US1883037A - Edwabd a - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1932. E. A. SNOOK BRIDGE SCORE TABULATOR Filed Oct. 19. 1929 INVENTOR Edi/Sneak ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 18, 1932 PATENT OFFICE EDwARD A. SNOOK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA BRIDGE-SCORE TABULATOR Application filed October 19, 1929. Serial No. 400,802.

I This invention relates to a device for facilitating the keeping of bridge scores, my principal object being to provide a device of this character by means of which the totals of the trick-points and honors will be added as made, without any knowledge of mathematics being necessary, and so that the total score at any period in the progress of the game or for a succession of games may be instantly seen at any time, without any mental addition or subtraction having to be resorted to.

At the same time the number of trick-points necessary to complete a game is also in evidence at all times, independent of the total score accumulated at the time. Scoring all through the play is therefore facilitated and the total score made by the partners at the close of play will be instantly at hand at that time.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of 2 such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of refer- I once indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a face view of my improved tabulator partly broken out.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the trickscorer indicating dial detached.

Fig.v 4is a longitudinal elevation of a stylus.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the device comprises a casing which constitutes a base plate 1 and top plates'2 and 3, rigid with the base and with each other but separated so that a continuous circular opening 4 is formed therebetween. The base is provided with a central boss 5 concentric with the opening 4 which supports the inner plate 3 in definitely spaced relation to the base, while the outer plate 2 is supported from the base by the side or rim flanges 6 which also serve to enclose the interior mechanism.

Turnable on the boss immediately under and substantially the same size as the plate 3 is a trick score indicating dial 7. Likewise turnableon the boss under the dial 7 and independently thereof is a larger dial 8 eXtending across and beyond the opening 4. Also turnable on the boss under the dial 8 and in dependent thereof is a third dial 9, larger than the dial 8 but formed so that at its rim, outwardly of the dial 8 it is on the same level as said dial 8 as shown in Fig. 2. All the dials are preferably separated somewhat by spacers or washers 10 nonturnably fixed on the boss. The dial 8 is provided with inner and outer rows of holes 11 and 12 respectively, which are both disposed within the opening 4 and are concentric therewith. There are one-hundred holes in each row and adj acent the periphery of the dial the latter has numbers reading from O to 99 successively in anti-clockwise direction, printed on the upper surface of the same, as shown at 13. One only of such numbers at a time is visible through a window 14 disposed in the lefthand side of the plate 2. These numbers mp resent units and tens of the score. The outer most portion of the dial 9 also has numbers 15 printed thereon, reading from O to 99 succes sively in the same direction as the numbers 13. One only of these numbers also appears at a time through the window 14, showing of course to the left-hand side of the adjacent number on the dial 8. The dial 9 is provided with ratchet teeth 16 about the periphery thereof, which are engaged by a pinion 16a turnably mounted in the casing and projecting higher in said casing than the upper surface of the dial 9, as shown in Fig. 2. Once with every full revolution of the dial 8, a finger 17 mounted on and projecting radially therefrom engages the upwardly projecting portion of an adj acent tooth of the pinion and rotates the same sufficiently to cause the dial 9 to be rotated an amount equal to the spacing between adjacent ones of the numbers 15, or one-hundredth of a revolution.

Imprinted on the plate 2 at intervals around the opening 4 are numbers 18 representing honor scores, these numbers reading in increasing order in an anti-clockwise direction from a theoretical Zero point at the adjacent end of a stop 19 which projects inwardly of the opening 4fro1n the plate 2, so as to overhang and cover the row of holes 12 for a short distance. The position or spacing of these numbers corresponds to multiples of the holes 12 starting, as above stated, from the stop 19 as a zero point. A similar stop 20 projects outwardly from the plate 3 and covers a certain number of the holes 11. Imprinted on the plate 3 around the opening 4 are various numbers 21, representing possible trick scores and positioned and'spa-ced in multiples of or in even relation tothe spacing of the holes 11 in anti-clockwise order from the zero or starting point at the adjacent end of the stop 20.

The disc 7 at its periphery has a row of indentations'22 positioned to coincide with a corresponding number of the holes 11. There need be only twenty-four of these indentations for the reasons shown hereinafter.

Imprinted on the upper face of the dial 7 under the plate 3 is a row of numbers 23, spaced the same as the holes or indentations and reading in decreasing order in anticlockwise relation from 30 (which is the number of points necessary to make a complete game), and terminating with the letter G, a distance from said number 30 according to the spacing of thirty holes.

