A New or Improved Coin-freed Toy Racing Game.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 9th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 16th June, 1900.
A New or Improved Coin-freed Toy Racing Game.
CHARLES MIDDLEBROOK, 103, North Road, St. Helens, Lancashire, Mechanical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
My invention consists of a machine for receiving coin and in exchange producing
a spectacle of toy animals, men bicycles or the like, racing to reach a winning
goal, with as great an amount of uncertainty as exists in a real human or animal
race.
For this purpose I have a race course, consisting of a number of strips of metal
or other substance, resting on, and fixed to, the buttresses of a number of inverted
articles, leaving a slight aperture between each strip. At each end of the race
course, I have an equal number of wheels with flanges on both sides. Each
competitor is fixed or mounted on a small flat piece of metal or other substance,
with pins underneath, to which is attached another piece of metal or other sub-
stance, slightly bent, and having a narrow projection underneath at each end,
by these last named narrow projections two of the competitors, (one is a duplicate
of the other) who take part in each race alternately, are fixed at equal distances
apart, on endless bands running in the grooves (formed by the flanges) of each
of the two wheels directly opposite each other at either end of the race course,
these bands also pass under the race course, and between the inverted arches.
By means of a spring, I have a friction plate pressing against one side of each
of these wheels at one end of the race course, and each friction plate has a circle
of pins projecting on one side. I have a set of toothed wheels running loose
on another shaft, and carrying chains having pins or teeth projecting at irregular
intervals, which engage with the pins on the friction plates as and when required;
these chains pass round another set of toothed wheels of various sizes, fixed to
another shaft, which also carries a money or coin wheel with a pocket in its
periphery, just sufficiently deep for a halfpenny to rest in without the edge pro-
jecting, over this wheel is a coin shoot into which coins can be inserted through
a slot. The last named shaft is rotated as required, by means of a chain passing
round two other toothed wheels, one fixed to it, and the other working loose on
the smaller end of another shaft, to which a handle is attached outside the machine,
The bush of the last mentioned wheel is notched at the edge, and is pressed by
a spring towards the thicker part of the shaft which is also notched so as only
to engage the wheel when the handle is turned the proper way. Resting against
the periphery of the money or coin wheel is the end of a piece of metal or other
substance, (working on a pivot) the other end of which engages with a lever, which
falls in the path of the competitors, this lever when raised, is held in that
position by a pawl on another lever, and no competitor can pass this second named
lever without releasing the first named lever, which falls in its path and stops
its further progress.
At each end of the race course, (or nearly so) I have a number of small bridges,
through one of which each competitor must pass in making its entrance to or
exit from the race course.
Having described my invention, I will now state how it is worked;
When a coin of the required size, is put in the money slot, it falls into the money

page_text: shoot, and may remain there, resting on the periphery of the money wheel until
the handle is turned the proper way, the pocket in the money wheel will then
come under the coin, which will drop into it and be taken round with it, the edge
of the coin will move the pivoted piece of metal or other substance, and thereby
lift the lever out of the path of the competitors, in which position it will be held
by the pawl, the coin dropping into a receptacle for the purpose. At the same
time the toothed wheels of various sizes fixed on the same shaft as the money
wheel, will also rotate, carrying with them their respective chains having pins
or teeth engaging with the pins on the friction plates, which are thereby put in
motion, as soon as the competitors are released, the flanged wheels carrying the
bands to which they (the competitors) are attached, rotate with the friction plates,
and the competitors travel along the race course, the flat plates on which they
rest sliding on the top, the pins passing along in the aperture, and the bent plates
and narrow projections travelling underneath, and between the inverted arches.
After the competitors pass under the bridges at the winning goal, they travel
round the flanged wheels with the band, the narrow projections fitting in the
grooves, and the bent plates resting on the flanges of the wheels,
During the race, the duplicate competitor on each band passes suspended
underneath and travels on the opposite flanged wheel up towards the race course,
but before reaching the starting point, each competitor comes in contact with
the lever carrying the pawl, and so releases the other lever, which again falls
in its path, necessitating the insertion of another coin for the next race.
