Pachinko ball counter and ball dropping apparatus preventing bridge phenomenon

A pachinko ball counter which aligns discharged pachinko balls in a plurality of lines by a plurality of alignment rails, and sends them reliably to a plurality of counting sensors without generating a so-called "bridging phenomenon" and which can smoothly and quickly count a large number of pachinko balls, and a pachinko ball dropping apparatus which can drop smoothly and gently a large number of pachinko balls discharged at a high speed from the ball counter to send them to a recovery gutter without a bridging phenomenon and which can adjust the length of a member in conformity with the height of the recovery gutter easily, quickly and without waste. An introduction path (17) for sending pachinko balls charged by a player is disposed at the back of a ball tray (C) of a game machine (B), and a plurality of alignment rails (18, 18, 18, 18), through which pachinko balls flow in an aligned state, are juxtaposed with one another in this introduction path (17). Partition guides (16) are disposed between the alignment rails (18), and counting sensors (40, 41) are so disposed at the end side of the introduction path (17) as to correspond to the alignment rails, respectively. Pachinko balls accommodated in a hopper member (111) fall through a ball path (119) encompassed by both side frame portions (117, 117) of a guide member (115) and by its back frame portion (116). During the fall, a falling force is damped by a plurality of damper members (120) fitted in the inside of both side frame portions (117, 117), and the balls are sent to a recovery gutter (150). A plurality of notches (118) are disposed in a vertical direction for cutting off the guide member (115) at an arbitrary length so as to regulate the lower end position of the guide member (115) to the height of the recovery gutter (150).

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a pachinko ball counter mounted to a game machine 
(especially a slot machine using a pachinko ball as a game medium) which 
is placed in a pachinko parlor. The game machine is equipped with an 
introduction path for aligning pachinko balls charged in a ball tray of 
the machine; and the pachinko ball counter counts pachinko balls, aligned 
in the introduction path, by counting sensors which are disposed aligned 
at the end of the introduction path. Furthermore, the present invention 
relates to a ball dropping apparatus for inducing and dropping pachinko 
balls, discharged after counting by the pachinko ball counter, into a 
recovery gutter located in the lower portion of a game island. 
BACKGROUND ART 
As a prior pachinko ball counter for counting pachinko balls charged into a 
game machine by a player, the following is known to persons skilled in the 
art. A game machine, equipped with a pachinko ball counter, having an 
alignment rail in an introduction path for sending pachinko balls charged 
from a ball-inserting port of the game machine into the inside; the 
pachinko ball counter counting pachinko balls, aligned in a line by the 
alignment rail, by sensors which consist of photoelectric switches 
positioned in the end side of said introducing path. 
If the pachinko balls, discharged after counting by the pachinko ball 
counter, drop directly into a recovery gutter located in the lower portion 
ot a game Island, loud noises are generated and the recovery gutter can be 
made to have holes. Therefore, in the prior art, a pachinko ball counter 
has been connected to a recovery gutter via a long pitch spring member 
(called a "reduction bellows") so as to drop quietly. 
Furthermore, some prior art is equipped with a cylindrical member which 
reaches lower recovery gutter at a ball dispensing port of the ball 
counter, and a plurality of damper members for damping a falling force of 
the pachinko ball are mounted alternately on the inside of the cylindrical 
member. 
Some game machines, especially a slot machine which uses a pachinko ball in 
place of a coin as a game medium, need a large number of pachinko balls in 
comparison with the number of coins used in a slot machine (generally five 
pachinko balls correspond to one coin). Since such a game machine must 
count the pachinko balls one by one with only one counting sensor mounted 
on a single alignment rail, trouble occurs in that the time for counting 
becomes long, and so game playing is hindered by the counting time. 
