Abstract: A joystick controller is characterized by a control shaft that has toward its lower end a hemispherical-shaped member having a spherical surface. The control shaft extends upwardly through an opening in a top wall of a housing, and a circumference of the opening defines a beating for the spherical surface of the control shaft hemispherical member while a bottom of the control shaft is pivotally supported on a fulcrum within the housing. An upper end of the control shaft is manually movable to pivot the control shaft, with the spherical surface then moving in the bearing. The control shaft is coupled to x-y movement indicators comprising linearly movable variable impedance devices, which generate signals in accordance with the amount and direction of pivotal movement of the control shaft.

Abstract: Methods for reducing or eliminating static electric charges on resins by adding to the resins an effective amount of at least one substituted ammonium salt of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, the salt having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a straight or branched chain alkyl group having from 10 to 14 carbon atoms, R.sub.1 is hydroxyethyl or an alkyl group having from one to six carbon atoms, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are the same or different and are hydroxyethyl, an alkyl group having from one to six carbon atoms, or hydrogen, and R.sub.4 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having from one to six carbon atoms, together with resins so produced and compositions additionally containing fatty acids for such use.

Abstract: A joystick includes a shaft having a handle at one end and an actuator at the other end and pivotally mounted on a base for universal pivotal movement to actuate a plurality of switches. A bearing sleeve having a very low coefficient of friction is telescopically disposed between the shaft and the actuator coaxial with each and freely rotatable relative to each so that the actuator is substantially unresponsive to rotational movements of the shaft about its axis. The actuator is trapped between a flange on the bearing sleeve and an E-clip on the end of the shaft, the clip also retaining the bearing sleeve on the shaft.

Abstract: A pinball machine has an upper display cabinet pivotally movable with respect to a lower playfield cabinet between an upright use position spaced well above the lower cabinet with the rear walls of the upper and lower cabinets substantially coplanar and a forwardly folded-down position closely overlying the lower cabinet. The upper cabinet is supported on a support assembly which includes upper and lower pairs of support posts, respectively mounted inside the upper and lower cabinets on the rear walls thereof, with each post having a forwardly projecting pivot portion, the upper and lower pivot portions being pivotally interconnected at their forward ends. The lower posts project well above the lower cabinet, and the pivot portions and the pivot pin are all disposed entirely within the upper cabinet. The upper cabinet is supported by the support assembly in both its upright and folded positions and, in its upright position permits a clear view of the entire playfield by a user.

Abstract: A "mouse"-type position indicating control apparatus has a two-part housing comprising an apertured base and a cover which contains a ball, a portion of which projects through the aperture in the base to support and transport the housing along a support surface. A one-piece molded mounting block rests on the base for holding the ball in position over the aperture while accommodating universal rotation thereof. Code wheel shafts have the opposite ends thereof journaled in bearing grooves in the support block for frictional engagement with the ball for indicating orthogonal components of rotation. Photoelectric transducer elements are mounted on the mounting block. A cap plate covers the mounting block and retains the shafts and photoelectric elements in place. Retaining members on the cover engage the plate for clamping the mounting block against the base. The apparatus is assembled without the use of fasteners or tools except for securing the base to the cover.

Abstract: The apparatus senses the absolute elevation and azimuth of a device, such as a gun in an arcade target shooting game. The gun is fixed to a shaft which is pivotable about horizontal and vertical axes and which is connected by two linkage assemblies, respectively, to two rotatably mounted encoder plates for rotating them, respectively, in response to pivoting of the gun about the two axes. Each plate has a plurality of apertures arranged in seven concentric rings in accordance with the Gray code, the arcs respectively intercepting seven light beams which are directed to seven photodetectors. At different rotational positions of the plate, different ones of the detectors will sense light. The apertures are arranged to produce discrete coded indications of each one-degree increment of movement of the gun over a range of about 90.degree..

Abstract: The spinning target assembly comprises a post rotatably mounted to the playfield board of a pinball game. A bridge extends over and is substantially parallel to the playfield board. Three spinning target units hang downwardly from the bridge. The bridge and the units carried thereby are rotatable about the axis of the post to any selected position. Each unit includes a pair of supports and a target therebetween and rotatably carried thereby. A switch is associated with each unit and is located in the bridge to sense the number of revolutions of the target.

