Year: 1899

page_text: I, ROBERT ERNEST WICKES, of 18, Valmar Road, Denmark Hill, in the County
of Surrey, Medical Student, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows: —
This invention relates to a new or improved coinfreed game and consists in
providing in the upper portion (preferably), of a suitable case, a tank containing
real water or other liquid, imitation rocks, islands or like obstructions being
provided in various positions in said tank. A model boat or ship is mounted
on a float or buoy, a magnet or magnets being attached to said. boat, and the
game is to steer, by the means hereinafter described, the boat or ship from one
end of the tank to the other without touching any of the rocks or islands and if
this is successfully accomplished the operator receives his penny (or other coin)
back again, but if not the coin is retained in the apparatus.
Below the above mentioned water tank is a rocking bar pivoted at its centre
said rocking bar carrying a series of one or more rows of magnets the exact
arrangement of which magnets on said rocking bar may be varied as desired;
the object of these magnets is to draw the boat or ship forward from one end
of the tank to the other and the rocking bar carrying the magnets is capable of
lateral movement, by means of a handle outside the apparatus case, in order to
allow of the operator steering the boat clear of the rocks, islands or other
obstructions in the water tank and this lateral movement may be effected by
means of a rack and pinion operated by said handle. A pivoted or tilting coin
shoot is provided on one end of the above mentioned rocking bar said end being
normally in an elevated position with the magnet or magnets at that end in
proximity to the bottom of the tank, but on being depressed by the weight of
the coin dropping into said tilted shoot the opposite end of the rocking bar is
thus brought up near the bottom of the tank. A suitable slide or the like is
provided, which may be operated from outside the apparatus case when the boat
has safely reached its destination, for the purpose of enabling the operator to
release his coin which has remained in the pivoted or tilted shoot on the end of
the rocking bar. When the boat or ship has been moved from one end of the
tank to the other, in order that it may be brought back to its normal position
again the rocking bar with magnets must be operated so that the end with the
pivoted coin shoot is again brought up in proximity to the bottom of the tank
and this is effected by pressing a knob or operating a handle outside the apparatus
case, an extension of or connection to which handle bears against the underside
of said crossbar and raises that end.
As a modification in lieu of providing a rocking bar as above described I may
provide a bar or support for the magnets having only a lateral movement in which
case the magnets in the series would be of different strengths.

page_text: Variations may be made in the details of my invention as above described
without departing therefrom.
Dated this Gth day of January 1899.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicant,
70 and 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.
1, ROBERT ERNEST WICKES, of 39, De Crespigny Park, formerly of 18, Valmer
Road, Denmark Hill, in the County of Surrey, England, Medical Student, 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 follow-
ing statemont:―
This invention relates to a new or improved (and preferably coin-freed) game
and apparatus therefor and consists in providing in a suitable case a tank con-
tuining water or other liquid, imitation rocks, islands, or other obstructions
being provided in various positions in or about the tank. A model boat or ship
is provided, preferably mounted on a float or buoy, a magnet (or an armature-
piece of steel or other suitable metal) being attached to said boat (or to the float
or buoy), and the game is to steer, by the means hereinafter described, the boat
or ship from one end of the tank to the other without touching any of the rocks
or obstructions and if this is successfully accomplished the operator receives his
penny (or other coin) back again, but if not the coin is retained in the apparatus.
In lieu of receiving the coin back a prize might be delivered, for instance a
cigarette.
Below the above mentioned water tank is a rooking bar carrying one or more
rows of magnets the exact arrangement of which magnets on said rocking bar
may be varied as desired; the object of these magnets is to move the boat or ship
forward and the rocking bar carrying the magnets is capable of lateral movement,
by means of a handle outside the apparatus case, in order to allow of the operator
steering the boat clear of the obstructions, and this lateral movement is pre-
ferably effected by means of a screw thread on the shaft or spindle on which
said bar is mounted. When the boat or ship is at its starting point the rucking
bar with magnets is tilted so that the magnets at one end are in their nearest
position to the bottom of the tank and when the operator places a penny (or
other coin) in the apparatus he is enabled, by means of a lever or handle outside
the apparatus case, to tilt said rocking bar so that its other end is brought up
near the bottom of the tank and when this has been done the boat moves forward,
and, as before mentioned, if the operator succeeds in steering the boat from
one end of the tank to the other he can receive back his coin by operating a
suitable handle or knob, the operation of said handle or knob also returning
the rocking bar to its former or normal position so that the boat will be drawn
back to its starting point; if the boat fouls any of the obstructions and does
not complete the course the operation of said handle or knob delivers the coin into
the apparatus us hereinafter described.
