Patent GB-929347-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to devices for checking pools coupons
Inventor: HOUGHTON LESLIE NORMAN
IPC: A63F3/06
Filed: 1960-04-28
Abstract: 929,347. Checking football-pool coupons. VERNONS POOLS Ltd. July 24, 1961 [April 28, 1960; Jan. 3, 1961], Nos. 14904/60 and 208/61. Class 16. A device for checking planned entry football pool coupons comprises a viewing target having a plurality of viewing areas, at least one viewing aperture and a plurality of masking members selectively slidable into and out of a masking position, each masking member having a plurality of holes or cut-out portions, so that when any one of the masking members is in said masking position it interrupts the optical paths between the viewing aperture or apertures and some only of the target viewing areas. One such device, shown in Fig. 2 without its cover, comprises a base 19 having a viewing target 20 having a separate viewing area for each column in a planned entry and a plurality of masking members 24 interleaved with spacing members 29. Each masking member is provided with cut-outs 55 at selected positions along its lower edge and is individually movable by means of a knob 42 connected to the masking member by a rod 40 and to the cover by a pivoted lever 43. Each masking member is cut away to permit the passage of the rods 40 associated with lower masking members, thereby forming a stepped arrangement 47, 48, the spacing members and cover being slotted in line in the stepped parts 47, 48. The spacing members are secured in position by fixed pins 21, 22 passing through apertures 30, 31, Fig. 6 (not shown) in the spacing members and slots 27, 28 in the masking members. The target 20 is viewed through a cylindrical transparent rod seated in a slot in the cover and those masking members corresponding to a drawn match are moved by their associated knobs 42 to overlie the target to obscure some or all of the target viewing areas. A reset lever 17 is pivoted to the base at 35 and is provided with an upstanding pin 37 engaging slots 27 in the masking member and aligned slots 38 in the spacing members to move the masking members out of their masking positions. In an alternative construction, Figs. 1 and 3, a casing 10 is provided with five viewing apertures 12 and sixteen masking members 14 selectively slidable by means of knobs 15 and spaced by means of interleaved transparent members. The latter are provided with cutouts in register with the apertures 12 and secured in position by bolts 26. The masking members are provided with non-masking portions 16 provided with apertures 20 through which a viewing target is seen and masking portions 18 provided with holes 22 in selected positions according to a " plan." The viewing target comprises a transparent sheet having two hundred and forty consecutively numbered viewing areas in line with the apertures 20 when the masking members are moved to the extreme left, the viewing target being placed in the casing 10 behind the masking members. Each masking member corresponds to a match and is moved to the right, if the match is drawn, to obscure some of the viewing areas. In use, any " plan " including at least six draws and requiring further checking, is checked by moving the appropriate six knobs 15 to the right, whereby the number of any line including at least six draws will be shown through aligned holes in the masking members. The masking members are moved out of their masking positions by a lever 38 pivoted to the casing and engaging slots 44 therein.