US4097048A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Slot machine
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS GRAND LODGE PENSION FUND
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Filing: 1976-01-27
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Granted: 1978-06-27
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Expires: 1996-01-27
Abstract
Abstract A slot machine of the type having a number of drums mounted individually rotatably on a common shaft and each provided with an annular row of various signs or symbols on the outer drum surface thereof, a starting arrangement is provided for starting the drums to rotate with a further device being provided for thereafter stopping the drums; a detector construction detects the stop positions of the drums and actuates a winner indicator in response to detection of the drums having stopped in a specific winner combination of the stop positions; each drum is mounted on the shaft by a free-wheeling coupling and the starting arrangement for the drums includes a device for rapidly rotating the shaft at least a fraction of a revolution, whereby the drums are rotated correspondingly, but allowed to rotate freely on the shaft after stoppage of the shaft. Preferably the free-wheeling coupling is made as an overrunning clutch which may be actuated or deactuated so as to enable a selected drum to remain standing still when the other drums are started, thus enabling "holding" of a drum in an easy manner.
Inventors
- 👤 Freddy Poulsen
- 👤 Robert Edvin Poulsen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:23
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/32; G07F17/3202; G07F17/3204; G07F17/3211; G07F17/3213
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
430 words
A slot machine which includes a common shaft, a plurality of rotary drums individually rotatable about said common shaft, an annular row of various signs and symbols provided on each of said drums, a starting mechanism for providing a start rotation of said common shaft, an actuator handle operatively connected with said starting mechanism, means for starting a rotation of the drums in response to an actuation of said starting mechanism by said actuator handle, and means for automatically stopping the respective drums at mutually different periods of time after a start of rotation of the drums, characterized in that said starting mechanism includes means for causing said common shaft to be rotated initially in a first direction of rotation in response to the actuator handle being pulled toward a start position and for imparting to said common shaft a rapid start rotation in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction in response to the actuator handle reaching the start position, means are provided for mounting the drums on said common shaft so as to permit the common shaft to be rotatable relative to the drums through at least a fraction of one revolution including a one-way rotation clutch arranged between the common shaft and each respective drum for causing the drums to be rotated by the rapid start rotation of the common shaft and for allowing the respective drums to continue rotation upon the rapid start rotation of the common shaft being stopped, said one-way rotation clutch including a release for rendering the clutch inoperative thereby allowing the relative rotation both ways between the common shaft and the associated drums, in that an annular row of abutments or notches are provided at each of the drums, said means for automatically stopping the respective drums including a pawl means mounted so as to be displaceable from an inoperative position outside of the annular row of abutments or notches to an operative or stop position in engagement with one of the abutments or notches, means are provided for controlling said pawl means so as to maintain a pawl means in engagement with an abutment or notch during the initial rotation of said common shaft in said first direction and to the inoperative position immediately before the rapid start rotation of the common shaft, and in that holding means are associated with the respective drums for enabling a player selected individual arresting of any one of the drums while the remaining drums are rotated, said holding means including means for actuating said release means of the one-way rotation clutch.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
430 words
A slot machine which includes a common shaft, a plurality of rotary drums individually rotatable about said common shaft, an annular row of various signs and symbols provided on each of said drums, a starting mechanism for providing a start rotation of said common shaft, an actuator handle operatively connected with said starting mechanism, means for starting a rotation of the drums in response to an actuation of said starting mechanism by said actuator handle, and means for automatically stopping the respective drums at mutually different periods of time after a start of rotation of the drums, characterized in that said starting mechanism includes means for causing said common shaft to be rotated initially in a first direction of rotation in response to the actuator handle being pulled toward a start position and for imparting to said common shaft a rapid start rotation in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction in response to the actuator handle reaching the start position, means are provided for mounting the drums on said common shaft so as to permit the common shaft to be rotatable relative to the drums through at least a fraction of one revolution including a one-way rotation clutch arranged between the common shaft and each respective drum for causing the drums to be rotated by the rapid start rotation of the common shaft and for allowing the respective drums to continue rotation upon the rapid start rotation of the common shaft being stopped, said