Improvements in Coin-freed Mechanical Toys or Games of Skill.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Mechanical Toys or Games of Skill.
We, GEORGE DAVID PALMER, of 68, Sampson Road, Sparkbrook, in the City of
Birmingham, Engineer, and HENRY HARTLEY, of Clarance Chambers, Corporation
Street, City aforesaid, Patent Broker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
:-
This invention refers to that type of coin-freed mechanical toys or games of
skill in which figures or objects in the apparatuses are caused to move by the
turning of handles or equivalent devices after the necessary coin, or coins, has,
or have, been inserted into the apparatus or machine, the said invention consist-
ing in the improvements hereinafter described which are in part applicable to
all race games and in part to cycle racing apparatus. According to this inven-
tion a particular arrangement of flags is provided in the coin-freed apparatus to
distinguish beyond question to winner of a particular race or the first performer
of any particular thing, the said arrangement being such that after the race or
the like the flags are exposed but with that of the winner in front of the others
in line so as to cover those at the back. Such an arrangement may be made to
indicate first, second and third in a race, as the flags, although in greater part
covered, can be identified. An effective method of working out this flag arrange-
ment is to carry the flag arms or supports on the coin levers or coin boxes which
receive the coins for releasing the apparatus, and arranging upon the flag arms
or carriers, or upon the casing of the apparatus, inclined planes, which govern
which particular flag can move in front to indicate the finish of the race or con-
test the instant the latter is completed and the first coin falls from the coin lever,
or coin box carried by said lever.
The improvements as a whole are distinctly of importance in a cycle race and
are comprehended as follows:-Within a suitable box-casing are arranged two
vertical shafts or spindles, the one tubular and fitting over the other free to rotate
independently. Connected to each shaft is a radial arm carrying at its outer
extremity a neatly made moveable cycle, mounted by a rider and fitted with free
moving pedals. A track is arranged beneath the wheels of the cycles, with
which the said wheels engage by frictional contact by an emery-cloth composi-
tion, india rubber, or gutta-percha strip, or roughened surface otherwise formed
upon said track. The latter is comprehended by a part of the box casing, and the
radial arms carrying the cycles are disposed underneath the said track out of
sight, and only project through a circular clearance in the track at the point
where they connect with the frames of the cycles. The circumference of the back
wheel of each cycle drives the pedals and cranks, and the legs of the rider are
connected to the latter so that as the bicycles run round the track the riders
make a natural pedalling movement. The radial arms, as aforesaid, have suffi-

page_text: cient spring in them to normally pull the wheels of the bicycles of each rider on
to the track to make a good frictional contact.
The shafts or spindles carrying the radial arms are operated by worm and
worm-wheel or toothed gearing attached to the said shafts or spindles and to
secondary shafts turned by the persons working the apparatus through the
handles. The secondary shafts are independent of each other, and one works the
tubular spindle carrying the one radial arm, and the other the solid spindle
working through it and carrying the other radial arm; the speed of rotation of
the said secondary shafts, from the handles, governing the speed of the bicycle
and deciding the winner of the race. These auxiliary shafts are normally locked,
but the pennies or coins inserted in the apparatus free them, although the
handles for operating the said shafts may normally be free and the insertion
of the coins used to connect them to the said secondary shafts. Disposed within
the interior of the box-casing, which forms the base of the apparatus, at the
front, near the handles, are two coin-levers carrying at one end a coin box
and at the other end projections or notches. These levers are arranged so that
the coin box ends are opposite coin shoots in the casing, and their other ends
engage cams working in conjunction with the secondary or handle shafts before
described. Normally the ends of the levers engage portions of the said cams and
prevent the latter from rotating, and these levers require to be rocked in order to
free the said shafts and cams. This rocking is brought about by the movement
of a sliding rod, operated from the hand from outside the apparatus, and the
pennies or coins which are dropped into the coin box, the said coins making an
active connection between the said sliding rod and the coin levers. The weight of
the coins do not effect the coin levers to release the secondary shafts, this releasing
being effected by the operation of the sliding rod. In the case of a two bicycle
apparatus two coins are inserted, and the winners coin is returned, but the secon-
dary shafts are not both released until two pennies have been inserted, and even
then the shaft of the penny which never can be returned is first released, so that
if a coin is put in the return coin slit the movement of the sliding rod cannot
interfere with the coin levers. The two flags, working as aforesaid, are con-
nected to the coin levers and move therewith, and they work through slots in the
box casing by reason of the cams on the secondary shafts tipping the coin lever
as the penny drops in the coin box, so that the coin lever which is rocked first
by the action of the cams of the secondary shafts operates the winning flag and
causes it, by the inclined parts before described upon the flag arms, to compel
the other flag when the loser has finished the race to fall behind it. It is to be
understood that the coin levers first release the cams on the secondary shafts
and are afterwards operated by them at 'the finish of the race after which they
again hold the coins levers. The said cams rotate once for each race and have
suitable lifts or rises and stop thereon to impinge upon and engage the coin levers.
