Card handling and shuffling apparatus

DISCLOSURE

COPIES

Apparatus for handling and shuffling playing cards

Gaming Products Limited, Nassau (BS)

Inventors: JOHNSON Rodney George, Robina, QLD (AU) MARKET Mark William, Nerang, QLD (AU)

RUDD Clarence Emest, Burieigh Heads, QLD (AU)

Date of filing: 15.08.1995

Priorities: 15.08.1994. (PM 7441) AU Jan 17, 1995. (PN0561) AU

International Application Number: PCT / AU95 / 00497

International Publication Number: WO 96/04969

The present invention relates to apparatus for handling and shuffling playing cards. In casinos and other card gaming venues, where gambling is usually done, there is more than one deck of cards at each card table. The cards are usually shuffled by hand and then inserted into a holder or other device from which the player can draw card base (s) during play. Manually shuffling the card is obviously time consuming and labor intensive and often does not guarantee a complete and even shuffling of the cards. Occasionally, at every card table, there are several decks of cards every day, as often as six decks or more · ♦ · »··· · V · * ··· ··«

-2is more used and used packages are scrapped at the end of the day. The only known device for shuffling cards is shuffling the cards in the same way that they are shuffled by hand. The device is very expensive and has not been very effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a device for managing and mixing playing cards that are reliable and powerful for casino, "large-scale" use, and, where appropriate, for randomly distributing cards.

This object is first achieved by the development and use of a playing card handling device which, according to the new and defining features of the invention, holds a card packet, separating some cardboard packet portions from the stored card packet and selected cardboard or cardboard packet portions repositioning to specific ranges of a stored card package, and having units for extracting and ejecting some of the cards from the stored card package. According to the present invention, an improved device capable of shuffling playing cards, storing a first card pack in at least approximately vertical position, storing a second card pack consisting of at least one card card to be mixed in said first card package and separating the first card pack into distinct card card packets. and at least some of the second card packs having structural units for mixing the card cards in the selected regions in the first card pack.

The devices according to the invention preferably have a loading station for storing cards in a second card pack or separate card boards which can be shuffled with the device and / or distributed. Suitable assemblies are provided for moving and lowering at least one of the lowest cards of the card or second card pack inserted in the loading station into the first card pack. Preferably, this assembly comprises a roller or rollers of θ9, which, when rotated, drive to grab at least one of the lower cards of the second card packet and transmit it to the first card packet. Alternatively, a ··· ·

A -3 push stick can also be used to transfer the lowest card of the second card pack. An additional pair of opposing rollers arranged opposite to each other may serve to guide the launched card sheet and to insert it into the first set of cards.

At the card pick-up location (s) from the first card bundle, an additional roller (s) may be provided to remove the lowest card from the card bundle. The first set of cards may be disposed on the additional roller or rollers so that, when the device is in the folded state, they will remove the lowest card (s) from the card deck. An additional pair of opposing and cooperating rollers can grab the moved bottom card and transfer it from the first set of cards to a publishing station.

Preferably, the device also has a structural unit which temporarily separates the first card pack at random or non-random locations, hereinafter designated ranges, so that one or more e.g. card from the loading station. The first deck of cards is uncoupled by a cardholding mechanism which can be set along a stack of cards to a defined series of positions, catching each card of the stack of cards or reaching into the stack of cards in one or more deck of cardboards. The card deck is preferably positioned vertically, and the gripping or moving mechanism is capable of grasping and lifting cards above this position in a series of vertical positions along the card deck, removing them from the remaining cardboard backspace of the card deck to allow other slots to be inserted into the card deck. , e.g. cards to be shuffled from the loading station. As an alternative to the gripping mechanism, fingers, studs, or other thin structural elements may be inserted into the card deck at designated ranges to separate the pack and allow the upper portion of the pack to be lifted. The gap thus created can easily be inserted into the card to be mixed from the loading station.

··*·

In a preferred and preferred embodiment, the gripping or moving mechanism is driven by an endless drive belt. The gripping or moving mechanism may be mounted in a wire on a sliding slide and preferably comprises a pair of gripping arms having gripping arms disposed along opposite sides of the card package and transverse to the card package. The gripping arms are e.g. can be operated with a solenoid coil. The gripping arms may be located on sleds, and the solenoid housing is then mounted on a sled. Advantageously, the ends of the gripping arms may be provided with cushions or alternatively with pins or thin structural members.

