US2022278A - Game - Google Patents

Description

INVENTOR,

mum,

ATTORNE M. A ELLIOTTE GAME Filed Dec. 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l SDSUEUEUSUEUSUSUEUSM EE334455EE77EBES 5OOOOOOOGGOGYOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOQOGOOGOQOOGOOO Nov. 26, 1935.

Nov. 26, 1935. M. A. ELLIOTTE 2,022,278

GAME

Filed Dec. 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dgwgw A TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME Marion A. Elliotte, Philadelphia, Pa. Application December 29, 1933, Serial No. 704,383 7 Claims. (01. 273F143) The object of the invention is to provide improvements in games broadly, but more particularly in that type in which the element of chance is emphasized.

Another object more specifically is to provide a device of this character, in which one or more indicia-carrying rotary elements are set into motion, and after a variable period of rotation are suddenly brought to rest, soas to visually indicate a corresponding number of such indicia,

- after which the parties operating the device may note the same, either upon a score-keeping structure of the device itself, or in some manner separate from the device.

Still another object is to provide in such a device a plurality of the said rotary elements, and a single means for arresting the motion of the same, but so constructed as to stop said elements in a slightly difierent sequence of time, or in other words by a delayed action of one after another.

A still further object is to provide for such a device means for imparting rotary motion to the said elements, consisting of friction means adapted to yieldingly impart the desired motion, preferablyin one direction first, and then in the other direction, and comprising in one embodiment an oscillatory driving member having a V- shaped friction surface, and a driven member carried by each of the rotary elements and also having V-shaped friction surfaces engageable with said first-mentioned driving surface, all for the purpose of providing a semi-positive driving mechanism adapted to offset wear of said members, while eliminating the irregular engagement, disengagement and jarring of the conventional type of gear and other means of power transmission, commonly employed.

With these general objects in view, the invention comprises further details of construction and operation, which are fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a development of the peripheral indicia-bearing surfaces of one of the rotary elements;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of one of the scoring pegs or similar members;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the operating unit of the device, removed from the surrounding casins;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rotary elements and associated arresting mechanism;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line l-'! of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing the fric- 5 tional engagement of the oscillatory actuating member and the two grooved friction pulleys engaged thereby.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the invention comprises a casing I, having sub- 10 stantially its entire top Wall provided with an aperture, normally covered by means of a closure 2, said closure comprising, either a single section, or a plurality of sections, in which latter case the normally forward closure section 2 covers that portion of the interior of the casing in which is located the mechanism illustrated in Figs.

2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, while the other or rearwardly positioned closure section 2 merely serves as a score-keeping board provided with parallel rows of apertures in columns headed by the respective digits fl, 2, 3, together with continuations of said rows respectively headed by 4, 5 and 6. Between the primary rows first-mentioned and their continuations there may be printed, engraved, or otherwise indicated upon these score-keeping closure sections a series of score-indicating numerals, or other suitable indicia, as represented by the consecutive numerals 5, 10, 15 and so on to 100, or higher if necessary, or with greater or less numerical gaps between said numbers if desired. There may also be provided in this board? a series of additional apertures 3 and 4, to afford means for loosely receiving and supporting the pins or pegs 5 (Fig. 3), by which two or more persons playing keep the score of their respective plays in the first-mentioned rows. of apertures and their extensions.

The first-mentioned closure section 2 is provided with preferably two or more window apertures 6 and l, and also with apertures 8 and 9, thru which latter slidably extend the respective actuating and brake rods l0 and II, carrying the respective finger-engageable buttons or knobs I2 and I3.

Within the casing I, the mechanism hereinbefore referred to preferably comprises a pair of polygonal rotary elements I4 and I5, mounted upon shafts l6 and i1 respectively, which latter 0 are journalled in the oppositely positioned side plates l8 and l9 of a suitable frame, said plates being properly spaced by means'of bars 20. Said shafts l6 and i1 carry friction pulleys 2| and 22, each being provided with a concave, preferably V-shaped slot, and also suitable ratchet or star wheels 23 and 24. 7

