Patent GB-305403-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to amusement devices for representing the finish of races
IPC: A63F9/14
Filed: 1928-03-26
Abstract: 305,403. Brooker, H. T., Jackson, G. J., and Howard, F. March 26, 1928. Races, indicating apparatus for.-An apparatus for illustrating or representing the finish of, say, a dog race comprises a " quarry " and a number of " dogs " moved mechanically around a track and controlled electrically from a distance to cause the '' dogs " to finish in a desired order. The quarry 14 is carried by an arm 12 and the dogs 11 by separate arms 9 all mounted at the centre of the track 8 and extended beyond the centre to enable the quarry arm to draw the other arms with it. Below the track are rows of electromagnets 16, 17, 18, the armatures of which are adapted to protrude into the paths of catches pivotally mounted on the quarry arm and arranged to engage the bent-down extremities of the dog arms. When a magnet is energized its armature deflects the tail 40 of a catch to release the corresponding arm 9 so that this comes to a standstill. The electric control board is shown in Fig. 6 and the operation is as follows. To bring the parts into starting position switch 51 is lowered to close circuit to the motor 13 and the magnets 16. The motor then rotates the quarry arm 12 -to pick up all the dog arms and finally drop them when passing over the magnets 16. This brings the dogs into line at about the radius 75, and they are then placed by the attendant inside the collapsable starting box consisting of spring-controlled side flaps 31, 32 and a front flap 33 hinged at 32<1> and held by a catch 34. The quarry is stopped by the return of switch 51 to its upper position. A switch 28 is automatically operated at each revolution of the quarry arm so as to be alternately closed and opened, and as the result of the above movements is now open. To start the race the controller depresses switch 52 to close circuit for the motor which thereupon drives the quarry once round the track, the switch 28 moving to closed position during this run. At the start of the second lap the quarry-arm catches pick up the dog arms 9 and the whole field then travels around the course, the starting-box collapsing automatically due to the pressure of the dogs against the front flap 33. When the controller wishes to stop the race with a particular order of finishing he depresses selected switches 49<b>, 50d representing the first and second runners respectively, after the field has completed one lap, and this causes the following actions. Switch 28 now being closed the magnets 18<b>, 18d remain de-energized but the remainder in the series 18 are effective to operate the catches and so release the corresponding dog-arms from the quarry arm. All the dogs except two therefore come to rest say at 73. On the series of magnets 17 being reached one of the two dogs will be disconnected due to magnet 17d being operative while the other, the winner, will continue until it reaches the magnets 16, all of which are energized. Thus the dogs will come to rest to reproduce the order of finishing and thereafter the switches 51, 52 may be restored and the motor stopped. The automatic switch 28 could be constructed so as to be closed at one rotation of the arm 12 and opened for two rtations whereby the field may perform three laps instead of two as described.