US2081822A - Annunciator for horse races - Google Patents

Description

May 25, 1937. F. KIMBELL. 2,081,822

ANNUNCIATOR FpR HORSE RACES Filed June 11, 1956 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 UMBERS a, 0 O 0 o o o o o a TRACK POSITIONS 40 DELAIING START-w 1 AT BREAK STARTING QUARTER m,

. HALF Mi a QUARTER Mi N: Mi.

STRETCH May 25, 1937.

. F.- KIMBELL ANNUNCIATOR FOR HORSE RACES Filed June 11, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Fomj ce E'rnbel/ I Patented May 25, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11311. 1??? Application June 11, 1936, Serial No. 84.748

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an annunciator for horse races, or the like. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novel type of apparatus, adapted for use at race tracks, to indicate to the patrons of the track, the progress of the various horses whilethe race is being run.

It is a well known fact that it is extremely difiicult for the patrons at a horse race to follow the progress of the various horses while the race is going on. At the larger tracks throughout the country, the race tracks are one mile in circumference, and except when the horses are directly in front of the grandstand, the patrons cannot distinguish which horse is leading the race and which ones are trailing behind. This difllculty is particularly apparent when the horses are rounding a turn and when they are closely bunched together. Also, the confusion and excitement which are always attendant upon the running of an important race further tend to obscure the happenings on the track. In consequence of these factors, many patrons do not know what has happened until the race has been finished, and the winning numbers are posted on t the oiiicial board. This lack of knowledge materially detracts from the enjoyment of the public at the races.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an annunciator board, placed at a position of vantage where it will be visible to all, adapted to indicate the progress of the race from the time that the horses go to the barrier, until the race is completed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide electrical means which will indicate the numbers and relative positions of the three leading horses during the entire progress of the race.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means which will indicate, from time to time, what portion of the race has been run. In other words, the annunciator of the present invention will indicate the' break, the first quarter, the half, the third quarter, the mile, and the stretch drive in a long race. In short races, only certain of these indications will be used, for instance, the break, the quarter mile, the half mile, and the stretch, or distances in furlongs.

It is a further object tocombine with the means for indicating the progress of the race, the rela-' tive positions of the leading horses at each stage.

It often happens that considerable dimculty is,

encountered by the race starter in getting all of the horses properly lined up in front of the barrier before the race can be started. This delay is usually occasioned because of the fractious antics of one or two of the horses. The patrons are always anxious to know which horse or horses are causing the delay, and it is an object of the present invention to give this information by my novel annunciator. In accordance with the present invention. if substantial delay is encountered in getting the horsesv oil, a special signal will be displayed on the annunciator. together with the number or numbers of the offending horses.

- It is a further object of the invention to provide control means for the annunciator so arranged that a person or persons positioned at an advantageous place to see the progress of the race, may operate the same to control the signals or indications appearing on the annunciator, thereby to inform the public of the progress of the race. Preferably, this control means will comprise a keyboard provided with a plurality of buttons which the operator may depress to eflect the illumination of corresponding indicating lights on the annunciator board. If desired, instead of having the annunciator controlled from a single point of vantage, by a single observer, separate control boards may be placed. at appropriately spaced points around the track, so that the patrol judges at those points may indicate the respective positions of the leading horses and also the point reached in the progress of the race.

In the accompanying drawings, a plurality of forms of annunciators are shown, together with one appropriate control circuit, but it must be understood that the invention is not confined to the details of construction shown or to the specific forms of annunciators or circuits, but covers any similar devices coming within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an annunciator board.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a control panel there for.

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing, diagrammatically, one manner of wiring the annunciator board and control panel of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is an elevatlonal view, corresponding to Figure 1, showing a modification.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on lines 5--5 of Figure l, and

' Figure 6 is a front elevation of a further modification.

The annunciator of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, may take the form of a tall, relatively narrow signboard which may. conveniently be placed in the infield of the race track;

It comprises a front casing section ll provided is divided by vertical plates 33, 34, 35, 3B and 37 with a plurality of columns of apertures H, l2,

l3. Behind the face plate l0 and closing the apertures ll, etc., there is positioned a ground glass plate or the like. it. Instead of using a single plate l4, asindicated in Figure 5, individual plates may be used for each aperture. Behind the translucent plate, I provide masks or stencils l5 which are cut to permit the passage of light over predetermined patterns to indicate, on the ground glass plates, appropriate numbers, as indicated in Figure 1. Behind the masks, any conventional form of reflector I6, sockets l1 and bulbs I 8 may be positioned.

In addition to the front wall III, the annunciator comprises side walls I9, 20 and a, rear wall 2|. Moreover, the interior space defined by these walls partitions 22, 23 and horizontal partitions 24 to provide a plurality o1 isolated cells within the bodyor the annunciator. Each cell contains a bulb, socket and reflector and an electric wire 25 leading to the socket to energize the bulb. The metallic frame of the annunciator constitutes a ground return common to all of the bulbs.

