Patent Publication Number: US-4221384-A

Title: Drop target assembly for pinball game

Description:
The increasing popularity of pinball games is due largely to the thought and ingenuity of the designers in incorporating features to make the games more interesting and exciting in play. A feature which has received increasing acceptance is a so-called drop target, a target which normally projects above the level of the play field but which when hit by a ball projected by a flipper responds by dropping into a recessed position. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide in a pinball game, a drop target assembly having a set of targets which are not only releaseable upon being hit by a ball but which have provision for artificial release by a remote ball-actuated device on the play field. It is a related object to provide a drop target assembly having targets which are dropped upon the making of a direct hit resulting in a score or dropped, in absence of a direct hit, when the ball hits an associated remote device on the play field thereby to achieve double scoring for the purpose of making the and to speed up the pace of the game. It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a drop target assembly in which an electromagnet is associated with each of the targets to bring about two modes of dropping the first by the making of a direct hit and the second by pulsing of the electromagnet as the result of hitting a remote device on the playfield. 
     It is a still more specific object of the invention to provide on the play field of a pin ball machine duplicate drop target assemblies in which each target has an electromagnet for artificially actuating the same plus a switch responsive to dropping of the target, with a switch on the target in one of the assemblies being coupled to the electromagnet of a corresponding target in the other assembly so that each time a single target is directly hit two targets fall on a symmetrical basis. 
    
    
     Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the attached detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pinball machine having a play field which includes the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drop target assembly employed in the machine of FIG. 1 as viewed along line 2--2 in that figure. 
     FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing the back view of the assembly of FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a typical cross section taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 2 showing a drop target in play position. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 but showing the slider in recessed position following the making of a direct hit. 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section showing the operation of the electromagnet to release the latch to bring about an artificial drop. 
     FIG. 7 shows a typical circuit which may be employed between corresponding sliders of two separate drop target assemblies to bring about a duplicate drop upon the striking of a single target. 
    
