Amusement device

Claim 2

In an amusement device having a housing, a plurality of rotatable wheels having indicia thereon, means for imparting rotation of said wheels, means for arresting rotation of said wheels, and means for sensing the arrested position of said wheels, the improvement wherein said means for imparting rotation to said wheels comprises: a substantially horizontal drive shaft; a clutch rotatable through a drive stroke less than 180° mounted in a substantially vertical plane for free rotation on said drive shaft; a crank drive pawl pivotally mounted on said clutch at a pivot location spaced from the center of rotation of said clutch; and an operating crank non-rotatably affixed to said drive shaft, said operating crank having a drive notch for engagement with said pawl, said clutch being rotatable through a predetermined angle following which said pawl is biased into engagement with said drive notch, said clutch and operating crank thereafter rotating together through a drive portion of the drive stroke.

Claim 3

An amusement device according to claim 1 wherein said pawl is gravitationally biased into engagement with said drive notch.

Claim 4

An amusement device according to claim 2 wherein said clutch is a circular member having a plurality of teeth on the periphery thereof extending through an angle ranging from 40° to 50°, a latch notch in the periphery of said clutch at one end of the toothed portion, a clutch latch moveable into and out of said latch notch to prvent or permit rotation of said clutch, said latch notch being located in generally horizontal alignment with the axis of rotation of the clutch at the start of the drive stroke, and a latch release dog pivotally mounted on said clutch to gravitationally pivot to a position blocking entry of said clutch latch into said latch notch at the start of the drive stroke.

Claim 5

An amusement device according to claim 3 wherein said clutch has a rotation limiting abutment thereon engageable with a stationary stop, a spring biasing said clutch in a direction opposite to the direction of the drive stroke with said abutment in engagement with said stop at the beginning position of the drive stroke.

Claim 6

An amusement device according to claim 4 wherein a clutch stop ratchet is engageable with said teeth on said clutch to prevent reverse rotation of said clutch under the influence of said spring after said clutch has rotated through said predetermined angle after which said pawl has become engaged in said drive notch in said operating crank.

Claim 7

An amusement device according to claim 5 wherein a second notch is provided in the periphery of said clutch at the other end of said toothed portion, said second notch providing clearance for said ratchet during a limited degree of initial clutch rotation.

Claim 8

An amusement device according to claim 1 wherein said clutch is a generally circular member having an annular recess in one face thereof, said operating crank is a generally circular member having a close running fit in said annular recess, and a cutout is provided in the periphery of said clutch in axial alignment with said operating crank, said cutout being generally radially aligned with said drive notch in said operating crank when said pawl is engaged in said drive notch, said pawl having a surface engageable with the annular periphery of said operating crank when said pawl is not engaged in said drive notch.

Claim 9

An amusement device according to claim 7 wherein said drive shaft has an actuation arm affixed thereto, a bell crank pivotally mounted on said housing, said actuation arm being engageable during the drive portion of the drive stroke with said bell crank to rotate said bell crank in a first direction against action of a bias spring, said bias spring at the completion of the drive stroke causing rotation of said bell crank in a second direction to impart rotation to said rotatable wheels.

Claim 10

An amusement device according to claim 8 wherein said pawl is gravitationally biased into engagement with said drive notch.

Claim 11

In an amusement device having a housing, a plurality of rotatable wheels having indicia thereon, means for imparting rotation to said wheels, means for arresting rotation of said wheels, and means for sensing the arrested portion of said wheels, the improvement wherein the means for arresting rotation of said wheels comprises: a substantially horizontal drive shaft mounted in said housing; a substantially horizontal support shaft mounted in said housing parallel with said drive shaft; a plurality of index arms freely mounted for pivotal movement on said support shaft, one index arm for each wheel, said index arms each having stop means thereon for arresting rotation of an associated wheel; springs for biasing said index arms toward said wheels, each wheel having a latch disc rigidly affixed thereto, said wheels and latch discs being rotatable in parallel planes on a common shaft, said latch discs having notches thereon engageable by said stop means on said index arms; a plurality of actuation levers freely rotatable on said support shaft; a plurality of solenoids each having a moveable member engageable with a respective actuation lever; and a plurality of index arm latch assemblies rigidly affixed to said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, for moving said index arms out of engagement with said notches in said latch discs and holding said index arms in said non-engaged positions, said latch assemblies being engageable by said actuation levers for releasing said index arms upon actuation of said solenoids.

Claim 12

In an amusement device having a housing, a plurality of rotatable wheels having indicia thereon, means for imparting rotation to said wheels, means for arresting rotation of said wheels, and means for sensing the arrested portion of said wheels, the improvement wherein the means for arresting rotation of said wheels comprises: a substantially horizontal drive shaft mounted in said housing; a substantially horizontal support shaft mounted in said housing parallel with said drive shaft; a plurality of index arms freely mounted for pivotal movement on said support shaft, one index arm for each wheel, said index arms each having stop means thereon for arresting rotation of an associated wheel; springs for biasing said index arms toward said wheels, each wheel having a latch disc rigidly affixed thereto, said wheels and latch discs being rotatable in parallel planes on a common shaft, said latch discs having notches thereon engageable by said stop means on said index arms; a plurality of actuation levers freely rotatable on said support shaft; a plurality of solenoids each having a moveable member engageable with a respective actuation lever; and a plurality of index arm latch assemblies rigidly affixed to said drive shaft and rotatable therewith, for moving said index arms out of engagement with said notches in said latch discs and holding said index arms in said non-engaged positions, said latch assemblies being engageable by said actuation levers for releasing said index arms upon actuation of said solenoids.

Claim 13

An amusement device according to claim 10 wherein each latch assembly comprises: an elongated bracket affixed at one end to said drive shaft; a bell crank pivotally mounted on said bracket, said bell crank having a first arm engageable with said actuation lever and a second arm for engagement with said index arm; and a spring connecting said first arm of said bell crank to said bracket to bias said second arm into engagement with said index arm.

Claim 14

An amusement device according to claim 11 wherein said second arm of said bell crank has a generally vertically extending surface thereon moveable into and out of a generally vertical plane, said associated index arm being moveable in said plane.

Claim 15

An amusement device according to claim 11 wherein said means for imparting rotation of said wheels comprises: a clutch rotatable through a drive stroke less than 180° mounted in a substantially vertical plane for free rotation on said drive shaft; a crank drive pawl pivotally mounted on said clutch at a pivot location spaced from the center of rotation of said clutch; and an operating crank non-rotatably affixed to said drive shaft, said operating crank having a drive notch for engagement with said pawl, said clutch being rotatable through a predetermined angle following which said pawl is biased into engagement with said drive notch, said clutch and operating crank thereafter rotating together through a drive portion of the drive stroke.

Claim 16

An amusement device according to claim 10 wherein the means for sensing the position of said wheels comprises, for each wheel, radiation source means and photocell means aligned with said source means and with said notches on said latch discs for electrically counting the number of notches passing said photocell means during wheel rotation.

Claim 17

An amusement device according to claim 14 wherein said photocell means and said radiation source means are mounted in a bifurcated bracket supported at one end by said common shaft and at its other end by the housing.