The positions, designated ranges in which the gripping or moving mechanism grips the cards in the deck of cards, may be determined at random, or alternatively, a predefined set of positions may be used. A control device, preferably a programmable control unit, loses the gripping or moving mechanism to a set or random position along the card packet, and then activates the gripping or moving mechanism to grip the cards. In a very preferred embodiment, the gripping mechanism can be elevated in eleven different positions along the deck. Other arbitrary number of positions can be programmed, or positions randomly selected as mentioned above can be used. Appropriate sensors can be used to adjust the programmed positions. For example, a light sensor may be mounted on the gripping and moving mechanism and a structural member with an opening may be mounted fixedly to the light sensor. The structural member having a slot may have a plurality of slots spaced apart along the card pack. When the light sensor is aligned with the appropriate aperture, the light sensed stops the transmission of the gripping mechanism and activates the gripping mechanism to grab the cards in that position. Alternatively, the motor for moving the mechanism along the card pack may be controlled by positioning the mechanism along the card pack to the desired positions, respectively.

Preferably, appropriate sensors are installed on the device to detect whether there is a card in certain locations, such as the loading station and the card. ··············· · ·· 4 •• te

-5 release stations, and activate the motors and mechanisms of the device according to the sensed states. The control unit can also be used to control the device according to the sensed states.

Although the device of the present invention is initially designed to release only one card at a time, the device can be modified by means readily apparent to those skilled in the art to deliver an entire shuffled card packet to the issuing station.

The invention is set forth below by way of example only. Embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing it is

First FIG. the device of the invention is shown in a schematic side view, a

Second Figure 1 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1, a

Third Figure 2A is a sectional view taken along section AA of Figure 2, also showing the gripping handle for the cards;

4th Figure 1A is a perspective view of the pairs of rollers supporting the card package from below;

5th Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a preferred card retention mechanism of the device of the present invention;

6th Figure 5 is a front view of the card retention mechanism of Figure 5; Figures by example! side view diagrams showing the device of the invention in operation.

One example shown in Figure 1. The device 10 of the present invention has two planar side walls 11 spaced opposite to each other, defining a loading station 12 comprising a slightly inclined planar base plate 13 as shown in FIG. Card base 13 or a whole package of cards 14 can be placed on the base plate 13. The loading station 12 has a first roller assembly 15, which rolls 16 spaced apart from the base plate 13 and spaced apart ·· · · ·

Includes 6 cards on which are inserted the cards inserted in the 12 loading stations. During operation, the roller assembly 15 contacts the cardboard 17 (which may be the lowest card of the card pack 14) on the roller 16 and removes it from the loading station 12.

A roller assembly 18 located in front of the roller assembly 15 rotates together with the roller assembly 15. This roller assembly 18 is comprised of spaced rollers 19 spaced between the rollers 16 of the roller assembly 15 and serves to transfer the card base 17 from the loading station 12. In front of the loading station 12, counter-rotating roller units 20 and 21 are disposed which are uniaxially rotating 22 and 21 respectively. 23 their pairs of rollers touch each other or are so close to each other that they touch each other along a line. The roller units 20 and 21 grip and pull the cardboard completely from the loading station 12 to the lowest or displaced cardboard 17 when the roller units 15 and 18 have already moved it out of its loaded position.

A pair of baffles 24 are arranged on the inside of the opposite side walls 11 in the path of movement of the displaced card board 17. The baffles 24, which may be simple blocks of plastic or other material, define downwardly sloping surfaces 24 ', which, when a cardboard 17 is present, direct it to the lower roller pair 23 of the roller unit 21 as sensed by the dotted line of FIG. The roller assembly 21, when rotated counterclockwise, guides the card base 17 toward the contact line of the opposing roller units 20 and 21 so that their rollers can easily grasp the card base 17. Due to this design, only one cardboard card 17 is at a time from the loading station 12, since the cards above the bottom cardboard 17, which due to friction on the cardboard cardboard 17, move together with the cardboard card 17 are stuck in the deflectors 24.

