Ball transfer and
switch means
US 2864620 A
Images(5)
Description (OCR text may contain errors)
DSG 16 1958 D. E. HOOKER ET AL 2,864,620
BALL TRANSFER AND
SWITCH MEANS Filed March l2, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet l .......unnnum
INVENTORS Dmzdld f. Hooker
By# C arles roeller Dec. 16, 19.58' v l D, E, HQOKER ETAL 2,864,620
BALL TRANSFER AND
SWITQH MEANS Filed March 12, 1956 5 Sheets-Shea?I 2 Z0/,x FICVQS 17 l; t
a y /2A\ QA 111,3.' 1...!" 1 ,.1 'Izq'.flarhfllv
Il. y
INVENTORS .Donald f. Hooker By Charles 6.
ller Dec. 16, 1958 D. E. HOOKER ET AL 2,854,620
BALL TRANSFER AND
SWITCH MEANS Filed March l2, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 W nl 522 IN V EN TORS Donald f. Hooker B ChoJrIeSTroe/Zer Dec. 16, 1958 b. E. HOOKER
ETAL 2,854,620
` BALL TRANSFER AND
SWITCH MEANS Filed March 12, 195e 5 sheets-sheet 4 FIG. 10
.51 @im @il ii' @e i57x/ 6/ (5s-xm@
@0575 5x @0 I N V EN TORS Donald E. )baker QH-017mg D.
E. HOOKER ET AL 2,864,620
Dec. 16, 1958 BALL
TRANSFER AND SWITCH MEANS Filed March l2, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 72j g. /3
"l 3 @D Q@ L 10.3 #lk lief
RIG/I7' l [FT (106 10Q l United States Patent() I
2,864,620 BALL TRANSFER AND SWITCH MEANS Application March 12, 1956, Serial No.
570,930
7
Claims. (Cl. 273-124) This
invention pertains to ball kickout devices for use in
ball-rolling games, and has as its broad object the provision of a novelty
ball-kickout mechanism operable to produce
interesting and varied ball movements and particularly capable of transferring
pocketed balls selectively in either of two directions, right or left, in a
special series or alignment of pockets. v
Another object is the
provision of a ball shifting mechanism for a series of special ball pockets
which is effective to cause a ball from a certain pocket to hurdle a ball in a
certain other pocket to be expelled from the serres.
Another object is to
provide a ball transfer or kickout mechanism which
can act to expel all but the last ball from a terminal pocket or station.
y A further object is the provision, in a
device of the class described, of circuit and control means operable to
selectively effect right and left ball-shifting and expulsion actions, as
aforesaid, and also to effect an automatic clearing action to expel all
pocketed balls in conditioning a game for replay.
Still another object
is a novel ball-switch means and a special tee means cooperable
with a ball-explusion
leverage for procuring uniform explusion
displacements or velocity of the several balls in order that none shall fail to
attain its new position and no ball shall escape sidewise from the series or
drop back.
Additional objects and
aspects of novelty and utility relate to details of the construction and
operation of the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the
annexed drawings, in which:
Fig. l is a top plan
View of a fragment of a'ball-rolling board, with portions
cut away to show details of the new ball transfer unit;
Fig. 2 is a vertical
section through the board structure of Fig. 1 with parts of said ball transfer
unit shown in elevation;
Fig. 3 is an elevational view, to reduced scale, of the structure of
Fig. 2, the ball board being Ishown in section;
Fig. 4 is a transverse
vertical sectional detail taken along lines 4 4 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a
perspective detail of one of the ball tees;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged
vertical sectional fragment through ball pockets in the board showing the
function of the tees;
Fig. 7 is a bottom
plan view of the structure of Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is an
operational detail in vertical section through the ball transfer unit;
Fig. 9 is a
perspective detail of one of the ball expulsion levers;
Fig. 10 is a
fragmentary bottom plan view of the ball rolling board similar to, but more
extensive than, Fig. 7 and shows the ball switches in normal, non-operated
condition;
'
Fig. 1v1 `is similar to
Fig. 10 but showing the switch means n top plan;
Fig. l2 is a vertical
sectional fragment along lines 12-12 of Fig. l1 showing the operation of the
switch means by' a ball in a modified construction.
ice
Fig. 13 is a circuit
and operational diagram.
