Patent GB-665844-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to coin-actuated or freed amusement apparatus
IPC: G07F17/34
Filed: 1948-09-10
Abstract: 665,844. Coin freed amusement apparatus. CATLOW, T. Oct. 8, 1949 [Sept. 10, 1948; June 7, 1949], Nos. 23799/48 and 15137/49. Class 27 Coins inserted in an amusement machine are returnable, less a fixed tariff, at any tim without further coin expenditure. In on form of machine described the tariff also is returnable when the machine indicates a "win.' Coin action, weight, thrust; games of chance.-A coin is inserted in a shoot 59, Fig. 2, falls into a pocket 86 at the end of a beam 83 pivoted at 84 and counterweighted at 85 so that the beam normally 'lies in the position shown in full lines. The coin is prevented from falling through the open bottom of the pocket by a lug 88 on a member 89 pivoted at 90 to the cup, but this lug is disengaged tangentially from the penny when the beam swings about its pivot 84 under the weight of the penny so that a part 91 of the member 39 engages a stop 92. The penny then falls on to the edge 22 of an inclined rail 20 where it is held in an upright position by guard plates 93. The descent of the beam imparts a rotation to a spinning disc (not shown) visible from the front of the apparatus and co-operating with a fixed pointer to indicate winning and losing conditions. The disc is mounted on a shaft 96, Fig. 4, carrying a friction wheel 95 engaged by a friction member 94 pivoted at 98 to the beam 83 and biassed by a weight 97 to bear against the wheel 95. Durng the downward movement of the beam 83 the member 94 bears against the wheel 95, but on upward movement of the beam a hook 99 on the member 94 engages a bracket 101 to disengage the member 94 from the wheel 95. Means to prevent indication of a winning condition on insertion of the first two coins includes two toothed wheels 103, 104, Fig. 9, mounted on the shaft 96 and engaged respectively by pawls 104a, 105 free on a shaft 106. The pawl 104a is controlled through a lever 112 and link 113 from a cam 111 while the pawl 105 is controlled by a cam 110; the cams 111, 110 are rotated together relatively to their common shaft 129 so that the pawl 105 alone is effective to check the shaft 96 on the insertion of the first two coins, the wheel 104 being so shaped as to prevent a win in these conditions. The cams 111, 110 are driven by a ratchet wheel 118 free on the shaft 129 and rotated in steps by spring biassed pawls 127, 125 mounted respectively on an arm 128 free on the shaft 129 and on an arm 126 fast on the shaft 129. The arm 128 is moved to operate the ratchet wheel 118 by a link 136 connected to a link 137, Fig. 2, carrying a roller 138 which is urged by a spring 141 against a cam 140 mounted on a square shaft 53 carrying a handle which is turned at the commencement of play by the player and thereafter held during play. The arm 126 is reciprocated each time a coin is inserted by its shaft 129 which carries a crank 130, Fig. 7, connected by a link 131 to a plate 72 pivoted at 74 and having a portion 73 projecting into the shoot 59 for operation by each coin inserted. The ratchet wheel 118, Fig. 9, is formed with three teeth 121 of greater pitch than the amplitude of motion of the pawl 125, and the latter engages the side of one of these three teeth after the first two coins are inserted so that subsequent coin insertions do not turn the ratchet wheel 118: in this position the pawl 104a alone is effective to check the shaft 96. At the commencement of play, however, operation of the playing handle and thus of the arm 128 turns the ratchet pawl 118 so that the pawl 125 engages' a shorter tooth 119 and insertion of each of the first two coins will then turn the ratchet wheel 118: in these positions the pawl 105 alone is effective to check the shaft 96. Reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel 118 is prevented by a spring-biassed pawl 145. In a modification the pawl 127 bears against a further ratchet wheel rotating with the ratchet wheel 118 but having only three teeth so that on operation of the handle to start play the ratchet wheel 118 is always turned to the position shown. Insertion of a coin is caused to free the shaft 96 from a control by the pawl 104α 105 until the beam 83 has descended and risen again. A spring-urged pawl 155, Fig. 9, on an arm 156 fast with the shaft 129 drives a ratchet wheel 157 free on the shaft 129 each time the latter is oscillated by insertion of a coin. The ratchet wheel 157, which is held against reverse rotation by a spring urged pawl 158, drives a cam 154 to depress the pawl 104a so that a plate 146 mounted on a spindle 153 biassed by a spring device 151 and a lever 152 can engage a projection 147 on the pawl 104α to hold it away from the wheel 103. The pawl 105 is similarly held by a further plate 146 whenever it is depressed by teeth 160 on the cam 110. The plates 146 are moved to release the pawls 104a, 105 when the upwardly moving beam 83 strikes the lever 152. Instead of the mechanism being operated by insertion of the coin, the coin may serve to free manually operated means for performing the several functions. Returning coins; coin discharge.