Improvements in Coin Operating Mechanical Toys.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1892-Accepted 24th Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Operating Mechanical Toys.
I, CORNELIS FREDERIK ALEXANDER RÖELL of the Lyric Club Leicester
Square in the County of Middlesex a Jonkheer of the Kingdom of Holland
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in coin operating. mechanical toys and has
for its object to actuate representations of running figures or other objects in
imitation of a race in such manner that they will gradually move in a given
direction and terminate the race one in advance of the other and that accidentally
or irregularly so that it will be impossible to previously select the winner with any
degree of certainty.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a suitable case or stage and I
mount the moving figures or objects upon suitable holders and give a slow forward
movement thereto by any suitable means such as a compressed spring an elevated
weight or other stored power so that the figures will be gradually carried towards
the winning post or goal.
The figures or objects or the holders I mount in such manner that the speed of
either of them is capable of being accelerated or retarded with relation to the
other or others whilst the latter continue their traverse at the normal rate of
speed.
In order to accelerate or retard the speed of a figure or object I employ an
additional spring or weight or other source of power in connection with each figure
which is in the winding up of the main spring or the like, compressed or stored
and at a given time when the racing figures or objects are nearing the winning
post or goal this additional power is released and caused as hereinafter more fully
described to act upon one of the figures or objects and impart thereto an accelerated
speed or to act as a break and slightly retard one or more of such figures and
thus cause or permit one of the figures to pass the others and win.
In order to release the additional power in connection with either figure and
that accidentally or irregularly I cause the coin on its way to the money drawer
and after it has freed the mechanism by which the machine is wound up and near
the end of the race to fall into a drum which is mounted upon an axis of motion
with capability of freely revolving and is formed around its circumference with a
number of pockets so arranged that a coin passing from the money shoot will be
directed either to the one side or the other according to the pocket into which it
falls whilst at the same time the weight of the coin will give a partial revolution to
the drum and thus change the position of the pockets in readiness for the next
operation.
The coin after leaving the drum falls upon one or the other end of a balance or
table or upon a lever which acts upon a trigger or other device corresponding with
one of the figures to release the additional power and thus according to which
side of the drum the coin falls the speed of one or the other of the figures
will be accelerated or retarded according to the arrangement of the mechanism.
Or in lieu of the additional power I may cause the coin through the intervention
of a lever to directly act upon a figure to retard its forward movement.
The course traversed by the figures may be either straight, curved or circular
as desired.
When employing a circular course such as that described in the Provisional
Specification accompanying my application for provisional protection No. 1319
dated 24th January 1891 I support the figures or objects upon an annular
horizontal rod or bar which forms the horizontal bar of a fence and I fix the

page_text: vertical slats or palings of the fence to the track or platform and cause them to
travel together with the scenery in the opposite direction to the figures so as to
give the appearance of rapid movement to such figures and I cause the slats of the
fence to support in guides the annular horizontal bar and in their traverse to give
motion to the limbs of the figures.
Dated this 29th day of September 1891.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin Operating Mechanical Toys.
I, CORNELIS FREDERIK ALEXANDER RÖELL of the Lyric Club Leicester
Square in the County of Middlesex, a Jonkheer of the Kingdom of Holland
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in coin operating mechanical toys, and has
for its object to actuate representations of running figures or other objects in
imitation of a race in such manner that they will gradually move in a given
direction and terminate the race one in advance of the other and that accidentally
or irregularly, so that it will be impossible to previously select the winner with any
degree of certainty.
In carrying my invention into effect I employ a suitable case or stage, and I
mount the moving figures or objects upon suitable holders and give a slow forward
movement thereto by any suitable means such as a compressed spring, an elevated
weight or other stored power, so that the figures will be gradually carried towards
the winning post or goal.
The figures or objects or the holders I mount in such manner that the speed of
either of them is capable of being accelerated or retarded with relation to the
other, whilst the latter continues its traverse at the normal rate of speed or
approximately so.
In order to accelerate or retard the speed of a figure or object, I employ an
additional spring or weight or other source of power in connection with each figure
which is in the winding up of the main spring or the like compressed or stored and
at a given time when the racing figures or objects are nearing the winning post or
goal, this additional power is released, and caused as hereinafter more fully
described to act upon one of the figures or objects, and impart thereto an accelerated
speed or to act as a break and slightly retard one of such figures and thus cause or
permit one of the figures to pass the others and win.
In order to release the additional power in connection with either figure, and
that accidentally or irregularly, I cause the coin on its way to the money drawer
and after it has freed the mechanism by which the machine is wound up, and near
the end of the race to fall into a drum which is mounted upon an axis of motion
with capability of freely revolving and is formed around its circumference with a
number of pockets, so arranged that a coin passing from the money shoot will be
directed either to the one side or the other according to the pocket into which it
falls, whilst at the same time the weight of the coin will give a partial revolution
to the drum and thus change the position of the pockets in readiness for the next
operation.
