Patent GB-190716340-A (GB)
Title: A Race Game or Recreation Apparatus.
Inventor: MACCULLOCH ANDREW GILLIGAN
Filed: 1907-07-16
Granted: 1908-10-16
Abstract: 16,340. Macculloch, A. G. July 16. [Cognate Application No. 1105, A.D. 1908, dated Jan. 16.] Race games ; railways for recreation.-Model horses or the like of life size are mounted on carriages which run on inclined tracks, and means are provided for retarding all the horses but one, selected by chance, which therefore wins. The device may also be made as a toy. Horses b<*>, Fig. 3, are sprung on carriages b mounted on spindles b<1> which carry small grooved wheels b<3>, Fig. 6, to run on rails a<5>, and a heavy fly-wheel b<3>, Fig. 3. The frame b has leading and trailing spindles b<4>, one or other of which runs on the rails a<5>, the wheels b<5> running between. The tracks slope considerably at the beginning and continue to slope moderately to the finish. As the horses run down the slope, the fly-wheels revolve rapidly, but progress is slow owing to the small size of the wheels b<2>. The horses start together and would finish together, but all except one are retarded by coming into contact with yielding obstructions mounted on a spindle d provided with a fly-wheel d' which can be rotated by a motor e. In addition to the above obstructions, the horses may be impeded by arms b<9> coming into frictional contact with the wheels b<3> owing to imperfect balancing on the part of the riders. The obstructions may consist of bristles d', Fig. 8, or the like mounted on wheels d<2> placed in the path of the fly-wheels b<3>. Each wheel d<2> has a flat d<3> on it, and the wheels are so mounted on the spindle d, Fig. 3, that the flats are symmetrical. The fly-wheel d' is set rotating rapidly and is then stopped by a brake f operated by a lever c<2>, which at the same instant releases detents c from the carriages b. Several modifications of the obstructing-device are described. In one form, the bristles are placed on hinged bars d<6>, Fig. 9, which are kept in position by the wheel d<2>. In another form, the bristles are replaced by a sliding obstruction counterbalanced by a weight or by a spring, contact being made by a bar on the frame b. In other modifications, the faceted wheels d<2>, Fig. 3, are replaced by starwheels d<2>, Fig. 23, which control counterweighted obstructions d<6> pivoted at d<5>. A detent d<1> x <x> locks the fly-wheel as it stops. In other modifications, spring obstructions are drawn down by the starwheel by means of bell-crank levers. As soon as a horse completes the course, a lever m<1>, Fig. 30, is operated by the wheel b<3> to display a hidden disk m. In other modifications, a detent is tripped, or an electric circuit is closed to accomplish the same object. The horses are returned to the starting place by a chain g, Fig. 3, or the like provided with hooks g' to engage a chain g<5> on the carriage b. In a modification, shown in Fig. 16, a turntable j and separate return tracks a<5>x are provided. In this case, a second turntable k is necessary capable of lifting the horses back to the starting level from the lower level a<5>X. The lines a<5>X may run into one another after leaving the turntable to form one line and diverge again at k. In order to ensure a quick return, the carriages'b run on wheels b<13>, Fig. 19, instead of on the small ones b<2> as usual. The track may be made circular, elliptical, or the like, and may have a hinged portion a<4>x, Fig. 23, which can be raised by an hydraulic or other ram l as shown, suitable detents c, a<8> being provided to retain the carriages thereon.