US2175971A

US2175971A - Amusement device

Info

Publication number: US2175971A
Application number: US175327A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles H Perry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-11-18
Filing date: 1937-11-18
Publication date: 1939-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1956-10-10

Description

Oct. 10, 1939. c. H. PERRY 2,115,971

AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1937 Elma/rm Z/YELESHB'EEY Oct. 10, 1939. c. H. PERRY 2,175,971

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Nov. 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to amusement devices or toys and more especially to those of the class embodying a plurality of elements arranged to be set in motion or displaced by the '5 passage of balls or other freely moving objects.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved amusement device of this class wherein the movable elements bear representations of horses or other animals or ob- 10 jects and in which the elements are so mounted and arranged as tobe set in motion by the balls so that they will rock to and fro, the representations of the horses or other objects thereon being thus caused to move in a manner simulating 18 galloping horses or similar objects in motion.

Another object is to provide an amusement device of this class wherein the movable elements are arranged in a plurality of adjacent vertical rows so that the balls, when released, may pass from one vertical row to another during their descent.

Another object is to provide means for collecting the balls in a row in the order in which they traverse the rows of movable elements.

25 A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for simultaneously starting all of the balls, and novel and improved means for automatically loading the balls into the starting means.

30 To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out more particularly in the claims 35 at the end of this specification,

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of an amusement device embodying the present invention;

40 Figure 2 is a vertical section of an upper corner of the device, showing the manner in which the balls are automatically loaded into the starting means;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken 45 on the line 3 -3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is avview similar to Fig. 2 but showing the manner in which the balls are simultaneously discharged from the starting means;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing 50 the manner in which the balls traverse the rotatable elements; 1

Figure 6 is a vertical section of the lower discharge portion of the device showing-the manner in which the balls, after traversing the movable 55 elements, are discharged into a collecting trough;

Figure '7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the loading device for the starting means;

Figure 8 is a detail vertical section through a portion of the device and through one of the movableelements and i 5 Figure 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9---9 in Fig, 8.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the different figures.

The present invention provides an amusement 10 device which may be used for the diversion or amusement of various persons, and by providing the movable elements of the device with representations of different objects, the device, when in operation, will give a visual simulation of various activities. For example, by placing on the movable elements representations of horses, the device, when in operation, will give a visual simulation of horses in a race or other contest.

The device, as shown in the present instance, comprises a shallow vertical case I which may rest by its legs 2 upon a table or other suitable support, the sides of the case being preferably connected by'a cross member 3 which closes the top thereof and by a cross member 4 which closes the bottom thereof, the rear side ofthe case being closed by a back 5, and the front of the case may either be left open or it may be covered by a transparent cover 6 of glass, Celluloid or other suitable transparent material.

Withinthe case and supported on the back 5 thereof are mounted a plurality of primary and secondary rows of movable elements 1, the elements of the alternate primary vertical rows being in horizontal alignment across the width of the case, and the elements of the intervening secondary rows being in horizontal alignment across the width of the case but staggered in relation to the adjacent rows of elements. A series of deflecting pins l4 are also preferably mounted at the inner 40 sides of the side members of the case in horizontal alignment with the elements of the intervening rows. Each of the elements 'l is. composed of a rotor comprising a hub 8 mounted to rotate very freely, as by ball bearings 9supported on shafts I0, the latter being fixed in the back 5 of the case. Circular flanges II are fixed to the ends of the hub 8 to rotate therewith, and vanes orpartitions l2 extend outwardlyfrom the ,hub between the flanges and in suitably spaced relation circumferentially thereof to provide compartments. in each rotor to receivea ball. One side of each rotor is weighted in a suitable manner, as by forming one of thevanes thicker or heavier than the other vanes, as indicated atWIZ so that the compartment in the rotor at the side of the hub opposite to this heavier vane will normally occupy uppermost position to receive a ball, although the rotor will be free to rock to and fro, after being set in motion by a ball, the heavier vane I2 acting as a pendulum. The side of the hub 8 opposite to the heavier vane I2 is preferably formed with an upstanding rib 8 which extends parallel to the axis of the hub and in aposition midway between the adjacent vanes I2, so that when a ball comes into engagement with this rib, the ball will be compelled to move by gravity toward one or the other of the adjacent vanes l2, the weight of the ball causing it to act on the vane which it engages to rock the rotor in one or the other direction against the action of the relatively heavy vane I2 until the ball is discharged from the rotor, whereupon the rotor will rock freely to and fro under the pendulum efiect of the Vane I2 Immediately above the vertical rows of rotors is mounted a starting member I5 which serves to start all of the balls simultaneously to traverse the rotors. This starting member, as shown in the present instance, comprises a bar which is supported by pivots I6 between the side members of the case so that this bar may rotate, and the bar is provided with tapered holes or receptacles I! which are somewhat smaller than the diameter of the balls I8 so that the balls when introduced into these holes or sockets will rest therein. A lever I9 having a weight 20' thereon is fixed to one of the pivot pins l6 which latter is fixed to the bar I5, this weighted lever being normally held in its lowered position as shown in Fig. 1 so that the wider ends of the openings I! in the bar I 5 will be uppermost to receive the balls, and the weighted lever, when manually swung upwardly, reverses or inverts the bar I5 and thereby discharges the balls simultaneously from the openings or sockets I1, the weighted lever, after the discharge of the balls, serving to automatically return the bar |5 to its upright position to be again loaded with balls.

