US2654607A - Punchboard game device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 6, 1953 v. K. SMITH PUNCHBOARD GAME DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 27, 1950 F E PLAY [GMT MOTQR.

S HAFT INVENTOR. VERNON K. SMITH To OTHED.

LIGHTS 50 g s c5 ATTORNEY? Ill v 1222:: a a (J Oct. 6, 1953 v. K. SMITH PUNCHBOARD GAME DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1950 INVENTOR. VERNON K. SM \TH Oct. 6; 1953 v. K. SMITH PUNCHBOARD GAME DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 am 9 RE 6 Filed March 27, 1950 IN V EN TOR. VERNON K. SMITH ATTO'QNEYS nil-5 mm 7 2. WI, m; E.-

FIG. 5

Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES E ATENT OFFICE.

PUNCHBOARD GAME DEVICE Vernon K. Smith, Boise, Idaho Application March 27, 1950, Serial 'No. 152,018

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a punchboard game device, and more particularly to a punchboard formed in a manner to resemble a slot machine and operative with an electric circuit which is excited upon the removal of a selected punch from a punchboard.

It is an object of this invention to provide a punchboard supported in a cabinet, the cabinet being designed and formed to resemble a slot machine, the punchboard device of this invention having an electrical attraction circuit which is activated upon removing a punch from the punchboard. A series of lights, chimes, and other attraction devices are connected to the electrical circuit which is excited upon the removal of a punch from the punchboard.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game device of this kind having a counter connected to the electrical attraction circuit for registering the number of punches which have been removed from the punchboard.

An alarm is also connected to the electric circuit for warning an attendant when an operator is using the machine in an unauthorized manner.

A further object of this invention is to provide a guide member or supporting device in the cabinet which is to be matched by the particular design of the punchboard in such a manner that only punchboards designed particularly for the machine may be inserted therein. lihe punch boards are removably supported in the cabinet so that they may be replaced when any one of the punchboards has been depleted. An electrical switch is connected in the attraction circuit and is operated by the insertion of a proper type of punchboard.

A still further object of this invention is, to pro vide a punchboard which is provided with bores for supporting the punches therein, the cores being formed at various angles to the front surface of the punchboard in a manner to provide for the prevention of removal of a plurality of punches at a single time in an unauthorized manner.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electric motor which is operatively connected to the attraction circuit and is operative for rotating an electric contact member which is connected to a separate electric alarm or attrac tion device which is operative only when the rotatable contact member comes to rest in com tact with av fixed contact member, such motor and contact members constituting a chance element which is to be rewarded. by a free play when such contacts remain in engagement after a player has completed a play on the machine.

With the. abovesand other objects in, view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front and one side of the game device constructed according to an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken behind the front face of the cabinet and looking rearwardly therein;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.;

Figure 4, is an electrical wiring diagram of the electric circuit embodied in the game device;

Figure 5 is. a front elevation of the rotatable contact members embodied in the chance element of this device and showing the forward face of the motor employed for actuating the rotatable contact member;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sideelevation, partly broken away and partly in section, taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of a support plate carrying electrical switches which are alternatively closed when punches are punched from the associated punch board;

Figure 8 is a rear elevation, partly broken away, of the punch-board supporting means;

Figure 9- is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a punchboard particularly designed for use in the game device of this invention;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary transverse section, partly broken away, and partly in section, taken on the line ill-10 of Figure 9.