Springs are used for returning the coin levers to their normal positions and
also to return the sliding rod which rocks the said levers.
The said sliding rod when operated to rock the coin levers remains in its
operated position until the race is finished. This movement of it also separates
the flags in preparation for the race.
The visible working parts of the apparatus are enclosed within a glass casing
fitted upon the base of the apparatus.

page_text: Improvements in Coin-freed Mechanical Toys or Games of Skill.
We, GEORGE DAVID PALMER, of 68, Sampson Road, Sparkbrook, in the City of
Birmingham, Engineer, and HENRY HARTLEY, of Clarence Chambers, Corporation
Street, City aforesaid, Patent Broker, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention refers to that type of coin freed mechanical toys or games of
skill in which figures or objects in apparatuses are caused to move by the
turning of handles or equivalent devices after the necessary coin, or coins has,
or have, been inserted into the apparatus or machine, the said invention consist-
ing in the improvements hereinafter described.
According to this invention a particular arrangement of flags is provided with
the coin-freed apparatus to distinguish beyond question the winner of a par-
ticular race or the first performer of any particular thing, the said arrangement
being such that after the race or the like, the flags are exposed, but with that
of the winner in front of the others in line so as to cover those at the back.
Such an arrangement may be made to indicate first, second, and third in a race,
as the flags, although in greater part covered, can be identified.
In order that our invention may be the more readily understood we append
hereunto three sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to repre-
senting a toy cycle racing machine with our improvements applied thereto.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, with a portion of the casing removed, showing
the internal mechanism.
Figure 3 is a plan of the mechanism, and Figure 4 an elevation showing the
winning posts or flags.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
The upper part of the wood or other casing A forms a table or platform repre-
senting a cycle racing track, beneath which and in the centre of the casing we
mount a stem or spindle B supporting a pair of radial arms C C₁ each arm being
arranged for rotation by a separate set of driving gear. On the outer end of
each arm C C we mount a toy bicycle as D D' having a metal or other figure,
representing a rider, seated thereon. The inner end of the radial arm C is fixed
directly to the aforesaid spindle B, whilst the inner end of the other arm C¹ is
formed with or attached to a socket B¹ passing over the spindle B.
The spindle B and socket B are each provided with a set of worm driving
wheels, as Ee and E e respectively, operated by separate handles, F and "
arranged on the exterior of the machine casing or framing A. Thus on the
rotation of the handles by the operators or persons using the machine, the toy
cyclists travel round the track, quite independently of each other and at speeds
corresponding with the rate of rotation of the handles. As the bicycles move,
their wheels are caused to revolve, the spring of the arms C C being sufficient
to impose such a pressure of the bicycle wheels against the table as will ensure .
rotation of the said wheels. The jointed legs of the figure on each cycle are also
caused to move with the pedals, the latter being driven by an endless belt from
the cycle rear wheel.
