New or Improved Mechanism for Coin-freed Race Game Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
TRUVIDIUNAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Mechanism for Coin-freed Race Game
Machines.
I, GEORGE DE MELVEN of 34 Rodney Street, Pentonville, in the County
of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to coin-freed race game machines, and consists in a new
or improved mechanism whereby the figures are operated, and their movements
controlled.
The mechanism is applicable to any race game machines in which two or more
figures move in a more or less straight course, or round a dial or climb poles,
projecting in an approximately vertical direction from a table, stand, or case, and
in which a separate train of mechanism is employed for each figure and operated
by means of a separate lever rotating handle, push knob or equivalent, projecting
from the table, stand, or case, which contains the mechanism.
Revoluble upon a central pin or with a spindle is a ratchet toothed wheel, and
formed integrally with or rigidly attached to this. is a concentrically disposed disc,
having notches in its periphery equal in number to the ratchet wheel teeth.
Pivoted to, or near the pin of the ratchet wheel is a lever, one end of which
projects through the side of the case, and has formed upon it a knob, or
equivalent, which serves as a holdfast which can be grasped by the person
operating it.
The other end is in general bent so as to rest upon and move one arm of a second
lever to be hereinafter described.
The first or handle lever has attached to it a spring pressed catch which presses
upon the periphery of the ratchet, and engages with its teeth. When the
handle is operated so as to rock the lever on its pivot in one direction the
catch engages one of the teeth and pulls the ratchet wheel round; but when
the handle lever is rocked in the opposite direction, the inclined face of the
catch pushes back the spring and passes over the tooth until it reaches and drops
into the next space.
By this means the rocking of the lever produces an intermittent movement of the
ratchet wheel. The second lever is independently pivoted and one of its arms
carries a catch which drops into one of the notches on the disc which is attache
to and rotates with the ratchet wheel.
The other arm of the second lever rests upon the arm of the handle lever in
such manner that during the intermittent period of rotation of the ratchet wheel
and disc the catch of the second lever is lifted out of the notch but drops back
into it during the return movement of the handle lever, thus preventing a back-
ward movement of the mechanism. Instead of the handle lever the mechanism
may be operated by a push button, or knob, or by a rotating handle, which latter
in one revolution moves the ratchet wheel one tooth.
A train of mechanism is operated by a wheel attached to the spindle or boss
of the ratchet wheel or notched disc; and this train operates one of the figures
either by means of a hand rotating round a disc, by sliding it along a surface,
or by causing it to ascend a pole arranged for that purpose.
The figure, train of mechanism, ratchet device, and handle or equivalent knob,
or wheel is normally fixed in its position by a catch, and the insertion of a cuin

page_text: into a slot provided for the purpose moves the catch and allows a person to
operate the handle until the figure reaches the winning post or the top of the
pole when the whole flies back to the starting position, and the coin dropping
into a receptacle, the catch comes once more into operation and locks the whole.
By providing two or more of these handles and trains of mechanism two or
more persons, having each placed a coin in one of the slits, can cause two or
more figures to simultaneously move and thus race against each other, the first to
reach the winning post or top of a pole winning the race.
Dated this 10th day of April 1895.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.
New or Improved Mechanism for Coin-freed Race Game
Machines.
I, GEORGE DE MELVEN, of 34 Rodney Street, Pentonville, in the County of
London, Engineer, 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:―
This invention relates to coin-freed race game machines, and consists in new
or improved mechanisin whereby the figures are operated, and their movements
controlled.
The mechanism is applicable to any race game machines in which two or more
figures move in a more or less straight course, or round a dial, or climb poles pro-
jecting in an approximately vertical direction from a table, stand, or case; and in
which a separate train of mechanism is employed for each figure, and operated by
means of a separate lever, rotating handle, push knob, or equivalent, projecting
from the table, stand, or case, which contains the mechanism.
In the accompanying drawings is shewn a train of mechanism according to my
invention in which the insertion of a suitable coin in the slot first of all liberates
a handle or lever, and when this is operated the figure to which it is attached
moves in the manner required until the race is ended, when the handle or lever is
automatically locked, and the whole apparatus left in position ready for the
insertion of another coin, and another race. It will be understood that a
separate train of the said mechanism and operating handle or lever is required for
each figure.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism employed.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the centre of winding barrel.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of the gearing used.
A designates a case in which any convenient number of these trains of
mechanism may be fixed in such manner that each of the levers B project
through a slot a in the front of the case so that it can be conveniently moved
up and down by the hand of an operator. The lever B is pivoted at 6 (to any
convenient part of the frame G) in the same axial line as the centre of a ratchet
wheel C the two being disposed close by the side of each other, and to
the lever B at the point 61 is fixed a pin to which is jointed one end of the
catch D and this at its other end has a pin d so arranged and proportioned that it
can drop freely into the spaces between the teeth of the ratchet wheel C, with the
serrated periphery of which it is normally kept in contact by the pressure of a
light spring d. By this arrangement and disposition of parts each time the outer
end of the lever B is depressed the pin at the point 6' pulls down the catch D,
and the pin d being forced into engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet

page_text: upon
wheel C pulis the latter round a certain distance, and with it the spindle
which the ratchet wheel D is fixed, and with which it rotates in suitable bearings
in the frame G.
Rigidly attached to either the spindle E or the side of the ratchet wheel C
is a disc F which has notches f cut in its periphery equal in number to the
ratchet wheel teeth. To a point g in the frame G is pivoted a bent lever H, a
pin h in one end of this lever being pressed against the periphery of the disc F by
a spring in such manner that the pin h enters each of the notches fin succession
as the disc F moves round. The other end of the lever H is pressed upon and
moved by a pin 63 fixed at the end of an extension 6 of the lever B. The outside
edge of the lever H which is moved by the pin 6 is so shaped that the pin h
during the greater part of the upward movement of the lever B can rest in one or
other of the notches thus preventing any rotation in a backward direction of the
disc F, ratchet wheel C, and spindle E. But when the outer end of the lever B
is raised nearly to its highest point the pin 6 presses the lever H against the
action of the spring h¹ and lifting the pin h out of the notch allows the disc F and
ratchet wheel C to move one tooth forward; when this movement is completed the
pin drops into the next notch.
Rigidly fixed to the spindle E is a pinion e the teeth of which engage with the
teeth of a wheel I, this latter being fixed to a spindle i which runs underneath the
spindle E in bearings in the frame G. To the other end of this spindle is fixed a
wheel the teeth of which engage with the teeth of a pinion k, this latter being
formed integrally with or rigidly attached to a winding barrel K which is mounted
80 as to rotate freely upon the spindle E. To any convenient part of the
barrel K is attached one end of a cord which upon the barrel being rotated is
wound round it, and in so doing the figure is operated in the required manner by
any convenient means either with or without an interposed train of mechanism; or
in some cases a train of gearing may be substituted for the winding barrel and
cord.
It will be seen that with this combination and arrangement of parts the alternate
raising and lowering of the outer end of the lever B, by means of the catch D,
pin d, and spring d¹ causes the ratchet wheel C, notched disc F, and spindle E to
rotate, the motion given being intermittent or in jerks, while the lever H and pin h.
prevent any backward movement of the same. The rotation of the spindle E is
communicated to the spindle i by the pinion and wheel e and I, and from this to
the barrel K by the wheel and pinion k, the cord upon the latter moving the
figure.
The mechanism necessary for the purpose of enabling any person to operate the
handle B by inserting a coin in a slit is as follows:-At any convenient part of the
case a slit or opening m is formed of suitable size and shape to receive a particular
denomination of coin and ensure its descending the shoot m¹ in a vertical position,.
or upon its edge. Through the lower end of this shoot is cut a slot of such size
and shape that one end n of a weighted lever N can enter the slot and assume a
position beneath the edge of a coin descending the shoot, as shewn in full lines.
in Fig 1. The weighted lever N is pivoted at n¹ to a convenient part of the
frame G and has a weight attached to its other end, which weight is so pro-
portioned and arranged that normally when no coin is in the shoot m¹ the lever N
is caused to assume the position shewn in full lines in Fig. 1. In this position the
shoulder or part n' comes over the lever B and locks it in such manner that its
outer projecting end cannot be raised. But when a suitable coin is dropped into.
the slit m and rests upon the end n of the weighted lever N, it depresses the
end and slightly raises the weight n³, and in so doing causes the shoulder or
part n to move far enough to the right to allow the lever B to be raised, and
operated. Thus the dropping of a coin into the slit m enables the previously
locked lever B to be moved up and down.
The lever B being now operated and the ratchet wheel, discs, wheels, spindles.
and winding barrel rotated the figure is worked, and the revolution of the spindle i

page_text: rotates a face cam O which is fixed to its end. Projecting from the weight n is
an arm which rests upon the edge of the face cam O, and when the lever N and
weight occupy the position shewn in full lines, the arm n' enters the re-entering
angle o in the cam O, and leaves the weighted lever free to swing to the left and
its end n to support the coin in the shoot. But when the cam rotates with the
spindle it gradually pushes out the arm and weight and causes the
weighted lever to assume the position shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the coin
being then free to drop out of the lower end m² of the shoot m' into any con-
venient receptacle. When the figure has completed the required movement the
salient point o' of the cam in the rotation of the latter, passes the arm n', and
this arm dropping into the re-entering angle o of the cam allows the lever N to
resume its normal position and thus lock the lever B until another coin is introduced
into the slit m.
In some race games the figure would at this moment have reached the original
starting point and be in a position to start afresh, but in cases where a figure is
caused to ascend a pole or execute a movement in a straight line I employ the
device shewn in Fig. 4. The wheel which gears with and propels the pinion k
has one or more teeth cut out to form a gap and this is so arranged as to
reach the pinion k at the same moment that the movement of the figure is com-
pleted, and the weighted lever N flies back to its normal position as shewn in
full lines. This position being reached the pinion k and winding barrel K is free
to rotate upon the spindle E without moving any of the mechanismn; and the
weight of the figure causing the cord to pull the barrel round brings the winding
barrel, cord, and figure to a position ready for a second operation. It is obvious
that a push knob, might be substituted for the projecting lever B without modifi-
cation of the principle of the mechanism; or that a rotating handle might be used
to produce the up and down movement of the lever B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1.. The coin-freed mechanism for operating mechanical figures or toys substantially
as herein before described and shewn.
་
2. Coin-freed mechanism for operating mechanical figures or toys consisting
essentially of a ratchet wheel operated by a catch and lever, a notched disc which
acts as a "maintaining power" and the catch of which is operated by the operating
lever, a train of gearing which moves with the ratchet wheel, and operates a
winding barrel and cord or equivalent mechanism, and a weighted lever which
supports a coin until it is moved by a cain, and which locks the operating lever
until a coin has been placed in the slit, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In coin-freed mechanism for operating mechanical figures or toys, the
combination of the operating lever B, the catch D, the ratchet wheel C, the
notched disc F, the lever H, the spindle E, the pinion e and wheel I, the spindle i,
the wheel and pinion k, the winding barrel K, the weighted lever N with an
arm n resting upon the edge of a face cam O, and the coin shoot m¹, all
arranged and operating together in the manner and for the purpose described and
shewn.
Dated this 10th day of January 1896.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
106 Priory Park Road, Kilburn, London, N.W.,
Agent for the Applicant.