US1207908A - Game and chance device. - Google Patents

Description

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Dc.12,1916.

E. HARNESS.

GAME AND CHANCE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-3,1 9I6.

1 @U'? 9% Patented Dec.12,1916. 9 9 j 2 SHETS-SHEET 2.

r Z2 Attorneys ELZA HARNESS, F BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

GAME AND CHANCE DEVICE.

1,20 Edd.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELZA l-lARNnss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Game and Chance Device, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to games, and aims to provide a novel and improved appliance for playing a game of chance, which will be amusing and interesting, and it may be used as a parlor game, as a medilum for selling goods in stores, and the li re.

The present device is of the punch board type, wherein there is provided a board having concealed elements, which can be punched loose or dislodged by means of a pin or punch, and it is the object of the invention to provide a game of that character whose elements designate the various cards of a deck, whereby a card game can be played, although the elements or disks can be of various values without using the card game terms.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the nature indicated wherein the elements or disks are used repeatedly, they being delivered back into the magazine after they are released to expose the same, and means being provided where by the elements or disks are mixed in order that they will not be released in any regular order, thus providing the element of chance.

The present device has improved features of construction and improved details to enhance the utility and efficiency thereof, and the construction is comparatively simple and inexpensive.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, showing the interior parts. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear View of the device T111151 trating the plungers and detents, and their springs, and also illustrating the catch for preventing the retrograde movement of the disks. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the punch. Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan View of one of the disks.

In carrying out the invention, the frame or body of the device embodies an upright board or back 1 upon the forward side of which are secured the pieces 2, 3 and 4, and the vertical cleats or strips 5, providing a lower horizontal slot 6, a plurality of adjacent channels or chutes 7 extending upwardly from the slot 6 to a magazine 8 pro vided at the upper ends of the chutes 7, and a return slot- 9 extending from one end of the slot 6 to the magazine 8. The foregoing parts are preferably constructed of wood.

A metal front or face plate 10 is secured by means of screws or otherwise to the pieces 2, 3 and 4, and cleats 5, so as to cover and conceal the magazine 8 and chutes 7. Secured upon the forward or outer surface of the plate 10 is a horizontal plate 11 provided with a horizontal slot 12 narrower than and registering with the slot 6 to expose the disks which are within the slot 6, the plate 10 having a registering slot also. Another plate 13 is secured upon the plate 10 so as to extend along the slot 9, and is provided with a series of apertures or openings 14 for exposing the disks which are within the slot or channel 9, and said openings can be numbered if desired, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. A horizontal strip 15 is secured to the outer side of the plate 10 above the strip 11 and is provided with a horizontal series of apertures 16, one for each chute 7, and arranged adjacent one side of the chute. The plate 10 has openings or apertures registering with the apertures 14 and 16.

Secured by means of screws or otherwise to the upper and lower end and side edges of the board 1 are beading strips 17 having the lips 18 overlapping the margin of the plate 10, to provide a neat finish, and to assist in holding said plate in position. The upper end of the board 1 has an opening or slot 19 communicating with the magazine 8, for depositing the disks 20 in the magazine. These disks 20 are of such a diameter as to pass down the chutes 7, and are provided upon their faces with the characters of a set of playing cards, although the disks may 1 able by gravity from the magazine 8 down the chutes 7' and drop into the slot 6, and

'5 fromthe slot are moved along the slot 9 back into the magazine. The upper ends of the cleats .5 terminate on a line sloping from thefupper end of the slot 9, whereby the disks in being forced into the magazine 8 from the slot 9 will roll downwardly toward the remote chute 7, whereby the disks will be mixed within the magazine, and will drop into the various chutes in irregular order. 7 'As a means for moving the disks from the slot 6 into and along the slot 9, a slide 21 of elongated form, is slidable within the slot 6-, and is" provided with an outstanding handle 22 projecting through the slot 12 to be grasped by the hand for moving the slide back and forth. One side strip 17is provided with an opening 23 through which the slide 21 is projectible when it is returned to normal position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2-. WVhenthe slide 21 is moved toward the left, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, any disks which are within the slot 6, will be forced into the V slot 9, and the slide 21 can then be returned to normal position at the end of the slot 6,

. in order that the lowermost disks within 30 the'chutes 7 can drop into the slot 6.