Above the three columns of apertures ll, l2,

illuminated indicating means to designate the columns therebelow as, respectively, First, Second and Third. These indicating means may take the form of elongated, arrow-like, illuminated glass plates 21, 28, 29. is positioned a bulb similar to the bulbs disclosed in Figure 5.

Below the three columns of apertures, I may position, if desired, some appropriately illuminated indicia, to indicate the character of the data which will appear thereabove in the columns, as shown at 30, Figure 1. 7

At some other appropriate place on the face of the annunciator board, such as at the bottom thereof, additional apertures will be provided which may be illuminated to indicate the progress fifthe race. For instance, and as indicated at 3|, an illuminable plate may be provided to indicate that there .is a similar plate 32 may be positioned adjacent thereto, to indicate the break 01 the race. Additional may be provided to indicate when the horses have reached the quarter mile, the half mile, the three. quarter mile post, the one mile post'and the stretch. Separate illuminating means will be provided for each 01 these panels, and consequently the panels will be illuminated "respectivel when the horses break from the barrieriwhen th quarter mile, half mile, three quarter mile and one mile posts have been passed. As the horses come down the stretch, the

' final panel will be illuminated to indicate that I Preferably these buttons feet.

As indicated in Figure 5, the hunt race I0 01' the annunciator board is preferably hinged at one side, as at 38, so that it may be swung open to permit access to the interior thereof. This action will also make it possible to change the stencils behind the apertures I I, I2, etc., and the panels 3|31. For'instance,in a. short race, it might be desir-- able to change the panels which read "Quarter mile", "One mile", to appropriate furlong indicia. Such substitution can be readil complished. v

The control panel shown in Figure 2 comprises a plurality of buttons Ill, 40a, lb-49, a, b, each adapted to illuminate one oi the lights behind the apertures in in each horizontal row Behind each plate there delay at the start of the race. A

'- until a corresponding number the columns H, H, ll.

are interconnected by mechanism of a well known type, so that when any one button is depressed to complete a, circuit to av particular light bulb, any other button in the same row which has been previously depressed, will immediately be raised to breakthe circuit leading to the bulb whichit controls. Circuit makers and breakers of this .type are well known in the automatic telephone art.

pendent of the others. and are not mechanically connected thereto.

In the circuit diagram disclosed in Figure 3, the switches 40,4011, b are diagrammatic representations of the buttons bearing the same reference characters in Figure 2. Switch 40 will energize the bulb behind the stencil l5 to illuminate the ground glass plate It in the uppermost aperture in column II, with the figure 1", under the panel reading First. Thus, if horse number 1 is running first in the race, switch I will be closed and the number "1" will be illuminated in the aperture under the legend First. On the other handf if horse number 1 should be running third, switch 40b would be closed, whereupon current would flow to the bulb behind the uppermost aperture in the column Hi to illuminate a figure 1 under the legend Third.

If horse number 5 should be running either first, second or third, the button 44, a or b would be pressed, closing the corresponding switch. As indicated by the circuit diagram, Figure 3, the appropriate light I 8, la, l8b would be illuminated to indicate that fact.

The switches 50 -56, shown in Figure 3, are diagrammatic representations of the circuit makers and breakers controlled by the buttons Sit-56 of Figure 2. Switch 50 controls the flow of current to the light behind the panel 3|, marked Delay Start, Figures 1 and 4. Likewise, the other switches control the ghts behind the other panels 32-31.

The switch 58 is a master switch for the entire .annunciator board and, additionally, serves to effect the illumination of the the panel 30.

The switch 51 controls the iliiimination of the lights behind the panels 21, 28,- 29. Usually it will not be desirable to illuminate these panels, bearing the indicia First, Second and Third the race has started, because prior to that time, the numbers illuminated in the columns i I, I2, and I3 will not indicate the positions of the horses, but, on the other hand, will announce the fact that certain horses are delaying the start.

From the above description, the nithod of operation of the invention, as disclosed in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, will be apparent to one skilled in the art. An operator positioned at a. point of vantage will manipulate the buttons on the control panel, to indicate the respective positions of light bulbs behind the three leading horses during the progress of the race. He will press a button on the top row of buttons (Fig. 2) corresponding to the number of the horse which is leading the race at any particular time. In the left-hand column ll of apertures on the face of the annunciator board,

will be brightly illuminated, and allot the other numbers in that column will be dark. and invisible. Simultaneously, he will depress a button in the middle row bearing a number corresponding to the number ofthe horse that happens to be running second, and a. corresponding number will be illuminated in the second column I2 of apertures. One button in the. lowermost row will also be depressed to-indicate which horse is running third. During the progress of the race, and as the respective positions of the horses change, different buttons will be depressed. When a new button in a horizontal row is depressed, all of the other buttons in that row will be raised, by automatic means or the type referred to above. As the horses pass the various positionson the track, the various buttons 5056 will be depressed to indicate the progress of the race.

