US3503608A - Reaction type game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1970 K. J. YLINEN 3,503,608

REACTION TYPE GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 20, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Knnusdorm/wax: yu/wsv 0v rJWN March 31, 1970 K. J. YLlNEN 3,503,508

REACTION TYPE GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 20, 1967 g 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EYMT'MN rrys.

United States Patent 3,503,608 REACTION TYPE GAME APPARATUS Klaus Johannes Ylinen, Freigatan 13, Stockholm, Sweden Filed Feb. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 617,299 Claims priority, application Sweden, Mar. 25, 1966, 3,998/ 66 Int. Cl. A631) 67/00 US. Cl. 273-1 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined serving and gaming table has a gaming device by which two competitors can compare their reaction times. When a light flashes, each competitor presses a button; and the first one to press the button illuminates one of a series of lights on his side of the table. The game is over when one player illuminates the last light of his series.

The invention relates to, and has for its object to provide, an improved combined serving and gaming table in which the starter means for gaming mechanism is coin operated.

According to the invention the serving and gaming table comprises a table top, a hollow central support for said table top and a coin box for the collection of coins removably mounted within said hollow support,

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one particular embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a combined serving and gaming table according to the invention,

FIGURE '2 is a perspective view with the hinged table top swung up to give access to the gaming apparatus,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a detail of the operating mechanism, and

FIGURE 4 is a circuit diagram.

Referring to these drawings the serving and gaming table comprises supporting feet 53, a central hollow support 54 and a hinged table top 55, carrying the component parts of the gaming mechanism, and covering a boxshaped underpart 56. A number of windows are formed in the table top below which electric lamps are mounted. A central lamp 28 is a flashing lamp, which when the game is started by the insertion of a coin into a coin slot 57, receives short period electric current pulses of, for example, 0.2 second duration at certain intervals so that the lamp flashes. A coin slot is shown on one side of the table in FIGURE 1 but a second coin slot may be provided on the opposite side of the table as shown in FIG- URE 2.

The coin slot 57 opens into a coin chute 58 which slopes downwardly towards the centre of the box-shaped underpart 56 of the table. The central support 54 is hollow, is of circular or other suitable cross-section and extends into the box-shaped part 56 into which the coin drops and falls into a tubular coin box 59 which is removably housed with the central support 54.

When used as a gaming table two competitors place themselves on opposite sides of the table where each has a control member in the form of a push button 30 disposed below the table top. Only one push button 30 is shown in one table top corner in FIGURE 2 but an identical push button may be disposed on the diametrically opposed corner of the table top. These push buttons operate switches to light successively lamps disposed in a row below the windows in the table top.

The purpose of the game is for the players to operate as rapidly as possible their push buttons during the short periods in which the central flashing lamp 28 is i1lumi- 3,503,608 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 ICE nated. The player who first actuates his push button illuminates the lamp nearest to the central flashing lamp 28, for example lamp 5011, on his side of the table. It during the next flashing of the central lamp the same player once again operates his push button first, the next lamp on his side of the table, that is to say the lamp next to lamp 50a, will be illuminated. If, on the other hand, the other player during the next flashing period of lamp 28 first operates his push button, the first lamp 50b on his side of the table will first be illuminated so that he overtakes the advance of the other player. The player who first illuminates the last lamp, that is lamp 51 or 51, and thus completes his row of illuminated lamps is the winner.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 the circuit of the gaming mechanism comprises terminal contacts 1 and 2 connected with source of direct current, for example a battery 64 (see FIGURE 2) and a microswitch 3 (see also FIGURE 3) which is actuated by the insertion of a coin in slot 57 in such a manner that it is closed for a short period. During this period it transmits an electric pulse to a relay 4 and thus charges a capacitor 5 (electrolytic capacitor of 1000 ,uf.) connected in parallel to the aforementioned relay. When the relay 4 is thus energized, it closes the circuit by means of a relay 6 connected in parallel with a capacitor 7 (electrolytic capacitor of 3000-5000 i). At the same time two zero resetting coils 8 and 9 are energized through a lead 10 for the purpose of zero setting of step mechanisms as will be described hereinafter.

The size of the capacitor 7 and the internal resistance of the relay 6 are such that the relay maintains the contact 11 closed during a predetermined desired playing time, depending on the capacitance of the capacitor 7 and amounting to, for example, 45 seconds.

When the contact 11 is closed, a pulse transmitting relay 12 is energized through a line 13, contacts 14 and 15, lines 16, 17 and 18 and a contact 19. At the same time a capacitor 20 (electrolytic capacitor of 4000 f.) connected in parallel with the relay 12 is charged, the said capacitor determining the time during which the relay 12 remains switched on and thus determines the pulse period (for example 3 seconds). On Operating the relay 12, a capacitor 23 is charged through the contact 21 of the relay 12 and a second relay 22 (flasher relay) is actuated by the charging current. The size of the capacitor 23 determines the length of time during which the relay 22 remains closed (for example 0.2 second).