The coin after leaving the drum falls upon one or the other end of a balance or
table or upon a lever which acts upon a trigger or other device corresponding with
one of the figures to release the additional power, and thus according to which side
of the drum the coin falls, the speed of one or other of the figures will be
accelerated or retarded, according to the arrangement of the mechanism.

page_text: Or, in lieu of the additional power I may cause the coin through the inter-
ention of a lever to directly act upon a figure to retard its forward movement.
The course traversed by the figures may be either straight, curved, or circular
is desired.
When employing a circular course such as that described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me dated the 24th day of January 1891 No. 1319, I
upport the figures or objects upon an annular horizontal rod or bar which forms
the horizontal bar of a fence and I fix the vertical slats or palings of the fence to
he track or platform, and cause them to travel together with the scenery in the
opposite direction to the figures so as to give the appearance of rapid movement to
such figures, and I cause the slats of the fence to support in guides the annular
horizontal bar, and in their traverse to give motion to the limbs of the figures.
And in order that the said invention may be more clearly understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed aided by the accompanying drawings more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: Rising from the endless chain is a pin e*, the upper end of which travels
between guides b✶ fixed to the underside of the stage or platform b, and the pin e*
which is free to revolve has fixed thereon, a yoke bar d which at its ends is pro-
vided with long slots d' which engage pins c* fixed to the lower parts of the endless
chains c beneath the stage or platform whilst the yoke d is furnished with
springs which bear against the guides 6 and normally retain the yoke bar d at
right angles to the endless chains c.
By these means the figures c will through the endless chain e, yoke bar d, and
endless chains c¹ receive a gradual forward movement towards the goal or winning
post whilst they are so mounted that the speed of either of them is capable of
being accelerated or retarded with relation to the other, whilst the latter continues
its traverse at the normal rate of speed or approximately so.
.
In order to accelerate the speed of one of the figures c, and cause it to advance
beyond the other near to the termination of the race, and thus become a winner,
the following arrangement of parts is employed.
Upou the lower part of each chain c is mounted upon a pin joint a hanging
tooth which will when the figures have approached near to the winning post b
be acted upon by the upper end of one of two arms or fingers, which at their lower
ends are mounted upon axes of motion f' carried by brackets fixed upon a bar g*
forming part of the frame of the driving and winding mechanism, and these arms
or fingers are acted upon by springs fattached thereto, and to the frame
of the winding and driving mechanism to give the necessary accelerating impulse.
The springs of the arms or fingers fare in the winding up of the apparatus
extended by means of the hanging teeth c* of the chains c which in the winding
up of the mechanism are carried in the direction of the winning post 7, whilst the
figures c are at the same time returned to their normal position which is represented
by the dotted figure c, as shown at Figure 1, the hanging tooth c being so
mounted that when travelling in one direction that is to say the winding up
direction they will carry the fingers or arms finto their compressed position, that
is to say into engagement with the detent lever g hereinafter more fully referred to,
but when travelling in the other direction during the running down of the winding
and driving mechanisin and the traverse of the figures c towards the winning post
the hanging teeth will swing upon their centres and readily pass over the
arms or fingers in a position to be acted upon thereby, upon the release thereof as
hereinafter described.
The arms or fingers are retained in their compressed position by means of
counterbalanced detent levers which are at one end formed with teeth or pro-
jections g¹ to engage corresponding pins or studs f upon the arms or fingers f, and
the detent levers 9 are mounted upon axes of motion whilst at their opposite ends
they are furnished with tables g³ upon one of which the coin falls at the desired
time, thereby raising the opposite end of the lever and withdrawing the detent
tooth g¹ from the pin or stud f* of the corresponding finger or arm f.
In order to release one of the arms or fingers fin connection with either figure c,
and that accidentally or irregularly, the coin a, after being inserted at the money
slot a on its way to the money compartment through the money shoot h and
after it has freed the mechanism by which the machine is wound up as hereinafter
referred to is held by a bell crank detent lever i normally held across the money.
shoot by a spring until near the end of the race, when the detent lever i is
withdrawn by a cain e fixed with the chain wheel e, and which at that time acts
upon a hanging projection or latch from one end of a lever mounted upon an
axis of motion, and the other end of which is by a link * connected with the
bell crank detent lever i, so that in the revolution of the came in the running
down of the driving and winding mechanisin the cam e will by its shoulder e* and
latch projection raise one end of the lever, thereby depressing the opposite end
and withdrawing the detent i from the money shoot thereby permitting the coin
to fall, whilst in the winding up of the mechanism and the consequent rotation
of the came in the opposite direction, the latch projection will give way

page_text: without raising that end of the lever and withdrawing the detent bell crank
lever i.
