An Improved Coin Freed Game.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1397
An Improved Coin Freed Game.
I ERNEST GEORGE MATTHEWSON of 31 Palace Road Upper Norwood in the County
of Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct a model of a football game which cannot
be used unless a coin or the like is inserted in the machine and to carry my invention
into effect I construct my improved coin freed football game as follows.
I provide a suitable case with a glass front and having a base about 6 inches deep
enclosed to form a box; the top of this box forms the bottom of the glass fronted
case; this represents the field and is so shaped that the highest part is in the centre
and slopes from the centre to each side, a short distance from each end of the case
model goal posts are fixed Guides are fitted upon the sloping bottom the width of the
goal posts leading to the centre between the goal posts so that if a ball is dropped'
upon the field towards the central part it will run down one side or other and if in
running down it happens to run opposite either of the goal posts it will be caught by
the guides and directed to a position in the centre of one of the goal posts. If the
ball runs down either side of either of the goal posts it will run down behind and be
conducted underneath the base board by special channels into a bucket which is
attached to a lever fitted in the box beneath the base in the centre. Between each of
the goal posts a model of a man is fixed by one leg, the other leg being swivelled and
fitted with a connecting rod passing down the fixed leg through the base board into
the box beneath. This rod is actuated by a crank attached to a spindle which passes.
through the front of the box under the case terminating in a small handle in front of
the base of the case, one handle on each side of the front of the case, and by partially
turning these handles the swivelled leg of either model man is made to kick. It will
be seen that if the ball runs down the central longitudinal part of the field or base-
board it is directed in front of the kicking leg of the model man whichever side it.
happens to roll and by turning that side handle the model man is made to kick the
ball and if kicked in the proper direction it will go past the opposite man through the
goal. At the back of the goal is a screen or goal net which causes the ball to fall,
it is then led by slopes beneath the base board into channels leading to a position
in the enclosed box just above the position that the channels lead the ball if it
went on either side of the goal. The ball may hit the opposite man instead of
going through the posts and if so it rolls down and is led by the shape of the
field in front of one of the men again, when it may be kicked again and again
until it either goes through a goal or on either side of them. In either case the ball
is led by the sloping channels in the box to a position near the front of the base
box that from the goals being above and from the sides of the goals being below if
below it falls directly into a bucket attached to a lever the said lever being pivotted
to a bracket fixed in the box, the short end or opposite end to that to which the bucket
is attached comes by the back of a disc running loose upon one of the spindles
running through the front of the case by which the model man's leg is actuated..
Through this disc four pins are fixed at equal intervals projecting on each side.
Those at the back come in contact with the bucket lever end and if the disc is
rotated a quarter of revolution the pin depresses the lever thus raising the bucket,
end of it which contains the ball and thus forces the ball up through a trap door in
the field and delivers the ball which runs down to one man or the other as previously
described. Upon the same spindle as the loose disc runs, and just in front of it,

page_text: a second disc is fixed so that when the spindle is partially turned by the handle in
front this disc turns with it and upon this disc facing the loose disc one pin is attached
at a lesser radius than the pins on the loose disc so as to clear in passing. A coin
shoot leading from the front of the case delivers the coin between these two discs and
it falls on the central spindle between one of the four pins on the loose disc and the
pin upon the fixed disc; thus the coin forms a connector from the fixed disc to the
loose disc and if the handle be now turned from the outside of the case the fixed disc
will drive the loose disc a quarter of a revolution the distance to which the movement
of the handle is limited by stops. The loose disc will in tura raise the bucket end of
the lever and deliver the ball in the field to be played with. The coin is held in
position near the bottom of the loose disc by another lever, one end of which is
pivotted to a bracket at the end of the box. This lever is long enough and is
shaped to reach to the end of the upper channel down which the ball rolls when
it passes through either goal and this end of the lever carries a tray into which
the ball rolls. Partly along the length of this lever in a position to just come
under the two discs a pin projects and the lever is counterweighted to keep the
tray end elevated and the projecting pin touching the periphery of the discs so that
when the coin pushes the loose disc round and reaches a position near the bottom
it is held there by the pin projecting from the lever, and the fixed disc and handle
return to their normal position by means of a spiral spring fixed round the spindle,
one end of the said spring being fixed to the bracket supporting the inner end of the
spindle. When the next coin is inserted in the machine it falls between the discs but
above the next projecting pin upon the loose disc and the movement of the handle again
partly revolves it. This movement carries the previous coin past the beforementioned
pin upon the lever and it falls into a suitable receptacle, and the last coin takes the
place of the previous one, and is held by the pin of the lever as before. Should the
ball be kicked through either goal it goes as described down the upper channel and
falls into the tray of the last mentioned lever and its weight depresses the lever thus
allowing the ball to descend and roll off the tray into the bucket the same as if it had
rolled down the lower channel, but the depression of the tray lever causes the pin
affixed to it which was in contact with the periphery of the disc to be depressed also
and this allows the coin to fall out from its position. Directly the ball falls from the
tray into the bucket the counterweight raises the lever to its former position. If this
happens the coin falls short of where it would fall if carried past the lever pin by the
next coin, and falling in this position it is led by a guide out of the box in front and
is therefore returned to the person using the machine. Thus it will be seen that when
the ball is kicked on either side of the goal it is lost and the coin is retained by the
machine, and if it is kicked through a goal the coin is returned and if the ball does
neither of these things, it runs back upon the field in front of one or other of the
model men to kick again until one of the foregoing alternatives happen.
