US2237746A - Automatic game device - Google Patents

Description

April 1941- e. E. R. PERKS 2.237,?4-6

AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. 7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l Apriy 1941- G. E. R. PERKS 2,2317% AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. '7, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE M T5211 April 8, 1941. E, R PERKS 2,237,745

AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Y Filed Nov. '7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheetfi FM 5 by 3 W 1 INVENTOR 60 W Gertrude Lste Rap Perks, a] Li? I ATTORN v.

Aprifi 5 1941- G. E. R. PERKS 2,23%?46 AUTOMATIC GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. '7, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 25 E) 27 YW/// i I 5* ma I llVl/EIUTUR Gertrude 1: Rm FEW/ Ls ATTORNEK Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES Application November '7, 1939, Serial No. 303,223 In Great Britain March 16, 1939 '5 Claims.

This invention relates to game devices of the well known pin table type in which a limited number of balls or the like are caused by the player to travel over a table or base provided with traps or their equivalent distributed over the surface of the table, the entrance of a ball in a trap automatically registering a correspond ing score or illuminating a signal.

The invention has for its object to provide a game device of this character in which the score made by the entrance of each or all or certain of the balls into a corresponding trap may be subsequently cancelled, if desired, by the player and a fresh travel of the ball over the table effected with a view to improving the total score by the entrance of the ball into a different trap, thus adding to the interest of the game.

A device in accordance with the present invention comprises a pin table, having a plurality of electro-magnetically controlled traps, each trap being provided with means operated by the presence of a ball therein to close two circuits one of which exhibits and/or illuminates a corresponding indicator whilst the other connects the electin-magnetically controlled trap device with a circuit controlled by a corresponding discard or rejecting key which when subsequently actuated by the player, releases the trap to permit the ball to be played again, movement of the trap to release a ball serving to cancel the corresponding indication.

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pin table constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the table.

Fig. 3 shows the electrical wiring circuit of the pin table.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the electromagnetically controlled traps.

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the electro-magnetically controlled traps.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of part of the rejection or discard keyboard. i

Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a section through the discard or rejection keyboard.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of an alternative means for regulating the delivery of the playing balls.

Fig. 11 is a plan View of the arrangement shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is aside elevation ofthe, automatic projection device.

. operated slide-mechanism l for rendering the balls available for play, the usual mechanism 8 for raising a ball into a channel 9 disposed at one side of the table I ready for projection by a spring-controlled propelling lever Ill.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5and 6 there is provided beneath each trap 3 a plate ll pivoted at [2 the downturned portion E3 of the plate ll being connected by a spring it to the pivot of the armature 55 which provides an abutment for the plate II in one position of the armature l5 when the plate II is depressed by the entry of a ball in the trap 3. Movement of the armature I5 is controlled by an electro-magnet ii. The phosphor-bronze strip spring Ilia returns armature I5 to position and prevents it touching and sticking to core [6 of the magnet. The presence of a ball in the trap 3 depresses the plate H to rest on armature l5 and allows the blades l8, l9 and 20 of the jack 2i to close, thus closing the cirouit to illuminate thecorresponding lamp 6 and bringing the solenoid I'l into circuit ready for operation on depression of a rejection key in a manner hereinafter more fully explained.

In the event that any ball rolls to the bottom of the table 2 without entering a trap 3 an automatic projecting device (shown in Fig. 12) is provided. The projecting device comprises a solenoid or electro-magnet 22 and a core made of two interengaging elements 23, 24 made for example of iron and brass respectively, the core being held in the position shown in Fig. 12 by a spring 25. The end of the core 24 is provided with a member 26 adapted to project a ball back up the table when it comes to rest (as it must if it does not enter a trap) on a switch blade 21 located in front of the projecting device, depression of the blade 21 by the ball causing a circuit to be closed to energise the solenoid 22 and draw the core into the solenoid 22 against the action of the spring 25.

