WO1995032487A1

WO1995032487A1 - Amusement apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1995032487A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/001173
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan James Black
Original assignee: Sound Leisure Limited
Priority date: 1994-05-25
Filing date: 1995-05-23
Publication date: 1995-11-30
Also published as: AU2621395A

Abstract

Amusement apparatus is disclosed, comprising a number of targets (2) located beneath at least one striker (16) and means (4) for providing relative movement between the two, the or each striker being operatively connected to a user activated mechanism (20) whereby the or each striker (16) may be caused by the user to approach the targets (2), the targets (2) being operatively connected to a reward mechanism whereby, should a striker (16) hit a particular target, the reward mechanism is triggered.

Description

AMϋSEMENT APPARATUS

The present invention relates to amusement apparatus of the type where a reward, eg a prize, ticket or score point, is given as a consequence of a user hitting a target with some kind of striker.

There are a number of amusement machines currently available based on this principle, and the present invention seeks to improve on existing machines in the sense of enhanced enjoyment value and interest provided by different skill levels-

According to the present invention, there is provided amusement apparatus comprising a number of targets located beneath a at least one striker and means for providing relative movement between the two, the or each striker being operatively connected to a user activated mechanism whereby the or each striker may be caused by the user to approach the targets, the targets being operatively connected to a reward mechanism whereby should a striker hit a particular target the reward mechanism is triggered.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a number of strikers.

Conveniently, the targets are mounted for continuous movement in a circuit located directly beneath the strikers, and the strikers themselves are also mounted for movement independently of the targets, such that the user would move (or stop) the striker until a moving target is about to come directly beneath the striker before activating it.

Preferably, the targets have different "striking areas", those with the largest striking area being the easiest to hit whereas those with the smallest striking area is the most difficult, and by moving or stopping the striker the user can choose which particular target to attempt to hit. Conveniently, the targets are mounted on a series of substantially horizontal arms, one end of which is rigidly secured to a conveyer mechanism which drives the arms bearing the targets around a race-track shaped circuit. Preferably, each arm has a number of targets mounted thereon, ranging from small to large striking area, with the striker being movable over the entire arm to give the possibility of aiming for any one of the targets along that arm.

Alternatively, the targets may be mounted on a rotating turntable, such that rotation of the turntable causes each of the targets to pass, in turn, beneath each striker.

In the illustrated embodiment the targets have releasably secured thereto small prizes such as toys, watches etc and the reward mechanism in this embodiment is therefore simply a spring loaded mechanical arrangement for releasably securing the prize to the target such that when the target is depressed by the striker hitting it, the spring is compressed and the prize is released to drop into a dispensing drawer.

Alternatively, the prizes may be held within small containers, one container being dispensed for each target, hit.

A further option uses coins, either stacked in columns or stored in a hopper, the coins themselves being dispensed as the prize.

Alternative arrangements could incorporate sensors (electronic or opto-electronic) which would sense when a target is hit and send a signal to an appropriate separate reward mechanism, ie electronic score board which would cooperate other elements to give a prize or free game when a particular predetermined score is reached.

Conveniently, the whole apparatus is enclosed within a cabinet having a transparent upper section housing the strikers and targets with most of the mechanical and electronic parts being hidden inside a lower section which also contains the user controls in the form of separate user stations each having a single striker associated with it and comprising controls, a coin or token mechanism for activating the station, and a prize dispensing drawer.

In its simplest form each user station would have only a single control to manipulate and fire the particular striker associated with that station, but a variant of the invention has means for moving the striker automatically and in this case the user station includes two controls, one to stop the striker from moving and the other to fire it.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 2A illustrates in detail the prize release mechanism of the target,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view illustrating the target track and the position of the strikers relative thereto,

Figure 3A illustrates in detail the mechanical arrangement for moving the strikers,

Figure 4 illustrates in detail the arrangement for automatic (motor driven) movement of the strikers, and

Figure 5 illustrates schematically an alternative arrangement of hoppers containing coins, on a turntable,

Figure 6 illustrates the use of coil vendors,

Figure 7 illustrates the use of stacked containers and conveyors, and

Figure 8 illustrates the use of tubes of stacked coins.

Referring to the drawings, amusement apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a machine 10 comprising a number of targets 2 arranged for continuous movement around an endless conveyer track 4, as well as a number of strikers 16 which take the form of "bombs" attached to a length of chain sufficiently long to allow the bomb, once fired, to reach and strike a target, the chain (not shown) then being reeled in again to ready the bomb for the next firing.

The targets are mounted on a number of arms 6 which are rigidly attached to and extend perpendicularly and horizontally from the conveyor 4, with a number of targets 2 being mounted along the length of each arm as shown in Figure 2. As can also be seen from Figure 2, the size of each of the targets 2 along an arm varies, from small through intermediate to large, giving different levels of difficulty according to the target chosen by the user.

The whole machine is mounted within a cabinet 12, the upper part of which is transparent, and may be mounted on castors 13. The machine is intended as a multi-user, coin operated machine, and therefore there are provided a number of user stations 20 comprising coin slot 20a, coin refund drawer 20b, prize dispenser draw 20c, and joystick 20e for manually moving the striker to the desired position and then activating the striker, as well as button 20d for stopping the movement of the striker. One striker or bomb 16 is associated with each station and is located directly above it. A prize 8 is releasably attached to each target 2 by means of the arrangement shown in Figure 2A. Each target comprises a head 2a mounted on a shaft 2b, the latter being mounted for sliding movement up and down within a hollow body 2c. The lowermost end of shaft 2b is widened out at 2e which end protrudes slightly out of the open base of the hollow body 2c when the spring 2d is in its uncompressed state. In this state, the prize 8 may be attached by either simply trapping a string attached to the prize between the shaft end 2e and the hollow body 2c (see string 8b) or by additionally threading the string through a hole 2f drilled through end 2e for the purpose (see string 8a) . The former arrangement releases the prize immediately the target is hit, whereas the latter arrangement releases the prize gradually during successive "hits" as the string 8a gradually drops through hole 2f. In either case, hitting the target with the striker compresses the spring 2d momentarily and forces shaft 2b downwards through hollow body 2c.