After the capacitor 20 is de-energized through the relay 12 the capacitor 23 is de-energized through a resistor 24 and a contact 21. The resistor 24 serves the purpose of minimising the discharge current.

The relay 22 has three contacts 25, 26, 27. When the relay 22 is energised all these contacts are closed and are thus maintained for as long as the relay is energised.

The flash lamp 28 is supplied with current through contact 25 and a line 29 and is illuminated for a short period (for example for 0.2 second).

Two switches 30 and 31 are controlled by a push button, one for each player at opposite sides of the gaming table as above described. Connected in series with each switch is a capacitor 32 and 33 respectively, energised through the lines 16 and resistors 35, 34 and maintained in the energised condition for as long as the corresponding switch is not closed. Owing to the presence of the resistors 34 and 35 a certain time is required for charging the capacitors 32 and 33.

The two players are required to operate their push buttons respectively during the period in which the flash lamp 28 is illuminated. The player who first succeeds operates his indexing mechanism while the other player, despite It is assumed that the player using push button 31 operates his push buttonfirst.

The capacitor 33 is thus de-energised through the contact 31, line 36, contact 26 in the flasher relay, line 37, a contact 38, a line 39 and a relay 40. When the relay 40 is energized its contacts 41 and 42 are operated. The contact 41 cancels the relay 43 of the opposite player and the contact 42 provides the own step mechanism of the player with current through a line 44, the contact 42 and a line 45. The indexing mechanism consists of an indexing wheel 46 with a feed contact 47 and a relay coil 48 which is energised and allows a contact spring 49 to index forward by one step, thus causing the first lamp 50a in a row of such lamps to be illuminated.

Since the charging of the capacitor 33 requires a certain period of time, the player cannot advance the. contact spring 49 by a further step merely by direct and renewed depressing of his button 31 but he must wait until the next flashing of the lamp 28, after approximately 3 seconds.

When the player has depressed his button 39 before the lamp 28 is illuminated, its capacitor 33 is de-energised by the line 36, the contact 26 and the line 51 and the capacitor 33 cannot be re-energised before the lamp 28 is illuminated. The player thus loses the means for actuating the indexing mechanism during this flashing. His opponent on the other hand is provided with this facility.

The player who first illuminates the last lamp in the series 51 or 51 respectively also receives current con tinuity through a relay 52 or 52' respectively.

The aforementioned relay will then close the aforementioned contact 14 or 15 respectively so that the current flowing to the line 16 and therefore also to the line 17 and to the relays 21, 22, 40, 43 as well as to the capacitors 32 and 33, is interrupted. The game is thus finished and the two lamps last mentioned continue to be illuminated until the relay 6 switches off the current through the contact 11.

The microswitch 3 and its particularly simple and effective coin operating mechanism are illustrated in detail in FIGURE 3. The output spindle of the microswitch 3 is connected to one end of a wire arm 60 which has a bifurcated or substantially S-shaped free end. The bifurcations 62, 63 or branches of the S-shaped end, are disposed centrally above a coin chute 61 and are so spaced that for example one size of coin is retained while a smaller coin drops through between the aforementioned bifurcations or branches. If the larger coin moves into the position shown in FIGURE 3, its weight will cause the wire arm 60 to move in the anti-clockwise direction, i.e. in the direction of the arrow, against the action of a spring disposed in the housing of the microswitch and into the position indicated in broken lines to release the coin into the coin chute 61 extending to the coin box and is released by the wire arm which will then return to its initial position.

By using the component parts of the gaming mechanism as described the expert can easily alter the character of the game, for example by operating only one lamp during the course of the game and by pushing to and fro of the illuminated spot along a lamp row depending on Which player first succeeds in operating his push button when the lamp flashes. This procedure requires only one indexing mechanism.

The serving and gaming table described has the advantage that despite the gaming apparatus the utility of the table is in noway impaired in its function as a serving table. Power is preferably supplied by a battery 64 (FIGURE 2) so that the table is not confined to a certain position to facilitate connection to a power supply mains. The power consumption is very low.

What I claim is:

1. A gaming table by which competitors can compare their reaction times, comprising an electric lamp visible through a window in the table top, coin-operated means to actuate the lamp to emit a series of flashes, at least two groups of electric lamps visible through windows in the table top, one group associated with each competitor, means operable by each competitor to illuminate a different one of the lamps of his associated group after each flash from said flashing lamp, and relay means by which the prior operation of said operable means by one competitor prevents the other competitor from actuating his said operable means.

2. A gaming table as claimed in claim 1, said groups of lamps being arranged in at least one row, said operable means illuminating each of said groups of lamps progressively along the length of said at least one row.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,008,712 11/1961 Konopka.

3,018,107 1/ 1962 Erickson.

FOREIGN PATENTS 369,283 1923 Germany. 941,418 1963 Great Britain.

5 US. 01. X.R.

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