In Fig. 2 there is
shown the transverse vertical sectional view of a portion of a ball rolling
board 15 in which are arranged a certain number of special ballreceiving
holes or pockets 16 constituting a set extending in a line across the board and
located equidistantly apart.
Secured beneath the aforesaid
set of special ball pockets 16 is a ball transfer unit generally indicated at
17 (Figs. l to 4) which includes ball-ejection means selectively operable to
expel a ball from any special pocket and cause the ball to move into the next
adjoining pocket on either side of the pocket from which the ball is thus
expelled. The action of the ball-ejecting means for one of the two selectively
possible directions of movement of the ball is illustrated in Fig. 8.
The transfer unit 17
as depicted in Figs. 1 to 4, consists of a chassis comprising a pair of side
plates 18 and 19,`
tied together by cross straps 20 removably secured thereto at the opposite ends thereof, as
in Fig. l3.
A mounting llange 1SF or 19F (Figs. l and 4) is struck out along the
upper margin of both chassis plates and screws are passed therethroughto
secure the chassis to the underside of the board 15 beneath the pockets 16,
this construction being shown to advantage in Fig. 4.
Below and offset from
each ball pocket are a pair of cross shafts 26A, 20B journalled
in said chassis plates (Figs. 3 and 4) and each shaft has pivotally carried
thereon a ball-ejecting lever 21 of the peculiar shape shown in Fig. 9, there
being a pair of these levers 21L and 21R (Fig. 8) associated with each ball pocket
for selective leftand right-hand ball ejection
responsive to elevation thereof as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8.
According to Fig. 9,
the configuration of the ejector levers is especially contrived to provide a
pair of spaced prongs 21P which are part of an integral stamping 21S riveted
(Fig. 4) to an offset vertical arm 21V integral with-the lever, the ends of the
prongs being bevelled empirically to produce a
consistent trajectory or line of movement of the ejected ball from its pocket,
the parameters for shaping these bevels depending upon the size and weight of
the ball, and the proximity of the next adjacent pocket into which the ball is
to be displaced, and the force utilized to actuate the levers, the invention in
this respect being successful where prior devices of this type have failed
because they could not reliably `cause the transfer of a ball into the intended
pocket with cornmercially consistent dependability. f
The ejector-lever
stampings have a turned-over bracket portion 21B pierced with aligned bores to
engage the appertaining cross shaft; and an arcuate slot 21K is provided
beneath one of these bores in the main lever in Fig. 8, While permitting the
lever to pivot freely on its own shaft, since each pair of ejector levers must serve
the same ball pocket and operate in a space of small area. Depending from the
bracket portion 21B of each ejector lever (Fig. 9) is an arcuate tail 21T
studded at its end 21W to be engaged by the hooked end of an anpertaining load-compensating and adjusting spring 2.2
(Fig. 8), the opposite end of each such spring being anchored on one or the
other of two horizontally-shiftable actuator bars 23L
or 23R which will cause all of the associated ball-ejector levers for right or
left transfer of balls to be actuated simultaneously. Thus, all ejector levers
21L are individually coupled through springs 22 to a corresponding common shift
bar 23L, and levers 21R are spring-coupled to the bar 23R.
, The shift bars 2.3L
and 23R (Fig. 4) are L-shaped in cross-section to seat slidably
in cross bearers 24 attached to the lower parts of the chassis plates, and
having L-shaped slots 25 to seat said bars.
As depicted in Fig. 3,
each shift bar 23L or 23R has its own reciprocating means comprising a solenoid
26L or 26K, the plunger of which is connected through a long link 27L or 27R to
the corresponding shift bar by a pivotal connection 28 with the latter, in the
manner shown to larger scale in Fig. 2. The actuating means for each shift bar
also includes a return spring 29L (the spring for the other shift bar not being
seen but being identical to spring 29L) which is attached at one of its ends to
a cross bearer 24, and at its other end t the
corresponding shift bar 23L, in this case.
Thus, in Fig. 2,
spring 29L normally pulls the shift bar 23L toward the right, and attraction of
the plunger of solenoid 26L will pull this bar toward the left through the
connecting link 27L, causing all associated ballejection
levers 21L to rock upwardly and displace any balls toward the left from the
appertaining pockets.
One of the features of
the invention which contributes to consistent ejection performance is a tee
means for accurately and uniformly positioning or locating a ball in the
special pockets so that it always occupies a predetermined position relative to
the ejecting lever prongs and certain special switch means to be described
later.