Various modifications may be made and any suitable materials used.
Dated this
3000
H. T. TALLACK,
10, Great Turnstile, Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.
ERNEST GEORGE MATTHEWSON 31, Palace Road, Upper Norwood, in the County
of Surrey Gentleman, 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:-
The object of my invention is to construct a model of a football game which

page_text: cannot be used unless a coin or the like is inserted in the machine and to carry
my invention into effect. I construct my improved coin freed football game as follows.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine.
Fig. 2 Sheet 1 is a plan of the field upon which the game is played. In this plan
the heavy lines indicate the high parts, the dotted lines the low parts and the
arrow-headed lines the direction of the slopes.
Fig. 3 Sheet 2 is an elevation of the box beneath the glass fronted case with the
front removed showing the mechanism;
Fig. 4 Sheet 2 is a plan of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 Sheet 2 is a section through a h, Fig. 4.
Similar letters denote corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is a suitable case with a glass front having a base B about six inches deep enclosed to
form a box the top of this box forms the bottoin of the glass fronted case, this represents
the field Cand is so shaped that the highest part is in the centre, and sloped from the centre
to each side. A short distance from each side of the case model goal posts Dare fixed, guides
are raised upon the sloping bottom or field the width of the goal posts leading to the
centre between the goal posts so that if a ball is dropped upon the field towards
the central part it will run down one side or other, and if in running down it happens.
to run opposite either of the goals it will be caught by the guides and directed to a
position in the centre of one of the goals. If the ball runs down either side of either
of the goals it will run down behind and through one of the holes E in the field and
be conducted underneath the base or field by special channels F into a bucket G
which is attached to a lever H fitted in the box beneath the field. In the centre
between each of the pairs of goal posts a model of a man I is fixed by one leg the other
leg J being swivelled and fitted with a connecting rod K passing down the fixed leg
through the base or field into the box beneath. This rod is actuated through
connecting rods L and L by a crank L attached to a spindle M which passes
through the front of the box under the case terminating in a small handle N in the
front of the base of the case, one handle on each side of the front of the case. By
partially depressing these handles the swivelled leg of either model man according to
which handle is depressed is made to kick. It will be seen that if the ball runs
down the central longitudinal part of the field or base board it is directed in front
of the kicking leg of the model man whichever side it happens to roll, and by
depressing that side handle the model man in connection therewith is made to kick
the ball and if kicked in the proper direction it will go past the opposite man through
the goal. At the back of each goal a screen or goal net is fixed which causes the
ball to fall, it is then led by slopes through one of the holes O beneath the base board
or field into channels P leading to a position in the enclosed box just above the
position that the channels F lead the hall if it went on either side of the goals. The
ball may hit the opposite man or one of the opposite goal posts instead of going
between the posts and if so it rolls down and is led by the shape of the base or field
in front of one of the men again when it may be kicked again and again until it either
goes through a goal or on either side of one of them, in either case the ball is led by a
the sloping channels F or P in the box to a position near the front of the base box
that from the goals P being above and that from either side of the goals F being
below. If below it falls directly into the bucket G attached to the lever H the said
lever being pivotted to a bracket Q fixed in the box the short end or opposite end to
that to which the bucket is attached is arranged to come by the back of a disc R
running loose upon one of the spindles M running through the front of the case or
base box by which the model man's leg is actuated. Through this disc four pins S are
fixed at equal intervals near its periphery projecting on each side those at the back
come in contact with and actuate the bucket lever H and if the disc R is rotated a
quarter of a revolution one of the pins S depresses the lever H thus raising the bucket
end of it which contains the ball and thus carries the ball up through a trap door T
in the base or field and delivers it. The ball then runs down to one man or the other
as previously described. Upon the same spindle M as the loose disc R runs and

page_text: just in front of it a second disc U is fixed so that when the spindle M is partially turned