    
     While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment shown but intend, on the contrary, to cover the various alternative and equivalent forms of the invention included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 
     Turning now to the drawings there is disclosed in FIG. 1 a typical pinball machine 10 having a play field 11 in which a ball 12 is put in play by means of a spring plunger 13. The ball is kept in play by means of manually operated flippers 15, 16 operated by respective buttons 17, 18 positioned along the sides of the machine. 
     In accordance with the present invention the play field includes a drop target assembly, indicated at 20, and which is shown in detail in the subsequent figures. Briefly stated the drop target assembly includes a series of targets which drop from an exposed play position to a recessed position upon receiving a direct hit by the ball as the ball is propelled by one of the flippers. The assembly also includes provision, in the form of an electromagnet, for artificially dropping a target even though not struck by the ball when a remote ball-operated device on the play field is actuated. Such remote device may, for example, be in the form of a duplicate drop target assembly 20a. 
     Turning to the details of the assembly 20, it includes a plurality of subassemblies 21-27 mounted side by side in a frame 28, with the targets of the assemblies being all aligned with an opening 29. Taking subassembly 21 (FIG. 4) as typical, and as viewed along line 4--4 in FIG. 2, it includes a vertically arranged slider 30 which may, for example, be in the form of a molded flat strip of plastic arranged edge to edge with the other sliders in the series. The slider is vertically slidable in way surfaces 31, 32 at the top and bottom walls of the frame 28. The slider 30 has a target 33 at its upper end, the slider being vertically movable on the ways between an upwardly projecting play position, illustrated in FIG. 4, and a dropped position, which is illustrated in FIG. 5. For biasing the slider to its dropped position a first spring 35 is provided which engages an arm 36 on an actuating lever pivoted at 37 and having a second arm 38 which penetrates an opening 39 in the slider. 
     Integral with the slider is a forwardly facing latch 40 cooperating with a keeper 41, the keeper being integral with the way surface 31 previously mentioned. To permit backward movement of the slider and thus disengagement of the latch when the slider is in play position, rearward clearance is provided in the regions 31&#39;, 32&#39; rearwardly of the way surfaces. For the purpose of biasing the slider forwardly, a spring 45 is used which engages a hook 46 on the slider and a hook 47 on the lever. 
     In order to reset the slider 30 of the subassembly 21 and, simultaneously all of the other sliders in the series, to latched position, solenoids 51, 52 are provided having plungers 53, 54 connected respectively to levers 55, 56 having a cross bar 57. When the solenoids are actuated, the cross bar 57 is swung upwardly with a positive force thereby raising all of the arms 38 in the respective subassemblies to the upraised position illustrated in FIG. 4 in which each latch 40 engages its keeper 41, the slider being laterally urged into latching position by the force of the associated spring 45. 
     During the course of play, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, when one of the targets, for example that shown at 33, is hit by the ball, the target, and upper end of the slider, are impacted rearwardly, overcoming the biasing force of spring 45 and disengaging the latch 40 from keeper 41. With the latch thus tripped, arm 38 of the lever, under the biasing force of spring 35, promptly retracts the slider from its projecting play position to the recessed position illustrated in FIG. 5. The clockwise rocking movement of the lever simultaneously releases the lateral biasing force upon the slider imposed by spring 45 to reduce friction at the way surfaces. 
     In accordance with one of the important features of the present invention each of the sliders has an associated electromagnet including a movable armature adjacent the latch coupled to the upper end of the slider to move the same backwardly to release the latch, and therby artificially dropping the associated target, when the electromagnet is energized. Thus, referring to FIG. 6, the electromagnet associated 60 with the slider 30, fed by terminal 61, 62, has a vertically extending pole 63 and an armature which is of &#34;L&#34; or dog-leg shape having a first, or horizontal, arm 64 and a second, or vertical, arm 65 centrally pivoted at 66. The electromagnet is centered with respect to the slider 30 so that the lower tip of the arm 65 of the armature, when energized, applies a lateral unseating force to the latch 40. The effect of a typical electromagnetic actuation is illustrated in FIG. 6, the armature moving from the dotted position to the full line position causing the latch 40 to be shoved clear of the keeper 41 against the force of bias of the spring 45. As a result the slider is free to be drawn down to its recessed position by the force transmitted from spring 35. 
     The terminals 61, 62 of the electromagnet are, in accordance with one of the features of the invention, energized by a remote ball-operated device on the play field, for example, by a rollover button 67 having a switch 68 and with an interposed source of voltage 69; thus, the target may be dropped either as a result of direct striking by the ball or as a result of a contact made by the ball at a remote position on the play field. 
     However, in accordance with the invention, the preferred means for artificially dropping a target is to provide a second target assembly 20a, which may be a substantial duplicate of the assembly 20, and which has switches associated with the individual sliders with each switch being connected to the electromagnet associated with a corresonding slider in the opposite assembly. Taking the switch 70 associated with the slider 30 as typical (FIGS. 4 and 5), it includes leaf spring contacts 71, 72 the leaf 71 having an associated actuating leaf 73 which is engaged by the tip 74 of the lever 38. Thus when the slide 30 drops, accompanied by downward rotation of the lever, wiping of the tip of the lever into the dotted position illustrated in FIG. 5 causes the contacts 71, 72 to close momentarily. Such momentary contact, and the resultant momentary energization of the associated electromagnet, suffices to release the latch of the associated slider. 
     The manner in which corresponding sliders in the two target assemblies are electrically connected together is clearly shown in FIG. 7, where the elements making up the subassembly 21a of the associated slider are set forth in mirror image and identified with the same reference numerals with the addition of subscript a. Here it will be seen that the contacts of switch 70 are connected to control solenoid 60a while the contacts of switch 70a, in the opposite unit, are connected to energize the solenoid 60, a suitable source of voltage 69 being interposed in series with the circuit. It will be understood that, in a practical case, each slider is connected to a conventional scoring register, diagrammatically illustrated at 80, two of the input lines, 81, 82 being shown. 
     Striking of the target 33 by a ball 12, illustrated in FIG. 5, has therefore a total of four effects: Dropping of the target, by reason of closure of the switch 70, via line 81, energizes the scoring register and, at the same time, energizes the solenoid 60a to drop target 33a. The resulting closure of the switch 70a, via line 82, further energizes the scoring register. Thus the drop targets are taken down at twice the regular rate and scoring is doubled. The same effect is achieved in the event that the target 33a is struck by the ball. The double dropping and double scoring is characteristic, to equal degree, of all of the sub-assemblies 21-27 and their counterparts 21a-27a. 
     When a game has been completed, a new game initiated, the reset solenoids 51, 52 are energized simultaneously, by means not shown, thereby restoring all of the targets to their upwardly projecting play positions. 
     While the invention has been described in terms of interconnection of positionally corresponding target sliders, it will be understood that the term &#34;corresponding&#34; refers to the sliders and associated elements which are electrically connected without limitation to particular physical positions.