Patent Publication Number: US-2005124281-A1

Title: Coin pusher mechanisms comprising an array of pushers

Description:
This invention relates to coin pusher mechanisms for amusement machines in which pieces, such as coins, are haphazardly strewn on a surface and a pusher mechanism nudges the pieces towards an edge. Occasionally, a piece is pushed off, and that is won by the player.  
      Conventionally, the pusher mechanism is of the kind diagrammatically illustrated in  FIG. 1  of the accompanying drawing. A platen  1  is moved back and forth in the direction of the arrows over a portion of a table  2  on which coins are scattered. The movement is generated by crank action, a motor  3  continuously rotating a disc  4  with an eccentric pin by which an arm  5  coupled to the platen  1  is reciprocated. This arrangement is prone to wear, it is bulky, and it requires a deep cabinet for the drive unit.  
      According to the present invention there is provided a pusher mechanism for an amusement machine in which pieces are haphazardly strewn on a surface and a reciprocating pusher device nudges the pieces towards and occasionally over an edge of the surface, those being pushed off being won by the player, wherein the mechanism comprises an array of side-by-side pushers with each of the pushers being crank-coupled to an associated rotary member, whereby rotation of a rotary member causes reciprocation of the associated pusher in a direction transverse to the array, with the rotary members being coupled so that rotation of one rotary member generates rotation of all.  
      Conveniently, the rotary members are meshing gearwheels. Preferably, they will mesh directly, but they could be coupled by intermediate gears. Alternative arrangements include sprockets and chains, or simply friction engagement between adjacent discs.  
      Generally, the gearwheels will be of the same size and the cranks will have the same throw. But it is quite possible, if desired, to have differences along the array of pushers, so that some will not move as much as others, and/or some will move more rapidly than others.  
      Preferably, the cranks will be arranged so that the pushers are out of phase, creating a ripple effect as they move back and forth.  
      The crank coupling is conveniently an off-centre pin on each rotary member engaged with a transverse guide on the underside of the associated pusher. 
    
    
      For a better understanding of the invention, one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the remaining figures of the accompanying drawing, in which:  
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of a pusher mechanism with one pusher removed,  
       FIG. 3  is a section on the line II-II of  FIG. 2 ,  
       FIG. 4  is a front elevation of the pusher mechanism, and  
       FIG. 5  is an underneath plan view of the pusher mechanism,  
       FIG. 6  shows an alternative arrangement of linear gears,  
       FIG. 7  shows a linear arrangement of gears, with pushers located in varying positions to create a ripple effect.  
       FIG. 8  shows a plan view of a circular arrangement of pushers, and  
       FIG. 9  shows a side view of the arrangement shown in  FIG. 8 .  
    
    
      In the example of FIGS.  2  to  5 , there are five pushers  10 , one not being shown, each in the form of a rectangular platen and being arranged in a side-by-side array. They will move horizontally, transverse to that array, back and forth over a surface such as a table or mounting plate  11 , as indicated by the double arrow, being guided by sliders  12 . A motor  13  mounted vertically beneath the table drives, through a reduction gear box  14 , a gear  15  whose diameter is equal to the width of the pusher  10  above and whose centre registers with the longitudinal centre line of that pusher. There are similar gears correspondingly disposed under the other pushers and they mesh in a linear gear train. Each gear  15  has an upstanding off-centre pin  16  which engages with a transverse track across the underside of the associated pusher  10 .  
      It will be appreciated that the motor  13  rotating one gear  15  will cause all the gears to rotate, adjacent ones in different directions, and that by their crank coupling to the pushers  10  the latter will be moved back and forth.  
      Preferably the pins  16  will not be arranged so that the pushers  10  will all move in unison as a single platen. They may be angularly offset with respect to each other at a datum position by 72° along the array. This means that while some pushers  10  are moving forwards, others are going backwards, or a combination of such movements is made, resulting in a ripple effect being observed at their leading edges which co-operate with the pieces. Although preferably the pieces used with the amusement apparatus are coins so that the person playing the machine can receive their prize as a result of pieces being pushed off the table, as a monetary payout, it is envisaged that the pieces may be tokens. If tokens are paid out, these can either be exchanged for cash or fed back into the amusement machine so further games can be played on the amusement apparatus.  
      As shown in  FIG. 6 , the position of the motor  13  can be positioned to co-operate with any of the gears  15 . Therefore, although in  FIG. 5  the motor is shown as co-operating with a gear one in from the row of gears  15 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , where there is an array of six gears, the gearbox can co-operate with one of the more central gears.  
       FIG. 5  shows a plan view of the arrangement as shown in  FIG. 6  with the pushers  10  in position. Intermediate gear  14  drives gears  15  and in this arrangement the pushers are shown in staggered arrangement so that a ripple effect can be produced by the pushers.  
      In  FIG. 8 , there is shown a circular arrangement of pushers  10 , each being driven by a gear  15  which co-operates with a central gear  14  driven by a motor. The link between gears  15  and central gear  14  is provided by intermediate gears  15 A.  FIG. 9  shows a side view of the arrangement of  FIG. 8 , with motor  13  and its associated gearbox  14  that co-operates with gears  15  via intermediate gears (not shown). Again, although six pushers are shown in this arrangement, it is envisaged that any number of pushers may be provided. Further, although the motor preferably is beneath the table on which the playing pieces are strewn, it is envisaged that the motor and associated gearbox, together with the gears, may be positioned above the pushers so that pieces can be pushed from above, and this is more applicable to arrangements where pieces are being pushed into apertures in a playing surface rather than where pieces are being pushed off the side of a table surface. Adaptations of the equipment can be made to hide the motors so that the device is more aesthetically acceptable.