The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 17, 1999
Filed:
Dec. 08, 1993
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Williams Electronics Games Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A63F / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
2731 / ; 2731 / ; 2731 / ; 2731 / ; 2731 / ; 2731 / ; 2731 / ; 2731 / ; 273110 ; 273112 ;
Abstract
A serpentine ramp is rotatable about a horizontal axis between its center and its upper end to lift a pinball from a lower play surface to an upper play surface. A ball is directed from the lower surface into a ball receiving portion in the lower end of the ramp. This closes an optical switch causing the ramp to rotate between a receiving position and a discharge position. A ball disposed in the receiving portion rolls on the ramp to its upper end and then onto the upper surface. A second optical switch is closed by the return of the ramp to the receiving position which terminates the operation of the device.