Motor Driven Rotatable Drum Chance Device

Abstract

An amusement device is disclosed which essentially comprises a plurality of display drums each provided on its peripheral surface at circumferentially spaced positions with combinations of symbols, a pushbutton arrangement for stopping rotation of the drums successively so as to pair or match the symbols on one drum with those on another and a handle lever for releasing the depressed pushbuttons.

Description

This invention relates to an amusement device and has particular reference to such device which is designed for playing by matching or pairing suitable combinations of symbols provided thereon.

The present invention has for an object to provide an amusement or toy device of the class described which is very simple in construction and easy in operation, and which may be further built compact to adapt itself for use by children. This object together with other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an amusement device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a side view partly sectional, of interior components of the device, illustrating in particular a drum actuating mechanism as in its operative position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the drum actuating mechanism in its inoperative position; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of operating members of the device including pushbuttons and a handle lever.

Briefly stated, the device according to the invention comprises a generally rectangular casing, a plurality of drums each rotatably mounted on a common shaft secured to the sidewalls of said casing and having on its periphery at circumferentially spaced positions various combinations of symbols such as for example pictures, letters, numerals and the like; a drum actuating mechanism including a drive shaft connected via reduction gears to a motor and a transmission roller normally engaged with said drive shaft to effect rotation of each drum; a drum braking mechanism including a cam wheel having a plurality of circumferential grooves and secured to one side of the drum and a stop roller disposed for engagement with said cam wheel to discontinue rotation of the drum; a rotative forked lever member carrying said transmission roller rotatably on one arm thereof for engagement between said drive shaft and drum surface and said braking roller rotatably on the other arm for engagement with said cam wheel; a plurality of pushbuttons projecting externally of the front wall of said casing; a connecting rod connecting between each of said pushbuttons with said forked member; a shaft journaled for rotation between the sidewalls of said casing subjacent said pushbuttons; a handle secured to one end of said shaft and extending externally of one sidewall of the casing; and release means including a plate member pivotally mounted on said shaft and a press or member secured to said shaft and abutting against said plate member, said means having a first position determined upon depression of any of said pushbuttons wherein the drum associated with the thus depressed pushbutton is brought to a stop and a second position determined upon a return movement of said handle to release all of said pushbuttons wherein rotation of all of said drums is effected.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular, there is shown an amusement device 10 embodying the invention and comprising a casing 11 which may be generally rectangular for accommodating therein a variety of components and parts of the device and which is formed by a front panel 12, a rear cover 13 and sidewalls (not shown). The front panel 12 is provided with a display window 14 to expose to a view a portion of the peripheral surface of each of a plurality of drums 15 mounted for rotation on a common shaft 16 between the sidewalls of the casing 11. Each drum 15 shown by imaginary line in FIG. 1 is provided on its periphery at circumferentially spaced positions with suitable combinations of symbols 17 which are successively viewable through the window 14 as the drums rotate. The front panel 11 is further provided with as many pushbuttons 18 as are the drums 15 for stopping the rotation of the latter in a manner hereinafter described. Designated at 19 is a rotatable handle connected with a release means later described for releasing the pushbuttons to resume rotation of the drums. Designated at 20 is a switch knob for turning on and off a motor schematically shown at M in FIGS. 3 and 4. The rear cover 13 is provided at its lower portion with a battery compartment cover 21 hinged as at 22 to the cover 13.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, the drum 15 is shown as associated with its actuating mechanism including a forked lever member 23 having bifurcated arms 23a and 23b. The arm 23a has rotatably carried at an end thereof a transmission roller 24 preferably made of rubber engageable between the drum surface and a drive shaft 25. A tip end of the other arm 23b of the forked member 23 has rotatably carried thereon a braking roller 26 engageable with a cam wheel 27 secured to one side of the drum 15. The cam wheel 27 is provided around its peripheral surface with grooves 27a for engagement with the braking roller 26. The grooves 27a correspond in number to the symbols 17 on each drum 15 and are positioned to register with the latter, so that as the braking roller 26 engages any particular groove, the drum stops instantaneously with a predetermined one of the symbols 17 stationarily viewable through the window 14. The forked member 23 has its stem portion 28 connected to one end of a connecting rod 29, the other end of which rod is connected to the pushbutton 18, in such manner that the pushbutton may be depressed to pivot the forked member 23 about a pin 30 into a position wherein the braking roller 26 engages the cam wheel 27 to stop the drum as seen in FIG. 4. In this position of the device, the transmission roller 24 is released from engagement between the drive shaft 25 and the drum surface so that transmission of the rotational power from the motor M to the drum is discontinued as shown in FIG. 3. The drive shaft 25 is connected to the motor M via suitable reduction gears indicated by imaginary line and is normally held in rotation with the switch 20 in on-position.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a release means 31 including a plate member 32 having a lug 33 for pivotal and extending axially thereof and a pressor member 35 secured to the shaft 34 and normally urged by a spring 36 toward the forked lever member 23. The handle 19 is secured by means of a flange 37 to an external end of the shaft 34. The plate member 32 has its upper longitudinal edge portion disposed for abutting relation to the pushbuttons 18. The pressor member 35 of the release means 31 has a projection 35a extending behind the plate member 32 in abutting relation thereto, whereby as the handle 19 is rotated by hand counterclockwise, viz, in the direction of an arrow shown, the pressor member 35 rotates therewith and presses the plate member 32 against the pushbuttons 18 against tension in the spring 36, thus returning the pushbuttons to a released position as illustrated in FIG. 3. In this position of the pushbuttons 18, all drums 15 are held in actuated position wherein the transmission rollers 24 are engaged with the drive shaft 25 and drum surface to thereby effect rotation of the drums and the braking roller 26 is disengaged from the cam wheel 27. While the drums 15 are thus in rotation, the pushbuttons 18 may be successively depressed with an aim to match or pair the symbols 17 on the drums. Depression of each pushbutton causes the forked lever 23 to move counterclockwise so as to bring the braking roller 26 into engagement with a predetermined one of the grooves 27a in the cam wheel 27 and simultaneously to displace the transmission roller 24 apart from the drive shaft 25 and from the periphery of the drum associated with the depressed pushbutton as shown in FIG. 4, whereby this drum is brought to a stop with a certain symbol 17 thereon exposed to a view through the window 14. Depression of the remaining pushbuttons 18 acts upon the respective forked levers 23 in the manner already described to discontinue the rotation of the drums associated with the thus depressed pushbuttons. Designated at 38 is a spring adapted to stabilize the position of the forked lever 23.