Dated this 14th day of suust 1200
A New or improved Coin-freed Toy Racing Game.
1, CHARLES MIDDLEBROOK, now of 226, Brunswick Road, Poplar, London, E.,
formerly of 103, North Road, St. Helens, Lancashire, 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:-
My invention relates to a new and improved coin-freed toy racing game, the
object of which is to provide in exchange for a coin placed in the apparatus a
spectacle of a race between toy animals, men, bicycles, or the like, endeavouring
to reach a winning goal with as great an uncertainty as exists in an actual race.
in carrying my invention into practice I proceed in or in about the
following manner making reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 shows a sectional side view, Fig. 2 a sectional plan and
Fig. 3 a sectional end view of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is an enlarged
end view of part of the arrangements for giving the uncertain movement
to the competitors. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan of the driving gear. Fig. 6 is
a front view of the coin wheel and Fig. 7 an isometrical view of the arrangement
for aligning and releasing the competitors. Fig. 8 is an end and Fig. 9 a side
view of a competitor runner." Fig. 10 is a side view of part of the chain
driving gear. Fig. 11 is an end view of a modification in part of the arrangement
for giving the uncertain motion to the competitors.
6.
I provide a race course a having therein as many open ended slots b extending
from end to end of the course à as there are to be competitors in the race. This
course is preferably made of comparatively thin material and supported in any
suitable manner as by cross girders e having inverted arches or gaps d below the
slots so as to permit the runners carrying the competitors to pass freely along.
For simplification only two competitors are shown in the drawings. At each

page_text: end of the course and below it are as many grooved wheels 9 g as there are slots 6,
in the race course a. These grooved wheels g g' are loose on their axles h h¹ which
extend across the casing which holds the whole together. Each of the grooved
wheels at the end towards which the competitors race has pins at equal
distances from one another and outstanding from one of the faces of the wheels.
This set of grooved wheels will hereinafter sometimes be called and referred to
as pin wheels. Running in the grooves of the wheels g g are cords, wires, bands.
or equivalents to each end of which are attached the competitors f there being
two or more competitors to each cord or equivalent, each cord and its competitor
forming practically an endless combination. Between the competitors on each
cord or equivalent may be weights to keep the cords in position when the
duplicate competitors are on opposite sides of the grooved wheels.
1
At each end of the apparatus is a shaft extending across from front to back
below the level of the course a. On one of these shaits (m) are as many sprocket
wheels as there are grooved wheels y and these sprocket wheels are arranged
to run between the grooved wheels g. On the other shaft n are the same number
of sprocket wheels o'. The sprocket wheels o are all of different diameters and
rigidly attached to the shaft m, and the sprocket wheels o' are all of equal diameter
to one another and loose on their shaft n. Round the sprocket wheels o¹ are
passed chains peach of which has (along that side of it which will run nearest the
pins on the pin wheels g¹) a number of upstanding teeth or points (Fig. 10)
arranged at irregular intervals and of such length that as the chains pass round
the sprocket wheels o o' the points q will strike the pins and give intermittant
motion to the grooved wheels g¹ and (through the cords or equivalents ) to the
other wheels g and consequently to the competitors on the said cords or equiva-
lents. It is intended that the sides of the teeth should strike the pins J, but
as in some positions the points (instead of the sides) of the teeth q may come against
the pins and impede the motion, I provide that the ends of the axles h¹ of the
pin wheels shall run in slotted bearings r which incline somewhat downwards
from the adjacent end of the apparatus by which arrangement the axle and
the pin wheels g will give a little and so permit the points to pass easily. On
the shaft m carrying the rigidly attached sprocket wheels o is another sprocket
wheels over which passes a comparatively short chain carried also by a sprocket
pinion on a spindle situated towards the centre of the length of the apparatus.
