Coin-freed amusement-with- prizes machines

• Main Authors: KYLE FIELDS, WILLIAM KEITH ARNOLD, MICHAEL FRANCIS HENRY EARLE, RICHARD THOMAS COX, DAVID RODERICK LLOYD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.11.1983
• Subjects: CHECKING-DEVICES; COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS; PHYSICS

A fruit machine comprises an up and down counter (12) arranged to be incremented by a selected amount for each credit unit when a coin is inserted into a coin mechanism (7) of the machine and to be decremented by a predetermined amount for each credit unit when the machine pays out a prize as a result of actuation of collect button (10). The setting of a control device (18) is continuously adjusted in dependence upon the difference between the accumulated count and an initial value to which the counter (12) is set, so as to vary the probability of a winning game and stabilize the payout ratio. A second counter (19) is incremented by a selected amount for each credit unit when a coin is inserted into the coin mechanism (7) and to be decremented by a predetermined amount each time start button (9) is pressed to play a game. The control device (18) is further adjusted in dependence upon the difference between the prevailing count and an initial value set in the counter (19) so as to tend to maintain a desired ratio of the number of total plays to the number of credit units inserted in the machine.