is a ball- 5 propelling device or plunger I5 by means of which balls may be propelled, one at a time, up the ramp 14 onto the upper area of the inclined playing board I! so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into the master ball exit opening or'pocket l3,

Arranged in the cabinet H, below the inclined' playing board 12, is a ball return runway l6 by means of which the spent balls which pass through the master ball exit opening or pocket 15 I3 are conducted back to a transverse runway 11 by which they are, in turn, conducted to a point adjacent to, but below the ball-elevating device, which is generally indicated at 58.

Slidably mounted in the lower end wall i9 of the cabinet H is a main actuating member in the form of a coin slide 20, and likewise slidably mounted in the end wall IQ of the cabinet H, adjacent the coin slide 20, is an auxiliary actuating member in the form of a plunger or push rod 2i; the coin slide 20 providing a main actuating member for the slidable ball-retaining member 28 and the push rod 2i providing an auxiliary actuating member for the ball-retaining member 28.

Rotatably mounted in the cabinet ll, below the inclined playing board I2, is a horizontally extending shaft 22 (Figs. 4 and 6) and fixedly mounted on this shaft 22 is a free game registeringdial 23 (Fig. 6) this dial 23 being visible through a sight opening which is provided in the top wall of the cabinet ll (Fig. 1). Likewise fixedly mountedon the shaft 22, adjacent the free game registering dial 23, is a ratchet 24.

Slidably mounted in the cabinet H, below the 40 inclined playing board I2, is a ball-retaining ,member 28 attached toand depending from this slidable ball-retaining member 28 is an arm 29. Pivotally mounted at one end in the cabinet II, as at 25 (Fig. 4). is a latch member 2a which has a notched end portion 21 and this notched end portion 21 is latchingly engageable with the inner end portion of the coin slide 20 (Fig. 4),. pivotal movement of the latch member 26 (counterclockwise, Fig. 4) beinglimited by a stop ll i (Fig. 4).

Pivotally mounted uponthe latch member 26 as at Ill isa member M which includes a depending arm 30, which is engageable with a pin or lug 3lwhi'ch is attached to, and projects latmoved away from the depending arm 39 in a.

manner to be hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the inclined ball return runway |6 (Fig. 2) is a, circuit-closing device or' switch of conventional design, and which is generally indicated at 34, this switch 34 being arranged in an electrical circuit 35 which includes a suitable source of current which may be, for example, a battery of dry cellsor the like 36 arranged in the cabinet Likewise embodied in the circuit 35 are a plurality of switches 31, each of which is associated with a ball-receiving pocket or exit opening 39 which is formed in the inclined playing board l2 (Figs. 1 and 2).

Likewise embodied in the electric circuit 35 is a solenoid 39 and the movable element or core 49 of this solenoid 39 is engageable with an arm 4| of an escapement dog 6| (Fig. 5) which is piv'- otally mounted in the cabinet as at 69, (Fig. 4).

This dog 6| has an angled arm 42 which projects laterally through an opening 43, which is provided in a vertical supporting wall 44, and the arm 42 has an oifset end portion 12 (Fig. 7) which is engageable with the teeth of the ratchet 24. The

dog 6| also has an end portion or arm 1| which is likewise engageable with the teeth of the ratchet 24.

The inner end portion of the auxiliary actuating member or push rod 2| is engageable with a laterally extending portion or flange 45 oi. a member 46 which is pivotally mounted in the cabinet H, at its lower end, as at 41 (Fig. 5) and pivotally connected to this member 46, adjacent the upper end of the latter, as at 48, is a slide bar 49, this slide bar 49 being adapted to engage or ride over a laterally extending lug or 'pin 59 which projects through a slot 5| which is formed in the vertical supporting wall 44. Formed on the upper end portion of the pivotal member'46 is a rack of teeth 66 and engageable withthis rack of teeth 661s a pivotal dog 61, this dog 61 and the rack of teeth 6 constituting a full stroke device for the pivotal member 46 and the auxiliary actuating member 2| and necessitating a" full stroke of the same once movement thereof has been instituted.

The lug or pin which is pivotally mounted in the cabinet I adjacent its lower end, as at 99 (Fig. 4), and the upper end portion 53 of this member 52 is engageable with the depending arm 29 of the slidable ball-retaining member 28; the upper end portion 53 of this member 52 being urged out 01' engagement with the depending arm 29 of the slidable ball-retaining member 29 by means or a spring 54 (Fig. 4).

Pivotally connected to the member 52, by means of a pin and slot or lost motion connection 55-16 (Fig. 4) is a link 56 and this link 56 is pivotally connected, as at 51, which is pivotally mounted in the cabinet II, as at 69. Pi'votally mounted upon the member 58, as at 99, is a pawl 69 and this pawl 69 has an angled extension or arm 69 which is engageable with the teeth 01' the ratchet 24.