In a slot machine using pachinko balls, since a large number of pachinko 
balls are discharged to the alignment rail intermittently, the alignment 
rail is shortened and made steep so as to dispense the pachinko balls in a 
short time; therefore, the so-called "bridging phenomenon" can occur, 
wherein during flowing the upper balls pile up on other lower pachinko 
balls and are caught so they, together with lower pachinko balls, stop at 
the end side of the alignment rail. Therefore, ball counting will have 
stagnated and so the trouble of interruption of playing will occur. 
In the prior art that uses said spring member for flowing pachinko balls 
discharged from the pachinko ball counter, although it is effective when 
one pachinko balls are discharged in a line from the ball counter, the 
bridging phenomenon will occur at an inlet of the spring member when a 
number of the balls are discharged fast from the ball counter; therefore, 
pachinko balls will not be able to flow into the recovery gutter smoothly 
and the game will often be interrupted. 
In the case that the counter is equipped with the cylindrical member, 
although the bridging phenomenon does not occur and lots of the pachinko 
balls can be counted and discharged fast, the cylindrical member must be 
cut appropriately by a cutter, etc., when the cylindrical member is 
mounted to the pachinko ball counter for leaving a proper space between 
the lower end of the cylindrical member and a recovery gutter located in 
the lower area of a game machine island. Therefore, a great deal of time 
and labor is required for mounting the cylindrical member, and much of the 
cylindrical member is wasted because the cutting off length is not 
constant and so many odd pieces are made. 
DISCLOSURE OR THE INVENTION 
It is an object or the invention to provide a pachinko ball counter which 
enables one to count many pachinko balls in a short time smoothly by both 
aligning charged pachinko balls in a plurality of lines with a plurality 
of alignment rails and sending them to a plurality of counting sensors 
without generating the so-called "bridging phenomenon". 
It is another object of the invention to provide a pachinko ball dropping 
apparatus which enables one to drop smoothly and gently a large number of 
pachinko balls discharged at a high speed from the ball counter to send 
them to a recovery gutter without a bridging phenomenon and to adjust the 
length of a member in conformity with the height of the recovery gutter 
easily, quickly and without waste. 
Points of the present invention for accomplishing the foregoing and other 
objects are as follows. 
A pachinko ball counter (10) having an introduction path (17) for sending 
pachinko balls (A), discharged into a tray (C) by a player, with aligning 
them and counting said pachinko balls with counting sensors (40, 41) 
mounted to the end side of said introduction path (17) comprising: 
a plurality of alignment rails (18), through which pachinko balls (A) flow 
in an aligned state, juxtaposed with one another between a beginning end 
and a terminal end of the introduction path (17); and 
partition guides (16) disposed between the alignment rails (18), said 
counting sensors (40, 41) are so disposed at the end side of the 
introduction path (17) as to correspond to the alignment rails, 
respectively. 
The above-mentioned pachinko ball counter (10) further comprising an intake 
stage (14), connected to a beginning end of said introduction path (17), 
for taking in pachinko balls, and a shutter (20), mounted between said 
intake stage (14) and said beginning end of said introduction path (17), 
being able to be opened and closed. 
The above-mentioned pachinko ball counter (10) characterized in that a 
plurality of said alignment rails (18) are aligned parallel to one another 
and inclined downwardly from the beginning end to the terminal end for 
pachinko balls' natural flowing and that an upper edge (16a) of each 
partition guide (16) which is mounted between the alignment rails (18, 18, 
. . . ) is so sloped upward from the beginning side to the end side so 
that the pachinko balls may not get over the partition guide (16). 
The above-mentioned pachinko ball counter, further comprising a moving body 
(30) mounted above the beginning end of each alignment rail (18) for 
pachinko balls without the lowest layer's to hit against it and to stop 
their forward flowing. 
The above-mentioned pachinko ball counter further comprising a cylindrical 
ball dropping apparatus (50) mounted in the end side of said introduction 
path (17) for introducing discharged pachinko balls downward and damper 
members (120) mounted on the inside of said ball dropping apparatus for 
absorbing the energy of dropping balls. 