The tee, as shown in
Fig. 5, consists of a small stamped plate 40 having (among several) a central
hole 42 for an attaching screw 41 (Fig. 6).
At two opposite sides
of the tee plate are a pair of upturned prongs 43 each of which is adapted to
project up into one 0f two adjacent special ball pockets, in the manner shown
in Figs. 4, 6, and 7, so that there will be four tee prongs in each pocket, two
from a tee cleat on the left side of the hole and two from the tee on the right
side thereof. For the endmost ball pockets in the special array, the two
outermost tees will have only one pair of prongs 43X, as in the case of the tee
40X in Fig. 7.
The shape and location
of the tee prongs 43 is such as to allow a ball of predetermined diameter to
sink well into the pocket always to a predetermined position in order that the
ejecting operation will always be the same, other things being equal, and also
in order that the special switch means now to be described, will be positively
operated by the trapped ball.
As viewed in Figs. 10,
l2 the novelswitch means consists of a pair of long
metal base or carrier strips 50, 50A, attached'as by
screws 51, to the underside of the ball rolling board and respectively on
opposite sides of the linear array of special ball pockets 16.
Each strip 50 or 50A has
one longitudinal edge 50X or SOAX upset (Figs. 11 and 12 also) to provide a
side ledge or rail in which are formed at intervals apertures 50Y or 50AY
opposite each ball pocket.
At intervals along the
switch strip Si) are stamped oblate bosses 53 forming raised slots (Fig. l1) in
each of which is a lug hole 54.
Riveted as at 56, Fig.
ll (top view), onto each boss 53 is the base 55 of
formed contact means comprising said base and a pair of offset integrally
attached, elongated spring contact fingers 58 and 59, each having an offset
contact end 53A or 59A projecting through the aperture 50AY of the appertaining
metal carrier strip, the offset of contact element 59A being shorter than the
-companion contact offset 58A (see also Fig. 12) so that each said contact
element or offset will positively engage the rounded surface of a ball seating
in (or passing through) the appertaining ball opening or pocket and make
electrical contact therewith. Fig. 12 depicts a modified ball board 15A having
a drop-out type of pocket 16A with no shutter or tee means to hold a ball
entering the open pocket 16A.
Each contact base part
55 has a soldering lug 57 which projects through the plate hole 54.
The switch contact
units on the companion strip or base 50 (Fig. 11) are identical to those just
described on strip 50A, except that they are all insulated from said strip, the
latter having a series of oblate holes 52 punched therein and there being one
long strip of insulation 60 riveted as at 60A to the metal carrier piece. There
are no oblate bosses on strip 50.
Overlying each oblate
hole is a small lug hole 61 in the insulating strip.
The insulated switch
finger units have their base parts X (Figs. 11 and 12) riveted directly onto
the insulating strip with their soldering lugs 57X projecting through the holes
61.
The insulated contact
assemblies on strip 50 also have offset contact ends or feeler portions 58X and
59X of differing length attached exactly in the manner of their counterparts on
the other carrier strip 50A.
The modified
arrangement of Fig. l2 is identical to that of Figs, l0 and 1l so far as the
switch and its operation are concerned; however, the ball tee means 40-43 has
been omitted so that the ball drops through the open pocket 16A and only
transiently bridges the circuit across the sets of contact projections 58A,
59A, 58X, 59X, it being understood that the balls employed with such a switch
are metal or at least electro-conductive at the surface.
The simple
illustrative circuit diagram of Fig. l2 shows the manner in which such a ball
indicated in dashed lines bridges the gap across the contacts on opposite sides
of the hole 16A, thereby closing the circuit across
conductors to actuate a relay 72 from power source 71, which in turn actuates
any desired controlled device.
It is to be understood
that the aforesaid ball switches as employed in the embodiments of Figs. 1 to
1l in the special ball pockets associated with the transfer device 17, may
utilize similar circuits and hold devices such as relays 72 operated so long as
the appertaining ball switches remain operated by a bridging ball trapped in
the corresponding pocket.
Accordingly, it will
be clear that a great variety of novelty control circuit and scoring effects
may be devised in ball-rolling games of the class described, having regard
especially for the fact that by energizing one or the other of the ejector
solenoids 26R or 26L, pocketed balls may be shifted to other pockets so as to
leave some pocket vacant with or without refilling some adjacent pocket', and
by repeated energization of one or the other of said
solenoids the whole set of special ball pockets may be emptied of some or all
balls, in accordance with certain special operating features now described.