Any number of annunciator boards of the type described in the present application may be connected in parallel to a single control panel, and, a plurality of control panels may be used to control one or more annunciator boards. For instance, it might be desirable to place several oi the annunciator boards in the infield, so that they could be seen by all of the patrons of the track. Additional boards might be placed in the paddock and near themutuel betting windows, or at other convenient places at the tracks. As suggested above, the additional control panels might be placed at spaced points around the track, to be operated by the patrol judges .who are positioned so close to the track that they can easily tell the exact positions of the horses as they pass their respective patrol posts.

The form of the invention disclosed in Figure 4' is different only in its arrangement of indicia. Under an appropriately illuminated panel 60, bearing a convenient legend such as Horse Number, there is arranged a vertical row of apertures 6 l-'I0, each of which is adapted to be illuminated to indicate the numbers of the horses participating in the race. Thus, if ten horses were scheduled to start in the race, and all actually started, each of the apertures would be illuminated, and the numbers 1 to 10 inclusive, would be visible. However, if certain horses, for instance numbers 3, 7 and 9 were scratched, and did not start, the corresponding numbers would not be illuminated. Adjacent the column of numbers under the panel 60, this form of the invention contemplates the use of three additional rows of lights, ll, 12, 13. Above each of these rows there may be illuminated legends to indicate First, Second, Third. Lights behind these apertures will be illuminated to indicate that horses bearing the numbers corresponding to the numbers adjacent thereto in colunhi SIL-are-running respectively first, second, or third and these lights will change as the positions of the horses change during the course of the race. A fourth column of apertures 14, may be provided, between the column 60 and the column I I to indicate that the horse bearing the number adjacent thereto is running in the money' This may be effected, for instance, by connecting the bulb behind each aperture in the column II in series with the several bulbs adjacent thereto in the columns ll l2, 13, between those bulbs and a common ground return. connection to the annunciator frame.

The panels 3l-3| in the annunciator of Figure 4 correspond with similar panels in the first form of the invention, and need not be further described.

The operation of this form of the invention will be substantially the same as described above in connection with the form shown in Figures 1 to 3.

The advantage in the alternative form is that the numbers of the participants in the race are con- 'stantly illuminated, and independent indicating means are provided to show the respective positions of the three leading participants.

In Figure 6, a further modification is shown,

at the left of the annunciator boardunder the legend "Horse No.. The numbers of the starters will be illuminated. Under successive columns headed Delay start, Break", One quarter mile, One half mile, Three quarter mile", One mile, Stretch", spaces are provided for the illumination of the horses running first, second and third. For instance, if horse number 3 is leading at the break, under the legend Break", opposite horse number 3, number 1 will be illuminated. If horse number 10 is running second at that point, number 2 will be illuminated under Break in the area horizontally aligned with horse number 10. This system is carried out throughout the entire progress of the race by'a control board somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 2, but necessarily containing a duplication of the buttons and switches disclosed therein.

In the three forms of annunciator shown in the accompanying drawings, the signals and the like are arranged for a ten horse race. This figure is entirely arbitrary, and the invention is not limited .to any particular number. Obviously, it might be desirable, at certain tracks i where the number of entries in many of the. races is high, to increase the size of the annunciator board to accommodate the maximum num- 1 her of starters.

The invention may be embodied in many other forms of apparatus and all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents must be considered to' be included in my invention.

I claim:

1. An annunciator for horse races comprising means for indicating the numbers of the three leading horses in a race and their respective running positions, means for changing the numbers and positions indicated by said means to correspond to changes in the numbers and positions of the leading horses during the progress of the race, and additional means for indicating, from time to time, the portion of the race completed during the progress of the race.

2. An annunciator for horse races comprising means for selectively illuminatin and indicating numbers corresponding to the umbers of the three leading horses during the progress of a horse race, additional means for illuminating signals associated with each of the illuminated numbers to indicate the relative positions of the horses corresponding to said numbers, and means for selectively and successively illuminating independent indicating means to show the progress of the race, from time to time, during the actual running of the race.

3. An annunciator for horse races comprising at least three sets of selectively illuminable numbers, each number .of a set corresponding to the number of a different horse in a race, an indicia adjacent each set indicating the running positions respectively of first, second and third, electrically controlled means for illuminating a number in one set to indicate the number of the ning in other positions in the race, said control 7 means being operable duringthe progress of the race to change the numbers appearing in said sets as the numbers '0! the horses in said positions change during the progress of the race.