The present invention provides means for automatically loading the balls into the bar or starting member I5. The loading means as shown comprises a trough 2| which extends into the case from one side and across the width of the case above the bar I5, it being mounted in an inclined position so that it slopes downwardly toward its inner end, and the trough, which may be conveniently formed of sheet metal, is suitably fixed in the case, as by lugs 22 which may be secured to the underside of the trough and fastened to the inner sides of the side members of the case. The bottom of the trough 2| is provided with a series of openings 23 which correspond in number with the number of ball receiving openings or receptacles I! in the bar l5, and these openings 23 are located directly above the respective openings so that a ball dropping through any of the openings 23 will enter the corresponding opening I in the bar I5. A freely movable switch 24 is provided for each of the openings 23, each switch comprising a pair of

blades

25 and 26 which are in substantially right angular relation and may be formed by bending a length of sheet metal, the blades being fixed at their junction to a pivot pin 21 which is pivoted in the opposite side walls of the trough and is provided with a lever or handle 28 the outer end of which carries a ball or other weight 29. The lever 28 extends at such an angle in relation to the

blades

25 and 26 that, when the blade 26 is swung upwardly so that its edge engages the underside of the trough to close the respective opening therein, the weight 29 will tend to hold the switch in such position, although permitting the switch to rock, when the weight of a ball is imposed upon the blade 26, to permit the ball to pass through the opening 23 in the bottom of the trough and the blade 25 to swing downwardly so that its edge rests upon the bottom of the trough and closes the opening 23 therein, and the weight of the ball 29 on the lever 28 will act to retain the switch in the latter position.

The rotors may bear on the front flanges II thereof representations of different objects the motions of which are to be simulated visually by the rocking movements imparted to the rotors by the balls as they descend the rows of rotors, the rotors in the present instance being shown provided with representations 30 of horses as in a race so that the rocking movements of the rotors will impart movements to the representations of the horses to simulate galloping thereof. The balls, after traversing the rotors, are received, in the order in which they complete the traversing of the rotors, in a trough 3| which is mounted in an inclined position beneath the lower ends of the vertical rows of rotors, the lower end of this collecting trough extending through a side of the case and being closed by the end wall 32, thus providing a space exteriorly of the case in which the balls are collected in a row in the order in which they complete the traversing of the trough, and from which they may be removed for replacement in the loading trough 2 The operation of the device constructed as hereinbefore described is as follows: The weighted levers 28 are all swung toward the left, as shown in Fig. 1, to swing the blades 26 of the switches into positions to close the openings 23 in the bottom of the loading trough 2|, the blades 25 of the switches then projecting upwardly in the trough. The balls l8, of a number corresponding to the number of ball receiving openings I! in the bar I5 are then placed in the end of the trough 2| which projects beyond the side of the case, and this row of balls, when released, will roll by gravity into the case and toward the lower end of the inclined trough 2 I. The foremost ball in the row, upon reaching the blade 26 at the left hand end of the row of switches, will depress this blade, by the weight of the ball, causing the blade 26 to swing downwardly and the ball to descend through the opening 23 and into the hole or pocket I! immediately below it in the bar I 5, the latter then occupying the position shown in Fig. 1, and the blade 25 of this switch will be swung downwardly into a position to cover or close this opening 23 in the trough, the swinging of the switch into this position being assisted by the weighted lever 28, and the blade 25 being supported in this position by its engagement with the upper side of the bottom of the trough. Since the foremost ball in the row introduced into the trough 2| thus causes the first switch in the series to close the opening 23 in said trough, the second ball in the row descending the trough 2| will pass over the blade 25 of the closed switch and will engage the blade 26 of the next switch, allowing this ball to drop through the respective opening 23 in the trough into the opening I! immediately beneath it in the bar I5 and causing the corresponding switch to close the respective opening 23 in the trough, Fig. 2, showing the first two switches in such closed positions. This operation will be repeated, the balls in the row passing successively through the openings 23 in the trough and closing the respective switches until all of the balls introduced into the trough 2! have been loaded in the holes or pockets I! in the bar I5, after which the switches may all be reset with the blades 26 swung upwardly against the bottom of the trough, as shown in Fig. 1, preparatory to the next loading of the bar l5.

