Patent GB-297920-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to game apparatus
IPC: A63F9/14
Filed: 1927-08-05
Abstract: 297,920. Ham, C. G. Aug. 5, 1927. Race games, mechanical.-In a game apparatus of the type comprising a number, or figures representing, for example, men, horses, bicycles or motor cars, arranged so that they are capable of movement relatively to one another by one or more displaceable members or balls which, during the operation of the apparatus, enter in an arbitrary manner one or other of a number of cavities or holes and cause one of the figures to be advanced or retarded relatively to the others, the figures are supported or carried by a plate or disc so as to be capable of movement relatively thereto, beneath which plate or disc is arranged another plate or disc formed with the cavities or holes for the displaceable members or balls, suitable means being provided for causing relative movement to take place between the two plates or discs. As shown in Fig. 1, the figures 2 are mounted upon a structure 1, 10 secured to a rotatable spindle 4 and are capable of a sliding movement in arcuate slots 3 formed in the top 1 of the structure. Below the structure 1, 10 is a stationary inclined platform 14 provided with staggered pins 15 and supporting, on uprights 13, a stationary plate 7 formed with radial grooves 9 leading to holes 8 situated below the paths of tail pieces 6 on the figures 2. A train of gearing 19 - - 22 rotates a member 18, bearing channelled uprights 17, at a greater speed than the spindle 4 which carries a helical surface 16 co-operating with the channelled uprights. The spindle 4 may be rotated by hand or by motor. When a ball 11 is placed on the inclined platform 14 it rolls down among the pins 15 and is raised by the spiral 16 and a channelled upright 17 so as to fall on to the stationary plate 7. The ball then runs down one of the grooves 9 and comes to rest in the corresponding hole 8 but is prevented from falling through by the base 10. The tail piece 6 of the figure 2 corresponding to the position of the ball comes into contact with the ball and the figure is pushed back in its slot 3. A gap in the plate 10 then allows the ball to fall on to the inclined platform 14 when the operation is repeated until all the figures except one are pushed back, this figure being then adjudged the winner. In a modification, Fig. 3, the figures 2 are mounted on racks 32 engaged by loose pin wheels 30. The ball when retained in a hole 8 gives a rotation to the passing pin wheel and advances the corresponding figure through one step. In a further modification, Fig. 5, the inclined platform 14 and the plate 7, instead of being stationary, are given rotary movements respectively in an opposite direction to, and in the same direction as, that of the structure 1, 10, and an oscillatory movement is, in addition, imparted to the grooved plate 7, gearing connected to the spindle 4 being incorporated for these purposes. The figures 2 are supported in their slots upon slidable members 40 provided with a series of arches 45 slightly wider than the balls. When a ball rolls down the platform 14 it passes through an opening 54 and is then retained' by one of a number of grooves 59 in the surrounding wall 57 until on further rotation of the platform an inclined surface thereon raises the ball to a ledge 56 from whence it rolls into the upper end of one of the grooves in the plate 7 and rests against a flange 60. The flange is provided with a series of openings through one of which the ball passes when the grooved plate rocks to an extreme position. The ball then runs down its groove and enters the corresponding hole 8 where it is spanned by one of the arches 45. On the next oscillation of the grooved plate 7 the ball engages the side of the arch and moves the corresponding figure in one direction or the other according to the direction of oscillation. An opening in the plate 10 now comes beneath the ball and allows it to fall on to the surface 14 for another operation. The apparatus may be arranged so that the figures move in rectilinear instead of curved paths.