GB2251390A

GB2251390A - A pusher amusement machine

Info

Publication number: GB2251390A
Application number: GB9100132A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harold John Levy
Original assignee: HARRY LEVY AMUSEMENTS CONTRACT
Current assignee: HARRY LEVY AMUSEMENTS CONTRACT
Priority date: 1991-01-04
Filing date: 1991-01-04
Publication date: 1992-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-04
Also published as: GB2251390B; GB9100132D0

Abstract

A pusher amusement machine (2) comprising a playfield (4) and a pusher member for pushing coins or tokens over the playfield (4) towards an edge of the playfield (4), the playfield (4) being such that the edge comprises an upwardly extending portion (6) followed by a step down portion (8). <IMAGE>

Description

A PUSHER AMUSEMENT MACHINE This invention relates to a pusher amusement machine.

Pusher amusement machines are well known and they are to be found in many amusement arcades. The pusher amusement machines comprise a playfield and a pusher member for pushing coins or tokens over the playfield towards an edge of the playfield. Coins or tokens falling over the edge of the playfield are usually received in either a player collection tray where they represent winnings for a player, or a machine collection box where they represent revenue for the amusement arcade.

In order to ensure that the coins or tokens do not fall too readily over the edge of the playfield, the known pusher amusement machines are such that the edge of the playfield is provided with an upwardly extending portion.

The coins or tokens have to ride up this, upwardly extending portion before being able to fall over the edge of the playfield. During use the coins or tokens tend to build up over the upwardly extending portion. Such a build up of coins or tokens is intended to look attractive and exciting with the aim of encouraging players to play the pusher amusement machine.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improvement to the known pusher amusement machines which enables a coin or token display at the edge of the playfield to look more attractive and exciting than hitherto, thereby providing more encouragement than hitherto for players to play the pusher amusement machine.

Accordingly, this invention provides a pusher amusement machine comprising a playfield and a pusher member for pushing coins or tokens over the playfield towards an edge of the playfield, the playfield being such that the edge comprises an upwardly extending portion followed by a step down portion.

The pusher amusement machine of the present invention is such that the upwardly extending portion of the playfield causes the coins or tokens to build up into interlocking layers which are angled upwardly. The step down portion allows the progressing coins or tokens to sit more horizontally before finally falling off the edge of the playfield, due to players inserting more coins in the pusher amusement machine. The presentation of the more horizontally disposed coins or tokens is visually exciting and tends to tempt and encourage further. play.

The pusher amusement machine may be one in which the step down portion extends along the entire length of the upwardly extending portion.

Alternatively, the pusher amusement machine may be one in which the step down portion extends along only part of the entire length of the upwardly extending portion. In this case, there may be only one of the step down portions.

Alternatively, the pusher amusement machine may be one in which there are two or more of the step down portions, and in which the step down portions are spaced apart from each other.

The pusher amusement machine may be one in which there is one upwardly extending portion. Alternatively, the pusher amusement machine may be one in which there are two or more of the upwardly extending portions.

The or each step down portion may comprise a downwardly extending portion and a ledge portion. The coins or tokens may lay on the edge portion prior to falling off the edge of the playfield.

The ledge portion may be upwardly inclined but at an angle which is substantially less than the upward angle of inclination of the upwardly extending portion. For example, the ledge portion may be upwardly inclined but nearly horizontal.

In an alternative embodiment of the pusher amusement machine, the ledge portion may be horizontal.

The pusher amusement machine may include a slot for receiving coins or tokens, and a chute which is for receiving coins or tokens placed in the slot and which is for directing the coins or tokens towards the pusher member and the playfield.

The pusher amusement machine may include a player collection tray for receiving coins or tokens, a machine collection box for receiving coins or tokens1 and diverter means for diverting the coins or tokens falling off the playfield either to the player collection tray or to the machine collection box. The diverter means -is preferably a solenoid-operated diverter means. Other types of diverter means may however be employed.

