US2276748A

US2276748A - Switch means for ball rolling games

Info

Publication number: US2276748A
Application number: US394155A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thompson Harry
Original assignee: GENCO Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: GENCO Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1941-05-19
Filing date: 1941-05-19
Publication date: 1942-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1959-03-17

Description

March 17, 194 2. THOMPSON 2,276,748

SWITCH MEANS FOR BALL ROLLING GAMES Filed May 19, 1941 VENTOR.

A05 .JTIOKM/EK Patented Mar. 17, 1942 2,276,748 SWITCH MEANS FOR BALL ROLLING GAMES Harry Thompson, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Genco Mfg. 00., Chicago, 111., a. partnership composed of Louis W. Gensbur Myer Gensburg g, David Gensburg, and

Application May 19, 1941, Serial No. 394,155

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in switch means for ball rolling games and has for its principal object the provision of an im proved structure which will be highly efficient in use and economical as well as simple in construction.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a ball obstruction adapted to be affected When engaged by a ball to establish a circuit which will record such engagement.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a bumper for ball rolling games a novel switch operating means which will effect closing of a switch by engagement of a ball against the bumper from any angular direction.

A still further object of this invention is to provide in the table of a ball rolling game a novel mounting plate for carrying a tiltable disc and in which there is arranged means for detecting the tilting operation of the disc to effect closing of a switch.

Other objects and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction, arrangement of parts and mode of operation thereof, all of which will appear more fully in the specification as the description proceeds in View of the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional detail view taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. 1 and at substantially increased scale with respect thereto; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of certain parts embodied in the invention as illustrated I in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, It indicates a playboard which is preferably, though not necessarily, arranged substantially inclined with respect to the horizontal. This board It is adapted to form a table over which a ball II is rollable. Various types of ball obstructions have been employed in various positions on the table, and in the present instance there is illustrated what is known as the bumper type obstruction 12. Associated with such bumper is a resilient ring [3 against which the rolling ball H is adapted to engage for rebound back upon the table It.

The bumper structure I2 is arranged on the playboard Hi through the medium of a base i5 and a pair of bolts I6 arranged through spacer sleeves ll formed integrally on the underside of the bumper I2 and through a flange portion ii.- on the base to affix the base and bumper to the board as shown. The base l5 has a cylindrical central portion l9 adapted to be inserted in an opening 26 formed in the table It. Arranged in this cylindrical portion !9 is a sleeve formation 2! having an annular flange 22 adapted to seat on a flange formation 23- extending inwardly from the cylindrical portion I9.

A tiltable disc 24 is arranged between the flange I8 of the base and the lower edge of the bumper l2 and has openings 25 formed therein to permit passage of the spacer sleeves I1 of the bumper. There is an opening 26 formed in the lower edge of the bumper l2 concentrically with respect to the cylindrical portion IQ of the base l5. A guide formation 21 of the tiltable disc 24 extends into the opening 26 for guiding the movement of the disc 24.

Arranged in the sleeve formation 2| is a movable pin 28, and this pin 28 is adapted to move along the vertical axis of the sleeve 2| and has a head portion 29 adapted to engage against the underside of the disc 24. A spring means 30 is normally disposed within the cylindrical portion IQ of the base l5 surrounding the upper portion of the sleeve formation 2|, and has its lower portion seated on the annular flange 22 and its upper convolution bearing against the head 29 of the movable pin to urge the latter upward toward the disc 24. The spring 38 likewise urges the disc into a raised position, as shown in Fig. 2, a substantial distance above the top surface of the playboard ID.

The switch structure 3| is mounted on the underside of the playboard ID by any suitable means such as the screws 32 and has a pair of resilient leaf

spring contact elements

33 and 34 normally disposed out of engagement with respect to each other. The switch structure 3| is so positioned beneath the playboard It] as to dispose the free end portions of the contact elements 33-34 in a position beneath the sleeve formation 2|, with the uppermost contact element 33 engaging the lower end 35 of the movable pin 28. The switch 3| is adapted to be connected in a circuit, such as the circuit 36, which includes a source of electrical energy 31 and an electromagnet 38, or any like device, adapted to be energized when the switch contact elements 3334 engage each other to assume closed circuit condition.

As will be observed in Figs. 1 and 2, the peripheral edge of the disc 24 flares outwardly from the base l5 and bumper l2, so that a rolling ball engaging the bumper from any direction will necessarily engage the peripheral edge of the disc 24 to tilt the disc as seen in Fig. 2. Such tilting operation of the disc 24 causes its centermost portion to bear down upon the head 29 of the movable pin 28 against the action of the spring 30 The element 28 will be guided in movement downward along the vertical axis of the sleeve formation 2| so that the lower end portion 35 of the pin 28 will flex the upper contact element 33 into engagement with the other contact element 34, thereby completing circuit through the switch 3| to effect operation of a signal or detector through the medium of an electromagnetic device such as the device 38.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

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

1. In combination, a table, a base having a sleeve formation embedded in the table, a switch structure comprising a pair of contact elements arranged beneath said sleeve formation, a member on said base and free to tilt in various directions, upon engagement with a rolling object, means arranged in said sleeve for vertical movement, a spring normally urging said means toward said member and adapted to permit said means to engage said switch structure when said member is tilted by a rolling object to effect engagement of said contact elements.

2. In combination, a table over which balls are rollable, switch means mounted on the underside of said table, means forming a base ar ranged on said table, a ball obstruction mounted on said base and adapted to be struck by a ball, a tiltable disc arranged on said base and having a peripheral edge portion extending beyond said ball obstruction and adapted to be tilted when engaged by a ball, means arranged in said base forvertical movement therein and having an upper portion normally engaging said disc and a lower portion engaging said switch whereby to efiect operation of said switch when a ball engages the disc as aforesaid.

HARRY THOMPSON.