Referring to Figs. 1
and 2, it will be observed at the left that one of the endmost pockets 16L has
associated therewith only one ejector lever 21RY, so that the ejector means is
capable of expelling a ball from pocket 16L only in a direction toward the
right. By repeated actuation of the rightward ejectors 21R and 21RY a ball in
pocket 16L (as well as any in all succeeding pockets ex` cepting
the last one) will be expelled and themlast and
left-most ball would ultimately reach the last right-hand pocket 16R2. However,
this last ball would have to remain in pocket 16K2 for the reason that the last
rightward ejector lever 21RZ is not linked with the gang shift bar 23R, but is
independently actuated by a so-called 7thball ejector solenoid 85, further to
be described.
Repeated actuation of
the leftward ejectors, however, would expel any and all balls in the 7th back
to the 2nd pocket from the left (Fig. 2),.so that the last ball moving left
would remain in the first or left-hand pocket 16L because there is no leftward
ejector associated therewith.
In consequence of the
foregoing special provisions and operating features, it becomes important to
understand that any balls being shifted from right-to-left ahead of the
leftmost ,pocket 16L would'have to rise or climb over
a ball in pocket 16L because there is deliberately provided no ejector means to
expel a ball toward the left from said pocket 16L.
This climb-over or
hurdling action requires that a supplemental or booster thrust of predetermined
magnitude be given by the leftward ejector means 21LX iu the nextto-last pocket
16L2. For this purpose a special booster means is provided, as shown in Fig.
3,.consisting of a small auxiliary electromagnet 80 carried on the chassis
adjacent the cross shaft 20AX for the last leftward ejector 21LX, there being
freely mounted on this shaft an armature lever 81 which may or may not be
actuated simultaneously with the main leftward shift solenoid 26L to exert the
extra booster thrust necessary to expel a ball from the next-to-last pocket
16L2 with sufficient added momentum to assure its successfully climbing over
the stationary ball in pocket 16L.
Therefore, so far as a
repeated shifting or ejecting toward the left is concerned, in the absence of
concurrent operation of the booster means, there will always be one ball
remaining in the last lefthand pocket. To remove such
a ball, repeated shifting or ejecting operations of solenoid 26R and the
7th-ball coil 85 would have to be kept up until the last ball had escaped or
been ejected from the last right-hand pocket 16R2.
The transfer or
ejector unit disclosed is intended to serve seven ball pockets, the pocket 16L
being regarded conveniently as the first, and the last righthand
pocket 16R2 being regarded as the seventh, the latter sometimes also being
referred to as the 7th-ball hole or simply the 7th ball.
As briey
alluded to before, the 7th-ball hole is characterized in that, while unlike the
first ball pocket 16L it has both right and left ejector levers, the rightward
ejector 21RZ (Figs. 1 and 2) is not connected with the common right shift bar
23R, but is equipped with its own special driving solenoid 85, the plunger 86
of which is connected through an equalizing spring 87 to a short rocker lever
88 on lever 21RZ.
The functional purpose
of the foregoing 7th ball ejector means is to effect automatic retention of a
ball in the 7th pocket so far as shift toward the right is concerned, with an
optional or sometime-operable ejecting means for removing the 7th ball by a
movement toward the right, whether this be the only ball in any of the special
pockets, or merely one of several therein.
In contrast to this
feature, no ball in the rst pocket 16L can be removed'toward the left, yet other succeeding balls in
pockets 16L2 et seq. can be removed in leftward
shifting by jumping over the rst ball with the aid of
the booster 30, 81 previously described.
It will be apparent to
those skilled in the art that a great variety of novelty ball transfer effects
can be produced by connecting various game switches and ball-operated or
manually-operated switches in a game control circuit in various arrangements with
the ejectoi operating coils 26R, 26L, 80, and 85.
One form of control
circuit for the new ball transfer unit is disclosed in Fig. 13 in connection
with a ballrolling game of the type having a master
control unit 100 which conditions the game for a cycle of play responsive to
operation of the usual coin switch 101 or replay switch 102, to cause automatic
resetting of the game for a round of play, including the clearing of any
previous score displayed by lamps 141 which are part of a scoreindicating
lamp means 103 on the back panel, and the clearing of such balls as are trapped
in anyof the ball pockets inclusive of the regularscore pockets 104 or the so-called special pockets
16, and the consequent readying of the released set of balls for further play
in the new game cycle, all in a manner well-known in connection with games of
this type.