Figure llis, a rear perspective and fragmentary transverse section, partly broken away, taken on line l0l 0. of Figure '9, of a punchboard particularly designed for use in the game device of this invention, showing the slick rear surface thereof, and the manner of retaining the punches spaced inwardly in the board to prevent the snag pieces of retaining paper from extending rearwardly to the rear surface of the board.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 29 designates generally a game device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention. The game device 20 is, actually a punchboard supported in a cabinet to resemble a slot ma,- chine. It is noted that slot machines have a particular attraction, whereas punchboards have a lesser attraction, and it, is an object of this invention to provide a supporting cabinet and a plurality of electrically operated attraction devices to, be actuated upon removing a punch from the punchboard in a manner to resemble a slot machine and in related attractive movement,

The game device 26 is provided with an outer cabinet formed with an enlarged, rectangular base and having a vertically extending front wall 22 terminating at its upper end in a rearwardly and upwardly inclined upper wall 24. A forward ly and upwardly inclined rear wall 25 is terminated at its lower end on the rear edge of the bottom wall 26, and at its upper end on the rear end of the top wall 24, clearly noted in Figure 3 of the drawings. The total assembly of the walls described above is to resemble the general characteristics of a slot machine of the type having the rotatable reels or members which are actuated upon swinging of a lever pivotally mounted on one side thereof.

The front wall 22 is provided with an enlarged, substantially rectangular opening 21, behind which the punchboard 28 is adapted to be supported for removing the punches therefrom by a player of the machine. A channel guide member 29 is fixedly supported on the rear side of the front wall 22 at the lower edge thereof, behind the opening 2?, and an upper longitudinally extending channel guide member 36 is fixedly supported on the upper edge of the open ing 21 on the rear-side of the front wall 22, in the manner clearly noted in Figure 3 of the drawings. The upper channel guide member 30 is positioned at an inclination to the level bottom wall 26 and the lower channel guide member 29, and the punchboard 28 is provided with a peripheral surface whereby the punchboard may be slidably engaged between the channel guide members 29 and 3!] for proper positioning therein, so that the punches in the punchboard may be readily reached by a player from the front of the machine reaching through the opening 21'.

An intermediate supporting wall 3| is fixed within the cabinet 2|, extending upwardly from the bottom wall 26 intermediate the length thereof. A supporting plate 32 is fixedly mounted on the intermediate wall 3| in spaced relation thereto. A plurality of bolts 34 are engaged through the intermediate wall 3| and the supporting plate 32 and a spacer sleeve 35 is engaged about the bolts 34 between the intermediate wall 3| and the supporting plate 32, in the manner clearly noted in Figure 3 of the drawings. The intermediate wall 3! is provided for supporting the supporting plate 32 behind the punchboard 28 within the cabinet 21 and facing the opening 2'! on the. inner side of the punchboard contained within the guide channels 29 and. 30. A plurality of switch elements are adapted to be fixedly mounted on the supporting plate 32 to be actuated by a contact plate 36 suspended behind the punchboard 28 for swinging movement upon removal of a punch therefrom. A pair of resilient coil springs 31 are engaged between the bottom wall 25 and the lower edge of the contact plate 36 and a second pair of resilient coil springs 38 are engaged between the intermediate upper wall 39 and the upper edge of the contact plate 35 for suspending the contact plate for free swinging movement within the cabinet 2|.

A plurality of switches 40 are supported on the supporting plate 32 to be actuated upon movement of the contact plate 35 rearwardly in the cabinet 2|. The switches 46 include a rear, resiliently mounted contact member 4! and a forward, movable contact element 42, the forward contact element 42 being engageable on the rear surface of the contact plate 36, whereupon the contact elements 4| and 42 will be moved into engagement upon rearward swinging movement of the contact plate 35, and both elements will move rearwardly to permit the punch to be received between the contact plate 36 and punchboard 28. The switches 40 are arranged with relation to the contact plate 36, whereupon a pair of such contact elements 4! and 12 will be substantially positioned at the corners of the contact plate, as clearly noted in Figure 7 of the drawings. Pegs t3 are carried by the contact plate 38 about the periphery thereof for engagement with the rear side of the front wall 22, to space the contact plate rearwardly therefrom. A center coil spring 44 is engaged between the center of the supporting plate 32 and the center of the contact plate 36 for constantly biasing the contact plate 36 outwardly in the direction of the punchboard 28, and the resiliency of the spring 44 will provide for positioning the contact plate 36 in slightly spaced relation from the punchboard 28, whereby a channel i5 is defined therebetween. A cup-shaped funnel 46 is disposed at the lower edge of the front wall 22 of the cabinet 2! for removing the. punches as they are punched from the punchboard 28. Each punch, as it is punched from the punchboard, will effect the swinging of the contact plate 36 for closing at least one of the switches 40 which is connected into the electrical attraction cirouit 41.