If it is desired that the boat should turn round when it reaches the end of its
course it is necessary to provide a magnet on the boat (or on the float or buoj)
said magnet being so arranged that its poles are not in vertical line with one
another.

page_text: I also provide a fixed magnet or magnets, attached to each end of the apparatus
case either just below the water tank or on a level therewith, said fixed magnets
being so arranged with relation to the magnet on the boat or float that their near
poles to the boat are opposite poles to the adjacent pole of the magnet on the
bout or float. These fixed magnets are for the purpose of giving the boat an initial
movement (or assisting its starting) from either end of the tank when the rocking
bar with magnets is tilted as hereinafter described.
Any suitable form of coin-controlled mechanism may be employed in con-
nection with my invention, but I prefer to employ the mechanism hereinafter
described.
In order that my invention may be better, understood and more readily carried
into effect I will now describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:-
Figure 1 is a front view of the apparatus case showing the lever for starting
the game on the insertion of a coin, the steering handle or wheel, and the knob
for discharging the coin and returning the rocking bar with magnets to normal
position.
Figure 2 is a back view of my invention, with the back of the case or frame-
work removed, showing the rocking bar with magnets, the water tank with
bridges, and the boat with magnet or armature-piece attached.
Figure 3 is a plan of the tank showing the bridges with obstructions and guiding
rails near the bottom of the tank for keeping the boat clear of the sides of the
tank, the bar supporting the magnets below the tank being shown in dotted lines.
Figure 4 is a cross-section of the apparatus showing one form of obstruction
consisting of bridges with projecting rails on the underside and narrow passages
through which the mast of the boat must pass in order to complete the course
from one end of the tank to the other.
Figure 5 is a back view of my invention (the back of the case being removed)
showing details of the coin mechanism, the rocking bar with magnets being
shown dotta in order to clearly show the coin mechanism which in this view is
behind said bar, the position of the bar with relation to the coin mechanism
being shown in full lines in Figs. 6 and 7.
Figure 6 is a vertical cross-section of Figure 5 ou line A-B, looking towards
the left.
Figure 7 is a vertical cross-section of Figure 5 on centre line, looking towards
the right showing the screwed shaft on which the rocking bar with magnets is
mounted and the steering wheel or handle on the end of said shaft outside the
apparatus case, also the plunger or knob for discharging the coin as hereinafter
described,
The same numbers refer to the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.
Referring to Figure 1, which illustrates the front of the apparatus case 1, 2
is the slut for insertion of the coin, 3 the lever or handle which tilts, through the
medium of the coin, the rocking bar with magnets, 4 is the steering wheel or
handle, and 5 the plunger or knob for discharging the coin either into the pocket 6
outside the apparatus case or on to the bottom of the case as described later.
7 (Fig. 2) is the water tank, 8 the boat (preferably mounted on a float or buoy)
having the magnet (or armature-piece) 9 attached, 10, 10" are the bridges with
obstructions on their under sides (as shown in Figures 3 and 4) with passages a a²
which the mast of the boat must pass through in order to complete the journey
from one end of the tank to the other. 11 is the rocking bar provided with one
or more rows of magnets 12, said bar and magnets being preferably so arranged
that the magnets can be adjusted as to distance from each other and height.
12 and 12 are the fixed magnets at each end of the apparatus case. The bar 11
is pivotally mounted on the shaft 13 a portion of said shaft being provided with
a screw thread 14 (Fig. 7); 15 and 16 are springs on the shaft 13 for the
purpose of keeping the bar 11 in gear with the screw thread on shaft 13.