Assuming that the
player causes balls to be propelled out upon the playing eld
15 in the usual manner, and
'
that several balls become
trapped in special pockets 16,
the player may then choose to cause the latter to
be shifted toward the right or left and transferred to other pockets 16 or to
be expelled from the special array of pockets to resume rolling down the playeld with the possibility of lodging in still others of
the regular scoring pockets.
All but one ball may
be expelled toward the left by closing the players
left-transfer switch 105 thereby energizing the shift solenoid 26L via
conductor 108 as often as desired. Each such energization
will also be accompanied by energization of the
associated booster coil 80 via conductor 109 to assist any ball in the second
pocket 16L2 to jump over a ball in the irst pocket
16L.v
Having run any or all
balls to the left until only one remains (necessarily) in pocket 16L, the
player may nevertheless step this one remaining ball back toward the right Aby repeated operation of transfer switch 106 to pulse the
solenoid 26R via conductor 110; and here again the last ball to lodge in the
last or 7th hole 16R2 will rest there until the special 7th-ball ejector means
is energized to expel this ball toward the right into the guarded exit pocket
16X which is closed olf by a hood means 111 so that
this 7th ball will not be free to run down the play field and lodge in other
score pockets (as is lthe case with the balls
expelled at the left end of the array), but must be returned for further play
along with the entire set of balls by customary ball return and delivery means
(not shown), operating below board 15 in known manner.
The only time the 7th
ball solenoid is energized in the illustrative game embodiment is when the game
is fully reset automatically at the beginning of a new round of play by
operation of either of the master starting switches 101 or 102, which, through
circuit means and connections in the master game control and reset unit 100,
will, among other things, cause operation of a motor pulsing switch to close
switches 126 and 127 intermittently and thereby pulse solenoid 26R via
conductor 126A, and special ejector solenoid 85 via conductor 127A. The action
is very rapid and clears the special pockets in a matter of seconds, the balls
escaping from the leftward transfers ultimately finding their way to a ball
exit (not shown) at the foot of the playeld for
return to play by the conventional ball-return and serving means (no-t shown)
customarily provided in such games, as in the manner of any balls escaping
through the guarded exit hole 16X. v
The aforesaid
selective operations of the transfer mechanism by the player are conditioned
upon there being at least one ball lodged in one of the array of special
pockets to actuate the associated switch means and establish a power circuit
for the shift solenoids.
Assuming that ball is
lodged in pocket 16L2 (Fig. 13) the appertaining contacts 130, 131 will be
bridged to close a power circuit from transformer 132 through rectiiier 133, conductor 134, contacts 130, 131, conductor
135, blocking means or rectifier 136, to coil 137 of a master relay to energize
the latter and close relay switch 138, thereby applying a master ground 139 to
the master ground or return conductor 140, which is commoned
to the selective shifting switches 105, 106, so that the latter may now be eectively operated at the players election.
A further result
incident to the aforesaid bridging of ball contacts 130, 131, is the
application of power from conductor to a score-indicating means such as the
lamp 141A, there being in practice a similar lamp associated with each of the
special pockets (although the simpliiied schematic
o-f Fig. 13 shows only tive lamps), so that as a
still further result of the shifting of the balls from pocket to pocket,
different yscore indicators or lamps and associated
circuits are energized and will have various eifects
on the scoring awards determined by the associated score award means.
The blocking rectiers, such as that at 136, prevent cross-energization of other lamps and permit one master relay to
serve all ball switches.
It will be understood
that other control circuits may be contrived for determining how and when the
ejecting solenoids 26L, 26R, 8S are or may be energized, where f by tof aiord a variety .of
interesting or novel control features for the players entertainment.
In addition to the
compact andy eflicient
construction and operation of the` new ball transfer unit and the selective
right and left transferring functions thereof, the device affords the described
ejecting controls at the two terminalv pockets
whereby one ball will always be retained at the free or replaying end of the
array at the left thereof; and one ball will also be retained at the right-hand
or return terminal position until the automatic ejecting means is operated.
