Automatic Rotation Indexing And Masking Of Drum Change Device With Manual Release Of The Masking Shutters

Abstract

A toy game machine is disclosed which includes a plurality of rotatable display drums each bearing suitable combinations of symbols on its peripheral surface and as many display windows as there are such drums for exposing to view therethrough the symbols which have been concealed during rotation of the drums by shutters which automatically mask during rotation and indexing of the drums and which are individually released by manual actuation of the operator.

Description

This invention relates to improvements in and relating to a toy game machine which has a function analogous to playing cards.

Many toy amusement machines of this type have been proposed, and most of them typically comprise a plurality of rotatable display drums bearing suitable combinations of symbols on their respective peripheral surfaces and a push button arrangement designed to stop the drums successively so as to expose the symbols to view through a display window for the purpose of pairing or otherwise matching the various symbols on the drums. Conventional machines of this description have been built in such a way that the symbols are exposed to view immediately after the drums are held to a stop.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved toy game machine of this character which incorporates mechanical features masking a series of symbols until means are operated at will to expose these symbols to view each independently of the others, whereby the sense of amusement is increased manifold.

The machine according to the invention will now be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy game machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine with a rear cover removed to expose its interior components;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional side view showing a combination brake-and-switch element as operatively associated with a display drum and a selector push button;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing shutter means as operatively associated with the selector button and as in a position to close a display window; and

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the brake-and-switch element of FIG. 3 as operatively associated with a starter push button.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a toy game machine 100 which embodies the present invention. This machine includes a housing 101 formed by a front cover 102 and a rear cover 103. The front cover 102 is provided with a plurality of display windows 104 to expose to view the various combinations of symbols, hereinafter described, with the number of said windows corresponding to the number of display drums, hereinafter described. A plurality of selector push buttons later described and a starter push button also later described are arranged for handling on the front cover 102.

Referring to FIG. 2 which shows the various operating components of the machine and to the remaining Figures, there are a plurality of display drums 105 each bearing on its peripheral surface a suitable combination of symbols 106. These drums are mounted for frictional rotation with a shaft 107 journalled for rotation between sides of a machine frame 108. The driving force to effect rotation of the shaft 107, hence drums 105, is provided by a motor M through a transmission unit generally designated at T. A toothed wheel 109 is coupled to each drum 105 and provided peripherally with a number of teeth 109' corresponding to the number of symbols 106 on the drum 105.

A pivotal shaft 110 extends between opposite sides of the machine frame, parallel to the first mentioned shaft 107, for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis. The shaft 110 has fixedly mounted thereon a longitudinal plate member 111 which is provided at spaced positions with a plurality of combination brake-and-switch elements 112. Each brake-and-switch element 112, as better shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, has at one end a hook 113 integral therewith and at the other an L-shape contact lug 114. The element 112 is made preferably of plastics or other insulating material. It is loaded by means of a spring 116 to normally urge the hook 113 into engagement with a tooth 109' of the toothed wheel 109 to thereby discontinue the rotation of the display drum 105 associated therewith. The lug 114 is engageable, when a starter push button later desribed is depressed against the tension of the spring 116, with a longitudinal frame member 108' of the machine frame to thereby close a motor energization circuit not shown and thus effect rotation of the drums 105 all at the same time.

Intermediate between and parallel with shafts 107 and 110, there is provided a shaft 117 having rotatably mounted thereon a number of masking or shutter means 118 corresponding to the number of windows 104, viz the number of symbols 106 and normally positioned to conceal the symbols from view through the windows. The shutter means 118 particularly shown in FIG. 4 includes a centrally arcuate arm 119, a neck portion 120 extending outwardly thereof and mounted on the shaft 117 subjacent the drum shaft 107, a dog-leg portion 121 extending from one end of the arm 119, a selector push button later described, and an enlarged projection 122 extending from the opposite end of the arm 119 substantially radially outwards relative to the drum 105 and dimensioned to mask the window 104.