A pachinko ball dropping apparatus (50) of a game machine (B) mounted on a 
game island for introducing and dropping pachinko balls, counted and 
discharged with a pachinko ball counter (10), into a recovery gutter (150) 
located in the lower portion of the game island comprising: 
a hopper member (111) opened and faced to an exit (19b) for accommodating 
pachinko balls; 
a guide member (115), connected to a sending-out opening (114) made in a 
bottom (113) of said hopper member (111), which comprises a back frame 
portion (116) elongated in the vertical direction and both side frame 
portions (117, 117) elongated forward from both side edges of the back 
frame portion (116); and 
a damper members (120) mounted alternately on the inside of the both side 
frame portions (117, 117) for absorbing the energy of dropping balls 
dropping within a ball path (119) encompassed by both side frame portions 
(117, 117) and back frame portion (116), said both side frame portions 
(117, 117) are cut a plurality of notches (118) in vertical direction for 
adjusting the position of the lower end of said guide member (115) to the 
height of the recovery gutter (150) by cutting off the guide member (115) 
at an arbitrary notch. 
Thus, when the pachinko balls (A), discharged into the ball tray (C) of the 
game machine (B) by a player, have entered the introduction path (17), 
they are distributed on alignment rails (18, 18, . . . ), located parallel 
one another between the beginning end and the terminal end of the 
introduction path (17), with each partition guide (16), and pachinko balls 
(A) on each alignment rail (18) are sent to the end side of the 
introduction path (17) in an aligned state. 
Therefore, lots of pachinko balls (A), in a plurality of lines, are sent to 
counting sensors (40, 41) placed to each alignment rail (18) and a 
plurality of pachinko balls (A) can be counted smoothly and quickly at 
once. In the case that an intake stage (14) for taking pachinko balls is 
mounted before the beginning end of said introduction path (17) and a 
shutter (20) enabled to open and close is mounted between said intake 
stage (14) and said beginning end of said introduction path (17), the 
amount of pachinko balls introducing into said introduction path (17) can 
be adjusted arbitrarily by said shutter (20). 
If an upper edge (16a) of each partition guide (16) which is mounted 
between the alignment rails (18, 18, . . . ) is so sloped upward from the 
beginning side to the end side that the pachinko balls may not get over 
the partition guide (16), the bridging phenomenon near the counting 
sensors (40, 41) is prevented from being generated. 
If a moving body (30) is mounted above the beginning end of each alignment 
rail (18), pachinko balls (A), without the lowest layer's pachinko balls, 
hit against the moving body (30) and are stopped from their forward 
flowing. At that time, since the upper layer's pachinko balls (A) can move 
slightly because of the motion of the moving body, the lowest layer's 
pachinko balls (A) are not prevented from their forward flowing; and a 
plurality of pachinko balls (A) in a plurality of lines are counted 
smoothly with counting sensors (40, 41). 
If a cylindrical pachinko ball dropping apparatus (50) for introducing 
discharged pachinko balls (A) downward are connected to the end side of 
the introduction path (17), the energy of dropping balls can be absorbed. 
Thus, in the game machine (B), pachinko balls, counted by pachinko ball 
counter (10), are discharged first into the hopper (111) faced the exit 
(19b) of the ball counter (10). The pachinko balls in the hopper (111) are 
sent from the sending-out opening (114) to the guide member (115) 
connected between said sending-out opening (114) and a recovery gutter 
(150) located in the lower portion of the game island. 
The pachinko balls drop within the ball path (119) encompassed by both side 
frame portions (117, 117) and the back frame portion (116) of the guide 
member (115), and at that time the energy of dropping balls is absorbed by 
the damper members (120) mounted alternately on the inside of both side 
frame portions (117, 117). Therefore, the pachinko balls are introduced 
smoothly and gently into the recovery gutter (150). 
