US3512781A - Chance toy - Google Patents

Description

May 19, 1970 I IZ.GRSIE'II'ICY 3,512,731

CHANCE TOY Filed June 26, 1968 FIG. 4.

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ZLA m/v 'eser/c ATMIQ/VEYS United States Patent 3,512,781 CHANCE TOY Zlatan Grsetic, 226 Orizaba Ave., Long Beach, Calif. 90803 Filed June 26, 1968, Ser. No. 740,327 Int. Cl. A63b 71/06 US. Cl. 273-141 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chance toy including an opaque housing formed with a mechanism chamber in which is mounteda circular electrical conductor. A plurality of radially extending rocker arms are mounted intermediate their ends from the conductor and project radially inwardly to form first connectors which are arranged to collectively define a circle. A rotatable setter is mounted in the chamber for rotation about the axis of the circle and includes at least one radially extending arm mounting a second electrical contact disposed in engageable alignment with the first electrical contacts. Electrical circuitry is provided for connecting a power source in series with the conductor, an indicator light, and the second electrical contact whereby selector buttons disposed over the outer extremities of the rockers may be individually pressed to' rock the inner extremity ofthe rocker ar'ms upwardly and when the rocker with which the second contact is registered is rotated upwardly, such first contact will engage the second contact to complete an electrical circuit'throug'h the indicator light thereby indicating a score for the player pressing such button. 1T

BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates generally to chance toys and more particularly to a chance toy including .a plurality of selectors which may. be actuated and only certain ones of which register a score for the player. 7

Description of prior art- There are no prior art chance toys known to applicant which include selectors actuable by chance to complete an electrical circuit and energize an indicator light to indicate. a score and further including a setting device operable after each score to set the toy for energization of the light by actuation of a different selector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is characterized by an opaque hOusing formed with a mechanism chamber in which is mounted a looped electrical conductor. Pivotally mounted intermediate their ends from the electrical conductor are a plurality of rockets which project inwardly and form first electrical contacts, such contacts being arranged to collectively define a circle.'A setting device is pivotally mounted for rotation about the axis of the circle and includes a radially extending arm having an electrical contact disposed over the circle defined by the first electrical contacts whereby rocking of the rocker with which the second electrical contact is registered will engage the first contact of. such rocker with such second contact.

* Electrical circuitry is provided which includes an electrical indicator wired in series with a power source, the electrical conductor and the second contact whereby when the rocker arm with which the second contact is registered is apparent from consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Patented May 19, 1970 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chance toy embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, in enlarged scale, of the chance toy shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, in reduced scale, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, in reduced scale, taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial bottom view, in reduced scale, of the chance toy shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of an electrical circuit which may be utilized with the chance toy shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT "Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the chance toy of present invention includes an opaque housing, generally designated 13, which mounts an electrically conductive wire inthe form of a circular ring 15 and on which is supported a plurality of radially extending electrically conductive rockers, generally designated 17, which project inwardly from the conductor and turn upwardly to form first electrical contacts 19 which are arranged to collectively define a circle. A setting device, generally designated 21, is supported for rotation about the axis of the circle defined by the contacts 19 and includes four radially projecting arms 23 which carry contacts 25 on their outer extremities for selective disposition over individual ones of the contacts 19 whereby the setting device 21 may be set and selector buttons 31 individually pressed to rock the associated rockers 17 and when the rocker underlying any one of the arms 21 is rocked an electrical circuit will be completed to energize one of the indicator lights 32, 33, 34 or 35 thereby indicating a score.

Referring to FIG. 2, the housing 13 includes a base 36 formed with an upwardly projecting circular mounting rim 37 having an upwardly opening groove 39 therein for receiving the conductor 15. The cover for the base 36 is formed in part by a circular central portion 41 supported from the base 36 by four equally spaced are shaped sup port members 43. An annular cover portion 47 includes a cenrtal opening 49 which fits down over the central cover portion 41 and such annular portion is connected to the base by a plurality of screws 51 which screw into mounting blocks (FIG. 3) aifixed to the base 36.

The annular housing portion 47 includes a plurality of vertical bores 52 arranged in a circle to receive the selector buttons 31 which overlie the outer extremities of the rockers 17. The buttons 31 are held captive in the bores 52 by flanges 54 formed by their bottom extremities.

The base 36 includes an upwardly projecting circular rim 55 disposed concentrically within the rim 37, which rim 55 includes a plurality of vertical slots 57 (FIG. 3) for receiving the rockers 17. The base 36 also includes an upwardly projecting central boss 61 formed with a vertical bore 63 for receiving a downwardly projecting post 65 included in the setting device 21. The post 65 projects below the base 36 and receives a slip fitting 69 over its lower end, a pin 70 being inserted through such post and fitting to secure the post to the base 36. Referring to FIG. 2, the rocker arms 17 include bores 71 for receiving the conductor 15 and are formed on their inner extremities with upwardly projecting portions 72 that are twisted to extend perpendicular to the general plane of the respective rockers 17, the upper extremities of such portions 72 de fining the contacts 19. The outer extremities of the rockers project upwardly to form actuator portions 74 which underlie the selector buttons 31.