There are provided as many selector push buttons 115 as there are drums 105, and each of these push buttons has its tab 115a normally projecting on the front cover 102 as shown in FIG. 1. The selector push button 115 is provided with a flange 123 with which to restrict excessive outward movement of the push button and an extending arm 124 integral therewith. The arm 124 has a horizontal projection 125 extending from one side thereof and parallel with the flange 123, thereby defining a pocket as at 126 for accommodating the dog-leg portion 121 of the shutter means 118. The arm 124 extending from the push button 115 is further provided with a vertically elongated slit 127 thereby bifurcating the arm. The bifurcated portions 124a of the arm 124 are resiliently inserted through and supported in an opening 128 formed in the longitudinal frame 108'.

A starter push button 129 is located at an extreme end of the front cover 102 in a position wherein a tip end of its crank arm 130 is held in abutting relation to the last one of a series of brake-and-switch elements 112. More specifically, the tip end 130a of the crank arm 130 is positioned intermediate between pivotal shaft 110 and spring 116 so as to allow the element 112 to rotate clockwise against the tension of the spring 116 when the starter push button 129 is depressed.

With this construction, the game machine according to the invention will be operated in the manner following.

The starter push button 129 is depressed, rotating a series of brake-and-switch elements 112 all at the same time clockwise until the contact lug 114 is brought into contact with the longitudinal frame member 108', whereupon the motor energization circuit is closed to drive all drums 105 simultaneously. The starter button 129 is continued to be depressed as long as the user wishes to keep the drums 105 running. Upon release of the starter button, it is retracted to its normal position under the influence of spring 116, and at the same time, the elements 112 rotate counter clockwise to a position wherein the contact lug 114 is disengaged from the frame 108' to thereby open the motor circuit and the hook 113 engages with the toothed wheel 109 thereby to stop the drums. The selector push buttons 115 are now depressed successively, rotating the shutter means 118 counter clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 4, to a position wherein the masking projection 122 is placed out of registry with the window 104 so as to expose to view therethrough the symbols 106 on each drum. Thus, the cycle of game may be repeated by depressing the starter push button 129 so that all selector buttons 115 are brought back into normal position as the longitudinal plate 111 abuts against the ends of bifurcated portions 124a and trips the buttons 115 outwardly. Designated at B is a battery compartment connected to the motor M.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A toy game machine comprising a plurality of display drums each having a predetermined number of symbols provided at spaced positions on its peripheral surface, a plurality of display windows for exposing said symbols to view therethrough, electrical motor means for driving said drums, a first shaft having said drums frictionally rotatable thereon, a toothed index wheel coupled with each of said drums and having a number of peripheral teeth corresponding to the number of said symbols, a plurality of combination switch and brake elements, a longitudinal plate member carrying said elements, a second shaft pivotal about a horizontal axis extending parallel with said first shaft and having said longitudinal plate member fixedly mounted thereon, a plurality of shutter means each normally masking a window against said symbols, a third shaft extending parallel with said first and second shafts and having said shutter means each rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality of selector push buttons each operatively associated with a respective one of said shutter means and adapted to rotate same into unmasking position when manually actuated, and a starter push button means operatively associated with said motor means and with said combination switch and brake elements through said longitudinal plate member and adapted to rotate said switch and brake elements into and out of a position, respectively when said starter push button means is manually actuated and released, wherein said drums are rotated, said shutter means are returned to a masking position and said drums are braked to an indexed position.

2. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of combination switch and brake elements each includes at one end a projecting hook engageable with said toothed wheel of a respective drum when rotated by biasing means out of said position and at the other end a contact lug engageable with a machine frame and forming therewith a motor switch electrical circuit means when rotated into said position.

3. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of shutter means each includes a centrally arcuate arm, a neck portion extending outwardly thereof and mounted on said third shaft subjacent said first shaft, a dog-leg portion extending from one end of said arm for engagement with a respective one of said selector push buttons and an enlarged projection extending from the opposite end of said arm substantially radially outwards relative to said respective drum and dimensioned to mask a respective window.

4. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said selector push button has a bifurcated extension resiliently inserted through and supported in a respective aperture formed in the machine frame.

5. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said selector push button is provided with a flange and a projection defining therebetween a pocket for accommodating the end of the respective shutter means opposite the mask.