Pachinko ball counter and ball dropping apparatus preventing bridge phenomenon

Abstract

A pachinko ball counter which aligns discharged pachinko balls in a plurality of lines by a plurality of alignment rails, and sends them reliably to a plurality of counting sensors without generating a so-called "bridging phenomenon" and which can smoothly and quickly count a large number of pachinko balls, and a pachinko ball dropping apparatus which can drop smoothly and gently a large number of pachinko balls discharged at a high speed from the ball counter to send them to a recovery gutter without a bridging phenomenon and which can adjust the length of a member in conformity with the height of the recovery gutter easily, quickly and without waste. An introduction path (17) for sending pachinko balls charged by a player is disposed at the back of a ball tray (C) of a game machine (B), and a plurality of alignment rails (18, 18, 18, 18), through which pachinko balls flow in an aligned state, are juxtaposed with one another in this introduction path (17). Partition guides (16) are disposed between the alignment rails (18), and counting sensors (40, 41) are so disposed at the end side of the introduction path (17) as to correspond to the alignment rails, respectively. Pachinko balls accommodated in a hopper member (111) fall through a ball path (119) encompassed by both side frame portions (117, 117) of a guide member (115) and by its back frame portion (116). During the fall, a falling force is damped by a plurality of damper members (120) fitted in the inside of both side frame portions (117, 117), and the balls are sent to a recovery gutter (150). A plurality of notches (118) are disposed in a vertical direction for cutting off the guide member (115) at an arbitrary length so as to regulate the lower end position of the guide member (115) to the height of the recovery gutter (150).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.