The sectional area of the ball path (119) is made large by making widths of 
both side frame portions (117, 117) of the guide member (115) to be about 
a size such that a plurality of pachinko balls can pass concurrently; 
therefore, lots of pachinko balls can drop smoothly and gently. 
Since there is nothing in the front side of the ball path (119), 
encompassed by both side frame portions (117, 117) and the back frame 
portion (116), it is visible that the pachinko balls drop within the ball 
path (119) with hitting against the damper members (120) to the recovery 
gutter (150). Furthermore, it is easy to remove and eliminate the jammed 
balls and the dust in the ball path (119). 
Since a plurality of notches (118) for arbitrary cutting off the guide 
member (115) are made on both side frame portions (117, 117), it is easy 
to cut off one guide member (115) at an arbitrary notch (118); thereby, 
waste odd pieces of the guide member (115) are not made, and it is easy to 
adjust quickly the position of the lower end of the guide member (115) to 
the height of the recovery gutter (150). 
The guide member (115) that has been made somewhat longer can easily be 
adjusted to the height of the recovery gutter (150) by cutting it off at 
the proper notch; further, the remaining portion of the guide member (115) 
can be utilized for other pachinko ball dropping apparatuses. 
If guide members (115) are made of materials such as rubber or soft 
synthetic resin, the workability of the guide member when the guide member 
(115) is mounted to the hopper member (111) or is cut off becomes better; 
and also the crashing sound generated by the impact of the balls becomes 
smaller. It becomes easier to cut off the guide member (115) by making 
notches such as V-shape grooves (280) on the back frame portion (116) of 
the guide member (115) at the same height of the notches (118) made on 
both side frame portions (117, 117). According to the material of the 
guide member (115), the guide member (115) can be wrested by one's hands 
along the notch (118).

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there are shown preferred 
embodiments of the invention. 
A slot machine B using a pachinko ball as a game medium (hereinafter 
referred to as Pachisulo) is shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 
2, a pachinko ball counter 10 counts a pachinko ball A, discharged from 
the ball inserting port D of the ball tray C of the Pachisulo B into its 
inside by a player, by counting sensors 40, 41. 
The pachinko ball counter 10 comprises an intake stage 14 for taking in the 
pachinko ball A input to the ball inserting port D of the ball tray C in 
the Pachisulo B, an introduction path 17 whose beginning end is connected 
to the intake stage 14, four alignment rails 18, 18 . . . mounted parallel 
to one another within the introduction path 17, counting sensors 40, 41 
disposed at the end sides of the alignment rails, and a delivery stage 19 
connected to the finishing end side of the introduction path 17. 
The intake stage 14 has a stage capacity of the given number of the 
pachinko balls. The inlet 14a of the intake stage 14 is connected to a 
ball inserting port D, and the outlet 14b of the intake stage 14 is in 
perpendicular direction and connected to the beginning end at the 
introduction path 17. As shown in FIG. 2, the intake stage 14 is fixed to 
a stage support 60 and the stage support 60 is movably mounted to a 
support bracket 11 by pivots 61, 61. 
The intake stage 14 is slanted from the inlet 14a to the outlet 14b, and 
the slant is able to be adjusted by an arm member 13. One end of the arm 
member 13 is linked with, pivotably on a pivot 12, the support bracket 11, 
the other end is fixed to the backside of the bottom of the stage support 
60. 
As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, a shutter 20 which is able to open 
and shut is mounted between the outlet 14b of the intake stage 14 and the 
beginning end of the introduction path 17. The shutter 20 is able to be 
moved optionally in its position between the opened state (shown in FIG. 4 
with full lines) and the closed state (shown in FIG. 4 with phantom lines) 
by a rotary solenoid 24 as a drive means. When in the closed state, the 
pachinko balls in the intake stage 14 are prevented from flowing into the 
introduction path 17 by the shutter 20. Generally, the shutter position is 
in the closed state. 