After the bar l5 has thus been loaded with balls, this bar is inverted, by swinging the weighted lever or handle l9 upwardly, thereby dumping all of the balls from this bar simultaneously into the pocketed rotors of the primary rows, as shown in Fig. 4. The balls will drop onto the ribs 8 of the uppermost rotors, shown in Fig. 4 and the weight of the balls, which are composed of steel or other relatively heavy material, will engage one or the other of the vanes of these rotors and thereby cause them to rock, in one direction or the other against the action of the weighted vane 12*, until the balls are discharged from these rotors. As the balls are discharged from the uppermost rotors, they enter other rotors below them, as for example, the rotors in adjacent rows as indicated in Fig. 5, the balls discharging from the outer sides of the rotors in the outermost rows striking the pins [4 which serve to return them to the rotors, and the transfer of the balls between the upper and lower rotors as the balls descend, continues until the balls reach the collecting trough 3| at the bottom, the balls then rolling to the lower end of the collecting trough which is exposed at the outer side of the case where the balls may be removed and replaced in the trough 2!. As the balls descend, they set the rotors successively into rocking motion, the rotors being relatively light in weight, they being composed for example of aluminum so that they may be easily set in motion by the relatively heavy balls, and the rocking motions thus imparted to the rotors imparts corresponding rocking motion to the representations of the horses or other objects thereon which are visible at the front of the casing, so that the representations on the rotors will visually simulate the movements of such objects as for example the galloping of horses. Interest in the device may be increased by employing distinguishing colors or numbers on the balls to that the order in which the balls collect in the trough 3| will indicate the order in which the balls traverse the rotors and trough, it being noted that although all of the balls start simultaneously to traverse the rotors they will not all complete the traversing thereof in the same time since some of the balls may be diverted through several vertical rows of the rotors before reaching the collecting trough. Although the rotors will continue to oscillate or rock to and fro while the balls are descending through the rotors, they will eventually come to rest, due to the weighted vanes thereof, so that the rotors will be automatically restored to positions to receive the balls upon the next operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. An amusement device comprising a plurality of primary vertical rows and adjacent intervening secondary vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements bearing representations of 'ani-- mate objects and having means for normally holding them in predetermined position, the elements of the primary rows being in horizontal alinement and the elements of the secondary 1 rows being in horizontal alinement and staggered relatively to the elements of the primary rows,

a plurality of relatively distinguishable objects adapted to traverse and actuate said elements, means for simultaneously supplying the plurality of actuating objects respectively to the primary rows of elements to traverse the elements in the primary and secondary rows and impart movements thereto and traversable means for receiving said objects in the order in which they complete the traversing of said elements and for collecting said objects in a row in the order in which they complete the traversing of said receiving means.

2. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the upermost elements of the respective rows, and a trough extending longitudinally above said member for feeding the actuating objects and having means for directing them successively into the respective receptacles.

3. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermost elements of the respective rows, means for normally holding said member in its object receiving position, and means for feeding a series of the actuating objects and having devices controlled by the successive objects in the series for directing them into the respective receptacles in said member.

4. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to individually receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermost elements of the respective rows and means extending longitudinally above said member for feeding a series of the actuating objects and having devices controlled by successive objects in theseries for automatically supplying said objects to the respective individual receptacles in said member.

5. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermost elements of the respective rows and means for automatically supplying objects to the recep' tacles in said member comprising a trough along which the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein above the receptacles in said member for the passage of the objects thereto, and switches for said openings operating to cause the objects travelling along the trough to respectively pass through the openings therein.

6. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermost elements of the respective rows comprising an inclined trough along which the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein at intervals in its length and directly above the receptacles in said member, and switches for said openings each operative to admit an object to the respective opening and to close said opening and direct the next following object in the trough to the next opening therein.

7. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermost elements of the respective rows comprising an inclined trough along which the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein at intervals in its length and directly above the receptacles in said member, and switches for said openings each comprising a pair of angularly-related blades pivoted to the trough, one blade being adapted to extend across the respective opening when the switch is swung into one position and to be deflected by an object to swing the switch into another position to bring its other blade into a position to extend across said opening.

8. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows of movably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elements embodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements and having receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows of elements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermost elements of the respective rows comprising an inclined trough along which the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein at intervals in its length and directly above the receptacles in said member, and switches for said openings each comprising a pair of angularly-related blades pivoted to the trough, one blade being adapted to extend across the respective opening when the switch is swung into one position and to be deflected by an object to swing the switch into another position to bring its other blade into a position to extend across said opening and means for yieldingly holding each switch in one or the other of its said positions.

CHARLES H. PERRY.