US2732794A - R julius - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 31, 1956 A. F. JULIUS 2,732,794

DOUBLES TICKET ISSUER MECHANISM FOR RACE TOTALISATORS Filed May 10, 1954 4 Sheets5heet l .FQJIM/ 2: at: ifs 1i $9 mim 4 Jan. 31, 1956 A. F. JULIUS 2,732,794

DOUBLES TICKET ISSUER MECHANISM FOR RACE TOTALISATORS Filed May 10, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2"LEG /47 I47 15/ 1 6/ 2,732,794 DOUBLES TICKET ISSUER MECHANISM FOR RACE TOTALISATORS Filed May 10, 1954 A. F. JULIUS Jan. 31, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 .I' MZL'M Jan. 31, 1956 A. F. JULIUS 2,732,794

DOUBLES TICKET ISSUER MECHANISM FOR RACE TOTALISATORS Filed May 10, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E LE BETTING United States Patent This invention belongs to that class of totalisator ticket issuer machine in which movement of an operators handpiece in selection of a competitor number, automatically conditions a type wheel for the printing of that number on the ticket under preparation.

In prior issuer machines of the kind under discussion, the type wheel shaft has been directly geared to the vertical spindle carrying the operators handpiece. it

follows that in such an arrangement the operator is the sole source of power for operating the linkage, turning the type wheel, and arresting its momentum when a selection is being made. This use of manual power becomes tiring for the operator and can impair the efliciency of ticket issue by slow-down on the part of the operator. These disabilities are seldom gravely inconvenient where the issuer is one dealing with ordinary "straight-out, place or lice single bets, but when the issuer is one handling doubles or other bets involving substantially concurrent selection of a plurality of competitors as part of a single betting transaction, the mentioned disabilities become seriously objectionable. This is especially the case in issuers of the kind in question when as has been previously proposed for the handling of doubles bets, they are equipped with two independently operable handpieces respectively related to the first and second legs of doubles bets.

It will be appreciated that the use of two handpieces is itself objectionable because it leaves the operator without a free hand for taking money or for other use, also the work is necessarily slowed down to the working speed of the operators less eliicient and earlier-tiring hand.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above-stated objections in a simple manner, by the vision of a doubles ticket issuer machine of the kind referred to, in which the manual work is limited to that necessary for more turning movement and depression of an unloaded handpiece, or mere depression of a press button or buttons or other handpiece equivalent; and in which the prior requirement for two separate handpieces is obviated.

The invention may be summarised as primarily consisting in the provision, in a doubles ticket issuer machine for a race totalisator, of electro-mechanical devices for setting the machine to print a ticket, comprising, a series of first leg selector switches, mechanism for closing and retaining closed condition of any one of the first switches to the exclusion of the entire remainder of said first switches, a first leg rotatable type drum having printing faces respectively related to the first switches, first leg circuiting and actuating means able to turn the first drum and halt it with its printing face corresponding to a closed first switch in a printing station, a series of second leg selector switches, means for closing any one of the second switches to the exclusion of the entire remainder of said second switches, locking devices which hold a closed second switch in closed condition and restrain closure of any unclosed selector switch, a second leg ro- 2,732,794 l Patented Jan. 31, 1

tatable type drum having printing faces respectively related to the second switches, second leg circuiting and actuating means able to turn the second drum and halt it with its printing face corresponding to a closed second switch in a printing station, and release mechanism whereby the locking devices are unlocked after completion of a printing operation by said corresponding printing faces. amples of the invention are illustrated in the drawings herewith.

Figure l is a schematic perspective representation of an operators hand lever and selector switch assembly.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of a part of the assembly shown in Figure 1.

.gure 3 is a schematic perspective representation of a type drum and distributor switch drive assembly.

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram related to the'matters illustrated by Figures 1 to 3.

5 and 6 relate to an alternative embodiment of l gures the invention, Figure 5 being a partly sectioned schematic elevation of an operators press-button and selector switch assembly, and Figure 6 a circuit diagram related to the assembly shown by Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a single hand-lever 7 is lulcrunied, about a horizontal axis, on a lug 8 fixed on a sleeve 9 which is freely rotatable about its longitudinal axis but is restrained, in conventional mechanical manner, inst other movement. The free end of the hand lever (h, ing finger knob 10 on it) has a registration peg 13 on its underside which may be freely travelled over a station y cir ular (or part circular) selector dial plate 12. The eg ll is resiliently influenced to remain elevated just above and clear of the dial plate by a tension spring 23 having its ends respectively anchored to a tail portion 14 of the hand lever and a pin '15 fixed on sleeve 9. The dial plate has two separate rows of holes 16 and 17 therein. One of these rows'(l6) may be called a first leg row, the number of holes in it being equal to some selected maximum number of competitors in a first leg race. The number of holes (17) in the other or second leg row is equal to a selected maximum number of competitors for a second leg race plus an extrahole which may be called a test hole andthe purpose of which will be explained later herein. The peg 11, upon depression of the hand lever 7 may be freely entered into any one of the holes 16 or 17.

A pitrnan rod 18 is pivotally connected to the hand lever I about a horizontal axis and this rod extends downally and centrally through the sleeve 9. The lower end of the oitman rod has one arm 19 of a latch lever pivctally connected thereto by way of a trunnion lug 20. This latch lever is fulcrumed at 21 and is preferably in the form of a bell crank (as shown). Its other arm 22 step 23 therein engageable by a corner portion 24 of a locking lever 25 loaded by tension spring 26and fUiQTUl'E'lCJ at 27. This locking on lever has an arm 28 therejuxtaposition with two pairs of handle lock con- 1 2; and 3b which may be in the form of spring leaves (as shown) and are so ararnged that when the corner portion of the locking lever is engaged in the step 23 on tl e lat h lever both The contacts 3%? are in the betting circuit, further described later herein and illustrated on the left-hand side of Figure 4.