The right and left
ejecting action is so consistently uniform that no ball escapes back into
replay or recirculation from the array of `special pockets laterally, that is
at right angles to the axis of alignment thereof (upwardly or downwardly), yet
the motion of the balls in ejection is smooth and positive.
The novel ball switch
means may also be connected with the score award and indicating means in a
great variety of scoring arrangements to add further playing features to the
selective and automatic transfer functions described; and` by reason of absence
of contacts or contact-actuating members directly underlying the balls in the
special pockets, said switch means makes it possible to scat each ball on its
tee means positively in consistent manner as a factor in procuring uniformity
of ejecting movement of the balls, because the springy switch contacts yield
laterally or in a radial sense and do not interfere with the settling of the
ball onto the tee prongs 43, Figs. 4 and ll.
We claim:
1. In a ball-rolling
game, a ball transfer device including a linear series of ball pockets and dual
sets of ball-expulsion lever means respectively mounted beneath certain
adjoining pockets for respectively expelling balls selectively right or left
from appertaining pockets for movement to any succeeding pocket in the linear
direction of said series; tee means in each pocket for accurately locating a
ball therein relative to the appertaining lever means; separate gang leverages
each connecting certain expulsion levers of like directional character in
certain pockets for each of the dual directional sets and selectively operable
to actuate a plurality of expulsion levers simultaneously in its appertaining
directional set.
2. Apparatus as set
forth in claim l and further characterized by the provision of electromagnetic
actuating and control circuit means for each of said gang leverages, and a
separate electromagnetic actuating means and operating circuit for a certain
one of said expulsion lever means at a pocket at a certain end of said series
of f.
pockets.
3. Apparatus according
to claim l and further characterized by the provision of an electromagnetic
booster means selectively cooperable with the
expulsion lever means pertaining to a. certain pocket adjoining another pocket
having no expulsion means in at least one expulsion direction and selectively
operable to impart an added expulsionvimpetus to a
ball expelled by the lever means of said certain pocket in a direction toward
said adjoining pocket and of magnitude sutiicient to
enable the expelled ball to hurdle and overtravel a
ball in said adjoining pocket; together with control means for actuating said
booster means.
4. In a ball shifting
mechanism a predetermined number of ball seats arranged in sequence, including
a first and a last terminal seat at opposite ends of the sequence and at least
one seat intervening; a ball ejector lever operatively associated with each of
said rst and last seats and movable from a normal
position to engage a ball on the appertaining seat and eject the ball therefrom
in a direction toward the intervening seat, there being two ejector levers
respectively operable to eject a ball toward either terminal from an
intervening seat; and special ball ejector lever means operatively associated
with one of said terminal seats for ejecting a ball therefrom in a direction`
away from all other seats; together with separate electromagnetic means
operable to actuate said special ejecting means and either set of directional
ejecting levers.
5. In a ball kickout unit of the type having serially arranged ball
pockets and lever means operable to expel balls from one pocket toward and into
an adjoining pocket, improvements comprising: a plurality of serially arranged
intermediate ball pockets included between two terminal pockets respectively
defining the opposite ends of the series; a pair of oppositely acting kickout levers for each of said intermediate pockets for
ejecting a ball therefrom in opposite directions toward said terminal pockets;
selectively operable means for jointly actuating all of the levers of like
directional character for said intermediate pockets; ball kickout
lever means respectively cooperable with said
selectively operable means for each of said terminal pockets for the directions
which are toward said intermediate pockets; an independently operable ejecting
means for a first one of said terminal pockets for ejecting therefrom a ball in
a direction outwardly away from the series; and a booster means selec tively cooperable
with that one of the kickout levers for the pocket
which is adjacent the second and remaining terminal pocket for ejecting a ball
toward the latter whereby to increase the momentum of an ejected ball by an
amount to carry such ball over any ball in said second terminal pocket for
escape from the series, there being nevertheless always one ball left in the
series as a result of repeated ejecting operation toward said second terminus,
ejection of a ball from the series at said first terminus being` effected by
operation of said independently operable means.