To be more precise, the shutter 20 is supported slidably (to be opened and 
closed) in the vertical direction by a support bracket 22 fixed to the 
underside of the beginning end of the introduction path 17. A slot 21 is 
made in the underside of the shutter 20. The rotary solenoid 24 is 
equipped with a rotary board 25. A pin 26 is fixed eccentrically on the 
rotary board 25 and inserted into the slot 21. Furthermore, the pin 26 is 
inserted movably into the arched guide slot 23 made in the support bracket 
22 in vertical direction. In this embodiment, the rotary solenoid 24 is 
used as the drive means for driving the shutter 20, however, the drive 
means is not limited to the rotary solenoid and may be another type 
solenoid or a motor etc. 
The introduction path 17 is composed of four alignment rails 18, 18, 18, 18 
mounted parallel to one another, three partition guides 16, 16, 16 
disposed between the rails 18 and side plates 15, 15 mounted on both outer 
sides of the four rails. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the alignment rails 
18, 18, is sloped downwardly from its beginning end to its terminal end 
for the natural flowing of the pachinko balls A. The pachinko balls A, 
which flow on the alignment rails 18 from the intake stage 14, are formed 
in line by the alignment rails 18 and are sent to the delivery stage 19. 
An upper edge 16a of each partition guide 16 is sloped upward from the 
beginning side to the end side for alignment of the pachinko balls A 
between the alignment rails 18, 18, . . . . Therefore, the height of the 
upper edge 16a of each partition guide 16 is equal to that of the bottom 
of the intake stage 14 at the beginning end of the guides 16, however, it 
becomes higher gradually toward the delivery stage 19. 
As shown in FIG. 1.about.FIG. 3, a sensor board 42 is fixed on the upper of 
the end side of both side plates 15, 15 and a sensor board 43 is fixed to 
the underside. The sensor board 42 is equipped with a sensor 40, and the 
board 43 is equipped with a sensor 41. Sensors 40, 41 are photoelectric 
switches which consist of radiative means and detective means, and each 
alignment rail is equipped with the sensors at the end side of the 
introduction path 17. The output signals from these sensors 40, 41 are 
processed with a control device (not shown in drawings) and are used for 
displaying the number of pachinko balls or other objects. 
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a respective moving body 30 is mounted above 
the beginning end of each of the alignment rails 18. Each moving body 30 
is formed like a short cylinder. The moving bodies 30 are located 
individually above each alignment rail 18 and are both eccentrically and 
rotatably mounted to the horizontal axis 31 placed on both upper portions 
of the side plates 15, 15. In one side of the moving body 30 opposed to 
the side where the moving body is mounted to the horizontal axis 31, a 
weight 32 is fixed so that the center of gravity of the moving body is 
obviously one-sided. Although in the above embodiment the moving body 30 
is mentioned as a necessary part, this embodiment does not always need to 
be equipped with the moving bodies 30. 
The end of the introduction path 17 is joined together with the entrance 
19a of the delivery stage 19. The direction of the exit 19b of the 
delivery stage 19 is at a right angle to the direction of the entrance 
19a. As shown in FIG. 2, the delivery stage 19 is fixed to a stage support 
62, and the stage support 62 is movably mounted to a support bracket 64 by 
pivots 63, 63. 
The delivery stage 19 is equipped with a ball dropping apparatus 50 at the 
exit 19b. This ball dropping apparatus 50 absorbs the energy of dropping 
balls delivered from the delivery stage 19; therefore, the trouble that 
the bottom of the recovery gutter (not-shown) is made to have holes by the 
impact of the dropping balls is prevented. Furthermore, the bridging 
phenomenon, which generates when the reduction bellows is used, is not 
generated. 
As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the ball dropping apparatus 50, mounted in 
each game machine B of the game island, introduces and drops pachinko 
balls which are discharged after counting with the ball counter into the 
recovery gutter 150 located in the lower portion of the game island. 
