US2178276A - Anticheat device for games, etc. - Google Patents

Description

. 1939. R. H. BREITHER 2,178.276

ANTICHEAT DEVICE FOR GAMES, ETC

Filed Dec. 2, 1937 a2 5% I 7 O M F7 1 0 l U ifi k? lzsh l 722/ ago 7 AN'rronEA'r DEVICE roa GAMES, ETG.

. Robert H. Breither, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Ray- I mend T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 2, 1937, Serial No. 177,673,

Claims. (01 194-97) The inventionrelatesto an anticheat means for use with amusement apparatus, vending machines, etc., which are released for operation by avcoin slide. I

These coin slides, as is well known in the art, usually embodying means to engage a fraudulent coin or check,. such as one having a hole therein, or being magnetic, to lock the slide against making the full stroke thereof necessary to release 1 the apparatus. The slide serves/when properly operated, to move a, link or the like to release the apparatus for operation. Sometimes, unscrupu- .lous persons, using an authentic coin may place one hand around the coin slide and with the other hand move the slide inwardly to a mid point or less than the full stroke and then with their y free hand suddenly and sharply jar the slide so that its inner end without any further inward sliding movement will suddenly jar the release linkage, and by the inertia so set up, cause operation of the linkage'without passing the slide or coin its full stroke. The hand surrounding the slide acts as a stop to prevent the slide from making its full stroke. In this manner the apparatus may occasionally be. operated by the inertia of shock imparted by the coin slide to the interior release linkage mechanism without losing the .coin, since the slide cannot make a full "stroke and discharge the coin. This form of petty cheating is sufficiently prevalent to create a problem.

Accordingly, the main object of the invention 'isto provide means for apparatus of the kind mentioned, to operate a-signal or analogous telltale device by inertia created by sudden shock imparted through the coin slide.

Another object of the invention is 'to provide an improved cheat proof'means operativelyfassociated with a coin slide in the manner andfor the purposes stated.

. Still another objectis to provide a swinging arm, inertia operated through shock transmitted by the coin slide, to close a contact and circuit for an electrical signal oiany suitable character.

Other important objects will become apparent to those skilled in this art'as the disclosure is more fully made.

Briefly these objects'may be achieved in an push a linkage, or equivalent mechanism, to re- 2 I 55 lease the apparatus for operation. If the stroke of the slide is restrained short. of its full stroke and then has a sudden jar or shock imparted thereto, the inner end-of the slide would engage therelease linkage sufficientlyto transmit said shock and cause the linkage to be moved and v5 perform its release function and operation of the apparatus[ Byassociating a free swinging member, or weighted pendulum arm with the linkage in a manner to be swingable by such inertia shock, it is possible to use such arm to close an 10 electrical contact and circuit to cause operation of a suitable signal device, such for example, as an electric lamp to give a visual indication that the machine is being fraudulently manipulated.

In the illustrative embodiment of the inven- 15 tion herein shown, a pin ball amusement game apparatus is depicted by way of example. In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view. of a part of a pin ball type of game, with the game board partly broken g away to expose the mechanism of this invention disposed therebelow; and,

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the structure, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking-in the direction of the arrows. g 25 The apparatus shown embodies a cabinet Ill, having a front wall II, carrying a-manually slidable coin slide l2, in the front wall thereof, inany conventional manner. When the slide carries a coin, or is coin released, so to speak, it may ,30

be pushed into the cabinet, the instroke thereof art. The cabinet illat its top is closed'bythe 149 usual glass panel cover It.

The game apparatus includes a'normally open,

spring blade contact switch i! carried appropriately on a wall of the cabinetsaidswitch being in an electrical signalcircuit l8 with a source of electrical energy l9 and a suitable signal, such for example, as the electric lamp 211. It is desirable to turn on this lamp as a signal, or visual indication, every time an unscrupulous player deliberately restrains or jams the coin slide I2 50.

and by suddenly shockingsame attempts to utilize the inertia so developed to cause release of the interior parts in a dishonest manner. To bring about this indicator result the interior release parts of the game are constructed to include an inertia responsive element which under the circumstances described will cause the switch H to be closed.

The release parts include an upright lever 2| pivoted at its lower end by a pin 22 to a mounting bracket 23 carried on an adjacent side wall of the cabinet. The upper end of this lever 2| is in a position to be engaged by the inner end of the coin slide |2 upon an instroke of the latter in a manner that will be quite apparent from thedotted line and full line showing in Figure 2.