The electric attraction circuit 41 contained within the game device 2%], described above, derives its energy from a transformer 48 which is adapted to be connected to a conventional volt alternating current generally employed in homes, stores and other places where such a gaming device may be employed. The transformer as is adapted to be connected only to the attraction circuit 41, and a second transformer 49 will be connected to the inlet for the transformer 48 for illuminating the fixed lights 50 which may be supported on the front wall or face of the machine 2 I, as clearly noted in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The lights 52 are adapted to be constantly in the circuit, whereas the attraction circuit 47 will only be energized upon playing of the device.

The attraction circuit 41 is provided with a master switch 5| supported in the cabinet 2! and the narrow end of the channel guide means defined by the guide channels 29 and 30. The master switch 5| is provided with a contact element 52 which faces in the direction from which the punchboard 28 is engaged, whereupon the engagement of the punchboard 28 into the channel guide means will effect the closing of the master switch 5|, the master switch being normally biased to an open position.

Upon removal of a punch P from the punchboard 28, the contact plate 36.will engage at least one of the movable contact elements 42 of the switches 40 for closing and energizing the electric circuit 4?. Immediately upon closing of the electric circuit $1, a solenoid or electromagnet 54 will be energized for actuating a chime 55 supported within the cabinet 21 and noted in Figure 3 of the drawings. Also, upon energizing the circuit 41, a second solenoid or electromagnet 56 will be energized for vibrating or otherwise actuating the contact plate 36 as suspended on the springs 3'! and 38. The bumping solenoid 56 includes an armature 5'! which engages the upper edge of the contact plate in the manner clearly noted in Figure 2 of the drawings,

the bumping of. the contact plate 36 providing for the loosening of any punches which may be frictionally engaged between the contact plate 36 and the punchboard 28 spaced forwardly there from to provide for the free sliding movement of. the selected punches downwardly through the channel 45 and outwardly through the lower funnel-shaped opening 46.

Anattraction light 58 is connected in parallel with the chimes solenoid and the bumping" solenoid, and will be illuminated at the time each punch is removed from the punchboard 28. The attraction light 58 may be viewed through an attraction window, or glass wall, 59 on. the upper wall 24 of the cabinet 2|, the attraction window 59 being provided with some sort of attractive decoration, as the four-leaf clover noted in Figure 1 of the drawings. An electrically operated counter member 5a is also connected in parallel with the solenoids and light 53, the counter 60 being viewable through a window ti extending upwardly from the upper wall 2%, as clearly noted in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The electric motor $2 is also connected in parallel with the solenoids, the light 58 and the counter 58 to be energized as each punch is removed from the punchboard 28'. A circular supporting disc 64 is positioned at one end of motor 62 for supporting a fixed contact element 55 to be engaged by a rotatable contact element 56 carried by the motor shaft 6?. Upon closing of the attraction circuit il, the motor shaft 81 will be caused to rotate and the movable contact element 65 will be caused to sweep about the surface of the supporting disc 5 and come in contact with the fixed contact "element 5 at one point during each rotation thereof. There will be no definite timed relation between the selection of punches from the punchboard. and the rotation of the motor shaft 61, so that the element of chance is introduced into the gaming device, the chance being when the fixed contact element 65 will be engaged by the rotatable contact element 66 and remain there until the circuit li should be again energized for further rotating the motor shaft 6?. In other words, upon completion of the circuit 47, the motor 62 will be caused to operate and in the event that the rotatable contact element to should come to rest on the fixed contact element 65, a free play would be awarded. It is understood that as the shaft Bl rotates, the movable contact element will continually pass over the fixed contact element 65 and cause a flickering of the indicating light 68 which is connected to the fixed contact element. A buzzer or other alarm device 69 is connected in series with the free play light and the rotatable switch it defined by the contact elements 55 and (it, whereupon an alarm will be sounded when the rotatable contact element has come to rest on the fixed contact element 55. The buzzer or alarm 69 would be intermittent in its operation during the rotation of the shaft 6?, but will be continual when the rotatable contact element 66 comes to rest on the fixed contact element 65.