The ball dropping apparatus 50 is opened is front of the exit 19b of the 
pachinko ball counter 10 and has a hopper member 111 for accommodating 
pachinko balls and a guide member 115 connected to a sending-out opening 
114 made in a bottom 113 of the hopper member 111. A large rectangular 
opening 112 for accommodating pachinko balls is formed at the upper end of 
the hopper member 111, and the bottom 113 is sloped to allow pachinko 
balls to flow naturally through the sending-out opening 114. 
The guide member 115 introduces pachinko balls, dropped from the 
sending-out opening 114 of the hopper 111, gently to the recovery gutter 
150 located in the lower portion of the game island. The guide member 115 
comprises a back frame portion 116 elongated in the vertical direction and 
both side frame portions 117, 117 elongated forward from both side edges 
of the back frame portion 116, and the cross section of the guide member 
115 is like U-shape. Both of the back frame portion 116 and the side frame 
portions 117, 117 are formed to be elongated and rectangular. 
To describe in detail, as shown in FIG. 7, the widths b of both side frame 
portions 117, 117 are about a size such that the pachinko balls, 
discharged from the pachinko ball counter 10 at a high speed and aligned 
in lines, can pass smoothly. 
As shown in FIG. 5.about.FIG. 7, a space encompassed by both side frame 
portions 117, 117 and the back frame portion 116 provides a ball path 119 
for dropping pachinko balls. An upper end 119a of the ball path 119 is 
connected to the sending-out opening 114 of the hopper 111, and a lower 
end 119b of the elongated guide member extends into the inside of the 
recovery gutter 150. 
Plural damper members 120, as shown in FIG. 5, are mounted alternately on 
the inside of both side frame portions 117, 117. The damper members 120 
absorb the energy of balls dropping inside the ball path 119; therefore, 
the trouble that the recovery gutter 150 is made to have holes or that 
terrific crashing sounds are generated by the impacts of the dropping 
balls is prevented. 
To describe in detail, the cross section of each damper member 120 is 
formed like a U-shape whose upper side is opened. The damper members 120 
are alternately fixed to respective side frame portions 117,117 at equal 
spaces and are sloped downwardly a little. The tip side of each damper 
member 120 fixed to one side frame portion 117 is positioned between the 
tip sides of the adjacent damper member 120 fixed to the other side frame 
portion 117. 
Some notches 118, elongated horizontally to the overall widths of both side 
frame portions 117, 117 of the guide member 115, are cut in both side 
frame portions 117, 117 at equal spaces in the vertical direction. In this 
embodiment, each space between each damper member 120 is approximately 
equal to the space between notches. The damper members 120 are fixed to 
every other notch on the both side frame portions 117, 117. At the same 
height, only one of the two notches of the both side frame portions 117, 
117 is equipped with a damper member 120. 
It is possible to adjust the lower end position of the guide member 115 to 
the height of the recovery gutter 150 by cutting off the guide member 115 
at an arbitrary notch. Both guide members 115 and dumper members 120 are 
made of materials such as rubber or soft synthetic resin; therefore, the 
crashing sound generated by the impact of the balls is small, and the 
guide members 115 can be cut off easily along the notches 118. 
As shown in FIG. 6, the ball dropping apparatus 50, together with the 
pachinko ball counter 10, is mounted in the game machine B. A plurality of 
game machines B are aligned on a top board of the game island. In this 
embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, although the game machine is a slot 
machine using a pachinko ball as a game medium (generally called 
"Pachisulo"), it may be any game machine, such as a common pachinko ball 
machine, as long as a pachinko ball is used as a game medium. 
The pachinko ball counter 10 counts a ball which is inserted from a ball 
inserting port D of the tray C into the inside of the game machine B. As 
shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the pachinko ball counter 10 comprises the 
intake stage 14 for taking in pachinko balls inserted from the ball 
inserting port D, the introduction path 17 whose beginning end is 
connected to the intake stage 14, four alignment rails 18, 18 mounted 
parallel to one another within the introduction path 17, counting sensor 
40, disposed at the end side of each alignment rail 18, and the delivery 
stage 19 connected to the end side of the introduction path 17. 