The sleeve 9 has a cam fixed thereon to which a spur 32 on the loc '1 ever 25 is in follower relationship. The arranger: at is such that when the hand lever 7 is above any part of the first leg row of holes 16, the cam 31 obstructs the locking lever 25 thus to preventits engagement with the latch lever step 23 and thus '(for'as long as the hand lever is over the firstleg dial holes) prevent a closure of the handle lock contacts 29 and 30. When the hand lever is over any portion of the second pairs of contacts 29 and 30 are closed.

Each of the dial plate holes, that is, both tl e first leg and second leg holes 16 and 17, has an operating plunger, 33 and 34 respectively, associated therewith. In the form of the inevntion under description these plungers have their upper ends substantially flush with the holed upper surface of the dial plate 12 and extend downwardly therei from. The plungers are supported in suitable bearings (such as 35 in Figure 2) and each is loaded by a compression spring such as 36 so that at all times it tends to remain elevated in the described position in which its upper end face is substantially flush with the dial plate.

The arrangement of the plungers is such that the registration peg 11 may be selectively located above any one of the plungers and depression of the outer end of the hand lever 7 will then cause the registration peg to depress the registered plunger. The first leg plungers 33 each have a peripheral cam groove 37 into which the follower nose 3S on a cantilever spring leaf 39 extends. When the plunger 33 is depressed the nose 38 rides upon the shoulder constituted by the upper full diameter portion of the plunger so that the related cantilever spring leaf is sidewardly displaced. This displacement sufiices for closure of a pair of first leg competitor electrical contacts 40 of which there is a pair for each of the plungers 33. The lower end of each of the plungers 33 is formed as a double conical latch portion 41 which is able to enter one of an areaate row of holes 42 in a locking plate 43 which is in the form of a quadrant and is able to turn freely about the axis of the sleeve 9. The quadrant locking plate 43 is furnished with a tension loading spring 44 which tends to keep it abutted against a stationary stop pin 45. The locking plate arrangement is such that when a first leg plunger 33 is depressed, its lower end enters one of the holes 42 in the locking plate 43 slightly displacing it against the loading of its spring 44 in so doing. The spring 44 of the locking plate 43 then causes it to enter a groove 46 at the upper end of the double conical latch portion 41 so that that plunger (the depressed plunger) is held in depressed position by the locking plate 43 and will be released for upward movement under the influence of its own loading spring 36 only when another one of the first leg plungers is depressed so to re-displace the locking plate, which releases the first depressed plunger and results in the second depressed plunger being held by the locking plate in depressed position.

The second leg plungers 34 are similar to the first leg plungers insofar as they are vertically depressible against spring-loading pressure and have a groove 47 for a follower nosing 48 on a spring leaf cantilever 49. The second leg plungers, however, are not (in the embodiment of the invention under description) furnished with locking plate or similar means as above described for retaining them in depressed position.

The cantilever spring leaves 49, one of which is associated with each of the second leg plungers 34, each have three spring contact leaves 54 51 and 52 associated therewith. In each of these groups of three contacts the outer contact 50 is a signal lamp contact, and the other outer contact 52 is a second leg competitor contact and the middle contact 51 which is able to bear against either one of the outer contacts is normally in touch with its signal lamp contact 50; that is (at all times of operation) when the related second leg plunger is not depressed. Depression of a second leg plunger by use of the hand lever, causes the centre contact 51 associated with that plunger to leave its signal lamp contact 59 and move into touch with its second leg competitor contact 52.

Each pair of first leg competitor contacts 4%) is connected to one contact stud 53 in a first leg stationary distributor plate 54 having its studs disposed as a circular row engageable by one limb 5:" of a first leg rotatable wiper arm. The other limb 56 of the wiper arm bears against a first leg slip ring contact 57 connected to one end of a first leg relay coil 58. The number of studs 53 is one greater than the selected maximum number of first leg competitors, one stud being available for testing purposes as explained later herein.

Each pair of first leg contacts 49 has a signal lamp 59 serially connected thereto, each signal lamp being mounted in a bracket as under a numbered translucent window or the like (not shown) so to illuminate a number corresponding to the first leg competitor dial plate holes. The armature for the first leg relay coil 58 carries a contact being one of a pair of first leg magnet contacts 61 which are closed when the first leg relay coil is de-energised and open when that coil is energised. These contacts constitute a switch in the circuit of a first leg magnet coil 62 having an armature in the form of an escapement awl lever s3 whereof the spur is engageable with a first eg escapement wheel 64 (when the magnet coil 62 is de-energised) under the influence of a tension spring 65.

Escapement wheel 64 is fixed at one with a gear wheel 66 which is in mesh with a first leg wiper driving gear at fixed on the shaft 63 which carries the wiper -56. The gear 66 also meshes with a driving gear 69 at one with the driven portion of a slipping clutch whereof the driver member 71 is constantly rotated during operation or" the apparatus. This constant rotation of the driving element of the first leg slipping clutch may be by electric motor 72 and belt drive 73 or otherwise as well understood. The gear wheel 69 also meshes a driving gear '74 for a first leg type drum 75 whereof the printing faces are one more in number than the number of first leg competitors (one face being for test) and each of said faces carries a type inscription corresponding to a first competitor number or name, except for the extra face which may simply carry the word Test.

