Improvements in Coin-freed Race Games.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1899
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coin-freed Race Games.
I, ANDREW ARCHIBALD, of 46, Cockburn Street, in the County of the City of
Edinburgh, North Britain, Scientific Instrument Maker, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in coin-freed machines and has refer-
ence to race games where two horses or other objects connected with arms revolve
round a common centre after pre-arranged coins has been inserted into the slots
provided for the purpose, allowing the winner of the race to have his coin returned
to him whereas the other coin remains in the machine.
In carrying out my invention I provide a box or case of any convenient shape
having a glass or other transparent front so that the horses or other objects may
be exposed to view. In this box or case the slots or openings for the insertion of
the coins are provided.
I will describe the mechanism of one side of the machine, that on the other
being precisely similar.
The mechanism consists of bevil gearing placed at each end of the box or case.
Connected to one of the bevel wheels there is one end of a rod, the other end
having a threaded screw, which gears with the teeth of a gear wheel, to which
there is attached three or more springs. In front of the gear wheels there is a
friction wheel at the back of which there is a pin or stop engaging with one arm
of a lever acting as a catch. In front of this friction wheel there is fixed or it
may be in one piece with it, a strip of brass or other metal or material made
concentric, which engages with one arm of another lever and so also acts as a
catch until released. The other ends of these two levers form the slot in which
the coin is inserted. When the coin is inserted in each of the slots, that is to say
between the two levers above referred to, it liberates the catches from the friction
wheel and when the bevil gearing is operated by means of the handles provided for
the purpose it turns round the gear wheel, to which are attached the springs
already referred to, and with it the friction wheel. Connected with the friction
wheel there is an arm or lever to the end of which there is a horse or other
article. While there is no coin in the slot the gear wheel only could be operated
but not the horses. Whenever, however, the coin is inserted the friction wheel
gets released from the catches and the springs pressing on it carry it round. As
the friction wheel is turning round the end of lever, which acts as a catch comes
nearer to the centre and this opens the jaws or levers and thus releases the coin,
when it falls down on to a platform where it is held until the friction wheel has
made one complete revolution, when the levers return to their normal position
by means of springs provided for the purpose. The return of the levers to their
normal position causes a catch, which presses against one of the slot
ends of the levers to lower or tilt the platform on which the coin at present
is, and so releases it, when it falls down a shute and out of the machine and is
delivered to the winner of the race. Simultaneously with this an arrangement

page_text: of levers which is connected with this catch and which communicate with the
snute of the mechanism on the opposite side, turns it over so that when the other
operator, who of course will be the loser of the race, has finished and the coin is
released it will fall into the machine. If the operator on the reverse side was
first the coin would be delivered to him in the same manner and the coin of loser
fall into machine.
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I, ANDREW ARCHIBALD, of 46, Cockburn Street, in the County of the City of
Edinburgh, North Britain, Scientific Instrument Maker, 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 improvements in coin-freed machines and has refer-
ence to race games where two horses or other objects connected with arms revolve
round a common centre after pre-arranged coins have been inserted into the slots
provided for the purpose, allowing the winner of the race to have his coin re-
turned to him whereas the other coin remains in the machine.
In order that my invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings, of which,
to.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus showing my improvements.
Figure 2 is a side elevation with part of case removed.
Figure 2 is a detached view shewing the springs which are hereafter referred
Figure 3 is a detached view of the fixed holder or grip and lever after referred
to, showing in hard lines the lever open and in dot and pick lines in normal
position.
In carrying out my invention I provide a box or case A of any convenient shape
having a glass or other transparent front B, so that the horses C, C¹, or other
objects may be exposed to view. In this box or case A slots or openings D, D¹
for the insertion of the coins E, E¹, are provided.
The mechanism consists of bevel gearing F, F¹ placed at each end of the box
or case A.
Connected to the bevel gearing F, F1 on each side are the two rods
or shafts G, G¹, the other ends of the shafts having threaded screws or worms H,
H¹ which gear with the teeth of gear wheels I, I, to each of which there is
attached three or more springs J. In front of the friction wheels K, K¹ there is
fixed or it may be in one piece with it a strip N, N¹ of brass or other metal or
material made eccentric with which there engages bent ends o, o¹, of each of the
arms 0, 0 of the levers M, M-pivoted at m, and m¹-and so also act as a catch
until released. The other ends of these two levers M, M are connected to hori-
zontal levers M, and M5, which form part of the slots D, D' in which the
coins E, E are inserted, the other part of the slot being formed by the fixed
holders or grips M2, M3, which are fixed to the frame. When coins are in-
serted in the slots D, D¹ and retained between the fixed holder or grip M² and
the lever M4. and lever M5 and fixed holder or grip M³ respectively,
above referred to, they liberate the catches o. o¹ of the levers from their
engagement with eccentric strips N, N¹ which are fixed to, or in one piece with
the friction wheels K, K and when the bevel gearing F, F1 is operated by means

page_text: of the handles P, P' provided for the purpose it turns round the gear wheels I, I'
to which are attached the springs J, already referred to, and with them the fric-
tion wheels K, K. Connected with each friction wheel K, K¹ there is an arm or
lever Q, Q, to the end of which the horses C and C¹ or other article are con-
nected. While there is no coin in the slots D, D' the gear wheels I, I¹ only
could be operated but not the horses. Whenever, however, coins are inserted,
the catches o, o¹ of the levers get released from the friction wheels and the
springs J pressing on the friction wheels carry them round. As each friction
wheel is turning round, the end of each lever 0, 0,-the ends of which act as a
catch-comes nearer to the centre and this opens the jaws or levers M³, and M³
respectively, which are pivoted at m and m³ and thus releases the coin, when
it falls down on to a platform T as seen in Figure 1, where it is held until the
friction wheel has made one complete revolution, when the levers return to their
normal position by means of springs R, R' provided for the purpose. On a race
being finished, and as shewn in dotted lines on the left hand side of Figure 1,
the end of lever M returns to its normal position and allows the catch S, which
presses under the action of a spring against the outer longitudinal edge of the
lever M to lower or tilt the platform T, on which the coin at present is, and so
releases it, when it falls down a moveable shute U and out of the machine and
is delivered to the winner of the race. The platforms E and E¹ are formed with
depending forked extensions, which engage with the bent spindles V2 and V³
of the tilt-shutes U and U¹, which are of inverted V formation and which in the
normal position remain vertically erect. Simultaneously with this last men-
tioned arrangement of levers V, which are connected with the catch S and which
communicate with the shute U¹ of the mechanism on the opposite side, turns it
so that when the other operator, who of course will be the loser of the race, has
finished, and the coin is released, it will fall into the machine. If the operator
on the reverse side was first the coin would be delivered to him in the same
manner by the operation of the opposite arrangement of levers V₁ and the coin
of loser fall into machine.
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. The general arrangement, combination, and operation of parts whereby
when a coin has been inserted in the slots, the mechanism is released and the race
can be started, substantially as described and illustrated on the accompanying
sheets of drawings.
2. The general arrangement, combination, and operation of the parts, whereby
when a race has been finished, the coin of the winner is delivered to him and
the coin of the loser passed into the machine, substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings.
Dated this 30th day of May 1899
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.