US3198522A

US3198522A - Rotatable chance device

Info

Publication number: US3198522A
Application number: US265625A
Authority: US
Inventors: William E Parks
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-03-18
Filing date: 1963-03-18
Publication date: 1965-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1982-08-03

Description

Aug. 3, 1965 w. E. PARKS ROTATABLE CHANCE DEVICE Filed March 18, 1963 WILLIAM E. PARKS INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,193,522 RGTATABLE CHANCE DEVECE William E. Parks, Rte. 1, Box 249, Edgewood, Md. Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,625 6 Qlaims. (Ci. 273142) This invention relates generally to amusement mechanisms, and more particularly to a chance device of the Wheel type.

Cube dice require a smooth surface and rolling room to be effective. The character of the surface too is important, a polished area causing the dice to slide instead of rolling. The magnetic dice of the present invention require no choice surface or extended area for operation being operable any-where, including in the hand, on a desk, table, blanket, floor or practically anywhere.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a device having a pair of dice which can be sealed at the factory and so are tamperp-roof. To provide a dice system which cannot be lost in play, for example, down a ventilating grill or water drain, is yet another object of this invention.

An important object of this invention is to provide a dice type game which can readily be palmed and which is operable by the thumb of the holding hand in the manner of stroking a pocket cigarette lighter wheel.

Other objects and attend-ant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying single sheet of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an approximately full sized perspective view of the magnetic dice game incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the dice game with top cover partly broken away;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of PEG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a thumb wheel arrangement taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the underside of the top-cover showing the thumb wheel spring arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the underside of a disc for the dice game; and a FIG. 7 is a top view of a pair of discs for the dice game as adapted for a horse racing play.

vReferring now to the details of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the dice game or device it com- =prises a fiat rectangular top cover 1 2 which is sealed to the sides 18 of a shallow box. A pair of spaced rectangular aperture-s or

windows

14 and 16 are formed through the cover 1-2. A notch provided in the top edge of one side 18 of the box forms a slot 19 in conjunction with the cover 12 to allow the edge of a thumb wheel 49 to protrude from the interior.

As best shown in FIG. 4, this thumb wheel 4% is s cured on a shaft 42 and captivated by shaft retaining cavities comprising a blind pivot hole 48 in the bottom 13 of the box and an elongated blind recess 46 in the top cover 12 thereof.

A pair of spaced discs 20 and are provided similarly with shafts 22 and 32, respectively, and are captivated in blind pivot holes as shown in FIG. 3 for free rotation in a common plane closely spaced under the cover 12. In this manner, dice markings on the top of each

disc

20 and 30 as shown will appear successively through the windows :14 and 16 as the discs 26 and 3! respectively, are rotated.

To position these markings centrally in the windows 14 and 15, and to provide a positive step, each

disc

20 and 30 is provided with a circular array of downwardly extending equally

spaced fingers

24 and 34 of ferrous metal equal in number to the dice insignia groups (in this case six). A pair of

magnets

26 and 28, and 36and' 38 are positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers 24 for each discs 2! and 30, respectively. a

The peripheral edge 44 of the thumb wheel 4% is roughened or rubberized and when stroked with the thumb is canted inwardly against the edges of'the discs 24 and 3t applying a spin thereto which continues by flywheel effect after the thumb is removed. This is made possible by a spring 50 of leaf or wire type which is retained around a post 52 and behind another post 54 as shown in FIG. 5, thus urging the shaft 42 of the thumb wheel in the elongated recess 46 in a direction to break thumbwheel contact with the discs.

As each disc 2t), 3t) slows down, it is brought to. a positive stop by the magnetically attracted

egments

24, 34 and

magnet pairs

26, 23 and 36, 3 8 and thusly held stationary so the dice insignia are clearly and wholly visible through the

windows

14 and 16.

Many variations of the game or device it can be accomplished by a simple change of insignia on the discs, such as a horse racing game depicted on the discs 64 and 7th in FIG. 7. 0f course, the number of fingers 2d are changed to correspond to the number of insignia work ings 65 and 76 so that positive stopping thereof in the

windows

14 and 16 will be magnetically accomplished as related for the first example.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. "It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

a What is claimed is:

'1. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a top and a bottom with a pair of spaced Windows provided in the top thereof, one side of said housing having a slot provided therein, means including a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereof through said slot in said housing to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatably mounted in said housing in a common plane with said thurn-bwheel and engageable thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said spaced dism, each said disc having a number of markings on the top thereof arranged to appear successively through its respective window in the top of said housing, each said disc having a circular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to the markings on the top of its respective disc, and means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for each disc for braking and stopping thereof.

2. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a top and a bottom with a pair of spaced windows provided in the top thereof, one side of said housing having a notch provided therein adjacent said top thereof, means including a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereof through said notch in said housing to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatably mounted in said housing in a common plane with said thumbwheel en-gageable thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of. said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said spaced discs, each said disc having a number of markings on the top thereof arranged to appear successively through its respective window in the top of said housing, each said disc having a circular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to the markings on the top of its respective disc, means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract 3 diametrically spaced fingers for each disc, whereby when said thumbwheel engages said spaced discs by being canted inwardly against the edges thereof and is rotated, said discs can be spun and will continue to spin by flywheel effect after the release of said thumbwheel, with each said disc being braked and stopped by its respective magnetic means to clearly and Wholly disclose a marking through its respective Window in the top of said housing.

3. A magnetic dice game, comprising, structure defining a housing having a top and a bottom with a pair of spaced windows provided in the top thereof, one side of said housing having a slot provided therein, means including a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereof through said slot in said housing to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatably mounted in said housing in a common plane with said thurnbwheel and enga-gea-ble thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said spaced discs, each said disc having a number of dice insignia markings on the top thereof arranged to appear succesively through its respective window in the top of said housing, each said disc having a circular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal innumber to the dice insignia mar-kings on the top of its respective disc, and means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for each disc, for braking and stopping thereof.

4. A magnetic type dice game, comprising, structure defining a housing having a top and a bottom with a pair of spaced windows provided in the upper top thereof, one side of said housing having a notch provided therein adjacent said top thereof, means including a rotatably mounted thumb-wheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereof through said notch in said housing to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatably mounted in said housing in a common plane with said thumbwheel and engageable thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing said thumbWhee-l out of engagement with said spaced discs, each said disc having a number of dice insignia markings on the top thereof arranged to appear successively through its respective window in the top of said housing, each said disc having an array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to the dice insignia markings on the top of its respective disc, and means including a pair of magnetic elements positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for each disc for braking and stopping thereof.

5. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a top and a bottom with at least one window provided in the top thereof, one side of said housing having a slot provided therein, means including a rotatably mounted thurnbwheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereof through said slot in said housing to the exterior thereof, at least one disc rotatably mounted in said housing with said thumbwheel and engageable thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said disc, said disc having a number of markings on the top thereof arranged to appear through its window in the top of said housing, said disc having a circular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to the markings on the top of the disc, and means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for said disc for braking and stopping thereof.

6. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a top and a bottom with at least one window provided in the top thereof, one side of said housing having a notch provided therein adjacent said top thereof, means including a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereof through said notch in said housing to the exterior thereof, at least one disc rotatably mounted in said housing with said thumbwheel engageable thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said disc, said disc having a number of markings on the top thereof arranged to appear through the Window in the top of said housing, said disc having a circular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to the markings on the top of the disc, means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for said disc, whereby when said thumbW-heel engages said disc by being canted inwardly against the edges thereof and is rotated, said disc can be spun and will continue to spin by flywheel effect after the release of said thumbwheel, with said disc being braked and stopped by its magnetic means to clearly and Wholly disclose a marking through said window in the top of said housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 474,188 5/92 Rabiger 273-142 2,039,969 5/ 36 McIntosh 273l43 2,183,506 12/39 Robinson 273-142 2,208,351 7/40 Von Berg 273-142 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,316 1890 Great Britain. 571,666 9/45 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PIN-KHAM, Primary Examiner, DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

Claims

5. A GAME DEVICE, COMPRISING, STRUCTURE DEFINING A HOUSING HAVING A TOP AND A BOTTOM WITH AT SEAT ONE WINDOW PROVIDED IN THE TOP THEREOF, ONE SIDE OF SAID HOUSING HAVING A SLOT PROVIDED THEREIN, MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLY MOUNTED THUMBWHEEL CANTABLY POSITIONED IN SAID HOUSING AND PROTRUDING FROM THE INTERIOR THEREOF THROUGH SAID SLOT IN SAID HOUSING TO THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE DISC ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING WITH SAID THUMBWHEEL AND ENGAGEABLE THEREBY AND SPACED BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID TUMBWHEEL OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DISC, SAID DISC