As stated above, the first leg magnet contacts 61 are opened upon energisation of the first leg relay coil 58. This coil has an additional function in that energisation thereof also causes closure of a pair of first leg betting circuit contacts '76, the purpose of which will be explained later herein.

The circuits through the first leg selector contacts 4% are completed through a pair of first leg selection common contacts 77. The contacts 77 form part of a twoway switch which is of the same kind as the second leg selector switches (5t), 51, 52) in that a middle movable leaf is able to close against either of two outer leaves. The middle leaf is spring influenced so that it tends to keep the contacts '77 open. In Figure 4 these contacts are shown open with the middle leaf closing first leg test contacts 78. That is only because, for convenience of subsequent description, Figure 4 represents the circuiting arrangements as they would be when not in use; that is, prior to closure of the main switches for the system. During ordinary use it is the contacts '77 which remain closed and not the test contacts 78, as will be explained later herein.

As previously explained the middle leaves 51 of the second leg selector switches are normally (that is, while the respective plungers 39 are in their elevated or undepressed position) touching the signal lamp contacts Stl which are connected to the negative line 7% through the lamps 80. These lamps perform the same indicating function for second leg selections as the lamps 59 perform in respect of first leg selections, as will be described later herein.

Each of the middle leaves 51 is connected to one contact stud ill in a second leg stationary distributor plate 82 having its studs engageable by one limb'83 of a sccond leg rotatable wiper arm. The other wiper limb $4 bears against a second leg-slip ring contact 85 which is connected directly to the positive line 86. The number of studs 81 is one greater than the number of second leg competitors, the extra stud being a test stud.

The circuits through the second leg contacts 52 are completed through a pair of second leg selection common contacts ti? which (except during a test and when the whole system is on open circuit, as shown) arenormally closed, and form part of a two way switch which includes second leg test contacts 33. The middle leaf of the switch S7, S8 is connected to negative through a second leg relay coil The armature for coil 89 carries a contact being one of a pair of second leg magnet contacts 99 whichare closed when coil 89 is de-energised and open when that coil is energised.

Contacts constitute a switch (in series with handle lock contacts 29) in the circuit of a second leg magnet coil 91 having an escapement pawl armature 92 whereof the spur 93 is engageabie with a second leg escapement wheel 94 (when the magnet 91 isde-energised) under the influence of a tension spring 95.

The escapernent wheel 94 is fixed to gear Wheel $6 which meshes a second leg wiper driving gear 37 fixed on the shaft 93 which carries second leg wiper 33-84. The gear in; also meshes with a driving gear $9 fixed to the driven portion Till) of a second leg slipping clutch whereof the driver member 191 is keyed on the shaft 162 on which the first ieg driver member 7i is also keyed. The gear wheel $9 meshes a driving gear 193 for second leg type drum which is similar to first leg drum 7S.

Energisation of the second leg relay 8 in addition to opening the magnet contacts 9% (which are normally closed) closes a pair of normally open second leg betting circuit contacts hi5.

it will be recalled that earlier herein one of the holes 17 in the dial plate 12 was referred to as a test hole. The hand lever peg ii is descended into this hole when it is required to ascertain whether the ticket production mechanism is in good order. In this ascertainment a ticket is actually printed and produced, bearing (for example) two imprints of the word Test (as markedthereon by the drums 75' and 1 34) instead of two competitor numbers as would be the case in production of an ordinary ticket for a real transaction. I

it is essential that productionof a test ticketcause no energisation of the betting circuits, otherwise the adding units which are actuated by closure of those circuits would integrate a test operation as if it were a real transaction.

To isolate the betting circuits during test, a pair of normally closed test contacts 196 are provided. While these contacts are closed a test relay 107 is energised. When this relay is energised it holds the contacts 77 and 87 closed (and therefore holds contacts 78 and 88 open against the influence of their loading springs)'and also holds contacts i 38, i139, Hii and ill'open in the betting section. Open condition of these contacts necessarily holds the contacts 112, 113, 114 and 115 closed.

The normally closed test contacts 196 may be on a pair of leaves, similar to those of the first selector switches 4%, except that they are opened by an operating plunger such as 34, positioned under the test hole in the dial plate 12.

The betting or adding unit circuits which connect each ticket issuing machine to the adding units appropriate for integration and registration of the transactions (represented by tickets issued and sold) in respect of each kind of transaction, and of the grand total of transactions, may be of more-or-less conventional design. However, the presence of the stationary selector distributors 54 and 82 and the selector wiper arrangements associated therewith provides for a particularly convenient and 3 simple expedient for conditioning'the betting circuits in absolute consonance with the type wheel settings.

In the preferred arrangeir'ent, the stationary selector distributor plates 54 and 82, each have an extra stationary distributor plate, 116 and 117 respectively, associated therewith. These extra plates may be exactly similar to the plates 54 and 82, except that in such case the contact studs thereof, corresponding to the test studs in the plates 54 and 82, serve no useful purpose.

The first leg betting circuit distributor plate 116 has contact studs 3.18 which are swept by a betting wiper arm 11%. The other Wiper arm 120 runs on a slip ring contact 121 which is connected to contacts 113 (see Figure 4). The wiper 11l2il is in phase with the selector wiper 5556 and is keyed on the same shaft 68.

Similarly, the second leg betting circuit distributor plate 117 has contact studs 122 swept by a wiper arm 123. The other wiper arm 124 runs on a slip ring contact 125 connected to contacts 115 (see Figure 4-). The betting wiper 123-124 is in phase with selector wiper S384 and is keyed on the same shaft 98.

