Gaming and amusement machines and reels for them

Abstract

In a reel for a fruit machine, a reel has standard symbols or fruit, on which secondary symbols, for example, numbers, are superimposed. The reel has a first, inner strip on which the standard symbols appear, the strip being carried by a reel drum. The secondary symbols appear on a second, outer strip glued to the first strip. The second strip is mostly transparent so that the standard symbols may be viewed with the secondary symbols superimposed on them.

I claim: 
     
       1. A reel for a gaming or amusement machine comprising a first reel strip, a second reel strip, and a support structure, said support structure supporting said first reel strip and said second reel strip in a curved configuration, said second reel strip overlies said first reel strip and said first reel strip and said second reel strip being provided with indicia or symbols, wherein the symbols on said first and second reel strips are superimposed said first reel strip and said second reel strip are fixed in position relative to one another on said support structure, wherein the symbols on said first reel strip and the symbols on said second reel strip remain in a fixed superimposed position relative to one another at all times. 
     
     
       2. A reel according to claim 1, wherein said first reel strip has profiled symbols formed in or on it in three dimensions. 
     
     
       3. A reel according to claim 1, wherein said first reel strip has a uniformly smooth surface and has said symbols printed upon it. 
     
     
       4. A reel according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second reel strips are secured to each other. 
     
     
       5. A reel according to claim 1, wherein said second reel strip is transparent except for its symbols or indicia, and in that all of said symbols or indicia of said first strip can be identified despite the presence of said indicia or symbols of said second strip. 
     
     
       6. A reel strip for use in forming a reel in accordance with claim 1, said reel strip being generally transparent but carrying symbols or indicia and being adapted to be applied over or alongside an existing reel or reel strip. 
     
     
       7. A gaming or amusement machine which includes a reel in accordance with claim 1. 
     
     
       8. A method of forming a reel for gaming or amusement machines comprising taking a reel strip in accordance with claim . .9.!. .Iadd.1 .Iaddend.and applying it to a reel. 
     
     
       9. A reel for a gaming or amusement machine comprising a first reel strip, a second reel strip, and a support structure, said support structure supporting said first reel strip and said second reel strip in a curved configuration, said first reel strip and said second reel strip being provided with indicia or symbols, wherein the arrangement is such that at at least one angular position of said reel said first reel strip and said second reel strip each have indicia, one of said indicia on said second reel strip being superimposed upon one of said indicia on said first reel strip at said one angular position and said superimposed symbols being simultaneously visible at all times when registered with a viewing window of said amusement or gaming machine. 
     
     
       10. A reel for a gaming or amusement machine comprising a first reel strip, a second reel strip, and a support structure, said support structure supporting said first reel strip and said second reel strip in a curved configuration, said first reel strip and said second reel strip being provided with indicia or symbols, wherein said second reel strip overlies said first reel strip, said second reel strip is generally transparent and the arrangement is such that at at least one angular position of said reel said first reel strip and said second reel strip each have indicia, at least some of said indicia on said first reel strip being visible through said second reel strip. 
     
     
       11. A reel for a gaming or amusement machine comprising a first reel strip, a second reel strip, and a support structure, said support structure supporting said first reel strip and said second reel strip in a curved configuration, said second reel strip overlies said first reel strip and said first reel strip and said second reel strip being provided with indicia or symbols, wherein the symbols on said first and second reel strips are preimposed and said first reel strip and said second reel strip are fixed in position relative to one another, wherein the symbols on said first reel strip and the symbols on said second reel strip remain in a fixed superimposed position relative to one another at all times said first reel strip is provided with sunken regions, said indicia or symbols being provided in said sunken regions. 
     
     
       12. A two layer reel strip for use in a reel or a gaming or amusement machine comprising a first reel strip and a second reel strip, said second reel strip being positioned above said first reel strip, said first and said second reel strip being provided with indicia or symbols, wherein said first reel strip and said second reel strip are fixed relative to one another wherein the symbols on said first reel strip and the symbols on said second reel strip remain in a fixed superimposed position relative to one another at all times.