US 4,948,133 AGranted

Machines for gaming, amusement, education and the like

AssigneeElton Fabrications Limited

InventorsArthur E. Helm, Stuart J. Keane

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A gaming apparatus comprising a plurality of gaming machines is provided. Each machine can be operated individually, the player upon each start of the machine endeavouring to reach a predetermined objective by his skill in propelling a ball into apertures to reach a predetermined total before a counting device in the machine which is started upon starting of the machine, reaches that total. The player thus competes against the machine in individual operation thereof. In the embodiment described the counting device is a clock hand which sweeps across a clock face. The players performance is indicated by a clock hand sweeping across the same clock face. The clock face and both hands are visible to the player to provide excitement. All of the machines can be ganged so that the players play against each other, but in this case the counting devices of the respective machines are rendered inoperative and the winner is the first player to make his clock hand reach the predetermined total.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A gaming machine, the play of which involves the skill of the player in propelling or dropping a component which thereafter moves freely with the object of arriving at a predetermined location or one of a plurality of predetermined locations, which gives an indication of the player's performance, comprising in combination:

(a) a component,
(b) means for defining said location or locations,
(c) means for detecting the arrival of said component at said location or one of said locations,
(d) means for totaling the player's performance based upon each arrival of the component at said location or one of said locations and displaying a player score representative of said player performance,
(e) machine starting means for starting the play of said game,
(f) standard setting means comprising an accumulating means for displaying said game elapsed play time against which the players performance is measured and which begins accumulating immediately after starting operation of the machine, and
(g) indication means for indicating when either the accumulating means or the totaling means reaches a predetermined final level,
the improvement which comprises that said standard setting means is a clock face and said accumulating means comprises a first hand which moves in time around the clock face upon starting of the machine, and said totaling means comprises a second clock hand which sweeps around said clock face at a speed determined by the players performance.

5 more elements

A gaming machine, the play of which involves the skill of the player in propelling or dropping a component which moves freely after being propelled or dropped with the object of arriving at a predetermined location or one of a plurality of predetermined locations, which gives an indication of the player's performance, comprising in combination,

(a) a component,
(b) means for defining said location or locations,
(c) means for detecting the arrival of said component at said location or one of said locations,
(d) means for totaling the players performance based upon each arrival of the component at said location or one of said locations and displaying a player score representative of said player performance has been inserted after "locations",
(e) machine starting means for starting the play of said game,
(f) standard setting means comprising an accumulating means for displaying said game elapsed play time against which the player's performance is measured and which begins accumulating immediately after starting operation of the machine, and
(g) indication means for indicating when either the accumulating means or the totaling means reaches a predetermined final level,
the improvement which comprises that said standard setting means is a digital clock which increments in seconds, up to a pre-determined number of seconds and said totaling means comprises a digital display which is located adjacent the digital clock and which increases in number up to said predetermined number at a rate determined by the player's performance.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/362,928Filed 8 Jun 1989 · continuation in part
Priority: GB 862705312 Nov 1986
Granted: 14 Aug 1990
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A63F 7/0058
Indoor games using small moving playing bodies, e.g. balls, discs or blocks: electric
A63F 7/0005
Indoor games using small moving playing bodies, e.g. balls, discs or blocks: played on a table, the ball or other playing body being rolled or…
A63D 13/00
Bagatelles or similar games
A63F 2011/0065
Indicators of values, e.g. score counters: calculating or indicating a ranking or player performance