The contact studs 11S and 122 are connected to known adding units in known manner. For example, the wipers 119 and 123 may be regarded as the equivalent of the selector switch arms marked F and H in the drawing forming part of the specification of Australian Patent No. 137,946 (or its equivalent United States Patent No. 2,534,602). in such case the contact studs and 122 correspond to the contact series marked J and K in the said prior drawing, these contacts (H8 and 122) then forming part of adding circuits also as described in the said prior specification. The betting circuits as referred to above necessarily incorporate a rotary distributor of the kind marked 1" in the said prior drawing.

With the described arrangement of distributors and wipers, the extra wipers 119 and 123 (in the adding unit circuits) will always be located upon the studs 118 and 122m direct consonance with the halting positions of the first and second leg type drums 7'5 and 194. Thus, the bet as registered by the adding units will always truly correspond with the ticket which is printed as record of the particular bet, and this will be so even in the most unlikely event of the type drums halting in positions at variance with the o'perators orig'ial selections.

Inthe bettingcircuit arrangements shown in Figure 4 there are competitor wires (shown bunched at 126) for the first leg competitors, and (shown for the'sec'ond leg'competi'tors. There is also a first leg common wire 128 and a second leg common wire 129. These competitor and common wires are connected to the adding unit magnets as indicated above or otherwise as well'understoo'd.

In the ticket issuer machine, the first leg common wire 128 passes through the contacts 112 (held closed by energisation of test relay 107), and thence through an ordinary issuer trip coil 13% and an associated trip contact 131. It then goes through contacts 76 (governed by the first leg relay coil 58) through contact 113 (governed by test relay 107 to the wiper 119 of the first leg extra distributor 116, and thence to the adding unit corresponding'to the position in which the first leg type drum 75 is halted.

The trip coil 130 and its contacts 131 operate in known manner; that is, the contacts 131 are normally closed and upon energisation of coil 13% they are opened (as a consequence of that energisation) and a pair of normally open'clutch contacts 132' are thereby closed.

The contacts 132 are connected (by wire 13-3) to the clutch 134 and upon closing energise the clutch so that it initiates the usual ticket production mechanical cycle of a ticket issuing machine such as shown in United States Patent No. 1,744,771. This cycle includes printing the ticket strip, feeding it through the printing station, guillotining the printed ticket from the strip, and then halting bunched at 127) the mechanism in readiness for the next ticket production cycle.

The main issuer drive shaft which is operated by clutch 134, or some other shaft geared thereto, is indicated at 135 in Figure 1. This shaft has a lock release cam 136 keyed on it. A tail portion 137 of the locking lever 25 lies in the throw path of cam 136. The throw distance and the setting of cam 136 relative to the shaft 135 are such that immediately or shortly following completion of a ticket printing, the cam rides across the tail portion 137 and depresses it sufiiciently to lift the corner 2 clear of the step 23 in latch lever 19, 22.

The second leg common wire 129 goes through contacts 114 (governed by test relay 107), and through the handle lock contacts 36 which are closed only when the hand lever 7 is locked down by the locking lever 25. The wire 129 then passes through the contacts 1S5 (governed by the second leg relay coil 89) the contacts 115 (governed by the test relay 1197) the wiper 123 and then to the adding units. The contacts 76 and 1115 are only closed when the first and second relay coils 58 and 89 are energised and this occurs only when the two type drums 75 and 1114 are in the required selected positions.

It will be appreciated that occasionally the selector hand lever may be erroneously depressed in respect of a selector switch which is not in use (e. g. because of a competitor scratching) or the hand lever could be mischievously depressed on a first leg plunger 33 and then locked down over a second leg plunger 39 when the current is not turned on. Under such circumstances it is important that no energization of the betting circuit and no production of a ticket take place. It is also necessary for the lockeddown hand lever to be released for further operation. These requirements can be taken care of in well-known manner by the provision of press button or like release means which operate on the locking lever 25 (in much the same manner as cam 136) thus freeing the hand lever and opening the contacts 29 and 38. Such releasing means must, of course, be operable only prior to energization of the betting circuit, because once a transaction has been integrated by the adding units it becomes fully effective as a transaction and a ticket must issue therefor even although it is a ticket which has an unrequired competitor number (or two such numbers) printed on it.

When the above described apparatus is to be used, the hand lever 7 will be elevated and freely movable (unless it has been mischievously or inadvertently depressed over a second leg dialling hole prior to turning on the current, in which event it may be released as described above) and one of the first leg plungers will be depressed and held down by the locking plate as it Was left following the last previous use of the machine; or, if the machine is being used for the first time, all of the first leg plungers may be elevated, but that is of no importance.

The current is then turned on by closure of the main switches 133 and 139 (see Figure 4) the switches 140 (for fuse 141) also being closed if not already closed.

The usual first task is to test the ticket production cycle by printing a test ticket. For this task the hand lever peg 11 is simply thrust into the test dialling hole in the second leg series of dial holes 17. Before doing this, however, if none of the first leg plungers 33 is already depressed, the only result of turning on the current will be (a) starting of motor 72, (b) illumination of that particular lamp 811 which happens to be in circuit with the wiper 83, 34, and (c) energization of magnet 62 due to the contacts 61 being normally closed when the first leg relay coil 53 is de-energized, as would be the case if none of the first leg selector switches 40 is closed (none of the plungers 33 being, as yet, depressed). As a consequence of energization of magnet 62 the first leg escapement pawl 63 will be clear of its escapement wheel 64, hence the continuously running drive for the slipping clutch 713, 71 will be effective, and the first leg type drum 75 and the wipers 55, 56 and 119, 126 will all be rotating harmlessly and inefiectively. The second leg type wheel 104 will still be held stationary because although contacts 90 will be closed (because second leg relay 89 is, for the time being, de-energized due to none of the second leg plungers 34 being depressed to close the second selector switches 52 including the test switch) the contacts 29 will still be open.

