US866222A - Game apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

PATBNTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

.w. R. RIPLEY. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED HAR- 20, 1907.

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L R Y mnwl m M m V T R T I m A PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.-

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W. R.' RIPLEY. GAME APPARATUS.

'APPLIOATION FILED HAIR. 20, 1807.

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WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

WILLIAM R. RIPLEY, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application ijled March 20, 1907. Serial No. 363,383.

To all whom "it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. RIPLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in shooting targets; and it consists in the novel details of construetion more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

The object of my invention is to combine in one structure a combination target and wheel of fortune, thereby affording considerable amusement. The device possesses advantages which will be better apparent from a detailed description of the invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, F represents a suitable frame having mounted thereon a front disk 1 provided with a series of marginal colored divisions d, (five colors being here selected). I11 front of the disk 1 is mounted a rotatable target 2 having diametrically disposed arms 3, 4, the former serving as an index arm and terminating in a yielding leather or other yielding tongue 5 which in the rotation of the target rubs up against a series of pegs 6 disposed along the inner circle of the colored divisions d. i This is well understood in wheels of fortune. The target is provided with a hollow shaft or spindle 7 whose center corresponds to the bulls-eye of the target, the rear end of the spindle having secured thereto a ratchet disk 8 which is advanced inone direction by a gravity pawl 9 pivoted to the adjacent end of a reciprocating rod 10 operating in a guide-bearing 11, the inner end of the rod being connected to a connecting rod 12 which in turn has one end'pivotally secured to a crank-disk 13, mounted on the frame F, the disk being provided with a cam-section or enlargement c for a portion of its periphery. Pivoted to one side of its center between lugs 14 depending from the bearing 11, is a tripping lever 15 having an upturned finger 16 at one end immediately under the pawl 9, the opposite end of the lever being in the path of rotation of the earn 0 of the disk 13. The shaft 17 of the cam disk 13 is mounted on standards 18, and at its opposite end terminates in a bevel friction (or gear) pinion 19 which meshes with a bevel wheel (or gear wheel) 20 mounted at one end of a transverse shaft 21 carried by standards 22, the opposite end of said transverse shaft carrying a peripherally toothed disk 23, on which are disposed a tooth 24 every ninety degrees.

The center of the transverse shaft 21 is provided with a spool 25 over which wraps a cable 26 passing over a pulley 27, the free end of which cable has secured thereto a driving weight W. This weight normally tends to impart rotation to the shaft 21 and hence to the toothed-disk 23 in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 1, but is held against rotation by the intercepting action of the adjacent end of a trigger 28 mounted to oscillate vertically on a bracket 29, the short arm of the trigger terminating in an upwardly deflected wing or impact member 80.

The operation is as follows: Should the rifle ball or.

bullet pass through the bulls eye or hollow spindle 7 of the rotatable target 2, it will impinge against the wing 30 of the trigger, the impact of the bullet tripping the trigger to dotted position shown in Fig. 1, whereby the disk 23 will be released, and under the action of the weight W will have a rotation imparted thereto as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1. This rotation will be communicated to the bevel wheel 20, thence to bevel pinion 19, shaft 17 and cam disk 13. The cam disk for a portion of its rotation will advance the pawl 9 (through the connecting parts 10 and 12), the pawl in turn advancing and giving a certain impetus to the ratchet 8, which, being coupled to the hollow spindle 7 will impart a rotation to the target 2. The latter will rotate till it stops opposite one of the colored divisions d. The rifles or guns used are painted to correspond in color to the colors of the divisions d, and should the target arm stop opposite a division (1 whose color corresponds to the color of the gun used, the person wins. For a portion of its rotation, the cam disk of course retracts the pawl 9, but in such retracting movement or back stroke it is desirable that the pawl not drag along over the teeth of the ratchet to reduce friction. The ratchet is therefore relieved of the weight of the pawl on such back-stroke, by the tripping lever 15, the end of whose lighter and shorter arm is provided with a pin or peg 31 which encounters the cam section 0 of the disk 13. Said cam section 0 as it rides over the pin 31, depresses the said adjacent arm of the lever 15, this action tilting upward the opposite arm, whereby the finger 16 thereof picks up the pawl and prevents it from riding over the teeth of the ratchet on such back stroke.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a game apparatus, a suitable frame, a rotatable target having a hollow spindle, suitable gearing for actuating said target, a motor, a device for normally retaining said gearing and target against movement, said device adapted to release the gearing and permit the same to be driven by the motor upon impact of the ball or missile passing through the hollow spindle, with the retaining device, substantially as set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, a suitable frame, 'a rotatable target having a hollow spindle mounted on the frame, a ratchet disk on the spindle, a crank-disk, a pawl actuated by the disk and engaging the ratchet, a train of motordriven gearing coupled to the crank-disk, a trigger disposed in the path of the opening of the hollow-spindle and normally holding the gearing against rotation, said trigger being adapted to be struck by the bullet fired through the hollow spindle, the impact of the bullet against the trigger releasing the gearing, whereby the target is given an impetus and a rotation, substantially as set forth.

3. In a game apparatus, a suitable frame, a rotatable target having a hollow spindle, mounted on the frame, a ratchet disk on the spindle, a gravity pawl, a crank-disk coupled to the pawl, said crank disk having a peripheral cam-section, a tripping lever having one end disposed in the path of the cam-section, and the opposite and weighted end disposed beneath the pawl, a shaft coupled to a motor, intermediate gearing between said shaft and crank-disk, a peripherally toothed disk on said motor-shaft, a vertically oscillating trigger having one end bearing against a tooth of said disk and preventing rotation of'the motor-shaft, said trigger having a wing 01' arm disposed in the path of the opening of the hollow spindle of the target, the impact of the bullet fired therethrongh against the wing, tripping the trigger and effecting a release of the motordriven shaft and imparting rotation to the target, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my of two witnesses.

signature, in presence WILLIAM R. RIPLEY.

Witnesses:

R. A. BARENTHER, C. H. Hoo'rs.

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