Start-finish mechanism for racing game

Claim 2

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having first and second racing lanes formed by interconnecting a plurality of individual track sections, one of said track sections comprising a track body including first and second lane sections adapted to be travelled by first and second cars, first and second gate members movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said first and second lane sections respectively and movable from laneblocking positions in relation to said first and second lane sections to lane clearing positions, said gate members establishing a starting line for said cars when in said laneblocking positions and freeing said cars to travel about said racing course when in said lane-clearing positions, control means for moving said first and second gate members in unison, a finish indicator associated with said track body having respective first and second signals for indicating the arrival at a finish line of one of said cars along one of said lanes in advance of the other, first and second car sensors mounted on said track body in operative relation to said first and second lane sections respectively and independently movable in response to the passage of cars along the corresponding one of said first and second lanes to provide first and second actuating motions and first and second coupling means disposed between said first and second sensors and said finish indicator and respectively responsive to said first or second actuating motions to actuate the corresponding one of said first and second signals of said finish indicator.

Claim 3

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 1 wherein said finish indicator includes an indicator housing, a signal member normally disposed in and hidden by said indicator housing and mounted thereon for rocking movement in a plane substantially transverse to said first and second lane sections, said signal member having a first flag overlying said first lane section and a second flag overlying said second lane section, said first coupling means being operable to rock said signal member in a direction to drop said first flag over said first lane section to serve as said first signal and said second coupling means being operable to rock said signal member in the opposite direction to drop said second flag over said second lane section to serve as said second signal.

Claim 4

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 1 wherein said first and second lane sections each include an entry end, a first crossover lane extending from the entry end of said first lane section and merging into said second lane section, a second crossover lane extending from the entry end of said second lane section and merging into said first lane section, a first movable lane-switching member disposed in operative relation to said first lane section and operable in response to the passage of cars to move successively between aN inoperative position wherein a car passing along said first lane section remains thereon and a switching position wherein the next car passing along said first lane section is diverted to said first crossover lane and a second movable lane-switching member disposed in operative relation to said second lane section and operable in response to the passage of cars to move successively between an inoperative position wherein a car passing along said second lane section remains thereon and a switching position wherein the next car passing along said second lane section is diverted to said second crossover lane.

Claim 5

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 3 including means operable in response to movement of said first and second gate members into said lane-blocking positions for moving said first and second lane switching members into the same relative position.

Claim 6

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 1 wherein said finish indicator includes first and second flags and a housing arranged to normally obscure said flags from view, said first and second coupling means being operable to drop said first and second flags from within said housing in response to actuation of said first and second car sensor respectively.

Claim 7

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 5 wherein said finish indicator includes a stanchion, said housing being mounted on said stanchion and extending over said first and second sections.

Claim 8

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having at least one racing lane formed by interconnecting a plurality of individual track sections, one of said track sections comprising a track body including a lane section adapted to be travelled by one or more cars, a gate member movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable from a lane blocking position in relation to said lane section to a lane clearing position, said gate member establishing a starting line for a car when in said lane blocking position and freeing said car to travel about said racing course when in said lane clearing position, control means for moving said gate member, a finish indicator associated with said track body having a signal for indicating the arrival at a finish line of a car, a car sensor mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable in response to the passage of a car along said lane section to provide an actuating motion and coupling means disposed between said sensor and said finish indicator and responsive to said actuating motion to actuate said finish indicator.

Claim 9

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having at least one racing lane formed by interconnecting a plurality of individual track sections, one of said track sections comprising a track body including a lane section adapted to be travelled by one or more cars, a gate member movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable from a lane blocking position in relation to said lane section to a lane clearing position, said gate member establishing a starting line for a car when in said lane blocking position and freeing said car to travel about said racing course when in said lane clearing position, control means for moving said gate member, a finish indicator associated with said track body having a signal for indicating the arrival at a finish line of a car, a car sensor mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable in response to the passage of a car along said lane section to provide an actuating motion and coupling means disposed between said sensor and said finish indicator and responsive to said actuating motion to actuate said finish indicator.

Claim 10

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 7 wherein said finish indicator includes an indicator housing, a signal member normally disposed in and hidden by said indicator housing and mounted thereon for rocking movement in a plane substantially transverse to said lane section, said signal member having a flag overlying said lane section, said coupling means being operable to rock said signal member in a direction to drop said flag over said lane section.

Claim 11

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having at least one racing lane comprising a track body including a lane section adapted to be travelled by one or more cars, a gate member movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable from a lane-blocking position in relation to said lane section to a lane clearing position, said gate member establishing a starting line for a car when in said lane-blocking position and freeing said car to travel about said racing course when in said lane-clearing position, manually operable control means for moving said gate member, a finish indicator having a signal for indicating the arrival at a finish line of a car, a car sensor mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable in response to the passage of a car along said lane to provide an actuating motion, Coupling means disposed between said sensor and said finish indicator and responsive to said actuating motion to actuate said finish indicator, said sensor being movable between operative and inoperative positions in relation to said coupling means, said sensor being disposed in an operative position when said gate member is in said lane blocking position and means operable in response to movement of said gate member into said lane-clearing position by said control means for moving said sensor into said inoperative position and for restoring said sensor to said operative position when said gate member is returned to said lane blocking position by said control means.

Claim 12

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having at least one racing lane comprising a track body including a lane section adapted to be travelled by one or more cars, a gate member movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable from a lane-blocking position in relation to said lane section to a lane clearing position, said gate member establishing a starting line for a car when in said lane-blocking position and freeing said car to travel about said racing course when in said lane-clearing position, manually operable control means for moving said gate member, a finish indicator having a signal for indicating the arrival at a finish line of a car, a car sensor mounted on said track body in operative relation to said lane section and movable in response to the passage of a car along said lane to provide an actuating motion, Coupling means disposed between said sensor and said finish indicator and responsive to said actuating motion to actuate said finish indicator, said sensor being movable between operative and inoperative positions in relation to said coupling means, said sensor being disposed in an operative position when said gate member is in said lane blocking position and means operable in response to movement of said gate member into said lane-clearing position by said control means for moving said sensor into said inoperative position and for restoring said sensor to said operative position when said gate member is returned to said lane blocking position by said control means.