If on the other hand one of the first leg selector switches is closed when the current is first turned on (as would almost invariably be the case) neither of the escaprnent wheels 64 and 94 is freed for rotation, wheel 94 for the same reason as above stated (contacts 29 still open) and Wheel 64 because current through the first leg selector circuit corresponding to the first leg depressed plunger energizes relay 58 which in turn holds contacts 61 open. The second leg betting circuit will not be closed because the contacts 31 will still be open, and the first leg betting circuit will not be closed, although contacts 76 will be closed due to energization of relay 58, because the rotary distributor which governs the betting circuits is only effective in closing either the first or second leg betting circuits when it closes those two circuits simultaneously.

To proceed with the test operation, the hand lever peg 11 is thrust into the test dial hole 17. This depresses the test plunger and opens the test contacts 1116. Opening of these contacts de-energizes the test relay 1117 the effect of which is that all of the contacts 108, 109, 111i, 111, '78 and 88, are closed by spring action and in that action contacts 112, 113, 114, 115, 77 and 87 are all necessarily opened. By this action both the first and second leg betting circuits are opened and hence, for the time being, they are unable to send any impulse to the adding units. Opening of contacts 77 (irrespective of whether one of the first leg selector switches was or was not closed) by opening all of the first leg selector circuits causes or confirms deenergization of the first leg relay coil 58 unless it should happen that the wiper 55 was previously left upon the test stud 53. Assuming the wiper 55 was not already on the test stud 53, the relay 58 is de-energized. This causes contacts 61 to close and thus the magnet 62 is energized. This energization pulls the pawl 63 from the escapement wheel 64 which then rotates under the urge of its slipping clutch 70, 71. Rotation of the escapement wheel 64 causes similar rotation of type drum and wiper 55. When wiper 55 arrives on the test stud 53 (or if it happened to be on that stud at the outset) the relay 58 is energized (through closed contacts 78) with the result that contacts 61 are immediately opened. This de-energizes magnet 62 so that the pawl 63 re-engages its escapement wheel 64 thereby halting it, at the same time halting wiper 55 on its test stud 53 (marked Test in Figure 4) and halting the type drum 75 with its test printing face in its printing station. The test energization of relay 58 will also have caused closure of the contacts 76.

Conditioning of the first leg test circuits as above described is concurrent with a similar conditioning process in the second leg circuiting arrangements. That is, if the wiper 83 is not already on the test stud 31 (marked Test in Figure 4) the relay 89 is tie-energized therefore the contacts 90 are closed, contacts 29 will also have been closed (by the arm 28see Figure l) and therefore the magnet 91 is energised. This releases the pawl 92 from escapement wheel 94 thus enabling rotation of the type dmrn 194 and the wiper 33. This rotation of the wiper 83 will cause sequential flashing of the lamps (because their contacts 50 are still closed) but that is of no importance. When the wiper 83 arrives on its test stud 81 the circuit through relay 89 is complete and energisation thereof will open contacts thus halting the wiper 83 and the drum 104 in their test positions.

Energization of relay 89 also closes contacts 105 in the second leg betting circuit, and closure of contacts 36 will also have been effected by the arm 28. In connection with this latter event, and the simultaneous closure of contacts 30, it will be recalled that the test dialling hole is in the second leg hole series marked 17 in Figure 1, therefore when the hand lever peg 11 is depressed into the test dialling hole the locking lever 25 (or rather the spur 32 thereon) will not be obstructed by the cam 31. Therefore the locking lever corner 24 is able to slip into the step 23 on the latching lever 19 when that lever is turned by depression of the hand lever. This descent of the corner 24 into the step 23 locks the hand lever in its downthrust position and renders it immovable (for the time being) because its peg 11 is horned inside the test dialling hole. At the same time, descent of corner 24 into the step 23 causes sufficient movement of the arm 28 for it to close both contacts 29 and 30.

With closure of the contacts 76, 30 and 105 a test betting circuit is completed through wire 142, contacts 109, 76 and 131, trip coil 130, contacts 108, test load 143 (which may be a Test indicator lamp) contacts 110, 30, 105 and 111, and wire 144. Completion of this circuit, by energisation of the trip magnet 130, opens the trip contacts 131 and closes the clutch contacts 132. This in turn energises the clutch 134 so that the mechanical ticket production cycle is started and a ticket is issued bearing the imprint of the test faces of the two type drums 75 and 104. Just before the end of the mechanical cycle, the cam 136 rides across the tail piece 137 of the locking lever 25 thus lifting the corner 24 clear of the step 23. When this happens, the spring 13 lifts the free end of the hand lever so that its peg 11 is free of the test dial hole and is again free to move over the dial plate. The release movement of the hand lever also causes the latching lever 19, 22 to reassume the position shown in Figure 1, and when the cam 136 moves clear of the tail piece 137 the locking lever 25 also reassumes its position shown in Figure l, in which, both of the contacts 29 and 30 are again open.

Release of the peg 11 from the test dial hole will, of course, re-close the test contacts 106; therefore, the test relay is re-energised thereby causing contacts 112, 113, 114, 115, 7'7 and 87 to re-assume closure, at the same time automatically opening the several test contacts 108, 109, 119 111, 78 and 88.

