Patent GB-450109-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in coin-operated game apparatus
IPC: G07F17/32
Filed: 1935-02-25
Abstract: 450,109. Coin - freed game apparatus. MONHEIM, H., 131, Gustav Adolfstrasse, Weissensee, Berlin. Feb. 25, 1935, No. 5992. [Class 132 (ii)] [See also Group XVIII] A coin - freed amusement apparatus comprises in combination, in a single casing, a token container from which tokens can be released by the user, a released token passing to a trap where it can be inspected for scoring purposes, coin-controlled means for releasing tokens from the trap, and a game of skill apparatus employing movable playing pieces, e.g. the tokens released from the trap or the coins which have released the tokens. In the construction of Fig. 1, the token container comprises an apertured board 2 closed by a paper covering 3, each aperture containing a token in the form of a ball, the player pushing out a ball by inserting a pointed tool 6. The ejected ball passes down a shoot 8, Fig. 13, and is received by a recess 13 on a spring blade 12 within the casing of the trap 10, but cannot be seen by the player owing to an obstructing slide 11. After the insertion of a coin through a slot 15, the slide 11 is freed for movement towards the left of the trap 10 by a tool 16 inserted through a hole in one side of the trap, an abutment 17 on the slide 11 as it moves shifting the ball 7 from the recess 13 to a second recess 14, the previously released ball which was in the recess 14 falling to a lower chamber 23. The movement of the slide 11 also carries forward the inserted coin which thrusts the previously inserted coin into a shoot 30 leading to the game of skill apparatus 26. This game apparatus comprises a rotary disc 28 provided with staggered channels 27, the player manoeuvring the disc by means of a handle 29 to cause the coin to fall into a selected compartment 31. The lower ends of these compartments 31 have glazed openings 34 so that the coin can be observed and the score determined. The coin is finally released from the channel 31 by movement of a pivoted shelf 33 by means of a push-button 32. The ball in the chamber 23 is released through an aperture 24 by movement of a pivoted shutter 25 engageable by the tool 6 when inserted through an opening. In Fig. 2, the token container 2 and game apparatus are disposed horizontally and adjacently in the casing 1. In this construction the balls released from the trap 10 are used as playing pieces in the game apparatus, which is in the form of an apertured disc 281, mounted on a universal bearing 36, and adapted to be manoeuvred by a handle 29<1>. The apertures 42 in the disc are marked with different scoring values, and are normally closed below by arms 43 pivoted about a common centre and adapted to be moved to release scoring balls of the previous player by depression of a rod 45 passing through the handle 291. The disc is surrounded by a flange 40 gapped as at 41, balls passing through the gaps falling to a container 50. The balls are raised one at a time from the container 50 by a pivoted elevator handle 49, the balls released from the trap 10 either passing directly on to the disc by way of a channel 52, or to the reservoir 50 by a lower channel provided in place of the channel 52. The pivotal centre 36 of the disc is offset from its centre of gravity to render the game more difficult. The disc may be removably mounted on the pivot 36 so as to be interchangeable for others, of different shape for example. A third arrangement is also described having a horizontally disposed game apparatus similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but with the token container arranged in a vertically disposed part of the casing behind the game apparatus.