Claim 13

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 9 wherein said finish indicator includes a flag and a housing arranged to normally obscure said flag from view, said coupling means being operable to drop said flag from within said housing in response to actuation of said car sensor.

Claim 14

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 10 wherein said finish indicator includes a stanchion, said housing being mounted on said stanchion and extending over said lane section.

Claim 15

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having first and second racing lanes comprising a track body including first and second lane sections adapted to be travelled by first and second cars, first and second gate members movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said first and second lane sections, respectively and movable from lane blocking positions in relation to said first and second lane sections to lane-clearing positions, said gate members establishing a starting line for said cars when in said lane-blocking positions and freeing said cars to travel about said racing course when in said lane-clearing positions, manually operable control means for moving said first and second gate members in unison, a motion-responsive finish indicator having respective first and second signals for indicating the arrival at a finish line of one of said cars in advance of the other, first and second car sensors mounted on said track body in operative relation to said first and second lane sections respectively and independently movable in response to the passage of a car along the corresponding one of said first and second lane sections to provide first and second actuating motion, first and second coupling means disposed between said first and second sensors and said finish indicator and respectively responsive to said first or second actuating motions to actuate the corresponding one of said first and second signals of said finish indicator, said first and second sensors being movable between operative and inoperative positions in relation to the first and second coupling means respectively, said first and second sensors being disposed in their operative positions when said gate members are in said lane-blocking positions, and means operable in response to movement of said gate members into said lane-clearing positions by said control means for moving said first and second sensors into said inoperative positions and for restoring said first and second sensors to said operative positions when said first and second gate members are returned to said lane-blocking positions by said control means.

Claim 16

A starting and finishing gate for use in a racing game including a racing course having first and second racing lanes comprising a track body including first and second lane sections adapted to be travelled by first and second cars, first and second gate members movably mounted on said track body in operative relation to said first and second lane sections, respectively and movable from lane blocking positions in relation to said first and second lane sections to lane-clearing positions, said gate members establishing a starting line for said cars when in said lane-blocking positions and freeing said cars to travel about said racing course when in said lane-clearing positions, manually operable control means for moving said first and second gate members in unison, a motion-responsive finish indicator having respective first and second signals for indicating the arrival at a finish line of one of said cars in advance of the other, first and second car sensors mounted on said track body in operative relation to said first and second lane sections respectively and independently movable in response to the passage of a car along the corresponding one of said first and second lane sections to provide first and second actuating motion, first and second coupling means disposed between said first and second sensors and said finish indicator and respectively responsive to said first or second actuating motions to actuate the corresponding one of said first and second signals of said finish indicator, said first and second sensors being movable between operative and inoperative positions in relation to the first and second coupling means respectively, said first and second sensors being disposed in their operative positions when said gate members are in said lane-blocking positions, and means operable in response to movement of said gate members into said lane-clearing positions by said control means for moving said first and second sensors into said inoperative positions and for restoring said first and second sensors to said operative positions when said first and second gate members are returned to said lane-blocking positions by said control means.

Claim 17

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 12 wherein said first and second lane sections each include an entry end, a first crossover lane extending from the entry end of said first lane section and merging into said second lane section, a second crossover lane extending from the entry end of said second lane section and merging into said first lane section, a first movable lane switching member disposed in operative relation to said first lane section and operable in response to the passage of cars to move successively between an inoperative position wherein a car passing along said first lane section remains thereon and a switching position wherein the next car passing along said firsT lane section is diverted to said first crossover lane and a second movable lane-switching member dispose in operative relation to said second lane section and operable in response to the passage of cars to move successively between an inoperative position wherein a car passing along said second lane section remains thereon and a switching position wherein the next car passing along said second lane section is diverted to said second crossover lane.

Claim 18

A starting and finishing gate according to claim 13 including means operable in response to movement of said first and second gate members into said lane-blocking positions for moving said first and second lane switching members into said inoperative positions.

Claim 19

A finishing gate for use in a racing game utilizing at least two cars comprising first and second finishing lanes, a finish indicator having respective first and second signals for indicating the arrival at a finish line of one of said cars along one of said finishing lanes in advance of the other of said cars, first and second sensors arranged along said first and second lanes respectively and each movable in response to the passage of a car along the corresponding one of said finishing lanes, means operatively connected between said first and second sensors and said finish indicator for actuating the same to provide respective first and second signals in accordance with the movement of one or the other of said first and second car sensors and means in advance of said finishing lanes for assuring that said cars, whether on separate finishing lanes or on the same finishing lane will be separated from each other to pass along said first and second finishing lanes respectively as they approach said first and second car sensors.

Claim 20

A finishing gate for use in a racing game utilizing at least two cars comprising first and second finishing lanes, a finish indicator having respective first and second signals for indicating the arrival at a finish line of one of said cars along one of said finishing lanes in advance of the other of said cars, first and second sensors arranged along said first and second lanes respectively and each movable in response to the passage of a car along the corresponding one of said finishing lanes, means operatively connected between said first and second sensors and said finish indicator for actuating the same to provide respective first and second signals in accordance with the movement of one or the other of said first and second car sensors and means in advance of said finishing lanes for assuring that said cars, whether on separate finishing lanes or on the same finishing lane will be separated from each other to pass along said first and second finishing lanes respectively as they approach said first and second car sensors.