The coin after being released as hereinbefore described falls into a drum h¹
which is mounted upon an axis of motion with capability of freely revolving,
and is provided with a number of pockets formed by division walls **, so that
according to the position of the division **for the time being uppermost, the
coins will be directed either to one side or the other of the axis h* thereby giving
a partial revolution to the drum hand changing the position of the pockets in
readiness for the next operation.
The coin after leaving the drum h¹ falls down one side or the other of a division
wall of the money shoot haud is thereby directed upon the table g³ of one or
other of the detent levers g thereby withdrawing the detent toothy' and releasing
the corresponding arm or finger fand thus according to which side of the axis
of the drum h¹ the coin a falls the speed of one or other of the figures c will be
accelerated, causing the same to become the winner of the race.
The winding or driving mechanism including the means for freeing the same is
substantially the same as that shown and described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me dated the 1st day of June 1891 No. 9148, and I do not
therefore think it necessary to again describe the same here; the only differences
being that the clutch shaft g and clutch mechanism therein described are dispensed
with, and in lieu of the toothed wheel e upon the spring shaft, a pinion is employed
which through an idle wheel j communicates motion to the toothed wheel 2***,
and thus through the chain wheel e' to the chain e.
In the arrangement represented at Figure 4, in lieu of giving an accelerated
speed to one of the figures c, one of the arms or fingers is caused at the required
time to retard one of the figures e permitting the other to be carried forward
towards the winning post 6.
In this case the springs are placed upon the opposite sides of the levers f
and the detent tooth g' is correspondingly reversed, whilst the hanging teeth ¹ of
the endless chains c' are rigidly fixed in lieu of being pin jointed thereto as herein-
before described with respect to Figures 1, 2, and 3, wbilst in order that an arm
or finger which has acted may be brought into engagement with the detent
tooth of its lever in the winding up of the driving mechanism, a bar & is
employed which is carried by arms ¹ mounted upon centres of motion k³ upon the
brackets, and this bar k, during the winding up of the mechanism is engaged by
a tooth e
upon the endless chain e and is thus caused to carry the arm or finger f
into engagement with its detent tooth g¹.
In the example given at Figure 5 in lieu of employing springs f³ for the purpose
of actuating the arms or fingers f, the levers g are provided with arms or fingers f
pinjointed thereto, and working in guides, so that upon the depression of the
lever g by a coin falling upon its tray or table y its arm or finger will be raised
into a position to engage one of the hanging teeth c¹ of the corresponding endless
chain and thus retard the further movement thereof, whilst the upper end of the
arms or fingers are provided with hooks f, and the hanging teeth care
furnished with corresponding enlargements *** to engage one of the hooks f* of
the arm or finger, and prevent the descent thereof without retarding the
corresponding figure c.
In the example given at Figures 6 and 7, I have shown the application of my
invention to a circular or curved race course.
In this case the endless chains are dispensed with and each figure c is fixed
to a horizontal fence rail which is circular and travels in guides 6³, carried by
the upper ends of vertical posts or slats of the fence, which are carried at their
lower ends by a travelling platform 6 circular in form, and which is supported upon
guide rollers &*, some of which are carried by fixed brackets 6*** and one of which
is carried by a bracket cl** from the outer arm c² whilst the outer arm c¹ carries by
a bracket is a roller c* which runs upon a rail a**.
The lower limbs c* of each figure are pinjointed to the body c, and such limbs

page_text: are furnished with spring offsets c** which in the traverse of the fence posts ³ in
the opposite direction to the figure c as hereinafter more fully described receives
repeated impulses therefrom, thereby giving a vibratory motion to the lower limbs
of each of the figures so as to imitate walking or running.
The stage or platform 6 is supported upon the outer ends of arms b* which at
their inner ends are fixed to a bevelled toothed wheel which runs loosely upon
a sleeve c³ mounted loosely upon the shaft e* which is fixed to the frame of the
apparatus in any suitable manner,
and gearing with a bevelled toothed wheel *
(drawn in a fanciful position in Figure 6 for the sake of clearness) mounted loosely
upon a shaft, and driven at the required rate of speed by means of any suitable
arrangement of gearing from the spring shaft of the driving and winding
mechanism, and the circular platform b together with the fence posts b³ is thus
caused to revolve at a given rate of speed during the performance.
Behind the figures c is arranged a cylindrical background or panorama m, which
is supported upon a disc or arms m' fixed to the main shaft e, or if desired the
mechanism may be so arranged that the panorama m will receive a rotary motion,
preferably in a direction opposite to the direction of motion of the figures c.
