Improvements in Apparatus for Playing Games of Chance, Fortune Telling, and for like purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application, (in 30th Apr., 1894
United States of America).
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 29th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 29th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 29th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
Improvements in Apparatus for Playing Games of Chance, Fortune
Telling, and for like purposes.
I, VICTOR PETTIBONE DEKNIGHT, of 932 B Street South West, Washington,
in the District of Columbia, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 coin-controlled apparatus for playing games of chance,
fortune telling and for like purposes; and it consists in the novel construction and
combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a front view of the operating mechanism secured inside the case.
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line a in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the coin-operated bell-crank lever; and Figure 4 is a
side view of the same and the coin guide plates.
A is an inclosing case of any convenient form or design, and a is a plate to which
the working mechanism of the device is secured.
.
B is a bracket secured to the plato a, and b is a pin secured to the said `bracket
and projecting through a hole in the plate a.
C is a sleeve journaled on the pin and arranged to turn thereon with as little.
friction as possible; and c is an exhibiting disc secured to the said sleeve C.
D is a stationary disc secured on the end of the pin b. D¹ is a glass window
arranged in front of the discs D and c, but this window may be dispensed with
if desired. The front of the disc c is the surface upon which the pictures or
other subject matter to be exhibited are placed.
The pictures are exhibited by the disc c when revolved, and may be seen through
the window D'. A pointer d or a mark on the disc D is used to call attention
to whichever picture or subject that may be behind it when the disc c stops after
having been revolved or spun, or, if desired, the window D' may be partially
opaque and have only a small eight hole through which a single picture or
subject may be displayed in the manner commonly used in picture exhibitors of
this class.
The pictures may be men, horses or other figures in racing attitudes, or
nottoes such as ordinarily found on wheels of fortune.
E is a toothed wheel operatively connected to the sleeve C. In- a simple
machine the wheel E is secured to the sleeve C, but it is preferably connected
oit by a ratchet mechanism.
E is a ratchet wheel secured to the sleeve C, and e is a spring-actuated
Dawl pivoted to the wheel E and engaging with the ratchet wheel.

page_text: "
':
This ratchet wheel permits the wheel E to run loose on the sleeve C in one
direction.
Fis a toothed segment journaled on the pin projecting from the plate,
and is a spring normally holding the toothed segment out of gear with the
toothed wheel E.
G is a plate secured to the front of the plate a and provided with a slot g
of a size suitable to permit a small coin, such as a cent, to be inserted through
it, and to pass through a hole in the plate a.
Hare guide plates adjacent to the slot g. These guide plates are of any
convenient size and shape which will prevent the coin from dropping prematurely
when thrust into the slot.
I is a bell-crank lever pivoted on the pin i behind the slot g. One arm /
of this bell-crank lever is arranged in the, path of the coin and is preferably
curved and provided with a rounded edge so that the coin may slip off it
suddenly.
J is the chute the coin slides down after passing through the slot 9.
The other arm of the bell-crank lever I is pivotally connected to the toothed
segment F by the rod
.
When a coin is thrust through the slot g it pushes back the arm it, as shown
in Figure 3, and moves the tootbed segment into gear with the wheel E.
When the ratchet mechanism is not used the toothed segment revolves the disc c
for a part of a revolution, and the use of the said ratchet. mechanism is to
permit, the toothed segment to revolve the wheel E for a part of a revolutio:
in one direction without turning the disc c. When the coin slips off the arm h
and falls down the coin chute, the spring " pulls 'back the toothed segment
suddenly. This gives the toothed wheel E and the disc e a sharp spin, and
they continue to revolve for some time after the toothed segment has passed out
of gear with the wheel E. The impulse, given to the disc c is a mere matter
of chance depending upon the slipping of the coin off the arm and the accidental
suddenness with which the spring is permitted to act. The position of any
particular picture or motto on the disc c with regard to the pointer or sight hole
when the disc stops, is therefore a matter of great uncertainty and this constitutes
the attraction or pleasure to be derived by using the device. The toothed
segment is preferably provided with stops to limit its movements.
In order to prevent the device from being used otherwise than by inserting a
coin in a legitimate manner, a toothed bar K is pivoted on the pin k projecting.
from the plate a.
M is a spring which normally supports the bar K and holds it in contact
with the underside of a pin m which projects from the toothed segment F.
The bar K is provided with a plate at its end, and this plate is arranged under
coin chute. If a knife blade is inserted through the coin slot, the arm is
pushed back and the toothed segment is turned to the left, but the spring f fails
to spin the disc e because the teeth of the bar K engage with the pin m and prevent
the toothed segment from moving to the right. -
When the device is operated by a coin inserted in a legitimate manner, the
toothed segment is first turned to the left and the pin m caused to engage with one
or another of the teeth of the bar K according to the accidental slipping of the
coin off the arm h, and the toothed segment is then released suddenly by the weight
of the coin which falls outo the plate k' and depresses the toothed bar, K; The
coin then slides off the plate k' and falls to the bottom of the case A.
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 combination, with an exhibiting disc, and a toothed wheel for revolving
it of a pivoted arm adapted to be forcibly pushed back by a coin and suddenly
released; and a spring-actuated toothed segment connected with the said arm and

page_text: operating to be moved into and out of gear with the said wheel and to spin the
Baid disc, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with an exhibiting disc, and a toothed wheel for revolving
it of ratchet mechanism interposed between the said wheel and disc and permitting
the wheel to be turned backward without revolving the disc; and a coin-operated
arm, and a spring-actuated toothed segment for spinning the disc freely, substantially
as set forth.
3. The spring-supported toothed bar having its end arranged in the path of the
descending coin, and engaging with a più projecting from the spring-actuated
toothed segment which spins the exhibiting disc, whereby the segment is released
on the fall of a coin, substantially as set forth.
4. The plate provided with a coin slot and coin guide plates, in combination
with the bell-crank lever for operating the mechanism which spins the exhibiting
disc, said lever having one of its arms arranged between the guide plates in the
path of the coin, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of September 1894.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane,, London, W.C., Agents.