Patent ID: 7192342

Claim:
A crane game comprising: a crane maneuverable within a target bin by a player and including acquisition means for capturing a target therein; a plurality of targets disposed within the target bin, each said target having a value associated therewith; a variable width inclined slot located above said target bin for establishing a diameter of a captured target, the variable width inclined slot comprising a plurality of stations longitudinally disposed along the slot and each station associated with a portion of the slot having a constant width, and wherein a width of the slot at each station increases as an elevation of the inclined slot decreases such that a target moving down the inclined slot will fall through the slot when the width of the slot exceeds the diameter of the target, back into the target bin; a target conveyor for delivering a captured target to said variable width slot; a sensor for optically sensing when a target passes though a portion of said slot, and for sensing which portion of said slot said target passes though, said sensor capable of communicating a different signal depending upon which slot the target passes through; and a ticket dispensing mechanism for receiving said signal from said sensor and dispensing redeemable tickets in an amount determined by a signal received corresponding to a particular sized target.