-From between the plates 93, Fig. 2, the coins roll along the top of the rail 20 to lie between pairs 27, 28 of swinging plates, Figs. 2, 5 and 6. When the handle on the shaft 53 is depressed these pairs of plates are vertical and retain the coins on the rail 20, the plates being biassed to this position by brackets 36 carrying rollers 37 which engage notches in levers 39 fast on a shaft 41 and biassed by weights 40. When however the handle is released so that it is turned by a spring 56 to the non-playing position, a rod 51 pivoted to the cam 140 turns a crank fast on a shaft 44 so that pins 47 on cranks 46 on the shaft 44 engage the brackets 36 on the plates 27 and the arms 48 on the plates 28 to turn these to the positions shown in Figs. 6 and 5 respectively, thus delivering the coins from between the plates 27 down a shoot 42 to the player, and the coin or coins between the plates 28 to a coin box in the machine. Plates 233 and 227 move between the pairs of plates 27, 28 to separate overlapping coins before the plates 27, 28 move and to prevent coins from running down the rail 20 from between the plates 27. Prize delivery mechanism.-In an alternative construction the two pairs of plates 27, 28 are replaced by three similar pairs of plates, and the handle on the shaft 53 is replaced by buttons which the player is intended to depress according to the indications of the spinning disc. One button 168, Fig. 12, is connected by a push rod 175 to swing a lever 176, free on a spindle 177 and biassed by a weight 189. The lever 176 is connected by a link 178 to a crank 179 on a shaft 172 provided with cranks similar to the cranks 46 and serving to discharge the coin or coins between the lowest pair of plates to the machine and the remaining coins to the player. A further button 167, Fig. 13, is connected by a push rod 187 to swing a further weighted lever 186 on the spindle 177. The lever 186 is pivoted to two members 184, 185 which may be raised or lowered by control rods 190, 191: when a member 184 or 185 is lowered it connects the swinging lever 186 to a pin 182 or 183 on a corresponding crank (one only of which is shown) on the shaft 172 or on a further shaft 174. When the latter shaft is turned it causes the coins between the two lowest pairs of plates to be held in position. The control rods 190, 191 are raised and lowered by pawls similar to'the pawls 104α, 105, Fig. 9, and controlled by cams formed with notches at positions corresponding to the winning sectors of the spinning disc. Levers 222, Fig. 13, are turned by pins 220 on the swinging levers 186 or 176 when a button 167 or 168 is depressed and turn a shaft 218 to raise plates similar to the plates 223 and 227 of Fig. 2 and mounted on the shaft. A link 208 connected to the lever 186 operates a pawl and ratchet to turn the spinning disc on by one division and so prevent repeated operation of the button 167. Two further buttons (not shown) are provided, one at the front of the apparatus for operation by the player and one at the rear for operation by a caretaker, which both serve to deliver the coins between all the pairs of plates to the machine. Preventing insertion of coin.-The plate 72, Fig. 7, is pivoted to a member 77 pivoted at 76 to a plate 71 against which it is urged by a spring 75. Integral with plate 71 is a rod 78 connected to a crank 70, Fig. 6, an a shaft 69 carrying a lever 64. The lever 64 carries a projection 65 which is adapted to pass, when the plate 72 is turned by insertion of a coin in the shoot 59, through holes .66 in the plates 27. When however this hole is blocked by a coin, insertion of a further coin in the shoot 59 causes the resistance of the spring 75 to be overcome so that the lever 77 pivots about the connection 76 and a projection 80 engages a lug 82 on a pivoted flap 61 to divert the further coin down a shoot 63, Fig. 6, to the player. Insertion of a coin before the playing handle is turned is prevented by a member 143, Fig. 2, fast on the shaft 129 and engaging, by means of a screw 144, a member 135 connected to the link 136 so that it prevents movement of the shaft 129 and therefore of the projection 73 until the cam 140 is turned to present its portion 142 to the roller 138.