The end point of the mechanical cycle (as is well known) consists in re-opening of the clutch contacts 132 and re-closure of the trip contacts 131, so that the entire apparatus is then ready for a next ticket production.

When the apparatus of Figures 1 to 4 is used in production of an ordinary doubles ticket the hand lever '7' is swung over the selected first leg competitor dial hole 16 and is depressed. This will release the formerly engaged first leg plunger 33 (if any) so that its lamp 59 is extinguished and the newly depressed plunger will be held down by the quadrant locking plate 43. The elevation of the previously depressed first leg plunger will open the first leg contacts 40 for that plunger thereby de-energising the first leg relay coil 58. This de-energisation causes the first leg magnet contacts 61 to close so that the first leg magnet 62 is energised. This energisation withdraws the pawl 62 from the escapement wheel 64 which is thus freed for rotation and is so rotated per medium of the slipping clutch 70, 71. This motivation also rotates the type drum 75 and the distributor wiper 55, 56. The type drum and wiper rotations will continue until the Wiper touches the distributor contact stud 53 connected with the contacts 40 which are, for the time being, closed. In this position of the wiper the circuit is re-established through the first leg relay coil 58 so that the contacts 76 are closed, the magnet contacts 61 are re-opened and the magnet 62 is de-energised. This de-energisation enables the spring-loaded pawl 63 to return to its escapement wheel thus halting it and thereby halting the first leg distributor wiper and the first leg type drum in correct position in readiness to print the 10 selected first leg competitor number on the ticket in course of preparation.

Closure of the last mentioned circuit also closes and illuminates the signal lamp 559 for the selected first leg competitor in respect of which the first leg plunger is stiil held depressed by the quadrant locking plate. The hand lever is then moved over the second leg competitor dial holes 17. The first result of this action is to rotate the locking lever obstruction cam 31 from its obstructive position so that as far as that cam is concerned the locking lever is now free to move under the influence of its loading spring 26. Depression of the hand lever, so that the selected second leg competitor plunger 34 is also depressed, closes the selected second leg competitor contacts 52. This downward motion of the hand lever also rocks the latch lever 19 so that the corner 24 of the spring-loaded locking lever 25 may engage in the step 23, thus, for the time being, preventing the hand lever from being lifted or otherwise moved from its depressed position corresponding to selection of the second leg competitor. The locking motion of the locking lever also closes the locking lever contacts 29 and 30.

Because the second leg relay coil 89 has up to this point been ale-energised, the second leg magnet contacts 90 will have been closed, and closure of the locking lever contacts 2% thus completes the circuit for the second leg magnet e 1 so that the escapement wheel is freed for rotation thus rotating the type drum 1% to a position, in readiness for printing the selected second leg competitor number, and also turning the distributor wiper 33, 84. When this Wiper arrives in its position corresponding to the selected second leg competitor the ci cuit through the relay coil is ire-established thus opening the contacts to hold the second type drum 164- as required.

Rotation of the wipers 55 and will have similarly rotated the betting wipers 11% and 122i, and re-energisation of the relay will have closed the contacts 165,-. Thus the betting circuit is conditioned for final closure by the usual rotary distributor the action of which is equivalent to the closure of an ordinary switch at any convenient point in the circuit; for example, in the first leg common wire 128. The betting circuit is thus closed and its path consists of the common wire 123, contact 112, trip coil 13%, contacts 131, '76 and 113, wiper 119, the contact stud 113 corresponding to the selected first leg competitor, the adding unit operating magnets appro priate to the selected first and second leg competitors, the contact stud 122 corresponding to the selected second leg competitor, the wiper 123, contacts 115, iii-5, 3i; and and the second leg common wire The betting circuit will, of course, energise the usual grand total adding unit magnets as well understood.

Completion of the betting circuit (which causes registration of the transaction in the appropriate adding unit and the grand total adding unit) energises the trip coil 13% so that the betting circuit is opened by opening of the trip contacts 131. As previously explained herein, this causes closure of the clutch contacts L12 thus starting the mechanical production cycle for the ticket imprinted with the two competitor numbers originally selected.

As the mechanical ticket production cycle approaches its end, and at any point in that cycle after the printing; operation is finished, the hand lever 7 (which is locked down in the position of the second leg selection) is re leased in readiness for handling a next transaction, and the contacts 29 and re-opened, by operation of cam 136 as previously described herein.

Unlocking of the hand lever and the resulting elevation of the plunger 34 corresponding to the second leg competitor last selected, opens the related contacts and closes the related contacts 51 so that the lamp corresponding to that second leg section then lights up because it is effectively circuited through the wiper 83.

It will be seen that with the apparatus as described above, if a plurality of identical tickets are required (covering the same doubles combinaiton) the operator only has to hold the hand lever depressed (against the urge of spring 13) in the position or its second leg selection and the issuer will continue to print and issue tickets for the selected combination until the operator allows the hand lever to rise in its normal unlocking movement. Similarly, if a number of tickets are required coupling a particular first leg competitor with a plurality of second leg competitors, the operator does not have to re-select the first leg for each ticket, as the selected first leg selector switch will remain latched down until such time as a different first leg competitor is selected.

In a modified arrangement of the invention, closure of the first and second selector switches is effected by finger depression of press buttons (one for each selector switch and one for test) instead of by a hand lever as previously described herein. In this arrangement two series of selector switches are provided as before, and each of these switches is capable of closure by a spring; loaded plunger the upper end of each of which may be formed on or be pressed by, a finger button in a dial plate. Each of the button rows may be straight or armate and the lower ends of the switch plungers are each engageable with one of two spring-loaded independently movable locking plates each equivalent to that numbered 43 in the first described embodiment of the invention.