The inlet 14a of the intake stage 14 is connected to the ball inserting 
port D, and the outlet 14b of the intake stage 14 is in a perpendicular 
direction and connected to the beginning end of the introduction path 17. 
A shutter 20 which is able to be opened and closed is mounted between the 
outlet 14b of the intake stage 14 and the beginning end of the 
introduction path 17. The shutter 20 is able to be opened and closed by 
the use of a rotary solenoid 24 as a drive means. When in the closed 
state, the pachinko balls in the intake stage 14 are prevented from 
flowing into the introduction path 17 by the shutter 20. 
The introduction path 17 has four alignment rails 18, 18, mounted parallel 
to one another, three partition guides 16, 16, 16 disposed between the 
rails 18 and side plates 15, 15 mounted on both outer sides of the four 
rails. The pachinko balls, flowed in the alignment rails 18 from the 
intake stage 14, are formed in lines by the alignment rails 18 and sent to 
the delivery stage 19. 
The sensor boards 42, 43 are fixed at the end side on the upperside and the 
underside of both side plates 15, 15. The sensor boards 42, 43 are 
equipped with a sensor 40, 41. Sensors 40, 41 are photoelectric switches 
which consist of radiative means and detective means, and each alignment 
rail 18 is equipped with the sensors at the end side of the introduction 
path 17. 
The end of the introduction path 17 is joined together with the entrance 
19a of the delivery stage 19. The direction of the exit 19b of the 
delivery stage 19 is at right angle to the direction of the entrance 19a. 
A summary of the operation of the discussed embodiment is explained next. 
When pachinko balls A have been inserted from the ball inserting port D of 
the tray C of the Pachisulo B, shown in FIG. 8, into the inside of the 
Pachisulo B, the pachinko balls A are taken into the intake stage 14 of 
the pachinko ball counter 10, shown in FIG. 1, mounted within the 
Pachisulo B. If the shutter 20, between the outlet 14b of the intake stage 
14 and the beginning end of the introduction path 17, is in a closed state 
(shown in FIG. 4 with phantom lines) at that time, the pachinko balls A 
cannot flow into the introduction path 17, but are stored temporarily in 
the intake stage 14. 
When the state of the shutter 20 has been changed from the closed state to 
the opened state (shown in FIG. 4 with full lines) by the player's 
operation or the instructions from a controller (not shown), the pachinko 
balls A in the intake stage 14 flow into the beginning side of the 
introduction path 17. 
After flowing into the introduction path 17, the pachinko balls A flow onto 
four alignment rails 18, 18, 18, 18 mounted parallel to one another and 
run between the beginning end and the terminal end of the introduction 
path 17. If the pachinko balls A come in layers from the intake stage 14 
and reach to the terminal end of the introduction path 17 by the pushing 
following balls, the balls on the upper edge 16a of each partition guide 
16 cannot go forward on the upper edge 16a and fall down from there; 
therefore, the pachinko balls are distributed on the alignment rails 18. 
Thus, the pachinko balls on each alignment rail 18 are prevented from 
being layered, and the bridging phenomenon does not occur. 
Furthermore, even if the pachinko balls would flow in layers, pachinko 
balls above the lowest layer hit against the moving bodies 30 and are 
stopped from forward flowing. At that time, since the upper layer's 
pachinko balls can still move slightly by the motion of the moving bodies 
30, the lowest layer's balls are not prevented from flowing forwardly. 
Thus, the pachinko balls A in the introduction path 17 are distributed by 
the partition guides 16 among the alignment rails 18, and the pachinko 
balls A flow down to the end side of the introduction path 17 on each of 
the alignment rails 18, 18 in an aligned state; thereby, a lot of pachinko 
balls A, in an aligned state, flow to the counters 40, 41 mounted to each 
of the alignment rails 18, 18 . . . , and so a great number of pachinko 
balls A can be counted smoothly and quickly. At that time, a controller 
(not shown) processes detecting signals from counters 40, 41 to display 
the number of counted pachinko balls or to issue a receipt. 