The pusher member will usually be such that it slides backwards and forwards during operation of the pusher amusement machine. Preferably, the pusher member is a shelf member but other types of pusher member may be employed if desired.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a cross section through part of a playfield of a pusher amusement machine.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown part of a pusher amusement machine 2 comprising a playfield 4. The playfield 4 has an edge which comprises an upwardly extending portion 6 followed by a step down portion 80 The step down portion 8 extends along the entire length of the upwardly extending portion 6. However, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the step down portion 8 extends only along part of the entire length of the upwardly extending portion 6.

As can be seen from the drawing, the step down portion 8 comprises a downwardly extending portion 10 and a ledge portion 12. The ledge portion 12 is upwardly inclined as shown but at an angle which is substantially less than the upward angle of inclination of the upwardly extending portion 6. As can be seen from the drawing, the ledge portion 12 is upwardly inclined but nearly horizontal.

During operation of the pusher amusement machine 2, coins or tokens 14 are pushed by a pusher member (not shown) over the playfield 4 and up the inclined portion 16 of the upwardly extending portion 6. The coins or tokens 14 are then pushed off the inclined portion 6 and on to a less steeply inclined portion 18 which forms a part of the step down portion 8. The coins or tokens 14 then fall off the inclined portion 18 down the downwardly extending portion 10 and on to the ledge portion 12 where they can lie in one or more layers before finally being pushed off the edge 20 of the ledge portion 12. Those coins or tokens pushed off the edge 20 can be received either in a player collection tray (not shown) or a machine collection box (not shown).The coins or tokens on the inclined portions 16, 18 and on the ledge portion 12 present an exciting display which encourages players to insert further coins or tokens into the pusher amusement machine.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawing has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the upwardly extending portion 6 may have two or more inclined portions 16. Also, the inclined portion 18 may be dispensed with. Still further, the upwardly extending portion 6 and the step down portion 8 may be separately formed from each other or may be integrally formed with each other. The ledge portion 12 may extend horizontally instead of at a slight upward angle. The upwardly extending portion 6 may be formed separately from the remainder of the playfield 4 or it may be formed integrally with the remainder of the playfield 4. The dimensions of the step down portion 8 may be varied according to the size of the coins or tokens 14 being used and also according to the effect that is required to be created.

Claims

1. A pusher amusement machine comprising a playfield and a pusher member for pushing coins or tokens over the playfield towards an edge of the playfield, the playfield being such that the edge comprises an upwardly extending portion followed by a step down portion.

2. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 1 in which the step down portion extends along the entire length of the upwardly extending portion.

3. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 1 in which the step down portion extends only along part of the entire length of the upwardly extending portion.

4. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 3 in which there is only one of the step down portions.

5. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 3 in which there are two or more of the step down portions, and in which the step down portions are spaced apart from each other.

6. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of the preceding claims in which there is one upwardly extending portion.

7. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of claims 1 - 5 in which there are two or more of the upwardly extending portions.

8. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the or each step down portion comprises a downwardly extending portion and a ledge portion.

9. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 8 in which the ledge portion is upwardly inclined but at an angle which is substantially less than the upward angle of inclination of the upwardly extending portion.

10. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 9 in which the ledge portion is upwardly inclined but nearly horizontal.

11. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 8 in which the ledge portion is horizontal.

12. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of the preceding claims and.including a slot for receiving coins or tokens, and a chute which is for receiving coins or tokens placed in the slot and which is for directing the coins or tokens towards the pusher member and the playfield.

13. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of the preceding claims and including a player collection tray for receiving coins or tokens, a machine collection box for receiving coins or tokens, and diverter means for diverting the coins or tokens falling off the playfield either to the player collection tray or to the machine collection box.

14. A pusher amusement machine according to claim 13 in which the diverter means is a solenoid-operated diverter means.

15. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pusher member slides backwards and forwards during operation of the pusher amusement machine.

16. A pusher amusement machine according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pusher member is a shelf member.

17. A pusher amusement machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.