one-way rotation clutch including a release for rendering the clutch inoperative thereby allowing the relative rotation both ways between the common shaft and the associated drums, in that an annular row of abutments or notches are provided at each of the drums, said means for automatically stopping the respective drums including a pawl means mounted so as to be displaceable from an inoperative position outside of the annular row of abutments or notches to an operative or stop position in engagement with one of the abutments or notches, means are provided for controlling said pawl means so as to maintain a pawl means in engagement with an abutment or notch during the initial rotation of said common shaft in said first direction and to the inoperative position immediately before the rapid start rotation of the common shaft, and in that holding means are associated with the respective drums for enabling a player selected individual arresting of any one of the drums while the remaining drums are rotated, said holding means including means for actuating said release means of the one-way rotation clutch.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
A slot machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for actuating the release mechanism are operatively connected with the means for stopping the rotation of the drum so that the drum is locked against rotation by said stopping means during an actuation of the release mechanism.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
A slot machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the one-way rotation clutch of each drum further includes a radially protruding clutch actuator arm, means are provided for biasing the clutch actuator arm in one direction so as to render the one-way clutch operative, and means are provided for biasing the clutch actuator arm in an opposite direction so as to render the clutch inoperative in both directions, and that the means for actuating the clutch release mechanism comprise means for biasing the clutch actuator arm in said opposite direction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
A slot machine according to claim 3, characterized in that stop lever means are associated with each of said drums, said pawl means being mounted on each of said stop lever means, and in that the means for biasing the clutch actuator arm in said opposite direction include a portion of the stop lever means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
254 words
A slot machine according to claim 3, characterized in that a spring-loaded stop lever means is associated with each drum for biasing said one-way rotation clutch toward a clutch release position, said pawl means for engaging the abutments or notches of the respective drums being arranged on said stop lever, means are provided for mounting the clutch actuator arm so as to be rotatable with the common shaft during the initial start rotation of the common shaft so as to force said stop lever into a ready-to-start position in which the pawl means are nearly out of engagement with the abutments or notches of the drum while the stop lever still biases the clutch arm towards the clutch release position, in that automatic control means are provided for causing the stop lever to be retracted from an engaged position with both the clutch arm and the abutment or notch of the drum, whereby the clutch arm is allowed to be shifted into a clutch-actuating position and the drum to be left freely rotatable so as to be started in response to the rapid start rotation of the common shaft, and in that the holding means further includes means for preventing the stop lever from being retracted from the engaged position so as to enable the stop lever to remain in stop engagement position with the drum and in a bias engagement with the clutch actuator arm during a return rotation of the clutch actuator arm by the rapid start rotation of the common shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A slot machine according to claim 5, characterized in that electromagnetic means are provided for operating said automatic control means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A slot machine according to claim 1, characterized in that electromagnetic means are provided for selectively operating said means for actuating the release mechanism.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
A slot machine according to claim 1, characterized in that actuator means are provided for normally rendering said release mechanism operative, and that automatic control means are provided for rendering said actuator means inoperative and therewith the one-way rotation clutch operative in response to the actuator handle being pulled to a release position, said holding means being constituted by means for selectively rendering said automatic control means inoperative so as to cause the respective one-way rotation clutch to be inoperative during the rapid start rotation of the common shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A slot machine according to claim 1, characterized in that means are provided for detecting a stop position of the respective drums, and means are operatively connected with said detection means for actuating a pay mechanism in response to said detecting means detecting a predetermined stopped position of the respective drums defined by a specific combination of symbols or signs on the drums.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US2180029A
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US3011790A
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US3464693A
Cited
GB1238486A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-06-26 | 1981-12-26 | 1982-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-06-26 | 1985-12-26 | 1986-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-06-26 | 1989-12-26 | 1990-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |