Patent GB-1193768-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Electro-Mechanical Ball-Games Apparatus
Inventor: MENOTTI VINCENZO
IPC: A63F7/24
Filed: 1968-07-30
Abstract: 1,193,768. Electro-mechanical ball game apparatus. V. MENOTTI. 30 July, 1968 [10 Aug., 1967; 7 June, 1968], No. 36203/68. Heading A6H. An electro-mechanical ball-game apparatus for two players has two fields α and # sloped in opposite directions, on each of which are provided holes, doors, bumper elements of circular and hammer shape and other electrical devices, and on each of which field a ball is moved around by action of gravity and small mechanical impacts imparted to it by means of said bumper elements controlled by push buttons operated by the players with the object of hitting determined targets in order to make scores, wherein between one field and the other are provided communication doors 67a, 67b which enable one player to capture with a positive action the ball with which the opponent is playing in order to include the captured ball among those at the disposal for play by the said player, there being provided in the lower parts of said sloped fields outlet ports for the balls at the ends of their play cycles, and in order to provide a further possibility of capturing the balls on each field are provided capturing holes 60a and 60b which can be opened with positive action by the respective players through the operation of push buttons so that the balls can fall into these holes. The pushbuttons which cause the opening of said capturing holes, and/or the pushbuttons by which the opening of the doors is controlled for capturing the balls may be the same pushbuttons which operate the pumper elements (e.g. 58) controlled by the players. This is possible because the players play alternatively and so while on one side of the field the pushbuttons are used to operate the bumper elements 58, on the other side they are used to open the holes 60a and 60b and the doors 67a and 67b. The opening of the hole 60a, 60b occurs only within precise time limits which test the readiness of the player. This is effected by the provision of synchronisation contact 61 for the opening of the holes which, as soon as they are closed by the passing of the ball within the channel leading to either hole, establish a limited time within which the functioning of the pushbuttons has to be effected for the holes to open. The opening of holes 60a, 60b is effected by means of a relay. The relay does not trip if there is not applied at the same time an impulse generated by the closing of contacts 61 by the passage of the ball, and an impulse generated by the operation of pushbuttons. Pushbuttons. do not give a succession of impulses or a prolonged impulse if they are pressed for a certain period, but only an impulse at the moment of pressure. It is possible, however, to press these pushbuttons several times in order to generate a series of impulses. In order to limit the number of impulses to be used and to stimulate the promptness of the player, the total number of impulses available has been set to be nine, and the availability of impulses is shown on the surface of the game apparatus 'by the lighting up of nine lamps 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, 62e, 62f, 62g, 62h, and 62i, and which are turned off as the available impulses are used. To avoid the ball being captured too readily, especially in the first moments of play, in front of the entry of the channel in which is provided the hole 60a, there is provided another small channel at the centre of which there is a contact 63 which, when closed by the passage of the ball, precludes the possibility of the opening of the holes 60a and 60b, so that the ball, although passing over contact 61 and the hole 60a or 60b cannot be captured and therefore remains normally in the game. Under these circumstances, the ball, after having passed over contact 61 and the closed holes 60a or 60b, passes over contact 64 which opens the hole 60a or 60b, permitting its possible capture at its successive passage, under the condition, however, that the ball does not pass again through the channel containing contact 63. Signalling lamps 65 and 66, of e.g. red and green colours, may be provided to make visible the possibility or impossibility for the ball to pass through the channel with the hole 60a or 60b. Besides the opening of the holes 60a and 60b, the ball can be captured by opening the doors 67a and 67b, so as to pass directly from one field to the other. These doors are opened with the appropriate pushbuttons and are maintained open by a small cam motor which starts to rotate with the impulse of the opening of the doors and effects a third of a revolution, after which the doors close automatically. In the door opening there is also provided an oscillating gate, the vibrations of which are damped by the effect of gravity, which, when passed by a captured ball, reverses the sense of counting of the differential adder (see later). Thus when a ball has passed these doors