The modified arrangement is illustrated (in principle only and with mechanical elements shown purely by way of example) in Figure 5, and as a circuit diagram in Figure 6.

Referring to Figures and 6 an orificed dial plate 145 is provided through the holes of which project a plurality of first leg selector press buttons 146, a plurality of second leg press buttons 147, a start button 148, and a test button (not specifically illustrated, but the same as any of the buttons 146 or 147). Only three press buttons are shown in each of the first and second leg series. In an actual installation there would be any required plurality of buttons, for example, twenty in each series.

Each of the selector buttons (and the test button) has a plunger portion 149 furnished with a larger diameter shoulder I50 able to ride past and sidewardly displace a selector switch spur 151 thereby to close a first leg selector switch 152 or a second leg selector switch 153 or to open a normally closed test switch (not shown). Each of the plungers, and that (154) of the start button 143, is restrained against other than endwise movement and is spring-loaded in the same (or mechanically equivalent) manner as that shown with respect to one of the plungers 33 in Figure 2. Each of the buttons 147 and 148 are furnished with means such as stop pins 155 which prevent over projection of the buttons above the dial plate 145.

The first and second leg plungers are furnished with conical latch portions 156 which are the same as those (46) of the first leg plungers 33 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and which are similarly engageable with first and second leg locking plates 157 and 158 respectively. These locking plates have holes 159 therein and such plates in all respects are mechanically equivalent to that numbered 43 in Figure 1, being respectively loaded by tension springs 161) and 161 which at all times influence each to move (in the illustrated embodiment) away from the other.

In the press button operated embodiment of the invention it is necessary (as in the earlier described embodiment) that means be provided to lock the selector switch operating means against re-actuation before the adding unit circuit has been closed and the ticket production cycle irrevocably initiated. In the earlier described arrangement this requirement was taken care of by the locking arrangements associated with the operators hand lever. As the modified arrangement has no hand lever the locking devices may be associated with the locking plates I57 and 158 and may consist of an electromagnet 162 connected in parallel with the clutch 12 163 so that when that circuit is energized a lock plunger 164 is operated tto enter between the adjacent ends of the lockingplates thus to obstruct both of them and thereby prevent rising of the depressed selector switch plungers and descent of the undepressed plungers.

It will be appreciated that in the press-button embodiment some equivalent will be necessary for the handle lock switch (31llFigures 1 and 4) which is responsible for initiating operation of the betting and issuer clutch circuits, and for the locking means associated therewith. These equivalent means may consist of those earlier described; namely, a vertically movable pitman rod such as 18 and the locking means (latching lever 19 and locking lever 25) and the handle lock switch 3% associated therewith, except that the pitrnan instead of being pivotally connected to a handpiece simply has its upper end formed as a finger depressible button; for preference, however, the arrangement is as shown at the left-hand end of Figure 5. In this arrangement the start plunger 154 has a locking head 165 on its lower end. A locking lever 166 fulcrumed at 167 is loaded by a tension spring 163 so that when the but ton 148 is sufficiently depressed a spur 169 on lever 166 hooks over the head 165 and, for the time being, prevents the plunger 154 from returning to its usual undepressed position. When the spur engages over the upper face of head 165 the resulting angular movement of the lever 166 about its fulcrum sufiices for a second spur 170 to close look contacts 171. These contacts are the equivalent of the contacts 31 shown in Figures 1 and 4.

The tail portion 172 of locking lever 166 has a release cam 173 associated therewith. This cam is the equivalent in its manner and time of operation relative to the locking lever 166, of the earn (136, Figure 1) relative to the locking lever 25.

In the press button embodiment a second handle locking switch such as 29 (Figures 1 and 4) will be unnecessary because its function can be fulfilled by that one of the second leg selector switches 153 which stays closed (even after the previously selected first leg selector switch 152 is opened). This is in contradistinction to the first embodiment, because in that embodiment all of the second selector switches (52) are unavoidably opened when the handle lock is released. In other words, when the lock is released in the press button embodiment a selector switch in each of the first and second leg series thereof remains closed, .whereas in the first embodiment no second selector switch remains closed when the handpiece rises due to its being unlocked. The second handle lock switch (29) is desirably present in the first embodiment because otherwise the second type drum 104 would be constantly rotating whenever it was not conditioned for or engaged in an actual printing operation. It is, of course, desirable for all of the second leg selector switches in the first embodiment to be opened simultaneously with release of the handle look so that the indicator lamp circuit will be closed. Such lamps are not necessary in the press-button embodiment because mere depression of the buttons gives a clear indication of the selections currently made. Further as lamps are not needed in the press-button embodiment the second leg selector switches may be the simple two-leaf switches 153 which are the same as those employed in the first leg selector switch series in both embodiments.

The mechanism shown in Figure 3 is applicable, without alteration, to the press button embodiment of the invention.

The circuit details shown in Figure 6 are substantially the same as those shown in Figure 4 except for the inclusion of the locking magnet 162 in the betting section and the omission of lamps such as 59 and 80 from the selector switch circuits. The first leg selector switch circuits are completed through a first leg relay coil 174 which when energised opens the contacts 175 of a first leg magnet coil 176 which is the same as that marked 62 in Figures 3 and 4. The second leg selector switch circuits are similarly completed through a second leg relay coil 177 which when energised opens the contacts 178 of a second leg magnet coil 179 which is the same as that marked 91 in Figures 3 and 4. The test contacts 180 and the test relay 181 are the same as those items marked 106 and 107 in Figure 4, energisation of relay 181 causing closure of the several test contacts 182 to 187 in the same manner as previously explained herein.