On the spindle u of the said sprocket pinion is a sprocket
wheel of greater
diameter than pinion and over this wheel passes a chain te which also goes round
a sprocket pinion on a spindle y protruding through the front part of the
apparatus and provided with a handle for working the race.
22
Near the front end of shaft m and close to the inside of the front of the
apparatus is fastened a wheel A having in its periphery a pocket or recess B
the edge of the wheel A being free to revolve as close as possible to the bottom
of the coin shoot Cone side of which is left open so that the coin can escape
after the handle has been turned sufficiently to free the apparatus. The
size of the pocket B is such that it will allow a coin of the proper size to
the apparatus to project beyond the periphery of the wheel as at 1 while coins
of less size will fall completely in the pocket and not project beyond the periphery
of the wheel A. A coin drawer E is provided to receive the coins thrown out
of the pocket B when the apparatus is freed."
"
free
وو
:
In order to retain all the competitors f in a line previous to the commencement
of the race and to release them for the race by the action of the coin I make the
following provisions. Passing across the apparatus at the line from which the
competitors are to start I provide a bar F (Fig. 7) having return ends G, G¹,
which are pivotted to the front and back of the apparatus by a rod H passed
through and attached to them at about the centre of the length of the return
end G, the ends of H protruding through G G and being free to work in bearings
provided at the back and front of the apparatus. One (G¹) of the return ends is
somewhat prolonged and behind this prolonged end I provide a rod J extending

page_text: across the apparatus from back to front and free to turn in bearings K one at
each end. On the rod J is a pawl or projection L extending so as to be above
the prolonged end G¹. On the rod H and near the front end thereof is a down-
ward pointing arm M which is in contact with a pin projecting from the arm ()
of the bell-crank lever pivotted at P and having its other arm Qnormally in
contact with the periphery of the coin wheel A already mentioned. Between the
pawl L and the front end of the rod J and attached to the under side of the rod J
is a strip of flat material R of appreciable width and of sufficient weight to allow
the pawl L to hold the frame F G G in the position shown in Fig. 7.
.
In assembling the various parts together I so arrange that when there is no
coin at all or no coin of proper size in the pocket B of the wheel A the pawl L
is turned up above and free of the top of the prolonged end G¹ of the cross bar F
thus allowing the bar to come below the tops of the competitors f and preventing
their starting until all are in line with one another.
The competitors f are mounted on a bar S (Figs. 8 & 9) which has side lugs T
to run along the upper face of the race course. Below the bar S are pins U
which run in the slots band under the pins U are the legs V having side lugs W
to run on the rims X of the grooved wheels y g' The ends of the portions of the
cords or equivalents are attached to the runners by passing the ends through
holes in the legs V and knotting them. The weights for keeping the cords in
adjustment as above mentioned may be of same construction as the competitor
runners but without the figures of the competitors. The handle z by which the
apparatus is set in motion is arranged so as not to operate the apparatus when
turned the wrong way. To insure this I provide a ratchet clutch A¹ A² the
interlocking parts of which are alternately parallel with the axis of the spindle y
and inclined thereto, (see Fig. 5) the handle and the first part A¹ of the clutch
being attached to the spindle y. Free to slide on the said spindle y is the
second part 2 of the clutch, integral with which is the sprocket wheel, the disc B¹
and the prolonged part C on which prolonged part is free to move longitudinally
the washer ' of considerable thickness, which is kept in contact with the
bracket (carrying the inner end of the spindle y) by a spiral spring F. The
prolonged part is not of sufficient length to touch the bracket E¹ until forced
into D by turning the handle the reverse way to that in which it should be
turned to work the game. This reverse action of the handle z causes the inter-
locked parts A1 A2 which are parallel with the axle of the spindle y to separate
from contact with each other and the action of the inclined parts of A¹ (which is
fixed to the spindle y) causes the part A2 and those parts connected with it to be
pushed inwards and allows the handle to be rotated without operating the wheel
and the other parts in connection therewith, and so prevents any motion being
communicated to the racing parts. On turning he handle z the right way the
parts of A1 and A2 which are parallel with the axle of y are brought into contact and
allow the clutch, spindle, wheel and the other parts operated thereby to go
round together and cause the competitors f to move along.