The setting device 21 includes a hollow shaft portion 73 which projects upwardly from the post 65 and has the arms 23 projecting radially outwardly therefrom. Four electrically conductive brush rings 75, 77, 79 and 81 are grouped in vertically spaced relationship on the post 73 and are each connected with a respective one of the electrical contacts 25 by electrical leads 83, 85, 37 and 89, respectively, such leads projecting through the hollow shaft 73 and out bores 90 in the arms 23. A reduced in diameter portion 91 projects upwardly from the shaft 73 and through an opening 93 in the central portion 41 of the cover and mounts a setting knob 95 on its upper extremity.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, four bores 101 are formed in the central housing portion 41 for receiving the indicator lights 32, 33, 34, and 35. The lights 32, 33, 34, and 35 are connected in parallel, the negative terminal of each being connected with the base of respective brushes 105, 107, 109, and 111 by respective leads 113, and their positive terminals being connected together by leads 116, 117, 118, and 119. Referring to FIG. 4, the brushes 105, 107, 109, and 111 are mounted on the underside of the housing portion 41 by means of mounting blocks 115 and engage the respective brush rings 75, 77, 79, and 81.

Referring to FIG. 5, dry cell batteries 121 and 122 are mounted on the underside of the base 36 by means of an elongated mounting block, generally designated 123, havin an inclined side 125 which confronts a pair of mounting blocks 127 and 129 having arcuate ends 131 and 133, respectively, for accommodating the circumference of the batteries 121 and 122 to hold them captive between such blocks. A negative contact 137 is mounted from a mounting block 139 for engagement with the negative end of the battery 122, a negative lead 141 being connected to such contact and passing through the base 36 to connect with the conductor 15. A positive connector 143 is mounted from a mounting block 145 on the positive end of the battery 121 and has a positive lead 147 connected thereto which projects upwardly through the base 36 and connects with the lead 119 between the lights 33 and 34.

In operation the setting knob 95 is grasped to turn the setting device 21 thereby disposing the contacts 25 carried by the arms 21 over four unknown ones of the first contacts 19. The players can then either directly compete by racing to press the proper buttons 31 which will rock an arm 17 over which is disposed a contact 25 to energize the associated light 32, 33, 34, or 35 or the players can take turns and observe the buttons which previous players have pushed and attempt to memorize the location of such buttons thereby reducing their own chances of pressing a button 31 which is not effective to light any one of the indicator lights. The lights 32, 33, 34, and 35 are of different colors and each may be assigned a different value whereby it will be more desirable to light certain ones of such lights to obtain a higher score than if another one of the lights was energized. After one or more of the lights 32, 33, 34, or 35 have been energized, the selector knob 95 will again be grasped to rotate the setting device 21 to a new setting so different ones of the buttons 31 will be effective to light the lights 32, 33, 34, and 35 thereby starting a new round for the game being played.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the chance toy of present invention is straightforward in design,

economical to manufacture and sturdy in construction.

an electrical conductor mounted in said chamber and forming a loop;

a plurality of electrically conductive rockers mounted intermediate their ends on said conductor, the outer extremities of said rockers forming actuator portions and the inner extremities forming first electrical contacts arranged to collectively define a circle;

a setting device rotatably mounted in said chamber for rotation about the axis of said circle and including a radially projecting arm formed with a second electrical contact disposed in engageable alignment with said first electrical contacts, said setting device further including a setting knob projecting from said housing for rotating said setting device to dispose said second contact over a random one of said first contacts;

selector means for pressing said actuator portions to selectively rock said individual rockers on said conductor whereby when the rocker formed with said random one of said first contacts is rocked said random one of said first contacts will engage said second contact;

a power source;

an electrical indicator; and

electrical circuitry including leads connecting said power source in series with said conductor, said indicator and said second contact whereby engagement of said random one of said first contacts with said second contact will energize said indicator.

2. A chance toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said setting device includes a plurality of radially proecting arms formed with second electrical contacts disposed in engageable alignment with said first electrical contacts; and

said toy includes a plurality of individually identifiable electrical indicators; and

said electrical circuitry includes leads connecting said indicators in parallel and each indicator with a respective second contact whereby when different ones of a plurality of random rockers are rocked on said connector different ones of said indicators may be energized.

3. A chance toy as set forth in claim 2 wherein said electrical circuitry includes:

a plurality of brush rings mounted on said setting device and each electrically connected with one of said second contacts, and a plurality of electrically conductive brushes each connected with one of said indicators and biased against one of said respective rings.

4. A chance toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuitry includes:

a brush ring mounted on said setting device and connected with said second contact, and an electrically conductive brush connected with said indicator and biased against said ring.

5. A chance toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said:

rockers are formed by vertical plates and include upwardly projecting portions on their inner extremities, said upwardly projecting portions being twisted to extend perpendicularly to the plane of said plates, whereby the upper end of said portions define said first contacts and extend circumferentially of the circle defined by said collective first contacts.

6. A chance toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing includes:

a base, a central cover portion supported from said base and formed with a hole through which said setter knob projects and mounting said indicator thereon, an annular cover portion for mounting on said base and including a central opening for receiving said central cover portion and fastening means for removeably fastening said annular cover portion to said base.

7. A chance toy as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said housing includes a plurality of button receiving holes disposed over the actuator portions of said rockers; and

said selector means includes a plurality of selector buttons disposed in said holes for being pressed to engage said actuators and rock said rockers.

8. A chance toy as set forth in claim 6 wherein:

said selector buttons include holding flanges which hold said buttons captive in said holes.

9. A chance toy as set forth in claim 6 wherein:

said rockers are weighted to maintain their inner extremities normally in a lowered position whereby said actuator portions of said rockers will normally maintain said selector buttons in their raised positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,624,391 4/1927 Clausen. 2,133,676 10/1938 Walaity -1 273-139 10 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner

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