Abstract: A game port expander for a video game input port includes a plurality of first multi-pin ports respectively connectable to four different game controllers, and a second multi-pin port connectable to the input port of a video game. Each game controller has a "fire control" switch which is connected to a selected pin of the corresponding first port for applying a signal to that port when the switch is actuated. That signal is converted by a decimal-to-binary converter to a binary representation of that first port which is applied to the inputs of a two-bit IC latch. The switch signal is also applied through an OR gate to an RC timing circuit which activates the latch after the signal is present for a predetermined time, to actuate an IC switching circuit which provides an interconnection between predetermined terminals of the second port and the corresponding terminals of the selected one first port.

Abstract: An analog joystick controller includes a handle shaft engageable with two yokes rotatably movable respectively about two perpendicular axes in response to tilting of the handle shaft. The yokes are respectively coupled to the wipers of two potentiometers, the resistance portions of which are fixedly connected to adjusting means manually movable for zero adjustments. Each yoke carries a pair of pivoting levers biased together into engagement with the yoke for movement therewith. Each pair of levers is associated with a control block which is manually movable between the levers to permit only one of them to move when the handle is moved from a center or home position, depending upon the direction of movement of the handle, for biasing the handle to its center position.

Abstract: A position control device includes a generally rectangular, two-part housing having orthogonal walls, two of which have openings formed therein. A shaft is rotatably mounted in the housing on bearings which are respectively received in recesses in support blocks on the housing bottom. One end of the shaft projects outwardly through one of the openings and may have a knob secured thereto outside the housing. One-part and two-part shafts are disclosed. A control wheel is mounted coaxially on the shaft and projects through the other opening for manual rotation by a user. The support blocks cooperate with retainers on the housing cover to accommodate slight movement of the bearings in directions perpendicular to the plane of the control wheel opening, the shaft being resiliently biased toward that opening.

Abstract: The trackball device comprises cylindrical first and second supports. First and second code wheels are respectively coupled to the supports and are rotatable therewith. First and second reader means are respectively associated with the first and second code wheels for generating control signals. A ball is seated on the supports. The second support, both of the reader means, the second code wheel and the ball all lie on the same side of the first support.

Abstract: The spinning target assembly comprises a pair of posts and a bridge therebetween. Three spinning target units hang downwardly from the bridge. The units move back and forth between the posts. Each unit includes a pair of supports and a target therebetween rotatably carried thereby. Two Hall-effect devices are mounted in each support and a magnet is mounted in the spinning target, whereby the Hall-effect devices can sense the direction and number of revolutions of the target.

Abstract: A handle assembly for a joystick controller includes a tiltably mounted, elongated, hollow, tubular shaft having an elongated rod extending coaxially therethrough. A helical compression spring is seated in a recess at one end of the shaft and coaxially encircles the rod for engagement with an enlarged-diameter button thereon, resiliently to urge the rod to a normal rest position projecting a predetermined distance from the adjacent end of the shaft. Several different-shaped handle members are interchangeably mounted on the shaft, each handle member having a cylindrical bore therethrough for receiving the shaft and frictionally engageable with a knurled portion on the outer surface of the shaft. The bore has a reduced diameter portion at one end thereof to limit the depth of insertion of the shaft.

Abstract: A mechanically-operated object-engaging member for a game is pivotally mounted on a shaft to which is fixedly secured a drive cam disposed in camming engagement with one end of a third-class lever. A spring on the cam biases it and the lever to a normal rest condition, the lever having a magnetic portion which is attracted to a permanent magnet for magnetically holding the lever in the rest condition. A manually-operated actuator linkage applies a force to the lever to break the magnetic attraction and drive the lever away from the magnet to operate the cam and object-engaging member. A separate bias element may urge the actuator linkage to a normal rest condition. The object-engaging member can be mounted on a playfield board and confined to a predetermined oscillating movement relative to the playfield board.

Abstract: A coin door assembly includes a door panel with a coin slot therethrough. Mounted on the rear of the panel in spaced-apart relationship are an entry chute communicating with the coin slot and a coin box unit, which cooperate to define therebetween a receptacle for a coin acceptor module. A retainer is mounted on the coin box unit for pivotal movement between open and closed conditions with respect to the receptacle and sliding movement between latched and unlatched positions with respect to the entry chute for cooperation therewith immovably to retain the coin acceptor module in the receptacle. Bearing flanges on the entry chute cooperate with the panel to trap an actuator cam therebetween for pivotal movement to actuate a coin rejection mechanism on the coin acceptor module. A nameplate is removably mounted in a receptacle on the front of the panel.