Also carried by said frame is a shaft 25, carrying a gear 26 in alignment and adapted to mesh with the rack teeth 21 upon the actuating rod it], said rack teeth either being out of mesh with the gear 26 when the device is at rest, or in constant mesh therewith as may be desired. The shaft 25 also carries a driving member comprising a segment 28, provided upon its radially outer curved surface with a friction member 29 of leather or other suitable material adapted to engage and frictionally cooperate with the grooved surfaces of the two pulleys 2| and 22, as hereinafter described, while preferably surrounding the shaft 25 is a coil spring 30, one end of which is secured at 32 to the driving member 28, while the opposite end is secured at 33 to the frame plate 19.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7, the frame mechanism comprises an oscillatable lever 34, pivotally mounted by means of a pin 35 upon an extension 36 of the frame plate l9, said lever upon its outer arm being provided with a laterally extending projection 31, adapted to be engaged by the lowermost end of the frame bar II, when the knob 13 is pressed downwardly against the tension of the coil spring 38. The opposite arm of said lever is provided with a pair of oppositely extending projections 39 and 49, in turn provided with upwardly projecting rounded or tapered fingers 4| and 42, of which one is longer than the other, while both of them are adapted, upon depression of the knob l3, to extend into the path of rotation of and between the consecutive teeth of said star wheels 23 and 24.

In the operation of the device and with the parts in the relative arrangement shown in the drawings, as illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, the actuating knob I 2 may be quickly depressed and then released as many times as a player may desire, in order to insure a complete shuffling of the numerals or other indicia carried by the several faces 43 of the respective rotatable elements l4 and I5, as seen in Fig. 2, or in other words to insure a change in the angular relation between said elements upon their respective shafts fromthe relative positions at which they came to rest with the previous operation of the device. After the actuating knob has been thus depressed and re-' leased, during which action the segment 28 has passed to and fro thru the are indicated by dotted lines Fig. 8, and thereby ultimately engaging the pulleys 2| and 22 in sequence, first in one direction and then in the other, it will be noted that said elements are free to spin upon their respective axes. Finally, after either a relatively long or short period of spinning, the rotation of said elements may be arrested as suddenly as may be desired by depressing the break knob l3. This operation tilts the lever 34, so that the fingers 4| and 42 rise upwardly into the respective paths of rotation of the teeth or star wheels 23 and 24, respectively. However, as one of said fingers is by design longer than the other, the star wheel adjacent thereto and its corresponding element l5 are stopped or arrested substantially earlier than the corresponding halting of the rotation of the other star wheel and its associated element.

Upon the rotation of said elements being thus halted, it is obvious that the numerals or other indicia carried by the uppermost faces thereof may be rotated thru the respective plates 5 and 1,

and these digits added, subtracted, multiplied, or otherwise reckoned, as may be demanded by the particular game for which the device is operated, and the pegs 5 being moved progressively thru the respective rows and extensions of the same 5 hereinbefore referred to, iri order 'to keep the scores of the persons operating the device.

. I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and 10 I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention. 15

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, driven means rotatable there- 20 with, a pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member adapted to frictionally engage and disengage said driven means, and common means to positively halt the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously. 25

2. A game device,-comprising a plurality of rotary elements, aligned driven means rotatable therewith, a single pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member adapted to frictionally engage and rotate said elements in sequence, resilient 30 means to normally maintain said member in a given, position, and manually actuatable means operable against the tension of said resilient means, to shift said driving member and rotate said elements. V

3. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, aligned driven means rotatable therewith, a single pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member adapted to frictionally engage and rotate said elements in sequence, resilient means to normally maintain said member in a given position, manually actuatable means operable against the tension of said resilient means,

V to shift said'driving member and rotate said elements, and common means positively to halt 15 the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

4. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, driven means rotatable therewith, a pivotally mounted oscillatable driving 50 member adapted to frictionally engage and rotate said elements, resilient means to normally maintain said member in a given position, manually actuatable means operable against the tension of said resilient means, to shift said driving member and rotate said elements, toothed wheels rotatable with said elements, and common means engageable to a fixed different extent with the teeth of' said wheels, to halt the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

5. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, a plurality of driven means rotatable with each element and in substantial alignment with each other, a single pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member, adapted to frictionally engage and disengage said driven means in sequence, and common means to positively halt the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

6. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary. elements, a plurality of driven means rotatable with each element and in substantial alignment with each other, a single pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member, adapted to 751 frictionally engage and disengage said driven means in sequenee, and common manually actuatable means to positively halt the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

7. A game device, comprising a plurality of rotary elements, a plurality of driven means in substantial alignment rotatable therewith, a single pivotally mounted oscillatable driving member adapted to frictionally engage and rotate said elements, resilient means to normally maintain said member in a given position, manually actuatable means operable against the tension of said resilient means, to shift the driving memher and rotate said elements, toothed wheels rotatable with said elements, and common means engageable to a fixed different extent with the I teeth of said wheels, to halt the rotation of said elements other than simultaneously.

MARION A. ELLIOTTE.

Images