Slidably mounted in the bottom wall 95 ot the cabinet I I (Fig. 4) is a plunger 14 and the inner end portion of this plunger 14 is engageable with a laterally projecting arm 15 of the 59 is carried by a member 62 sight opening 64 to a. member 59 member 69. Attached to the arm-15 of the member 69 is one end of a coil spring 13, the other end oi. this spring 13 being attached to the dog 69. This spring 13 urges the pawl 69 in a direction (counterclockwise, Fig. 4) to engage the 5 angled arm 69 thereof with the teeth of the ratchet 24, and themovementot the pawl 6H9, under the action of the spring 13 (counterclockwise, Fig. 4) is limited by a stop 94 (Fig. 4).

- Pivotally mounted in the cabinet I i, as at 69 10 (Fig. 4) is a latch dog 6| which is normally urged, by a spring 62, into engagement with the ratchet 24, and arranged on the shaft 22 is a coil spring 63 which normally urges the shaft 22 and the ratchet 24 (in a clockwise direction, Fig. 4) one 15 end convolution of the coil spring 63 being attached to the shaft 22 and the other end convolution oi the same being attached to the housing 92 which is fixedly mounted upon the vertical supporting wall 44 (Fig. 6).

Carried by, and projecting laterally from, the ratchet 24 (Fig. 4) is a pin or lug 92 and the ratchet 24 and free game registering dial 23 are stopped in theirinitial positions, (as in Figs. 3 and 4) by the engagement of this lug 92 with the stop 93 which is formed from a part of the supporting wall 44.

Pivotally mounted, as at 19, upon a supporting bracket 81, (Figs. 5 and 8), is a member 96 and this member 96 has an angled extension or arm 99 which is urged into engagement with the bottom edge oi! the slide bar 49 (counterclockwise, Fig. 8) by a spring 9|, this movement .being limited by the stop 93.

The slide bar 49 rests upon a laterally proiecting pin 94 when the arm 99 is movedout of engagement with the slide bar 49.

Operation Balls may be propelled, one at a time, onto the upper portion. of the inclined playing board l2 and, by the exercise of skill, the player may cause the played balls to enter into the several ball-receiving pockets or exit openings 39 where- .in they will rest upon the switches 31.

Accordingly, it the player succeeds in playing a ball into each of the pockets 39 and then succeeds in playing a ball into the exit opening I 3 it will drop through the latter into the ball return runway I6, whereupon, upon traveling down the runway l6, it will engage and close the switch 34, thereby energizing or actuating the solenoid 39, whereupon the movable element 49 of the solenoid 39 will engage the arm 4| oi! the escapement. dog 6| and pivot the latter (clockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 5), thereby moving the angled end-portion or arm 12 of the escapement dog 6| out or engagement with the ratchet 24. The tensioned coil spring 63 will then rotate the ratchet 24, shaft 22 and free game registering dial 23 a predetermined circumferential distance (clockwise, Fig. 4), thereby advancing the numeral I on the free game registering dial 23 into registration with the and thusindicating that the player has one free game to his credit.

The foregoing movement of the ratchet 24 (clockwise, Fig. 4) which moves the numeral I on the free game dial 23 into registration with the sight opening 64, likewise'causes the pin or lug 3| on the ratchet 24 to move away from the arm 39 of the latch member 26, whereupon the tensioned spring 33 urges the latch member 26 (counterclockwise, Fig. 4), until. the 'upper edge moving the notched end portion 21 of the latch member 26 into latching engagement with the inner end portion of the coin slide and thus preventing operation of the coin slide 28 while the player has one or more free games to his credit, as indicated by the free game registering dial 23.

When the player has'thus earned one or more free games, and desires to release the balls from the pockets 38 for replay, this may be-accomplished by operating the auxiliary actuating I member or push rod 2|, (left to right, Fig. 4,

right to left, Fig. 5). During the foregoing movement of the push rod 2|, (left to right, Fig.4, right to left, Fig. 5) the inner end portion of the same engages the flange or arm 45 of the pivotal member 46, thereby pivoting the latter at 41 (counterclockwise, Fig. 5).

This movement of the member 46 (counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 5) shifts the slide bar 49 (right to left, Fig. 5), and during this movement of the slide bar 49 the relatively free end portion of the same moves into position B, Fig. 5, it being noted that the spring 54 normally urges the pivotal member 52 in a direction (counterclockwise, from dotted to full line position, Fig. 4) to dispose the lug 50,

which is carried by the pivotal member 52, in the right hand end of the slot 5| (as seen in Fig. 5), and that the resetting spring 18 normally urges the pivotal member 46v in a direction (clockwise, from dotted to full line position, Fig. 5).

Accordingly, when the slide bar 49 is-shifted (right to left, Fig. 5) by operation of the push rod 2| and pivotal'member 46-45, the relative- 1y free end portion 65 of the slide bar 49 engages the lug or 'pin 58 which is carried by the pivotal member 52 and thereby pivots the member 52, at 89, (clockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 4) the slide bar 49 being held in a position to engage the lug or pin 50 by means of the laterally projecting arm 94.

It is to be noted that when the ratchet 24 is advanced clockwise (Fig. 4) and the free play dial 23 is correspondingly advanced counterclockwise (Fig. 5) by means of their interconnection with the shaft 22 the angled end portion or arm 8|! of the member 86 is moved counterclockwise along with the bracket 81 which is mounted upon the free play dial 23 (Figs. 5 and 6).