To cancel the indication 4 of any one or more of the balls which have entered a trap 3 a key board 28 is provided at the lower end of the table I, a separate key 29 being provided for each trap 3 and corresponding indicator 4. The depression of one or more of the keys 29 serves to depress a corresponding switch blade or blades 30 out of contact with a contact strip 3| on to a common bar 32 thus serving to close an electrical circuit which energises the corresponding solenoids [1. When one or more of the solenoids is or are energised the armatures 15 are retracted allowing the plates II to fall under the weight of the ball and release the ball for replay, the plates returning under the pull of the spring l4 and opening the jack blades l8, I9, 20. On release of a key 23 the corresponding switch blade 30 breaks contact with bar 32. The jack 2| is reset by the movement of the plate ll ready for the replay of one or more of the released balls.

For permitting selection and rejection of trapped balls only when all the desired number of balls have been played, the board is provided at its upper end with a trafiic strip or counting contact 33, which is provided on a portion 33a of the table raised with respect to the lower or playing field 2 upon which the traps 3 are situated, the traffic strip 33 being included in circuit with a rotary switch 34, the contact arm 35 of which moves one step each time a ball passes the traffic strip, and with the discard or rejecting keys 29.

It will thus be apparent that a ball projected by the player will be delivered on to the upper semicircular end 33a of the field, the ball rolling over the traific strip 33 thereby operating a magnet or the like 36 which moves the rotary contact arm one step for each ball that passes. The ball then enters play by dropping over the barrier provided at the upper end of the table. The switch 34 controls the main supply circuit to the keys and to the electro-magnets ll operating the traps 3, so that only in a predetermined position of contact arm 35 of the switch 34 corresponding to the number of balls played, i. e. when the rotary arm 35 of the switch 34 engages a contact 31 in the circuit established, and only then will the keys 29 operate the traps 3. When all the balls have been played the switch 34 closes a circuit 38 to light a lamp 39 disposed behind a panel mounted on the container 5 illuminating directions to the player advising him that he may operate the rejection or discard keys.

The table may be of the coin-released kind in which event the insertion of an appropriate coin is arranged, through the usual mechanism, to render available say five balls which are then projected by the player upwards along a suitable channel so as to arrive at the upper end of the upwardly inclined table over the surface of which the balls roll downwards.

In accordance with common practice, a timeswitch 40 is also set by the coin slide to ensure that current shall not be left on unduly long if the table is idle. It can also be used to put a definite limit upon the playing time.

A feature of the electrical circuit is the coordination of the coin slide mechanism 1 with the rotary switch 34 and with the trap-release magnets II. On inserting a coin and pushing the slide fully in, the rotary switch 34 is mechanically released and its contact arm returned to zero position. The coin slide 1 pushes the trip arm 35a of the rotary switch 34 and the switch so released returns to zero under the infiuence of a spring. When fully home the coin slide 1 has closed the contacts closing the magnet circuit and thus releasing the balls. At the same time any balls held in traps 3 are electrically released and fall through the playing board 2 and roll to the lift mechanism ready for play. It is impossible to predict which traps it may be necessary to release for this purpose, and, if this problem were solved by operating all the magnets 11 controlling the traps 3 simultaneously, the current taken by all the magnets in parallel would be too heavy for practical purposes. It is therefore arranged that all keys, if not pressed down, shall contact with a bar 3| which forms part of the coin slide trap-release circuit, and, further as described earlier, the trap release circuit is not completed except where a ball rests in a trap. In this manner only such current is used as is necessary to operate in parallel those traps in which balls are resting.

The device may, for example, be so arranged as to enable a game resembling poker to be played, each player being provided with five balls each ball as it passes over the trafiic strip 33 moves the contact arm 35 of the rotary switch 34 one step and, upon entering a trap 3, causing a corresponding playing card 4 to be indicated as contained in the players hand.

In the event of a ball failing to enter a trap 3 the ball is projected upwards over the table again by the projection device 26.

After all the calls have been played in succession and have actuated the traffic strip, the contact arm 35 engages contact 31 thus completing circuit 38 which illuminates the lamp 39 disposed behind a panel giving directions for the operation of the discard or rejection keys 29.