Having thus described the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form and construction described herein above and shown in the accompanying drawings, but various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An amusement device which comprises in combination, a generally rectangular casing, a plurality of drums each rotatably mounted on a common shaft secured to the sidewalls of said casing and having on its periphery at circumferentially spaced positions various combinations of symbols; a drum actuating mechanism including a drive shaft connected via reduction gears to a motor and a transmission roller for each drum normally engaged with said drive shaft to effect rotation of the associated drum; a like plurality of drum braking mechanisms each including a cam wheel having a plurality of circumferential grooves and secured to one side of the drum and a stop roller disposed for engagement with each said cam wheel to discontinue rotation of the drum; a like plurality of rotative forked lever members each carrying a transmission roller rotatably on one arm thereof for engagement between said drive shaft and drum surface and a stop roller rotatably on the other arm for engagement with said cam wheel; a like plurality of pushbuttons projecting externally of the front wall of said casing; a like plurality of connecting rods each connecting between one of said pushbuttons with a respective forked member; a shaft journaled for rotation between the sidewalls of said casing subjacent said pushbuttons; a handle secured to one end of said shaft and extending externally of one sidewall of the casing; and release means including a plate member pivotally mounted on said shaft and a pressor member secured to said shaft and abutting against said plate member, said means having a first position determined upon depression of any of said pushbuttons wherein the drum associated with the thus depressed pushbutton is brought to a stop and a second position determined upon a return movement of said handle to release all of said pushbuttons wherein rotation of all of said drums is effected.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said cam wheel is provided in its peripheral surface with grooves equal in number to and correspondent in position to said symbols on each drum.