Patent GB-846848-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to race games
IPC: A63H18/10
Filed: 1959-03-06
Abstract: 846,848. Magnetic race games. LOMBARD, E. J. M. March 6, 1959 [March 8, 1958; March 18, 1958; Nov. 15, 1958; Nov. 24, 1958; Dec. 9, 1958], No. 7942/59. Class 132(2). Movable bodies such as vehicles V are provided with magnets 2 and are moved on an otherwise unobstructed race track P by driving magnets 1 beneath the track, magnets 1 being moved either by electrically driven carriages on which they are mounted or by hand operated cranks the driving connection between the cranks and the magnets being interrupted by a device responsive to centrifugal force when the speed is excessive. Electrical form. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, magnets 1 are carried by a casing B suspended from wheels 3 and 4 running on rail 5 supported by brackets 6. Wheel 3 is driven through belt 8 by an electric motor 9 receiving current through contacts 11, 13 from conductors 10, 14 beneath the track. An adjustable weight 19 is carried by casing B. The supply to motor 9 also passes through switch 17, 18 the former contact being carried by a pendulum 12, 16. If the acceleration be too sudden, pendulum 12, 16 opens switch 17, 18 and the motor stops. If a curve be taken too fast, the casing swings on rail 5 and one or other of the contacts 11, 13 moves away from its conductor to locate the current supply. The supply circuit includes a rheostat and a push-button switch which on operation energises a holding circuit. Thus an interruption of the circuit breaks the holding circuit and the model V can only be restarted by operation of the push-button. The latter may be so designed that it can only be operated by contact with the rheostat handle and, to impose a time delay, the handle may be loaded by a step-up gear train. In a modification, magnets 1 and 2 are arranged transversely to the movement of the models and the casing B can swing relative to magnet 2. In a further modification, a conducting ball in a dished part of the casing runs to the periphery of the dished part to make contacts cutting out motor 9 if the acceleration or cornering speed be too great. A lap counter actuated each time the model passes a given point is provided. Hand-operated form. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the driving magnets 1 are mounted on the ends of arms 47 carried by central concentric shafts rotated selectively by cranks 46. These cranks are each rigid with a sleeve 53 in which is slidably mounted a shaft 63 urged to the left, Fig. 15, by a spring 68. The end of shaft 63 carries a clutch plate 65 which, when push button 64 is pushed in, is held in contact with clutch plate 67 by the top of shaft 61. This shaft is vertically slidable in bracket 56 and is held in raised position by a weight 58. This weight is rotated about the axis of shaft 61 by sleeve 53 acting through bevel gears 54, 55. If the crank is rotated too fast, the weight swings out, shaft 61 is lowered and spring 68 withdraws shaft 63 to de-clutch. The clutch is reset only by pushing in knob 64. Knob 64 may be sharp so that it can only be pushed in by swinging up crank handle 46, which may be pivoted on a transverse axis for this purpose. The magnets 1 may describe a non circular course by being on lazy-tong or like linkages being guided by cams or the like. Modified forms of clutch depending on centrifugal force are described with reference to Figs. 17-19, (not shown).