Pusher amusement device with pivoting arm and game piece propulsion feature

An amusement machine of the pusher type, comprising:

• a
• playing surface on which a plurality of playing pieces may be supported,
• a playing piece pusher element configured for reciprocating motion that moves over said playing surface to engage any playing pieces on said playing surface,
• wherein said playing surface further comprises a horizontal ledge and said playing pieces, when engaged by said pusher element, can drop over said ledge of said playing surface and pass to a collection location and, a transport assembly for moving said playing pieces from said collection location to said playfield,
• said transport assembly comprising a hopper and a track,
• said hopper for collecting and sequentially ejecting said playing pieces into said track, and
• said track adapted to receive said playing pieces, and comprising a first track section that extends from said hopper to a second section, above said first section and that extends over said playfield,
• wherein said track further comprises a spring-biased pivotable retainer element on the end of said track wherein said retainer element comprises a stop member which holds said playing pieces in said track when in a first position, and when a said playing piece is pushed against a stop surface of said stop member, said stop member pivots upward to a second position to allow for the release of a playing piece from said track,
• said amusement machine further comprising a central controller, and player input control devices, said player input control devices comprising a player game piece release switch wherein said switch can activate said motorized hopper to cause said game pieces to be released from the end of said track.

A transport assembly for moving said playing pieces from a collection location to an amusement game playfield,

• said transport assembly comprising a motorized hopper and a track,
• said motorized hopper adapted to collect and sequentially eject said playing pieces into said track, and,
• said track defined by a bottom wall, two side walls and top wall and said track adapted to receive said playing pieces and having a proximal end extending from said hopper and a distal end defining an exit passage,
• a control switch that activates said motorized hopper and,
• a transport assembly motor attached to said assembly and configured to drive said transport assembly to cause it to pivot and thereby causing said track exit passage to sweep in an arc wherein said track exit passage further comprises a spring-biased pivotable retainer element on the end of said track and said retainer holds said playing pieces in said track when in a first position, and when a said playing piece is pushed against a stop member of said retainer element, said stop member pivots to a second position to allow for the release of playing piece from said track and when pieces exits said track, said spring pulls said retainer back to said first position causing said stop member to engage the rear of said piece and propel said piece through said exit passage.