Referring to Figures 5, 6 and 7, 17 is a pocket or receptacle (with cut-away

page_text: portion or passage 18) on one arm of a bell-crank lever 19 loosely mounted on
spindle 20, the other arm of said lever having a slotted end 19" which engages
a pin or projection 21 on the rocking bar 11; on the same centre or spindle 20 is
keyed another lever or arm 22, the handle 3 (shown in dotted lines) outside the
case being fixed to the other end of said spindle 20; the levers 19 and 22 are pro-
vided with curved arms, 19 and 22" respectively, the arm 19h preventing the
insertion of a coin into the apparatus said arm 19b coming across the slot 2 when
lever 19 has been operated through 3 as hereinafter described. 23 is a shelf
on which the edge of the coin in the pocket 17 rests. 24 is a spring for returning
the lever or arm 22 and handle 3 to the normal position, and 25 is a spring con-
nected to lever 19 for retaining said lever in either of its positions of rest and
also assisting the tilting of the bar 11. 26 is a coin shoot leading to a coin
receiving pocket 27 which is divided vertically as clearly shown in Figure 6 the
two halves being pivoted at adjacent bottom corners and connected to spring-
controlled plungers 28 and 29 respectively. 30 & 31 are long levers fulcrummed
at 32 their ends 30 and 31" respectively bearing lightly on or being in position
to engage plungers 28 and 29 respectively. 33 is an L-lever centred at 33 and
adapted to be operated by an arm 5" (see Figs. 5 and 7) connected to the spring-
controlled knob or plunger 5. 34 and 35 are vertical levers fulcrummed at 34"
and 35 respectively (Fig. 7) and provided respectively with short arms or tails 36
and 37, said levers being held in a normal vertical position by springs or counter-
balance weight and stops. The ends of the short arms 36 and 37 of levers 34
and 35 are, when in the normal position, a short distance below the levers 30
and 31 respectively, levers 34 and 35 which extend slightly above the tank 7,
are each provided with attachments 38 and 38 which form a kind of harbour or
dock for the boat when it has completed the course from one end of the tank to
the other, it being necessary, according to this construction, for the boat to get
into position between said attachments 38 and 38" (as shown at the right hand end
of Fig. 5) in order that the operator may be able to receive his coin back again.
39 (Figs. 5 and 7) is an arm connected to the knob or plunger 5 said arm engaging
and operating levers 34 and 35 as hereinafter described. 40 (Fig. 6) is a shoot
leading to the coin pocket 6 outside the apparatus case.
The working of my invention is as follows:-
The normal or starting position of the boat 8 is for example, at the left hand
ond of tank 7, as shewn in Figs. 2 and 5 (back views of apparatus) and the rock-
ing bar 11 with magnets 12 is in the position shown in Figure 2 with the magnets
at the starting end of the tank in their nearest position to the bottom of said
tank. The lever 3 outside the apparatus case is always free to be operated but
is ineffective as regards the bar 11 until a coin has been inserted. When it is
desired to start the boat a penny (or other coin) is inserted through the slot 2
(Figs. 1 and 5) and drops into the pocket 17 (Fig. 6) on one arm of lever 19 (the
edge of the coin in pocket 17 resting on shelf 23 as above mentioned) and on
now moving the handle or lever 3 (Fig. 1) from right to left the lever or arm 22,
connected to 3 through spindle 20, is moved against the coin in the pocket 17
and the lever 19 is thus carried over by 3 from left to right (Figure 5 being a
back view the movement would be seen in a reverse direction) and the slotted
end 19" of the other arm of said lever 19 engaging the pin 21 projecting from
the bar. 11 said bar will be tilted so that the magnets at the other end will be
brought up in proximity to the bottom of the tank 7. When the coin in the
pocket 17 on lever 19, moving with said lever, reaches the end of shelf or ledge 23
it falls through the shoot 26 into the divided receptacle 27 and remains there
until discharged as hereinafter described.
The spring 25 connected to lever 19 assists the movement of said lever to
either of its positions of rest.