This lever 2| has pivotally connected to it, a releaser member in the form of a link 24, the free end, or rear end of which is guided between rollers 25 carried on a bracket 26 mounted on the adjacent side wall of the cabinet. The rear end i of the link is bent at a right angle as at 21 to carry an adjusting screw 28 for accurately determining the length of the link in accordance with the stroke it is intended to make in relation to the position of the interior parts of the apparatus to be released, It is to be understood that this screw 28 is the end of the link which engages and pushes the parts to be released. 7 Such parts are not shown as it is unnecessary.

Adjacent the link is pivotally carried a swingable arm or pendulum 29 in a bracket 30, said arm being fulcrumed intermediate its ends, with the lower end thereof carrying a weight 3| swingable with the arm in an are so as to enable it to engage and close the contact switch IT, as shown. The link, or bar 24 carries an abutment or pin 32 extending laterally so as to engage and swing the arm 29, it being the upper end of the arm that is so engaged as will readily be seen. This arm 29 is limited to swinging movement in an arc, the length of which is determined by oppositely disposed stop pins 33 and 34 extending from the cabinet Wall. A weak coil spring 35 connects between the wall and the upper end of the arm 29 to hold the lower end of the arm yieldably against the stop pin 33. V

In the normal, natural push in stroke of the coin slide the lever 2| and link 24 are easily moved to cause the inner end 28 thereof to engage and release the releasable parts of the apparatus. After these parts are released or set up for operation a spring not shown serves to retract the slide l2, or it may be retracted by hand. Such natural or easy operation of these releaser parts will not affect the arm 29 or will merely swing it so slightly that it cannot engage the switch I! and close it. However, under sudden shock as when the slide I2 is held part way in and then sharply pounded, an inertia force is set up through the link 24 that will cause the pin 32 so sharply to strike, the arm 29 as to make it swing to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, where the weighted end 3| thereof will engage and close the switch thus operating the signal or indicator 20 to show a fraudulent release of the apparatus. Thus, inertia transmitted through the coin slide I2 is utilized to thwart cheaters.

It is the intention to cover all changes and modifications not departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a cabinet carrying a coin slide movable thereinto to release and adapt interior parts for operation, releasing means comprising a lever fulcrumed in the cabinet and swingable by the coin slide on the instroke of the latter, a releaser link operable by the lever, a swingable member operatively associated with the link, and a normally open contact switch for an electrical indicator circuit included in the apparatus, said member adapted to engage and close the switch when the slide is given a quick sudden stroke.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a cabinet carrying a coin slide movable thereinto to release and adapt interior parts for operation, releasing means located in the cabinet and operable by the coin slide on the instroke of the latter to release the interior parts for operation,

means, operativelyassociated withthe releasing means and a normally'open switch for an electrical indicator circuit included in the apparatus, the last named means being operable to close the switch when the slide is given a quick sudden stroke.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a cabinet carrying a coin slide movable thereinto to release and adapt interior parts for operation, releasing means comprising a shiftable member carried in the cabinet and movable upon the instroke of the coin slide, a normally open switch for an electrical indicator circuit included in the apparatus, and a pendulum member operatively associated with the shiftable member and operable upon a quick sudden stroke of the coin slide to effect closing of the switch 4. In anapparatus of the class described, a cabinet carrying a coin slide movable thereinto to release and adapt interior parts for operation, releasing means comprising a shiftable member carried in the cabinet and movable upon the instroke of the coin slide, a normally open switch for an electrical indicator circuit included in the apparatus, a pendulum member operatively associated with thelshiftable member and operable upon a sudden quick stroke of the coin slide to effect closing of the switch, a stop for limiting movement of the pendulum in one direction, and resilient means for yieldably holding the pendulum normally seated against said stop.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a cabinet carrying a coin slide movable thereinto to release and adapt interior parts for operation, a lever fulcrumed in the cabinet and movable by the slide on the instroke of the latter, a link pivotally connected to the lever and movable thereby to release the interior parts, an abutment on the link, a normally open switch for an electrical signalcircuit included in the apparatus, and a pendulum member operatively associated with the link and engageable by the abutment to be swung thereby upon a sudden quick stroke of the coin slide to effect closing of the switch.

ROBERT H. BREITHER.

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