Referring to Figures 3 and 3A, the strikers or bombs 16 may themselves be made to move during the game, either by the user manipulating the joystick 20e, or automatically being stopped at will by the user pressing button 20d. For this purpose and arcuate slot 30 is utilised, along which the upper end of the striker travels, driven (in the case of automatic movement) by a motor acting through arms 36 and 38 which are pivoted at points 32 and 34. As can be seen in Figure 4, the bomb 16 scans over the moving targets, travelling along slot 30, driven by a motor which, acting through crank arm 36,38, causes the whole of the slide mechanism 42 to pivot around pivot bush 42a. When the bomb 16 is activated via processor control, the release solenoid 44 is activated, releasing the slide mechanism comprising slide rods 46, slide 48, chain and pulley 47 such that the slide 48 is pulled by the weight of the bomb 16 along the slide rods 46. Upon commencing its outward journey, the slide 48 released the limit switch 51, which in turn starts the motor 52 via processor control. The bomb reset peg 54A catches the slide 48. Thus drawing the bomb upwards ready to be activated again.

In use, the conveyer 4 could be in continuous motion regardless of the use of the machine, and upon inserting a coin at a particular user station that station would be activated and the user can move or stop the striker associated with that station before releasing it at will using the appropriate controls. Thus, by moving the striker 16 or by stopping it at the appropriate point along the arcuate slot 30, the user can choose which of the targets 2 (small, intermediate or large) he will attempt to hit.

One of the advantages of the machine is than because there are a number of targets mounted on each arm, the machine has the capacity to reduce the number of times it has to be refilled with prizes, thus significantly reducing "down time".

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative arrangement in which the targets 60 (four in the illustrated embodiment) are mounted around the perimeter of a rotating turntable 62. Each target 60 is operatively connected to an associated hopper 61 full of coins, the hopper 61 being located directly beneath the associated target. Once a target 60 is hit, the hopper motor 63 is driven, spilling a number of coins directly out to the player, down pay out chute 65, optionally with the use of a conveyor 64. Alternatively, the coins could be caused by the motor 63 to fall onto a plate which has a number of coins on it, such that when the hopper pushes further coins onto the plate this effect could knock a number of coins into the pay¬ out chute.

Figures 6 through 7 illustrate alternative prize arrangements, each being for use with the turntable as illustrated in Figure 5.

In Figure 6, target heads 66 are attached to a number of coil vendors 67, each driven by an associated motor 68. Prizes 69 such as toys etc. are attached to the coil vendor as illustrated. The machine would hold up to eight arms holding up to twenty prizes which rotate with the turntable. Each arm has a different size target head at its end - a smaller target for better prizes, a larger target for cheaper prizes.

Instead of a coil vendor, an alternative is to use a conveyor system such as that illustrated in Figure 7. This employs a number of circular containers 72, stacked within a number of holders 70 (up to eight) which are fixed to the rotating turntable. Conveyors 74 work by pushing the bottom of the stack and dispensing one container 72 for each target 66 hit.

Figure 8 illustrates a further option, comprising a number or motor or coil driven pay-out tubes 76, arranged in a circle to give six to eight arms full of coins, mounted on a rotating turntable as previously described. Each tube has an associated target 66 above each arm, which when hit activates a solenoid 78 causing one or more coins to be dispensed.

Claims

1. Amusement apparatus comprising a number of targets located beneath at least one striker and means for providing relative movement between the two, the or each striker being operatively connected to a user activated mechanism whereby the or each striker may be caused by the user to approach the targets, the targets being operatively connected to a reward mechanism whereby should a striker hit a particular target the reward mechanism is triggered.

2. Apparatus according to Claim l wherein the apparatus includes a number of strikers.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the targets are mounted for continuous movement in a circuit located directly beneath the strikers, and the strikers themselves are also mounted for movement independently of the targets, such that the user would move (or stop) the striker until a moving target is about to come directly beneath the striker before activating it.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the targets have different "striking areas" being of either small, intermediate or large area.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the targets are mounted on a series of substantially horizontal arms, one end of which is rigidly secured to a conveyer mechanism which drives the arms bearing the targets around a race-track shaped circuit.

6. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the targets are mounted on a rotating turntable.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the targets are of varying size, ranging from small through intermediate to large striking area.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims wherein each target has associated therewith a prize which is dispensed upon hitting the associated target.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein the targets have releasably secured thereto small prizes such as toys, watches etc by means of a spring loaded mechanical arrangement such that when the target is depressed by the striker hitting it, the spring is compressed and the prize is released to drop into a dispensing drawer.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 8 wherein each target is operatively linked to one or more separate, prize dispensing mechanisms, such that hitting a target causes a prize to be dispensed therefrom.

11. Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 7 wherein there is incorporated sensors (electronic or opto-electronic) which would sense when a target is hit and send a signal to an appropriate separate reward mechanism.

12. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the apparatus includes at least one user station, each user station being associated with a striker and having a single control to manipulate and fire said striker.

13. Apparatus according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the apparatus includes means for moving the striker automatically and has at least one user station, each user station being associated with a striker and having two controls, one to stop the striker from moving and the other to fire it.