During this movement of the member 52 (clockwise, from full to dotted lineposition, Fig. 4), the upper end portion 53 of the same engages the depending arm 29 of the slidable ball-retaining member 28, thereby shifting the latter (left to right, Figs. 2 and 4). This movement of the slidable ball-retaining member 28 moves the switches 31, which are carried by the slidable member 28, out of registration with the openings 38 and at the same time moves the openings 61 in the slidable member 28 into registration with the pockets 38, whereupon the balls disposed in the pockets 38 will drop therefrom into the inclined ball return runway l6 by which they are conducted to-the transverse runway H, by which they are, in turn, conducted to a point adjacent to but below the elevating device l8.

The foregoing movement of the member 52 (clockwise from full to dotted line position, Fig. 4), which operates the slidable ball-retaining member 28, likewise acts, through the link 56 and member 58 to move the angled arm 69 of the pawl 68 into engagement with the ratchet 24, thereby rotating the shaft 22, ratchet 24, and

the free game registering dial 23a predetermined circumferential distance (counterclockwise, Fig. 4) 'in a directionback toward their initial or zero positions, against the action of the spring 63, whicliis thus tensioned; During this movement, the lug or pin 3| which projects from the ratchet 24 engages the depending arm 38 of the member 9| and pivots the latch mem-, ber 26 at 25, (clockwise, Fig. 4) againstthe action of the spring 33, thereby moving the notched portion 21 of the latch member 26 out of latching engagement with the inner end portion of the coin slide 28, whereupon the coin slide 20 may again be operated to move' the ball-retaining member 28 (left to right, Figs. 2 and 4) it being noted that when there are one or. more free games to the player's credit, upon the free game registering dial 23, and the notched portion 2] of the latch member 26 is disposed in latching engagement with the inner end portion of the coin slide 20, the latter can not be operated to move the slidable ball-retaining member 28.

If there are one or more free games credited to the player upon the free game registering dial 23 and the operator or proprietor of the present 25 machine desires to rotate the free game registering dial 23 in a direction back toward its initial or zero position (as in Fig. 3), without operating tom to top, Fig. 4), the inner end portion of the same will engage the angled extension or arm 15 of the member 58, thereby pivoting the latter, at 59, (clockwise, Fig. 4), this movement of the member 58 moving the pawl 68 away from the stop 84 whereupon the spring 13 will urge the angled arm 69 of the pawl 68 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 24, whereupon the ratchet 24, shaft 22 and free game registering dial 23 are rotated a predetermined circumferential distance in a ,direction (counterclockwise, Fig. 4) back toward their initial or zero positions, against the action of the spring 63. By repeating this operation of the plunger 74 as many times as there are free games credited upon the free game registering dial 23, the latter may be reset back into its initial or zero position (as in Fig. 3) without operating the actuating member or push rod 2|.

It is to be noted that during the foregoing operation of resetting the free game registering dial 23 back into its initial or zero position by means of the plunger 14, the movement of the plunger 14 is not transmitted to the pivotal member 52, nor to the slidable ball retaining member 28, because of the lost motion connection 76--55 between the link 56 and the pivotal member 52,

Having thus described my invention what I 70 claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball-receiving pocket or exit said ball exit opening or pocket; a coin-controlledactuating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for operating said ball-retaining member; a free game registering dial in said cabinet; means including a device actuated by a played ball at a preselected point in said cabinet for moving said free game registering dial in circumferential steps in a direction away from its initial or zero position; and means, controlled by the said first-named means, for latching said coin-controlled actuating member against operation when said free game registering dial has been moved away from its initial or zero position.

2. .In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball-receiving pocket or exit opening therein; a member slidably mounted in said cabinet below said playing surface for temporarily retaining therein a ball which enters into said ball exit opening or pocket: a coin-controlled actuating member and an auxiliary non-coincontrolled actuating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for selectively operating said ball-retaining member; a free game registering dial in said cabinet; means including a device actuated by a played ball at a preselected point in said cabinet for moving said free game registering dial in circumferential steps in a direction away from its initial or zero position:

[means coacting with the said auxiliary actuating member for moving said free game registering dial in circumferential steps in a direction back toward its initial or zero position; and means controlled by the said first-named means for latching the said coin-controlled actuating member against operation when the said dial is away from its initial or zero position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of: a cabinet having a ball-playing surface provided with ball-receiving openings or pockets; means movably mounted in the said cabinet for temporarily retaining therein some of the balls which enter the said ball-receiving openings or pockets; a coin-controlled member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for operating said ball-retaining means; a free game registering dial in said cabinet; means including a device actuated by a played ball passing through one of the said ball-receiving openings or pockets for moving said free game registering dial in 20 circumferential steps in a direction away from its initial or zero position; means controlled by the said free game; registering dial tor latching the said coin-controlled member against movement when the said registering dial is moved away 25 from its initial or zero position: and means for simultaneously returning the said free game registering dial'in circumferential steps in a direction back toward its initial or zero positionand for moving said ball-retaining means so as to release 30 any ball or balls held thereby in the said ballreceiving openings or pockets.

BRUNO RADI'KE.

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