The spindles of the operating handles F and F are normally locked or pre-
vented from rotation by the coin-freed mechanism which may be arranged as
described hereunder, though such mechanism in itself forms no part of our present
invention.

page_text: Through a brass or other metal plate G fixed to the top edge of the front of
the casing we form the coin admission slots or apertures g g'. The coins inserted
in the respective slots g g after passing through the shoots or coin guide
channels H H₁, fall between the slide J and the back plate K until arrested by
the respective locking levers L L. The back plate K is secured to the wood or
other casing A of the machine as illustrated.
On moving the hand lever M to the nosition indicated by the dotted centre
line M after the two coins have dropped on to the levers L L' respectively as
hereinhefore described, the slide T is caused to move in such a direction that
its inclined edge surfaces ; and by abutting against the coins N N¹ respec-
tively. depress them and likewise the ends of the locking levers L L' supporting
the coins. The opposite ends of such levers are thereby raised from their lock-
ing engagement with the worm wheels E E thus setting the latter free for rota-
tion, under a turning movement of the handles F F¹. In the illustration,
Figure 2. the levers L L' are shown in locking engagement with the worm
wheels E E respectively.
The toy cyclists travel round the track at a speed dependent upon the rate of
rotation of the respective handles F F¹. In the course of their rotation the
cams ee on the upper faces of the worm wheels E E' respectively, pass under
and raise the adjacent ends of the levers L L in order to further depress the
opposite ends of such levers sufficiently to allow the coin N to drop away clear
of the inclined retaining edge j of the slide J and thus fall into the bottom of
the casing which serves as the exchequer; and also to allow the coin N¹ to fall
clear of the edge of the slide and to pass down the shoot O to the receptacle O¹
outside the casing for return to the winning operator.
After the hand lever M has been moved as hereinbefore described, its return
and also the return of the slide J which moves with it, is prevented by the
engagement of the spring abutment piece P with a peg p projecting from the
slide J. But on the final depression of the ends of the levers L L', as herein-
before described, they are caused to act upon the tail P1 of the abutment piece P
and thus, by turning the latter slightly upon its pivot support, to permit of the
return of the lever M and slide J under the action of a suitable spring.
The apertures in the face of each of the worm wheels E E¹ for the reception
of the locking ends of the respective levers L L¹, are so disposed that on the
arrival of each toy cyclist at the starting point engagement of its worm wheel
with the proper locking lever is immediately effected, the lever being depressed
into the worm wheel aperture under the action of a spiral spring. QQ repre-
As the end of
sent the spiral springs for the respective locking levers L L¹.
each lever drops into locking engagement with the worm wheel its opposite end
is raised and lifts with it the end of the winning post or winning flag staff R
or R from the position indicated at r to the position r¹ (Figure 4). Each staff
is pivoted upon a projecting bracket G¹ from the aforesaid plate G, and its lower
end is pinned to the locking lever as illustrated. The upper edges or corners of
the flags or staffs are bent or curved laterally as illustrated at Figure 3 so that
the second or last flag to ascend is directed to the back of the other, and thus a
clear indication is given of the winning toy cyclist. The toy figures on the cycles
are distinctively coloured and the flags or winning posts are coloured to correspond
therewith. Each staff is slotted as illustrated to permit of a sliding vertical
movement upon its pivot.
The handles F F¹ have each a spring clutch connection, of any convenient and
well known form, with their respective spindles S and S¹ so that if an undue tor-
sional force is imposed upon the handles in an effort to turn them before the dis-
engagement of the locking levers L L', they will simply rotate independently
of their spindles.
We enclose the complete machine with a glass frame or cover, not shown in the
drawings.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1
1. In coin-freed mechanical toys the use of indicating flags, posts, or like signal-
ling or indicating devices, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. A coin freed toy cycle racing or like machine having winning posts, flag
staffs, or other like devices to indicate the results of the racing, arranged with
operating mechanism substantially as and in the manner described and as
illustrated.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, &
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.