The engagement of the rotary arm 35 with the contact 3'! also closes the circuit to permit rejection of a ball or balls to take place on depression of the appropriate key or keys 29. The player will examine the five indicators or cards 4 operated by the traps 3 and consider their value. He may then by operating the appropriate discard keys 29 release one or more of the trapped balls and replay these in the manner above described. When a ball which has been rejected is replayed it passes over the trafi'ic strip 33 thus operating the magnet 36 which in turn moves the contact arm 35 a further step thus breaking the circuit 38 and 32 and preventing further rejection of balls. The release of the trap or traps 3 by operating the discard key or keys 29 causes the corresponding indications or cards 4 to be cancelled and the replay of the discarded balls causes the other indications or cards 4 to be exhibited, thus completing the hand. The finally completed hand indicated constitutes the players score and when compared with another or other players score determines the winner of the game.

This indication of the hand may be arranged to be automatically cancelled and the balls released from the traps after a predetermined interval of time has elapsed so as to re-set the device for the next player, or this resetting may be arranged to be effected when another coin is inserted by this player.

In lieu of providing a traffic strip and to avoid the necessity for the raised portion 330, of the table I the alternative arrangement illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 may be employed. In this construction a ball in passing down a chute 4| into which the balls roll after release by the coin slide electrical release and which delivers them to a lift mechanism depresses a spring contact strip 42 similar in effect to the traffic strip 33 of Fig. 3 which closes a circuit to operate the solenoid or magnet 36 operating the rotary switch 34 (Fig. 3). A hinged catch 43 is associated with and operated by a lift mechanism 44 indicated at 8 in Fig. 1 the catch 43 holding the next succeeding ball until that ball operating the traflic strip has passed to the usual lift mechanism 44 for elevation of the ball to the channel 9. The lift mechanism 44 is connected by a lever or rod, not shown, to the top of the catch 43 so that when the lift mechanism is operated to lift a ball the catch 43 is moved therewith to allow a ball to pass under by gravity down the chute 4i ready to fall by the lift mechanism when that is returned to normal position of rest. To prevent the contact 42 from being actuated again in the event of a ball dropping back from the table into the channel 45 and hitting the ball which has already operated the contact strip 42 the lift mechanism 44 may be provided with a face 46.

The catch 43 also serves to hold up balls discarded by the player until the lift mechanism 44 has been operated once. Otherwise the first ball discarded would operate contact 42 and thus operate switch 34 and so break circuit preventing further discards when in fact the player might have intended to discard more than one ball.

I claim:

1. A game device of the character described including in combination with a playing field, means for successively projecting a plurality of balls into the playing field and a plurality of traps disposed in the playing field, said traps including means for completing an indicating circuit when a ball enters the trap, a key controlling each trap and an electro-magnetic device for controlling the release of a ball from each trap, said electro-magnetic devices being energised by operation of the said keys.

2. A game device of the character described including in combination a playing field, means for projecting a plurality of balls into the playing field, a plurality of traps disposed in the playing field, said traps including means for completing an indicating circuit when a ball enters the trap, a key controlling each trap and means operable by the key controlling the release of the ball from the trap for interrupting its indicating circuit when a predetermined number of the balls have been played.

I terrupt the said indicating circuit.

4. A game device of the character described comprising in combination a playing field, means for successively projecting a plurality of balls into the playing field, a plurality of traps to receive the balls each provided with means for closing an indicating circuit, an electro-magnetically controlled device for each trap for retaining balls in said traps, a plurality of keys one for each of said electro-magnetically controlled devices for energising the said electromagnets and releasing the balls retained in said traps and interrupting indicating circuits therefor, and means operable by the balls as they pass into play to permit release of certain of the balls retained in the traps only after a predetermined number of balls have been played.

5. A game device of the kind described comprising in combination with a playing field, means for successively projecting a plurality of balls over the playing field, and a plurality of traps to receive the balls, an indicating circuit for each ball, means operable by the entrance of a ball into a trap to close such indicating circuit, a second circuit for each ball for controlling the discharge of each ball from a trap, means operable by the balls as they pass into play for preparing the second circuits for completion, said means including a rotary switch set by the passage into play of a predetermined number of balls, means operable by the player at will for finally completing any prepared circuit, said last mentioned means including an electromagnetically controlled retaining device for each trap for holding a ball in the trap and means for energizing the electro-magnetically controlled retaining device of any trap whereby the ball is released from the trap for replay and the indicating circuit interrupted.

GER'I'RUDE E. R. PERKS.

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