As the operation of the attraction circuit 41 will be quite intermittent during the proper playing of a game, an alarm device H is connected in parallel with the solenoids, the lights, the counter and motor 62, the warning element H being of an audible nature to be set into continuous operation in the event that a punch P is caught in the channel 45 or in the event that the gaming device 20 is being operated in an 6 unauthorized manner, whereupon the punches would not slideireely'for removal. from the opening 46.

The punchboard 23 is particularly designed for the gaming. device 26 described above and; is formed with a plurality of apertures or bores 12 therethrough, in which. the punches P are adapted. to be engaged. The rear surface M of the punchboard 2a is of a more rigid nature than the material from which the punchboard 28 is generally formed, such as paper or the like, to provide for the free. sliding movement of the punches. therethrough. in a manner to prevent the accidental snagging of the punches P in the rear ends. of the bores 12, this structure be.- ing particularly designed for the free movement of the punches P as they are selected for removal from the punchboard.v to be dropped through the channel 45 and out through the opening 45 for the player. By placing the slick rear surface: 14 on. the punchboard, the punches are normally retained within the board spaced inwardly from. the. rear face, so that, upon removal of the punches, the small, snagged pieces of paper which normally retain the punches in the board. and may at times extend rearwardly from the board when. the punches are removed will be. within the board to provide a slick surface on the punchboard to obstruct the free slid ing movement of the punches P in the space 55 in no manner.

In order to provide a safety feature for the punchboard 28, it is intended that the direction of the bores 72 shall not be parallel and that no parallel relation will be provided between adjacent bores 12. In this manner, no comb-like device having a plurality of parallel prods may be used for removingv a plurality of punches P at a single time; In other words, one of the bores '32 may be a bore perpendicular to the plane of one face of the-punchboard Z8, and the adjacent bore, as the bores Ito and I22), will be disposed at. an angle outwardly from the bores E2, or the bores adjacentthe first bore. 'lZ-may be disposed at an upward and downward inclination. An indicating device 5-5 is shown on one end of each of the punches P for indicating the direction of inclination of the bores, but it is understood that no such indication will be used on the punchboard in use. In Figure 9 of the drawings, the indicating elements it are clearly noted, and those punches P without an indicating device I5 are adapted for straight punching or perpendicular to the front and rear surfaces of the punchboard 28. The bores 52a which are inclined at one direction from the perpendicular are indicated by the indicating elements 15a, and those punches in bores 72b are provided with indicating elements 15b. Those punches which are secured in bores which are inclined upwardly are provided with an indicator element 720, and those in the downwardl inclined bore have an indicating element 12d, as clearly noted in Fig ure 9 of the drawings. The showing of the angled bores in the punchboard is merely exemplary, as it is understood that various angled rearrangements may be employed and in different sequences and arrangements.

