Patent GB-455864-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to mechanisms for games of manipulative skill
IPC: G07F17/32
Filed: 1935-04-27
Abstract: 455,864. Game apparatus. McCURD, W. A., 4, Broad Street Place, London. April 27, 1935, No. 12672. [Class 132 (ii)] Game apparatus of the type in which by the manipulation of a lever a weight is projected upwards has means whereby the energy expended in lifting the weight is transmitted thereto from a flywheel by a clutch device which is normally engaged but is dis-engageable to permit return of the weight to its starting point. Lever 12 is coin-feed and when actuated rotates cam 52 to actuate members 53, 54 to rotate bell crank lever 56 which rotates lever 36 to disengage pin and hole dog clutch 29, 32 and rotate bell-crank lever 43 to disengage pawl 42 from ratchet wheels 39 and 41. The drum 35, connected by pins 34 to disc 33 and connected by cord 37 to steel rod indicator 17, moving in glass tube 16 and weight 38, is thus allowed to return to zero position under action of centrifugal brake 50. At the end of the movement of the weight 38 a lug 79 rotates the bell crank lever 80 to raise the rod 71 through pin 84 and allow the spring 85 to rotate the bell-crank lever 76 and move the stop 72 to support the rod 71. The rod 71 in moving upwards rotates the bell-crank lever 69 against the action of the spring 74 to put the pawl 20 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 21. The initial movement of the bellcrank -lever 56 puts it into engagement with the notch 60 in the spring controlled pivoted latch member 57 to hold the clutch 29, 32 disengaged but when the indicator 17 has reached its lowermost position a projection 61 on the drum 35 engages a lever 62 to press back the latch member 57 and allow engagement of clutch 29, 32 under action of spring 64, and also the engagement of pawl 42 and ratchet wheels 39, 41. On operation of the lever 11 the drum 35 is driven through the clutch 29, 32 to raise the indicator 17 and the flywheel 25 is rotated through the ratchet wheel 21 and chain and sprocket gear 22, 23, 24. Preferably a resilient coupling is inserted between the sprocket 24 and the flywheel 25. At the start of the upward movement of the indicator 17 the lug 79 rotates lever 80 so that pin 84 is no longer supported and when the lug 78 rotates the toe 77 the stop 72 is moved to the right and the rod 71 falls to cause disengagement of the pawl 20 and ratchet wheel 21 and thus stop drive of drum 35 and indicator 17 from lever 11. The drum 35 and indicator 17 however continue to move under the action of the flywheel 25 and when this movement ceases the drum 35 is prevented from backward movement under the action of the weight 38 by engagement of pawl 42 with ratchet wheel 39 unless the pawl happens to be opposite one of a series of gaps in the teeth of the wheel 39 when it engages one of a series of teeth in the wheel 41 spaced to correspond with the gaps in the wheel 39 and gives a slight rotation to the wheel 41 to deliver a token or prize through the linkage 44. The rotation of the wheel 41 is limited by an arm 45 on the wheel engaging a stop 46. Cushioning stops 86 are provided for the lever 11 and a resilient stop 87 is provided to be engaged by the projection 61 to limit rotation of the drum 35. The mechanism as above described prevents the operation of the apparatus by repeated small operations of the lever 11 to lift the indicator 17 gradually to a winning position.