US2864620A - Ball transfer and switch means - Google Patents

Description

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

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