Roulette spelling game

July 20, 1937.

2,087,555

C. G. SIMPSON

ROULETTE SPELLING GAME Filed Aug. 21, 1936

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Patented July 20, 1937

2,087,555

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,087,555 ROULETTE SPELLING GAME Cecil G. Simpson, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August 21, 1936, Serial No. 97,201 5 Claims. (Cl. 273—142)

This invention relates to an educational game device of the roulette type.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide simplified and more efficient means to govern the rotation of the rotary part of the device; to provide means for imparting quicker and peculiar movements to the indicating balls; to furnish an improved arrangement of letters or other symbols whereby more efficient cooperation is afforded between the stationary and rotatable parts of the. device in using the device to play a game; and to simplify and stabilize the structure as a whole thereby rendering it very easy to operate and enabling it to withstand the hard usage to which it is apt to be subjected in the hands of children.

A more specific object is to provide an improved arrangement of weighted, centrifugally controlled, brakes which will not retard the speed of rotation of the rotatable parts after they have been given a vigorous whirl, until the parts put into rotation have slowed down considerably, whereupon said brakes will come, into action and cause a relatively sudden stopping of the rotating parts.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the complete device, .

Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-section thereof on line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3—3 of Fig. 2, the peripheral portion of the base being broken away to contract the view.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the base 5, desirably supported by feet 6, has a centrally located cylindrical recess 7 provided with a diametrically expanded mouth portion 8 which, in turn has its upper portion contracted by means of an inwardly directed circular lip 9. Said mouth portion 8 has a floor 18 all parts of which incline downwardly towards the center of the base in order to direct the game balls 11 and 12 towards the central recess 7.

In the center of the base is mounted a post or upstanding pointed pin 15 whereon is rotatably supported the circular rotor IS. Said rotor is formed as a thickened disk having thru it an axial bore within which a sleeve 17 is fitted with a friction tight fit, this sleeve being a downward extension of the knob (8 whereby whirling movement is manually given to the rotor. The interior diameter of said sleeve is slightly greater than the diameter of the post (5 in order that frictional contact may be at the pointed top of the post only. It will be seen that the knob i8 together with its sleeve-like extension 17 constitutes combined means for manually spinning the 5 rotor and for mounting it upon its pivotal support.

The. post 15 upstands a sufficient distance to provide a clearance 19 below the mounted rotor. Within this clearance operate a pair of centrif- 10 ugally controlled brakes 20 each of which is shown secured to the lower face of the rotor 16 by means of a pivot screw 21 which is attached to the outer portion of the rotor and is located eccentrically in relation to the center of gravity ¹⁵of the combined brake and weight 20. Each screw 21 preferably passes thru a washer 2lw which engages the opposite face of the brake, member 20 and serves to space said member slightly away from the rotor. The head of each screw supports the part of the brake member ²⁰thru which it passes.

Each brake 20 by preference and as shown, consists of a flattened or plate like. bar. The free end portion of each brake bar 20 is normally held against a stop pin 20s by the yielding pressure ²⁵of an angular wire spring 22. Each of said springs is attached to the bottom of the rotor by means of an anchor screw 23, an auxiliary pin or screw 24 being also provided for each spring to aid in holding it in its operative position. At ³⁰its center each spring is looped at 25, and its free limb 26 has an angularly directed Anger 27 that presses against the edge portion of the brake against which the spring acts. The free limb of each spring 22 forms a saddle that aids in sup- ³⁵porting the portion of the adjacent brake bar 20 which is farthest from its pivot 21.

When the rotor is rapidly rotated by applying a vigorous twirling movement to the knob 18, centrifugal force urges the inner end portion of ⁴each weight 20 outwardly in opposition to the action of its spring. When the centrifugal force lessens sufficiently to be overcome by said spring, then the spring causes the braking portion of ₄said weight to engage with the recessed portion of the bowl 5 and abruptly stop the rotor.

The outer end portion of each brake 20, that is to say, the part thereof thru which the pivot screw 21 extends, is furnished with a toe 28 ₅₀which normally frictionally engages the wall of ^dthe circular recess 7, but whenever the operator twirls the knob i 8 with sufficient speed, the rotor is caused to turn upon its pivot so rapidly that centrifugal force, acting against the opposition ₅₅

2,087,555 of spring 22, swings the inner end portion of the. brake outwardly and thus withdraws its toe 28 from engagement with the wall of recess 7. When this occurs the rotor will continue to rotate freely until the slight friction upon its bearing ⁵ reduces its; speed and thereby lessens the effect of centrifugal force upon its brakes, whereupon the wire springs will act to swing the toe portions 28 of the. brakes into engagement with the side wall of recess 7, thus quickly stopping the rotor.