Although, in this embodiment, four alignment rails are located in parallel 
between the beginning end to the terminal end of the introduction path, 
the number of alignment rails is not limited to four, and more than four 
rails may be used as alignment rails. 
Thus, in the game machine B. pachinko balls, counted by pachinko ball 
counter 10, are discharged into the ball dropping apparatus 50 of the 
hopper 111 through the opening 112. The pachinko balls in the hopper 111 
flow along the slanted bottom 113 downwardly and then the balls are sent 
from the sending-out opening 114 to the guide member 115. 
The pachinko balls drop within the ball path 119 encompassed by both side 
frame portions 117, 117 and one back frame portion 116, and at that time 
the energy of dropping balls is absorbed by the damper members 120 mounted 
alternately on the inside of the both side frame portions 117, 117. 
Therefore, the pachinko balls are introduced smoothly and gently into the 
recovery gutter 150. 
The widths of both of the side frame portions 117, 117 and the back frame 
portion 116 of the guide member 115 are about a size such that a plurality 
of pachinko balls can pass concurrently; therefore, lots of pachinko balls 
discharged from the pachinko ball counter 10 drop smoothly and gently. 
As shown in FIG. 5, since there is nothing at the front side of the ball 
path 119 encompassed by both side frame portions 117, 117 and the back 
frame portion 116, it is clear that the pachinko balls drop within the 
ball path 119 while hitting against the damper members 120 to the recovery 
gutter 150. Furthermore, it is easy to remove and eliminate any jammed 
balls and dust in the ball path 119. 
Since a plurality of notches 118 for arbitrary cutting off of the guide 
member 115 are made on both side frame portions 117, 117, it is easy to 
cut off the guide member 115 at an arbitrary notch; thereby, waste odd 
pieces of the guide member 115 are not made, and it is easy to quickly 
adjust the position of the lower end 119b to the height of the recovery 
gutter 150. 
The guide member 115 that has been made somewhat longer can be easily 
adjusted to the height of the recovery gutter 150 by cutting it off at the 
proper notch; further, the remaining portion of the guide member 115 can 
be utilized for other pachinko ball dropping apparatus, therefore, it is 
economical. 
Although the guide member 115 can be wrested (e.g. broken) by one's hands 
along the notch 118, it can be cut off more easily by using a knife such 
as retractable knife. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
According to the pachinko ball counter of this invention, pachinko balls 
discharged into a game machine are aligned in a plurality of lines by a 
plurality of alignment rails and then reliably sent to counting sensors 
without generating the so-called "bridging phenomenon." A large number of 
pachinko balls can be counted smoothly and quickly. Thus, in a game 
machine which uses lots of pachinko balls as game media, a game can 
progress smoothly. 
Furthermore, according to the pachinko ball dropping apparatus of this 
invention, the pachinko balls received in a hopper member drop within the 
ball path encompassed by both side frame portions and the back frame 
portion of a guide member; at that time, the energy of dropping balls is 
absorbed by the damper members mounted alternately on the inside of both 
side frame portions, and the pachinko balls are set to a recovery gutter. 
Therefore, when the pachinko ball counter discharges a large number of the 
pachinko balls at a high speed, the pachinko balls are introduced into the 
recovery gutter while dropping smoothly and gently without the bridging 
phenomenon. 
Furthermore, according to the pachinko ball dropping apparatus of this 
invention, since a plurality of notches for arbitrary cutting off the 
guide member are made on are made on both side frame portions, it is easy 
to cut off the guide member at an arbitrary notch; thereby, waste odd 
pieces of the guide member are not made, and it is easy to quickly adjust 
the position of the lower end to the height of the recovery gutter.