In order-to press the disks 20 downwardly from themagazine 8 into the chutes 7, an arm 24 has one end pivoted, as at 25, to the board 1 abovethe upper end of the slot 9, and projects over the magazine 8. This arm 24: will fall by gravity against the disks to press them downwardly, and this prevents the disks from choking or clogging within the magazine. This arm 2L also acts as a check to prevent the disks being removed from the device, by inverting the same, since when the device is inverted, the arm 24: will swing toward the opening 19, and will prevent the disks falling out of .said opening, although when thedevice is in upright position, the disks in being dropped through the opening 19 will pass the free end of the arm 2 due to the fact that the said arm will swing downwardly to let the disks pass the free end thereof.

In order to prevent the disks from returning from the slot 9 back into the slot 6, the board 1 is provided with a slot 26 between the slots 6 and 9, or at the lower end of the slot 9, and a wire or other suitable spring27 has one end secured, as at 28, to the rear side of theboard 1, and is provided adjacent its free end with an offset portion 29 projecting through the slot or opening 26; A pin 30 is mounted within the opening 26 against 7 which th-efreefend of the spring 27 bears, to

prevent the excessive forward movement of the'sprin'g, and to properly hold the portion 7 2.9 in place, so that the disks can move from the slot 6 into the slot 9, but can not move backwardly.

A pair of transverse cleats 31 and 31 are secured to the rear surface of the board 1, and a horizontal series of pin-shaped plungers 32 are slidable within apertures with which the cleat 31 and board 1 are provided. A horizontal series of pin-shaped detents 33 are also slidable through apertures provided in the cleat 31 and board 1, and are disposed at the lower ends of the chutes 7.

The plungers 32 are disposed above the detents 33 directly in rear of the apertures 16, and the rear ends of the plungers and detents are flattened and apertured, as at 3%, for the reception of wire springs 35, one of said springs being engaged with each plunger 32 and its companion detent 33. The upper terminals of the springs 35 are secured to the upper cleat 31, and said springs tend to move forwardly, so as to move the detents and plungers likewise.

The plungers 32 are always behindthe chambers 7, but the detents 33 normally project into the lower ends of the chutes 7, to support the columns of disks which are within the chutes.

The operating plunger is illustrated in Fig. 6, and is inthe form of a pin 36, provided at one end with a handle 37. This plunger or pin 36* can be inserted through the apertures 16 so as to force the plungers 32 rearwardly, which will flex the springs 35' rearwardl-y to retract the detents 33.

The cleats 31 and 31 and parts associated therewith are preferably inclosed by a case 38 attached tothe board 1, whereby to prevent tampering' with the working parts.

The game is played as follows: The player inserts the punch through the apertures 16, whereby to push the plungers 32 backwardly, one at a time, and as each plunger 32 is pushed rearwardly, it retracts its detent 33', through the medium of the respective spring When the detent 33 is retracted, the lowermost disk 20 within the respective chute 7, will drop into the slot 6, the punch being held in place until the disk drops, and will support the remaining disks within the chute. When the punch is withdrawn, the detent will again project into the chute, so that the disks will again be supported: by the detent, the disks moving one step downwardly. Then, after five of the disksare within the slot 6, their value is determined readily, since they are exposed through'the slot 12. It is possible to draw the disks or cards from the chutes 7 in succession, or from one chute more than once, but it is preferable to draw the disks from the chutes in succession, to avoid amming orclogging, since if there is a disk below one chute, the next disk is not apt to dropproperly out of the chute, unless the disk within the slot 6 is displaced. Then, after the value of the disks within the slot 6 is noted, the said disks are moved into the slot 9 by moving the slide 21 to the left, and the disks within the slot 9 will be supported by the spring 27 past which the disks are moved by the slide 21. It is evident that the disks within the slot 9 are exposed through the apertures 14:, in order that the hands of the previous players can be observed. The next player operates the device in the same manner, and by comparing the several hands, it can be determined who is the winner. When the disks are ejected from the upper end of the slot 9, they roll within the magazine 8 and drop down the various chutes 7, so that the disks are used repeatedly, and are mixed, in order that it is impossible to determine how the disks are arranged within the chutes 7.