The fence rails b', and consequently the figures c are supported by arms c¹ which
are located at the rear of the apparatus, that is to say they receive a partial
revolution sufficient to traverse the figures say a distance equal to about one third
the circumference of the machine, and thus they are always concealed from
the audience, whilst the horizontal bars b' are supported in guides 6* as hereinbefore
described.
In order to give motion through the arms c¹ to the figures c, and at the same time
to admit of either of the figures being advanced beyond the other as hereinbefore
described with respect to Figures 1, 2, and 3, the arm c¹ of the inner figure is fixed
to the sleeve revolving loosely upon the shaft, and the outer arm e' is fixed
to a boss mounted loosely upon the sleeve e³, and the sleeve c* has fixed therewith
at its lower end an offset which is by a pin c* working in a slot ( connected
with one end of a yoke d, the other end of which is similarly connected directly
with the cuter arm c', and this yoke is pinjointed at to an arme which
revolves loosely upon the sleeve c, and has fixed therewith a bevelled toothed
wheel e² which engages and receives motion from a bevelled toothed wheel e³ fixed
upon the shaft driven from the driving mechanism by any suitable arrangement
of gearing in the opposite direction to the wheel bº.
The means for receiving and directing the coin, and for releasing the accelerating
mechanism are similar to those herein before described with respect to Figures 1, 2,
and 3, but the detent levers 9 are necessarily prolonged to accommodate them to
the position of the money shoot h and drum 4', and in order to enable the arms or
fingers to give the necessary accelerating movement to the figures, offsets c²**
and care provided respectively from the offset ** and boss c and furnished with
the requisite hanging teeth c which are engaged and acted upon by the arms or
fingers in the manner herein before described in order to attain the desired end.
If desired, the shaft e* may be driven by means of suitable gearing from the
bevelled toothed wheel in order to give motion to the panorama m.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a coin operating mechanical toy the combination of two moving figures or
objects, a coin shoot, a lever corresponding with each figure or object, means for
accidentally directing the falling coin upon one lever or the other, and a finger or
the like controlled by each lever for accelerating or retarding the motion of the
corresponding figure substantially as herein shown and described and for the
purpose stated.
2. In a coin operating mechanical toy in which two figures or objects are
traversed as if engaged in a race, a device set in motion by a falling coin for

page_text: accelerating or retarding the motion of one of such figures substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. In a coin operating mechanical toy in which two figures or objects are
traversed as if engaged in a race, the combination of a device set in motion by the
falling coin for accelerating or retarding the motion of one of such figures with
means for preventing the fall of the coin until near the termination of the race
substantially as herein shown and described.
4. In a coin operating mechanical toy, the combination of two figures or objects
adapted to be independently traversed, means for traversing such figures, a coin
shoot, means located in the shoot for freeing the driving and winding mechanism,
a lever corresponding with each figure or object, means for accidentally directing
the falling coin upon one lever or the other, a finger or the like controlled by each
lever for accelerating or retarding the motion of the corresponding figure and
means for preventing the fall of the coin until near the termination of the race
substantially as herein shown and described.
5. In a coin operating mechanical toy in which two figures or objects are
traversed, as if engaged in a race, the combination of a spring finger corresponding
with each figure, and adapted to give an impulse thereto, a detent for holding
each finger in a state of compression, a lever corresponding with each finger and
controlling the detent, and means for accidentally directing the falling coin upon
one lever or the other, substantially as herein shown and described and for the.
purpose stated.
6. In a coin operating mechanical toy, the combination of two figures or objects
adapted to be independently traversed, means for traversing such figures, a coin shoot,
means located in the shoot for freeing the driving and winding mechanism, a lever
corresponding with each figure or object, a divided drum located in the money shoot
for directing the falling coin upon one lever or the other, a finger or the like controlled
by its lever for accelerating or retarding the motion of the corresponding figure, a
device located in the money shoot above the drum for holding the coin in suspension
after the release of the driving mechanism, and a cam or the like actuated by the
driving mechanism for releasing the coin near the termination of the race,
substantially as herein shown and described.
7. In a coin operating mechanical toy provided with a circular race course, the
combination of an annular horizontal rod or bar for supporting each figure and
representing the bar of a fence, a circular track or platform, a number of vertical
slats or palings carried by such platform, a cylindrical panorama, and means for
traversing the figures and the slats of the fence, and if desired the panorama in
opposite directions substantially as herein shown and described.
8. The peculiar combinations and arrangements of parts constituting improve-
ments in coin operating mechanical toys substantially as herein shown and
described.
Deted this 28th dow of July 1800