It will be appreciated that the described embodiments of the invention are preferred forms intended for use mainly in large scale totalisator installations catering for the preparation and sale of tickets, and the registration of the transactions to which those tickets apply, in numbers which may run ino many thousands in the course of a single afternoon. Because of that the described embodiments include several features which are desirably present, but which if omitted would not leave the remainder deprived of all utility. Omission of some such features would in some degree render the apparatus less fool proof but would still leave it as a useful apparatus provided greater reliance were placed upon the operatives ability not to make errors of judgment with damaging frequency.

For example, indicator lamps such as 59 and 80 could be omitted from the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 with consequent simplification of the second leg selector switch arrangements in that embodiment. Again, the provision of means for the printing of test tickets could be dispensed with in both described embodiments thus giving further simplification of the apparatus.

If desired, the betting circuit arrangements could be of a type wholly diiferent from those described, even to the extent of being operable manually or otherwise within the judgment of an operative, instead of as an inevitable automatic consequence of conditioning a pair of type wheels for printing a pair of selected numbers on a ticket as herein described. In short, the crux of the invention resides in the provision of particular means which in re spouse to two selective operations cause two type drums to present their printing faces, appropriate to the selections, to a printing station. Thus, if the described apparatus were restricted to the parts thereof which contribute only to the required setting of the type drums a useful apparatus would be realised. That is to say, it would be useful simply for the purpose of conditioning two type wheels in strict accordance with two selections, irrespective of how the actual printing operation by the conditioned drums may be effected, and irrespective of the manner in which the transaction to which the two selections relate may be registered.

Having now fully described and ascertained my said invention and the manner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a doubles ticket issuer machine for a race totalisator, electro-mechanical devices for setting the machine to print a ticket comprising a series of first leg selector switches, depressible plungers for closing said first switches, a return spring associated with each of said plungers, spring loaded latch and locking means associated with said plungers whereby a newly depressed plunger is held in that condition and any previously depressed plunger is thereby released from that condition, a first leg rotatable type drum having printing faces respectively related to said first switches, first leg circuiting and actuating means which in response to closure of one of said first switches turn said first drum and then halt it with its printing face corresponding to the closed first switch in a printing station, a series of second leg selector switches, means for closing any one of said second switches to the exclusion of the entire remainder of said second switches, locking devices which hold a closed second switch in that condition and thereby prevent closure of any unclosed selector switch, a second leg rotatable type drum having printing faces respectively related to said 14 second switches, second leg circuiting and actuating means which in response to closure of one of said second switches turn said second drum and then halt it with its printing face corresponding to the closed second switch in a printing station, means to effect a printing cycle of the machine, and release mechanism responsive thereto whereby said locking devices are unlocked after completion of a printing operation by said corresponding printing faces.

2. The combination with devices according to claim 1 of means responsive to closure of one of said first selector switches and one of said second selector switches whereby the mechanical ticket production cycle of said issuer machine is initiated, and cam devices which operate as part of and at the end of said cycle and which form part of said release mechanism.

3. Devices according to claim 1 wherein said spring loaded latch and locking means comprise a lifting spring for each of said plungers, a shouldered portion and a double conical latch portion on each of said plungers, a follower nose for each of said plungers able to ride the shouldered portion thereof and thereby close the related first switch, a laterally displaceable latching plate having holes in it engageable by said double conical latch portions, and a loading spring for said latching plate.

4. Devices according to claim 1 wherein said means for closing any one of said second switches to the eX- clusion of the entire remainder of said second switches, and said locking devices which hold a closed second switch in closed condition, comprise a depressible plunger for each of said second switches, spring loading means for each of said plungers, a shouldered portion on each of said plungers, a follower nose for each of said plungers able to ride the shouldered portion thereof and thereby close the related second switch, an arcuate dial plate having holes in it aligned with said plungers, a depressible hand lever having a registration peg thereon able to enter any one of said holes, a pitman pivotaily connected to said hand lever, a latching lever which is pivotally connected to said pitman and which has a locking step in it, a looking lever having a corner portion able to engage in said step, and a loading spring which influences said corner portion to home in said step.

5. Devices according to claim 1 wherein said means for closing any one of said second switches to the exclusion of the entire remainder of said second switches, and said locking devices which hold a closed second switch in closed condition comprise a finger depressible press button plunger for each of said second switches, spring loading means for each of said plungers, a shouldered portion and a double conical latch portion on each of said plungers, a follower nose for each of said plungers able to ride the shouldered portion thereof and thereby close the related second switch, a laterally displaceable latching plate having holes therein engageable by said double conical latch portions, a loading spring for said latching plate, a finger depressible press button start plunger having a locking head on it, a locking lever having a spur on it able to engage over said locking head, a loading spring which influences said spur to engage over said locking head, a pair of normally open lock contacts closable by said locking lever upon engagement of its spur over said locking head, an electromagnet which is energized upon closure of said lock contacts, and a movable lock plunger which upon energization of said electromagnet obstructs said latching plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,744,771 Julius Ian. 28, 1930 2,534,602 Julius Dec. 19, 1950 2,592,312 Milburn Apr. 8, 1952 2,629,319 Handley Feb. 24, 1953 2,691,342 Johnston et al. Oct. 12, 1954

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