Any one of thesenumbers is visible at a time through a window 24 in the plate 3. This window'and thenumbers thereunder are so positioned relative to the indentations 22 that when the latter register with the holes 11 be tween the numbers 6 and 30 printed on V the plate 3, the number 30 of the row 23 shows through the window.

All the holes are of the same size so that a stylus 25 of suitable character or a rigid pin will fit all said holes.

In operation assume that the dials are set at the starting position or with no score recorded, and that the partners have just scored eighteen in tricks and eighty in honors. The

scorer places the stylus in the coinciding hole 11 and indentation 22 which aline with the number 18- printed on the plate 3. He then pulls the stylus to the right or in a clockwisedirection until the stylus abuts against the stop 20. This turns both the dials 7 and 8 and 18 will then read through the window 14 and 12 through the window'24. The latter figure represents the difference between 30 (the total amount or score nec essary to make game and which shows in said window 24 at the outset) and 18, the amount just made. The stylus is then placed in that hole 12 which alines with the eighty honor mark on the plate 2 and pulls the same and the dial 8 around to the right until the stylus abuts against the stop 19. The reading in the window 24 will not be disturbed, since the dial 7 is not rotated. The dial 8 however turning eighty more numbers will show a total of 98 through the window 14. This amount represents, as will be obvious, the total score made up to that time.

The finger 17 is positioned so that it is then about to engage the pinion 16a, so that after two more points have been scored and the dial 8 has been rotated a corresponding amount, the dial 9 will then be rotated through one-hundredth of a turn. The 1 of its peripheral numbering will then show through the window 14 to the left of the numbers on the dial 8. The score will then read between one and two hundred until another complete rotation of the dial 8 has been made, when the dial 9 is again turned through another one-hundredth turn. The number 2 of the dial 9 will then show through the window indicating, with the corresponding numbers on the dial 8, a total score of 200 or over. Since the dial'is numbered up to 99 a total score up to 9999 may be reached without resetting the dials.

If more than thirty trick points are scored at any one time the stylus is placed in that hole 11 which alines with the corresponding rotation or reading on the plate 3. The dial 7 however does not rotate until the stylus reaches the beginning of the indentations 22, whereupon said dial turns the remainder of the distance along with the dial 8 or until the stylus abuts against the stop 20. The letter G on the dial 7 will then be visible through the window 24, and since any score of 30 still re resents ame it is not necessar 2- that the dial 7 shall move to a greater distance than that sufiicient to indicate game. At the same time the movement of the dial 7 has nothing to do with the movement of the dial 8, so that the total number of points made is duly tabulated and indicated through the score window 14.

When the letter G shows through the window 24 an appropriate instructional legend, as at 26, which is printed on the dial 7, appears through a circular slot 27 in the plate 3. Associated with said legend isa hole 28 in the dial to enable the stylus to be inserted so as to turn the dial to a clearing or starting position, when the number 30 will again appear under the window 24.

Similar stylus receiving holes 29, in the plane of the space between the stops 19 and 20, are provided in the dials 8 and 9. These holes register with each other when the corresponding numbers on the peripheral readings of the dials coincide with each other.

These holes enable the dials to be easily reset to the Zero or starting position, since the upper dial 8 will first turn alone until the upper hole 29 alines with the lower one. The stylus will then drop into and engage both holes and both dials may then be turned together until the desired zero reading of both dials shows through the window 14.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new anduseful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A ta-bulator including a casing having a cover provided with a circular opening, a dial turnably mounted in the casing under the cover concentric with the opening, said dial having radially spaced rows of stylusreceiving opening visible through a large arc of said circular opening, another smaller dial superimposed on said first dial but turnable independently thereof, said other dial having a series of peripheral indentations to register with a corresponding number of the holes of the inner row, a stylus for simul taneous engagement with any indentation and hole to rotate the dials together, stylus stops arranged transversely of the opening at a certain point in the extent thereof, numbers printed on the cover about both sides of the opening in increasing sequence from the stops as a zero mark, numbers printed about the outer portion of the lower dial in sequence from zero up, a window on the cover through which one such number at a time is visible, and another window over the outer portion of the upper dial through which one at a time of the numbers on said upper dial is visible.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

EDWARD A. SN OOK.

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