and been captured, the score is automatically computed in favour of the other player. When a ball is captured or terminates its normal play cycle it passes into the internal network of conduits shown in Figure 8 for the transfer of the ball from one to the other field of the game. In the conduits corresponding to the holes 60a, 60b, there are contacts 76a, 76b which are operated by the passage of the balls and control the closing of the holes, and underneath the conduits, connected to the bottom parts thereof, contacts 78a, 78b are provided operated by the passage of the ball which control the ball counting mechanism and regulate the switching on of lamps 68. Thus the number of balls at the disposal of a player is indicated. A contact 76 may also be arranged in the launching channel for the ball and contacts arranged in the communication doors which reverse the sense of counting of the differential adder, and an anti-shock contact may be provided which, in the case of operation, generates an impulse promoting the return of the ball towards the token box. It should also be noted that the open-top chamber 77 is provided, at its bottom, with two holes 77a, 77b, and a distribution flap, (not shown), which permits the ball to be directed towards the branch A or B of the conduit network. When the ball is in play, the distribution flap of chamber 77 of the field is situated so that the ball is directed into branch A so that once its game cycle is terminated, it is put at the disposal of the opponent, as can be seen following the path of the arrows. When the distribution flap of the field is situated for directing the ball into the branch A, the distribution flap of chamber 77 of the opponents' field is situated for directing the ball into branch B. If the player succeeds in capturing the ball from his opponent, he has to have the ball available and so it has to be directed into branch B which brings it to the starting point. Contacts 76a and 76b have the function of inhibiting the operation of the anti-shock contact during the interval of time in which the ball runs along the internal channels, to avoid the ball becoming blocked in the interior. The differential adder is shown in side elevation in Figure 9. It consists of two indicators 83 and 84 mounted on two coaxial spindles, the external one of which is 85. The two indicators are rotated by a motor in the same direction, which drives the outer spindle 85 through gear train 87, 88, 89 and the two crown gears 90 and 91 with axes at 90‹. The motor drives the inner spindle by two crown gears 92 and 93 identical to the crown gears 90 and 91. The two indicators 83 and 84 .are keyed on the coaxial spindles, but indicator 83 is of shorter length than that of 84. Thus, although the peripheral speeds of 83 and 84 vary, their angular speeds are normally the same. To this end gear 88 is identical to 'gear 87 so that the indicators rotate in the .same direction, while the gear ratio between elements 88 and 89 is 2:1. Thus the two indicators 83 and 84 do not change their relative positions during the course of rotating motion. The arrangement. by which the various hits of the ball obtained in play are converted into rotation increments is designated generally at 95. This arrangement is based on known concepts, e.g. a step motor or a ratchet gear. Between the inner spindle and outer spindle 85, a differential gear 96 is placed, so that a variation of rotation of one of ,the spindles is converted into a variation in the opposite direction of the other spindle. Thus increments of rotation, determined by the hits, are applied to a spindle, and such increments are converted into a variation of the relative positions of the two indicators Thus, if at the ends of the two indicators two toy cars are fixed and it is assumed that no hits are obtained, the two toy cars give the impression of carrying out a race and proceeding side by side in relatively constant position. As soon as hits are effected, these are converted into angular increment of one of the two toy cars which will be converted in turn into a variation of their relative positions giving the impression that one of them is overtaking the other. The opposite occurs when the sense of counting is reversed. On the same axle of the coaxial spindles is attached disc plate 97 on which ten contact elements are arranged, indicated as a group at 98, and two contact elements indicated at 99. All these contact elements 98 and 99 may effect a sliding contact with conveniently shaped strips of a printed circuit, placed on the plate 100. Contacts 98 are effected for the switching on of lamp 72 which indicates the amount of the advantage reached by a player with respect to the other, while contacts 99 serve for the switching on of two lamps 71 which light up as soon as a player is in advantage. At the end of a game the relative positions of the two toy cars or generally the two indicators indicate the winner. Alignment of the two indicators is effected automatically following the insertion of a coin or othe