by the handle N in front of the base box this disc U turns with it, and, upon this disc
facing the loose disc R one pin V is attached at a lesser radius than the pins S on the
loose disc so as to clear in passing. A coin shoot W leading from the front of the
case delivers the coin between these two discs R and U and it falls on the spindle M
between one of the four pins S on the loose disc R and the pin V upon the fixed
disc U thus the coin forms a connector from the fixed disc to the loose disc and if
the handle N be now depressed from the outside of the case the fixed disc would drive
the loose disc a quarter of a revolution, the distance to which the movement of the
handle is limited by stops. The loose disc will in turn raise the bucket end of the
lever Hand deliver the ball in the field to be played with. The coin is held in
position near the bottom of the loose disc by another lever X one end of which is
pivotted to a bracket at the end of the box. This lever is long enough and is shaped to
reach to the end of the upper channel P down which the ball rolls when it passes through
either goal and this end of the lever carries a tray Y into which the ball rolls. Partly
along the length of this lever in a position to just come under the two discs a pin Z
projects and the lever is counter-weighted to keep the tray end elevated and the
projecting pin Z touching the periphery of the discs R and U so that when the coin
pushes the loose dise R round and reaches a position near the bottom it is held there
by the pin Z projecting from the lever X and the fixed disc U and handle N return
to their normal position by means of a spiral spring fixed round the spindle Mone
end of the said spring being fixed to the bracket supporting the inner end of the
spindle and the other end to the spindle itself. When the next coin is inserted in
the machine it falls between the discs R and Ubat ahove the next projecting
pin S upon the loose disc and the movement of the handle N again partly revolves"
the two discs. This movement carries the previous coin past the before mentioned
pin Z upon the lever X and it falls into a suitable receptacle and the last coin takes
Ꮓ
the place of the previous one and is held by the pin Z of the lever X as before.
Should the ball be kicked through either goal it goes as described down the upper
channel P and falls into the tray Y of the lever X and its weight depresses the lever
thus allowing the ball to descend and roll off the tray into the bucket the same as if
it had rolled down the lower channel F but the depression of the tray lever X canses
the pin Z affixed to it which was in contact with the periphery of the discs R and U
to be depressed also and this allows the coin to fall out from its position, directly the
ball falls from the tray into the bucket the counterweight raises the lever X to
its former position. If this happens the coin falls short of where it would fall if
carried past the lever pin Z by the next coin and falling in this position it is led by
a guide out of the box in front and is therefore returned to the person using the
machine. Thus it will be seen that when the ball is kicked on either side of the goal
it is lost to the user and the coin is retained by the machine, if however it is kicked
through a goal the ball is likewise lost to the user until again freed by a coin but
in this case the coin is returned to the user, and if the ball does neither of these
things it runs back upon the field in front of one or the other of the model men to be
kicked again until one or the other of the foregoing alternatives happen.
Various modifications may be made, hockey or other ball games may he
substituted for football and any suitable materials may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The use in combination with coin or the like freed or connected machines of a
field ground or base so shaped that according to the part of the ground on which a
ball alights it will run either to a position where it may be used by a person operating
the machine or to a position where the hall will be retained by the inachine or rendered
inoperative until a coin or the like is inserted into the machine.
2. The use in combination with coin or the like freed or connected machines of a

page_text: ball the use of which remains inoperative until a coin or the like is put into the
machine.
3. The use in combination with coin or the like freed or connected machines for
playing a ball game of mechanism for returning the coin should the ball be put by
the user of the machine through a goal or other particular place.
4. The use in combination with coin or the like freed or connected mechanism of a
ball game such as described in which models of human beings are caused to drive the
ball by means of coin or the like freed mechanism operated by a user substantially
as set forth.
5. The coin or the like freed ball game substantially, as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Eighth day of February 1897.
H. T. TALLACK,
10, Great Turnstile, Holborn, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.