Patent GB-913064-A (GB)
Title: A coin-operated or freed amusement machine
IPC: G07F17/38
Filed: 1960-08-16
Abstract: 913,064. Coin-freed amusement apparatus. BRYAN, W. E. Sept. 14, 1961 [Aug. 16, 1960], No. 28262/60. Class 132 (2). [Also in Group XVIII] A coin-freed amusement machine in which the insertion of a coin makes available for presentation at a loading station 12, Figs. 1 and 4, a plurality of balls from a magazine for projection by an operator-actuated projector 24 along a path 14 leading to deflecting obstructions 16 and thence fortuitously to a " loss " receptacle 19 or one or more " win " receptacles 17a, 17b, 17c has the projector provided with a single control for the operator and, actuated by that control, a loader 76 which moves a ball 84 from the loading station 12 to a striking station 78 and a spring-loaded striker 73 for projecting the ball. The member 24 is in the form of a thumb-piece on a spindle 72 which also mounts the striker 73 and loader 76. Balls are projected in turn by operation of the member 24 and after following the spiral track 14, may descend to the " loss " receptacle 19, be returned through an opening 22 in the track for further projection, or be caught in the " win " receptacles as these are tilted about pivots at their lower ends by the use of a knob 26. A coin inserted in the slot passes down a shoot 27, Fig. 3, and is then forced down between a fixed stop 28 and a movable stop 29 fixed to a plate 42 by the actuation of a crank 25 through the medium of a lever 30 and linkage ; the stop 29, which is thus forced aside against the action of a spring 44 causes the plate 42 to turn about its pivot 43 and so lift a rod 61 which in turn causes an L-shaped lever 63 to retract a retaining-pin 20 from the " loss " receptacle 19 and displace a stop 63a so that balls which have accumulated in an accumulator 103 from the " win " receptacles can fall through shoots 110, 23; this results in all the balls, i.e. both the winning and losing balls, played by the previous player, passing to the loading station 12. The coin drops into either a receptacle 48, Fig. 3, or a jack-pot 21 according to the position of a deflecting pin 144 which is so controlled by a pawl- and-ratchet device 55 from the plate 42 that after the insertion of a prescribed number of coins, a coin is deflected to the jack-pot. When a " win " occurs, the ball gravitates from the relevant receptacle down a funnel 88 and guide 89 and through a hole in a plate 91 into registering holes in slides 94, 95 where it lodges on a shelf 96. Rotation of the crank handle 25 then acts through a lever 100 to draw the coupled slides 94, 95 to the right, Fig. 3, and so withdraw a closure plate 97 from the base of the coin receptacle 48. Continued rotation of the handle 25 first allows the ball to drop into a funnel 101 and to be temporarily retained therein by a pin 102 on slide 95, and then by movement of the slide 94 to the left causes the plate 97 to push the lowermost coin or coins out of the receptacle down a shoot 52 to a pocket 53 and allows the ball to continue on its way to the accumulator 103. The jackpot is discharged through a door 51 to the pocket 53 when a predetermined number of " win " balls have arrived in the accumulator, the operation of the crank handle 25 above described then resulting in a pusher 104 contacting the uppermost ball in the accumulator and acting through linkage to open the door 51. The pawl-and-ratchet device 55 is adjustable to vary the frequency with which coins are deflected to the jackpot and may be arranged so that inserted coins first fill the coin receptacle and then the jackpot, or vice versa. Instead of coins, the jackpot may hold a prize which is loaded manually. Bent or undersize coins are by-passed to the pocket 53 without operating the machine.