Patent GB-824701-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to amusement apparatus
IPC: A63F7/00
Filed: 1957-03-27
Abstract: 824,701. Chance apparatus. CROMPTON, A. J. L. March 11, 1958 [March 27, 1957], No. 10010/57. Class 132(2) [Also in Group XVIII] A coin-freed ball game comprises a playing surface 1 dished towards the centre and having a boundary 6, a spinner 4 having depending buffers 4a for propelling balls at random towards one or more pockets 7 in the surface or boundary and electrically operated means 37 . for delivering a winning token or tokens if a ball enters a pocket. Preferably, six playing stations are provided and divided into sets, one station of each having a single pocket, another two pockets and the third three pockets; the station having one pocket pays out more than the station having two pockets and the station having three pockets pays out less than the station having two pockets. Each pocket has a spring-loaded vertical post 8 which is depressed by a ball entering the pocket to operate a switch 14 in the circuit of a solenoid 39 for operating the pay-out means 37 for that station and for illuminating a winning signal and at the end of the playing period a solenoid 13 is energized to raise the post 8 and eject the ball. The posts may be arranged to remain in their upper position at a station which is not being played on and to tilt if struck by a ball so that they operate supplementary electric contacts to actuate a visual or audible indicator and show that the station would have been a winning one. An inserted coin strikes a finger 47 and moves a cam 48 so that contacts 41, 42 are closed to illuminate the playing surface from underneath and to bring the pay-out solenoid 39 into circuit. Operation of the apparatus is controlled by an electric contact drum driven continuously by a motor to close the contacts in sequence. One contact brings into operation a motor for driving the spinner 4 and the time of operation is controlled either by the time the contact remains operative during part of the complete revolution of the drum or by a timing device which the player can momentarily cut out to break up the playing period. Another contact illuminates an indicator to show that it is in order to insert a coin and a third contact energizes a solenoid 29 to swing the coin shoot 26 so that it deflects coins inserted during play to a return shoot 30. A fourth contact energizes a solenod 33 to lift the container slightly and facilitate paying-out and also energizes a solenoid 40 to open the contacts 41, 42. A series of contacts corresponding to each playing station render the pay-out solenoids 39 corresponding to each station effective (if any of the contacts 14 have been operated by a ball in a pocket) and finally another contact energizes the ball-ejecting solenoid 13. A dummy press button may be provided at each playing station to give the player the satisfaction of having something to operate. According to the Provisional Specification, the posts in the pockets are normally in a raised obstructing position and, at the particular station being played at, are lowered by a solenoid energizable by a press button after insertion of a coin.