6. A novelty ball
transfer mechanism comprising means defining a plurality of serially aligned
intermediate ball seats and a terminal ball seat at each of the opposite ends
thereof; two independently operable ball ejecting devices at each of the
intermediate seats for respectively ejecting a ball therefrom in a direction
toward one of said termini; reciprocable means
connecting with the ejecting devices of like directional character for joint
ball-ejecting operation responsive to each reciprocatory
action thereof; selectively energizable
electromagnetic means for each said reciprocable
means for effecting a reciprocatory action thereof
responsive to pulsing of said electromagnetic means; a ball-ejecting device at
each of said terminal seats and respectively connected with an appropriate one
of said reciprocable means for actuating the same to
eject a ball in a direc tion
back toward the intermediate seats; a first one of said terminal seats having
no ejecting means for expelling a ball therefrom outwardly of the series so
that at least one ball must remain in the series in said first terminal seat as
a result of sustained ejecting action in that direction; independently operable
ball ejecting means for the second and remaining terminal seat for ejecting a
ball therein outwardly of the series; and electromagnetic booster means cooperable with the outwardly directed ejecting means of
the intermediate seat next adjacent the said first terminal for increasing the
thrust of the said last-mentioned ejecting means sufiiciently
to hurdle a ball over any ball in said first terminal seat whereby the boosted
ball can escape from the series; together with circuit means for independently
energizing the aforesaid electromagnetic means for the joint ejecting means for
either direction and including said electromagnetic booster means for the
direction toward said iirst terminus; and automatic
pulse switch means operable to repeatedly pulse the electromagnetic actuating
means for the direction toward said second terminus and the ejecting means at
the latter a number of times suflcient to clear the
entire series of seats of all balls lodged therein.
7. The combination of
claim 6 further characterized by the provision of electrically controlled score
means and balloperate/d switch means positioned at
each said seat and connected in a control circuit with said score References
Cited in the file 0f this patent means; and ball tee means at each said seat andinclud- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing
ball-supporting formations engaged by a ball seated 2 035 271 MacDougau Mar. 24 1936 thereon for positioning a ball in
operative engagement 2042786 Hoker June 2, 1936 with
Said switch means in a manner and position relative 5 2073132 Williams Mar. 9y
1937 to the appertaining ball ejecting means to procure a 212261885 Williams et
al' Dm 31, 1940 uniform starting position for al1
balls together with a 2,317,506 Williams et a1 Apr. 27, 1943 more uniform
starting load for the appertaining ejecting 2,551,023 Levitt May 1, 1951 means-
10 2,610,058 Hooker Sept. 9, 1952
Patent Citations
|
Cited Patent |
Filing date |
Publication date |
Applicant |
Title |
|
Jul 14, 1934 |
Mar 24, 1936 |
Fred C Mcclellan |
Game apparatus |
|
|
Jun 12, 1935 |
Jun 2, 1936 |
Fred C Mcclellan |
Game apparatus |
|
|
Dec 18, 1933 |
Mar 9, 1937 |
Pacific Amusement Mfg Company |
Game device |
|
|
Dec 19, 1939 |
Dec 31, 1940 |
Lyndon A Durant |
Game apparatus |
|
|
Feb 23, 1942 |
Apr 27, 1943 |
Lyndon A Durant |
Accessory for game
apparatus |
|
|
Apr 5, 1947 |
May 1, 1951 |
David D Levitt |
Ball transfer
mechanism for ball games |
|
|
Sep 3, 1948 |
Sep 9, 1952 |
Raymond T Moloney |
Oscillating ball reprojector |
* Cited by examiner
Referenced by
|
Citing Patent |
Filing date |
Publication date |
Applicant |
Title |
|
Apr 9, 1958 |
Jul 17, 1962 |
Joseph E Beck |
Coin-operated game |
|
|
Sep 13, 1966 |
Sep 16, 1969 |
Smith Carroll E |
Game board with
movable barrier means |
|
|
May 17, 1976 |
Aug 29, 1978 |
Marvin Glass &
Associates |
Pinball game with
simultaneous projectors |
|
|
Mar 9, 1978 |
Jul 15, 1980 |
Louis Marx &
Co., Inc. |
Pinball game with
plural re-projectors actuable by single solenoid
acted upon by single switch |
|
|
Jan 14, 1980 |
Jan 5, 1982 |
Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc. |
Competitive game
moving objects through adjacent depressions in an inclined surface |
|
|
Oct 22, 1979 |
Jan 19, 1982 |
Louis Marx &
Co., Inc. |
Reprojector apparatus for pinball machines |
* Cited by examiner
Classifications
|
U.S. Classification |
|
|
International
Classification |
|
|
Cooperative
Classification |
|
|
European
Classification |
A63F7/30G5, A63F7/00E |