I sometimes omit the pins from the grooved wheels gl and put them round a
disc G¹ which is kept against the face of the wheel g¹ by a spring H¹ acting
between the disc G₁ and a collar J on the axle h'.
The action of the apparatus is as follows, assuming that all the competitors f
have been brought into line by the bar F being below the heads of the competitors,
as shown in Fig. 1, and consequently also preventing them from starting on the
race.
A coin of the proper size being dropped down the shoot C will pass into
the pocket B and protrude therefrom as already mentioned. As the handle is
continued to be turned the coin I will come into contact with the arm Q and
lift the bar F above the heads of the competitors by the action of the arm on
the arm M and allow the pawl L to fall into position shown in Fig. 7. The con-
tinued operation of the handle z will cause the competitors f to race one another
by irregular movements given to them by the action of the cords, sprocket wheels,

page_text: chains and pin and grooved wheels, and the irregular motion will destroy all
certainty as to which competitor or competitors will win.
When the coin has operated the bell crank lever and released the competitors
by raising the bar F the return end G is held in position by the pawl L as shown
in Fig. and so retained until anyone of the competitors strikes the strip R
(which each must do before reaching the bar F). The striking of R causes the
pawl L to be again raised and the bar F allowed to resume its normal position
as shown in Fig. 1, for aligning the competitors for the next race and so on.
While the competitors are aligning against the bar F the resistance offered by
the bar F being greater than that caused by the friction between the cords k and
the grooved wheels g, g' prevents any locking of the parts of the mechanism while
the bar F is opposing the progress of the competitors.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a coin-freed race game a course having therein a number of longitudinal
and parallel open ended slots; runners to pass along the said slots; figures of
competitors on the said runners; cords or equivalents carrying the said runners
in duplicate and forming therewith an endless combination; grooved wheels to
carry the cords and runners; axles to carry the grooved wheels loosely thereon;
sprocket wheels rigidly attached to a shaft at the starting end of the apparatus,
the said sprocket wheels being situated between the said grooved wheels; sprocket
wheels loose on a shaft at the goal end of the apparatus; endless chains passing
over the said sprocket wheels; upstanding teeth arranged at irregular intervals
to one side of each of the said chains; pins outstanding from one face of each of
the grooved wheels at the goal end of the apparatus to engage with the said
upstanding teeth on the chains; slotted bearings to carry the ends of the shafts
having on it the pin-furnished grooved wheels; a wheel on the axle carrying the
rigidly attached sprocket wheels; a coin pocket in the periphery of the said
wheel; a bell-crank lever operated by contact with a coin passed into and pro-
truding from the coin pocket; a coin shoot to receive the freeing coin; means for
aligning the competitors at the commencement of the race; means for releasing
the competitors by the action of the said bell-crank lever; a handle for operating
the apparatus; a driving sprocket wheel on the axle carrying the rigidly attached
sprocket wheels operating the teeth provided chains; and chain gearing for acting
on the said sprocket wheel; the whole substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In coin freed games such as are claimed in the above Claim 1, the means for
giving an uncertain and irregular progressive movement to the competitors, the
said means consisting of chains passing round sprocket wheels at each end of the
apparatus, the sprocket wheels at one end being of different diameters to one
another and rigidly attached to their shaft and those at the other end being all of
equal diameter and loosely threaded on their shaft, the said chains being provided
with upstanding teeth or points on one side and at irregular intervals which
teeth are intended to engage with pins projecting from the faces of grooved
wheels over which and another set of grooved wheels passes a cord or equivalent
carrying the competitors and forming therewith an endless combination, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated.
3. In substitution for the pin furnished grooved wheels mentioned in the above
claims grooved wheels having spring-pressed against one of their faces a disc
carrying the said pins, substantially as described and illustrated.
111 041, dar of January 1900.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London. Agents.