The game can be played in various manners, and the present device provides for considerable amusement and interest during the playing of the game. The present board can be used until worn out, without the necessity of replacing any of the disks or elements representing the various values, which is contrary to ordinary punch boards, which must be discarded after being used once, or the elements of which must be replaced.

Although the elements 20 are denominated as disks, it is evident that the ele- 'ments may be of different forms with the same result, and it is also apparent that other changes in details are possible within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A game device embodying a frame have ing a magazine, a slot below the magazine, and a slot extending from the aforesaid slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine adapted to drop into the first mentioned slot, and to be returned by way of the second mentioned slot into the magazine.

2. A game device embodying a frame having a horizontal slot, a plurality of chutes extending upwardly from said slot, a magazine at the upper ends of said chutes, and a return slot extending from one end of the aforesaid slot to the magazine, and disks within the magazine adapted to gravitate through the chutes into the horizontal slot, and to be returned by way of the return slot to the magazine.

3. A game device embodying a frame having a magazine, a slot below the magazine, a slot extending from the aforesaid slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine adapted to drop into the first mentioned slot, and to be returned by way of the second mentioned slot into the magazine, the frame also having a plate covering the magazine and provided with openings exposing the disks which are in the slots.

4. A game device embodying a frame having a horizontal slot, a plurality of chutes extending upwardly from said slot, a maga- 1 zine at the upper ends of said chutes, a re turn slot extending from one end of the aforesaid slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine adapted to gravitate through the chutes into the horizontal slot, and to be returned by way of the return slot to the magazine, and an arm pivoted at the upper end of the return slot and projecting within the magazine to press the disks downwardly into the chutes. v

5. A game device embodying a frame having a magazine, a slot below the same, and a return slot extending from one end of said slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine to drop into the first mentioned slot, and manually controllable means for supporting the disks within the magazine and for releasing them to drop into the first mentioned slot.

6. A game device embodying a frame having a magazine, a slot below the same, and a return slot extending from one end of said slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine to drop into the first mentioned slot, and means movable within the first mentioned slot for moving the disks therein into the return slot.

7. A game device embodying a frame having a magazine, a slot below the same, and a return slot extending from one end of said slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine to drop into the first mentioned slot, manually controllable means for supporting the disks within the magazine and for releasing them to drop into the first mentioned slot, and means movable within the first mentioned slot for moving any disks therein into the return slot.

8. A game device embodying a frame having a horizontal slot, a plurality of chutes extending upwardly therefrom, a magazine at the upper ends of said chutes, and a re turn slot extending from one end of the first mentioned slot to the magazine, a slide movable in the first mentioned slot, disks within the magazine to gravitate down the chutes into the first mentioned slot, and a catch at the lower end of the return slot for supporting any disks that are within said slot, the disks being adapted to be moved by said slide from the first mentioned slot past the catch into the return slot.

9. A game device embodying a frame having a horizontal slot, a plurality of chutes extending upwardly therefrom, a magazine at the upper ends of the chutes, and a return slot extending from one end of the first mentioned slot to the magazine, disks within the magazine to gravitate down the chutes to the first mentioned slot, manually releasable detents within the chutes for normally supeporting the disks therein, a'catch at the 7 lower end of the return slot for supporting any disks within said slot, and a manually operableslide movable within the first mentioned slot for forcing the disks from said slot into' the return slot. V V V 10. A game device embodying arframe having a vertical chute, disks within said chute, a detent at the lower end'of said chute for supporting the disks therein, and a punch insertible into the chute above the lowermost f disk to release the detent and support those disks above the lowermost one.

11.'A game device embodying a frame having a vertical chute, disks within said chute, a pin-shaped detent slidably carried 7 by the frame and normally projecting into ELZA HARNESS. lVitnesses E. OGLIVER, G. B. HAYDEN.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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