When the bar 11 with magnets 12 has been tilted as described the boat will
move forward owing to the attractive power of the magnets 12 on the magnet 9
(or armature piece) attached to the boat (as before mentioned a starting movement

page_text: may be given to the boat by the magnet 12ª owing to the pole of this magnet
being a similar pole to the adjacent pole of the magnet on the boat or float) and
in order to steer the boat so that the mast will pass through the passages a al
below the bridges 10 10 the operator turns the wheels or handle 4 which revolves
the shaft 13 thereby moving the bar 11 in a lateral direction either away from or
towards him according to which direction the wheel or handle 4 is turned, and as
the magnets 12 move with the bar 11 the boat will move either to the right or
left according to the direction of movement of said bar 11. If the operator
succeeds in steering the boat clear of the obstructions on the bridges 10 10° so
that it reaches the other end of the tank and gets into position between the attach-
ments 38 and 38" (Figs. 5 and 7) on the upper end of levers 34 and 35 respectively.
he can get his coin back again by pressing in the knob or plunger 5 which action
operates levers 34 and 35 (movement being communicated to the latter through
the boat 8) and lever 35 being so arranged that its tail 37 will come in contact
with and raise the end of lever 31 adjacent thereto before the tail 30 of lever 34
acts on the corresponding end of lever 30, the plunger 29 (see Fig. 6) will be
depressed by the end 31" of said lever 31 so that the outer or right hand half of
the divided coin receptacle 27 will be tilted first thus allowing the coin to roll
through the shoot 40 into the pocket 6 outside the apparatus case; this action of
pushing in the knob or plunger 5 also tilts the rocking bar 11 back to its normal
position through the arm or extension 5" (Fig. 5) engaging the short arm of
lever 33 the long arm of said lever 33 depressing the bar 11 and tilting it into
its normal position as shewn in Figure 2, and when this has taken place the boat
will back out from between the attachments 38, 38" (owing to the repelling action
of the pole of magnet 12b on the adjacent similar pole of magnet 9 on the boat)
and then turn round (through the action of magnets 12 on bar 11) and mov
back towards the starting point at the other end of the tank. Should the
operator be unsuccessful in steering the boat clear of the obstructions on the
bridges the operation of the plunger 5 as above described will move the lever 34
far enough over so that its tail 36 will come in contact with the adjacent end
of lever 30 before any movement of the lever 35 can take place (owing to the
absence of the boat from between the attachments 38 and 38º on levers 34 and 35),
consequently the end 30° (Figs. 5 and 6) of said lever 30 will depress the
plunger 28 (Fig. 6) and so tilt the left hand or inner half of the coin receptacle 27
so that the coin will fall on to the bottom of the apparatus case.
In will be seen that according to the arrangements above described it is
necessary for the boat to get into position between the attachments 38 and 38"
on levers 34 and 35 respectively in order that the operator may receive back his
coin as above described.
On reference to Figure 3 it will be seen that the obstructing rails (shown
dotted) on the under side of the bridges 10, 10ª are so arranged that when the
bar 11 is tilted (by depressing the plunger or knob 5) to return the boat to the
starting end of the tank it will not be necessary to operate the steering wheel 4
as the mast of the boat can readily pass through the passages a a¹ when moving
in this direction.
As a modification in lieu of providing a tilting or rocking bar with magnets
as above described I might employ a bar having only the lateral movement (by
the operation of handle 4) in which case the magnets in the series would be of
increasing strengths for the purpose of drawing the boat forward; or the boat
might be propelled by clockwork or other suitable means in which case the mag-
nets in the series would be all the same strength.
As a further modification two or more bars with magnets might be provided
and a corresponding number of boats, and the game be to race the boats. Two
or more wheels or handles could be arranged to be released on the insertion of
a coin or coins, said handles being connected in any convenient manner to the
respective bars so that the operator who turns his handle the fastest consequently
tilting the corresponding bar faster than his competitors would win the race,

page_text: Although I have herein described a navigation game yet it is obvious I may.
employ my apparatus for other games to which it may be applicable.
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 game apparatus a magnet or magnets capable of movement by means of
a handle outside the apparatus case for the purpose of guiding or steering a
moving object above said magnet or magnets substantially as herein set forth.
2. A game of skill consisting in steering a model boat (or other floating object).
in a tank containing water or other liquid clear of obstructions in or upon said
tank by means of a magnet or magnets underneath said tank substantially as
herein set forth.
3. In a coin-free game, a magnet or series of magnets below a water tank in
combination with coin-controlled mechanism whereby said magnet or magnets
can be brought into operation, on the insortion of a coin, to propel and steer a
boat or the like floating in said tank, the coin being returned to the operator
only when the boat has been steered from one end of the tank to the other, sub-
stantially as herein set forth.
Dated this th day of October 1999.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Agent for Applicant, 70/1, Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.