¹⁰ Theuppersurfaceof the rotor 16 has a moderate downward slope from its central part toward all points along its periphery, hut the peripheral, portion thereof is sufficiently elevated to afford a series of peripheral shoulders 30 between which intervene notches or pockets 31 large enough to receive either of the game balls 11 and 12. In Fig. 2 it is seen that said notches are inclined downwardly and outwardly from the center of the rotor. In the mounted rotor said shoulders ²⁰ 30 project somewhat above the adjacent portion of the floor 10 located outwardly beyond them.

Each ball-receiving notch or pocket 31 is labeled or indexed on the rotor with an alphabetical or other character inscribed adjacent ^2δ thereto upon the upper surface of the rotor 16. Also, in the drawing, four pockets, ninety degrees apart, are shown having special designations, three of these being the radially arranged words “Const” (abbreviation for consonant), ^{J J} “Choice”, and “Vowel”; while the fourth designation is shown as a darkened somewhat triangular area 32. The other twenty-six pockets are shown labeled with the twenty-six letters of the _3g alphabet, not however, arranged in alphabetical order.

As viewed from above, each notch 31 is of a semi-ovoidal shape with its axis inclined from the center outwardly in an anti-clockwise direction with relation to the periphery of the rotor. ⁴⁰ Owing to the manner in which the notches or pockets 31 are inclined or placed askew, there is an acute angle at one side of each pocket and an obtuse angle at the other side thereof. Hence, when the rotor is twirled in a clockwise direction ⁴⁵ the obtuse corner portions of the shoulders 30 between the pockets strike the balls causing less wear both upon the balls and upon the rotor. This striking action gives English to the balls as they are struck by the striking face of each ⁵⁰ pocket. The rotor is intended for rotation in the clockwise direction only.

When the rotor stops the balls 11 and 12 continue to roll. Whenever, during its rotation, the balls recede by gravity from the upper dish⁵⁵ shaped portion of the base 5 and contact with the notches 31 of the rotating rotor, the striking face of the notch contacted causes the ball to be given an additional impetus. These striking faces owing to their location close to the lower edge ⁶⁰ of the disk floor 10, act positively upon the descending balls.

When the balls recede by gravity into another contact with the striking faces of the notched portion of the rotating rotor they are trajector⁶⁵ ized in such a manner as to impart English to each ball.

More than two game balls may be used, these balls each being of a different color than the others, there being one ball for each person who participates in the game. In the drawing two balls are shown, a white ball 11 and a black ball 12. The players will take turns spinning the rotor by means of its knob 18 and when, for example, , the player having the white ball 11 spins the 75 rotor, his credit will be determined by the character opposite to the notch 31 in which his ball' lodges when the rotor comes to rest. When a game is being played involving word building, if his ball lodges in the pocket labeled “Vowel” the 5 player can use any vowel he desires; if it lodges in the pocket labeled “Const” he can use any consonant he desires; if it lodges opposite “Choice” he can use any letter of the alphabet. The indication 32 designates a blank, and if the 10 player’s ball lodges in the pocket adjacent thereto he gets no letter. Each player may be required to keep a written record of the designations, he receives as the game progresses.

The object of the game is to spell words, and 15 there are many ways in which this can be done. One way to play the game is to have cards or slips of paper bearing words of the same number of letters. These can be shuffled and then dealt or passed put, one to each player. The winner 20 is the person who obtains the letters his word calls for in the fewest number of spins. The letters need not be secured in the order in which they spell the words. The words on the cards may be short or long to suit the age of the 25 players.

Another variation is to spin a certain number of times, as say ten, for each player and then have each player write down all the letters he obtains. After the agreed upon number of spins, 30 the players are given a certain length of time to see who can form the most words from the letters he has thus received.

The object of the game may be to see who can first succeed in spelling his name, the name of 35 his home city, street, etc., each player taking the same number of spins and getting a letter each time except when his ball rests against the blank space 32.

A group of players can take words dealing 40 with whatever interests them at the time, such as words connected with athletics, various studies, professions, or news events.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only 45 and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.