In the use and operation of the gaming device 20 described above, the lead lines or wires 8! and 82 may be connected to a conventional type of electrical plug 84 for connection into an electrical socket of a conventional formation. Upon engagement of the plug 84 into the socket, the attraction lights 50 will be energized for indicating ammo-7 thatthe gaming-device 2Il:is:set fonnperation. The person. desiring. .to play the device. 20 will-pay the cost of selecting a punch to an attendant and then may .ernployxthe punching device. ,8 5 ior removing a selected one of the punches PM A handle83 is fixed on'the punching'device, and is. pref.- erably formed as a rabbit .foot or. other. attractive and superstitious good'luclc piece. As thepunch Eisslidably'moved from its respectiveborein the punchboard, the punch Bwill engage the contact plate 3.6 for moving the contactlplaterearwardly within the cabinetil. and: closing at least one of the spring switches d l Upon closing of the spring switches. 4L. the: circuit 4'? will be closed. and the bumping solenoid fifiiwill .be energized for bump:- ing the contact: plate 353. and .efiecting thejfree sliding movement of theselected punch 'Pdown- Wardly through thechannel'memberilfi and. outwardl'y through theopening .46.. ..',AS .the contacts ti and 52 arein engagement'the chimes 55, actuated by the solenoid 543 will ring'and the light 58 will be energized. .'Also,:the.rnot,or.62 will be rotated, and. in the event that the rotatable. contact. elenientfit comes to restin'engag'ement.with the fixed contact element 65, .the free. play light 68 will beconneoted in the circuit and the buzzer 69 will beconnected for continued operation. .As each punch P is removed from the punchboard, the counterfill will be energized fortotaling the number of. punches taken. The free .play light is viewed through a window 63 in the front wall ofthehousing.

In the event that thewarning bellor'other audible element .1! is in continual operation; the

attendant, through the gaming device-Z8, will be 7 placed on notice that .the gaming device is being used in an unauthorized manner, or that a punch P has'beeome lodged between the punchboard 28 and the contact plate. Stifor maintaining "the circuit ll in a constantlyclosed condition.

The punchboard 28 may be inserted into' the machine through an opening 85 on one of the side walls of the cabinet, theopening 86 being adapted to be closed by. a door or closure member $1 having a key locked therein for securing the closure in a closed position. The opening 85 provides for the free sliding movement of the punchboard 23 into and out of the channel guide-members 2t and 39 on the rear side of the front-Wall 220i the cabinet 21. l 1 I 8 .I;do;no t meanto confineimyself to theexactde; tails-.of construction; herein disclosed, but'claim all variations falling within; the :purview. of the appendedclaim. .;.i.;;-

.lclaim: if. 5, V

- ,A. amedevice comprising. a: housing having. a iront Wall provided with an. opening, a. punch board removably mountedin. said housingatthe inner side of said front wall and in registry. with said opening and having, punches'therein selectivelygmovable outof said'punch board. and in:- wardly. of said housing, a contact. plate resiliently suspended in said housing adj acentand substantially parallel to the side of said punch board disposed inwardly of .said housing and movable away from'said punch board by. punches punched-from said punch board,. a supportplate fixedly mounted in said housing-adjacentiand substantiallyparallelto the side of .saidcontact plate remote from said punch board, J normally open resilient switches mounted in spaced apart relationship on said-support plate at the side of the latter adjacent said contact plate and closed-at random by said. contact plate when the latter is moved away from said punch board','and an electriesignal circuit including said switches in parallel-and signal devices in series with said switches, said signal circuit includingan electrically actuated vibrator mounted on said housing and engaging said contact plate to free punches caught in the space betwee'n saidpunch boardand said contact plate and cause such punches'to fall-to the bottom-of said space. I H r I v r I VERNON K. SMITH.

References Cited in the fileiof patent' UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,834,572 "Brewer Dec. 1 1931 1,946,736 Frey L Feb. 13, .934 2,006,620 Barrett July 2 1935 ;2,333,002 Goldbordko Oct. 26.1943 2,406,603 Hadesbeck Aug. 2'7, 1946 2,490,325 Schmidt DBC. 6, 1949 2,511',925 L olnbalfdd 'June 20, 1950 2,531,674 Doumitt Nov. 28; 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 431,173 j Great Britain'iein; July 2;;1935

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