4. An annunciator in accordance with claim 3 comprising an additional series of signals indica tive of the portion oi the race completed, from time to time, during the progress of the race, and electrical control means for said series of signals.

5. An annunciator for horse races comprising a plurality of electric light bulbs arranged in a to indicate the relative positions of the horses whether first, second or bearing the numbers illuminated and indicated by the adiacentbuibs in the first column, and independent circuit control means for each or said bulbs, whereby'the numbers of the three leading horses may be indicated by the illumination of three or the bulbs arranged in the first column, and the position of each horse.

third, may be indicated by the illumination of horizontally aligned bulbs in the other vertical columns of bulbs.-

6. An annunciator for horse races comprising a casing having a plurality of translucent windows in its front face arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, an independently" controllable light behind each window, and a stencil mask between each window and its light, whereby the illumination of any light serves to project 5 the figure of a number corresponding to its stem [Ofiicial Gazette February, 7, 1939 enters this disclaimer to that part of the aosipaa cil maskupon and through the adjacent window, said masks and their figures being obscured by said window when said lights are extinguished,

I the numbers on the stencils behind the windows in the horizontal rows being the same but being diilerent progressively from top to bottom in the vertical columns, the columns serving to indicate respectively first, second and third, and the rows serving to indicate the numbers of the difl'erent horses in a race, whereby the iilumination of any particular light will project a number through a window to indicate that the horse bearing that number is running respectively first,

second or third.

7. An annunciator for indicating the running positions of the three leading horses in a race during the actual progress of the race at predetermined times therein, comprising indicia constantly visible during the progress of the race indicating respectively first, second and third running positions, a plurality of sets 01' numbers, one set associated with each of the aforesaid indicia, each set including a number corre-- sponding to each diilferent horse in the race, an additional series of indicia selectively iiluminable to indicate the portion of the race completed, and control means to make visible selectively the particular number in each set corresponding to the number of the horse running in the position indicated by the associated first-mentioned constantly visible indicia, said control means serving to illuminate the corresponding iiluminable indicia of said additional series to indicate the portion of the race completed when the numbers of the sets are made visible.

roanrcr:

b i scam M E R Miami, Fla. May 25, 1937. D1sclaimer filed January 12, 1939, by the assignee,

ANNUNCIATOR FOR HoRsE RACES. Patpatent covered by claini 3- means being operable duringthe progress of the race to change the numbers appearing in said sets as the numbers '0! the horses in said positions change during the progress of the race.

4. An annunciator in accordance with claim 3 comprising an additional series of signals indica tive of the portion oi the race completed, from time to time, during the progress of the race, and electrical control means for said series of signals.

5. An annunciator for horse races comprising a plurality of electric light bulbs arranged in a to indicate the relative positions of the horses whether first, second or bearing the numbers illuminated and indicated by the adiacentbuibs in the first column, and independent circuit control means for each or said bulbs, whereby'the numbers of the three leading horses may be indicated by the illumination of three or the bulbs arranged in the first column, and the position of each horse.

third, may be indicated by the illumination of horizontally aligned bulbs in the other vertical columns of bulbs.-

6. An annunciator for horse races comprising a casing having a plurality of translucent windows in its front face arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, an independently" controllable light behind each window, and a stencil mask between each window and its light, whereby the illumination of any light serves to project 5 the figure of a number corresponding to its stem [Ofiicial Gazette February, 7, 1939 enters this disclaimer to that part of the aosipaa cil maskupon and through the adjacent window, said masks and their figures being obscured by said window when said lights are extinguished,

I the numbers on the stencils behind the windows in the horizontal rows being the same but being diilerent progressively from top to bottom in the vertical columns, the columns serving to indicate respectively first, second and third, and the rows serving to indicate the numbers of the difl'erent horses in a race, whereby the iilumination of any particular light will project a number through a window to indicate that the horse bearing that number is running respectively first,

second or third.

7. An annunciator for indicating the running positions of the three leading horses in a race during the actual progress of the race at predetermined times therein, comprising indicia constantly visible during the progress of the race indicating respectively first, second and third running positions, a plurality of sets 01' numbers, one set associated with each of the aforesaid indicia, each set including a number corre-- sponding to each diilferent horse in the race, an additional series of indicia selectively iiluminable to indicate the portion of the race completed, and control means to make visible selectively the particular number in each set corresponding to the number of the horse running in the position indicated by the associated first-mentioned constantly visible indicia, said control means serving to illuminate the corresponding iiluminable indicia of said additional series to indicate the portion of the race completed when the numbers of the sets are made visible.

roanrcr:

b i scam M E R Miami, Fla. May 25, 1937. D1sclaimer filed January 12, 1939, by the assignee,

ANNUNCIATOR FOR HoRsE RACES. Patpatent covered by claini 3-

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