The device 10 comprises a mixing chamber 25 in which a card package 26 is located. The mixing chamber 25 has a front wall and a rear wall 27, 28 which are disposed between opposing side walls 11. The mixing chambers 25 defined by these structural elements have a slightly larger cross-section of the card boards

-7, and so the cards forming the card deck 26 fit in with a loose fit. At the lower end of the mixing chamber 25 are roller units 29 and 30 respectively. The roller assembly 29 is made up of a pair of rollers 31 which are spaced apart, and the roller assembly 30 has a pair of rollers 32 having rollers spaced between the rollers of the roller pair 31. The card pack 26 rests on the rollers of the pair of rollers 31. During operation, they move the lowest card base 33 of the card package 26 in a manner similar to that described at the loading station 12. Around the center of the front wall 27, a crosshole 34 is formed in line with the contact line of the roller units 20 and 21, and through this crosshole card boards 17 from the loading station 12 enter the mixing chamber 25.

The card package 26 may also be held by a removable bracket 35 in the mixing chamber 25. The retaining bracket 35, which is best seen in Figure 4, has a side panel 36 and a bottom panel 37 which are at right angles to each other and the card pack 26 is located on the bottom panel 37. A tongue 38 protrudes from the bottom plate 37. Hooks 39 are formed at the upper edge of the side panel 36, which engage in the wall 28 with the retaining bracket suspended there. When the retaining bracket 35 is in the mixing chamber 26, the tongue 38 is positioned slightly downstream of the rollers constituting the pair of rollers 31 so that the lowest cardboard 33 of the card pack 26 is over the rollers 31 and moves on the bottom plate 37 when the roller 29 unit, and thus the pair of rollers 31 performs a rotational movement. Meanwhile, the rollers of the pair of rollers 32, when in contact with the card plate 33, facilitate its removal from the card package 26. The retaining bracket 35 can be lifted out of the mixing chamber 25 for removal of the card sheets or card pack 26 contained therein. Roller units 40, 41, and 42 serve to grab the lowest card 33 of the 26 card packs and deliver it to a player at a dispensing station 43. Each of the roller units 40, 41 and 42, respectively, is opposed to the upper and lower 44, iii. 45, 46, and Ill. 47 and 48, respectively. They comprise pairs of rollers consisting of rollers. The circumference of the roller pairs of rollers touch each other and they cooperate

<img file="HUT77494A_D0001.tif" />

-8 each other in grabbing the cards. In each pair of rollers, at least one of the rollers is driven.

The dispensing station 43 has an inclined lower wall 50 and a spaced apart substantially parallel upper wall 51 defining a slot 52 into which the card to be dispensed arrives, as indicated by the dashed line in Figure 3. A sensor 53, preferably a light sensor, is located on the lower wall 50 to detect the presence of a card base at the dispensing station 43. The top wall 51 has a slot 54 through which the player can insert a finger or fingers to grab the card in slot 52 and pull it out. An additional wall 55 is connected to the lower wall 50 to form an estuary, so that card boards from the roller units 40, 41, and 42 can easily reach the dispensing station 43.

The mixing chamber 25 also includes a card holding mechanism 56 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, consisting of a pair of drive elements formed by upper and lower pulleys 57, 58 spaced apart on one side of the mixing chamber 25 and surrounded by an endless belt 59. . The pulleys 57 and 58 may also be toothed rollers, and the belt 59 is then a toothed belt formed with a tooth pitch corresponding to the teeth of the pulleys 57 and 58. In this way, a carriage 60 which is movable along a conductor 61 extending vertically along the outer side of the rear wall 28 of the mixing chamber 25 is attached to the belt 59.

The carriage 60 carries a cross arm 62 having two slides 63 and 64 for sliding movement between stops 65 and 66 located at opposite ends of the arm 62. A gripping lever 67 is attached to one of the sledges 63 by a bracket 68, and a gripping member 69 is disposed at its outer end. The other slide 64 carries a gripping arm 71 through a bracket 70 with a gripping member 72 formed at its outer end. The bracket 70 also includes a solenoid 73 with a spring-loaded actuator 74. The actuator 74 is connected to the sleeve 63 by a lever 76.

While the unit is in operation, when the cards in the disc pack 26 (see dashed outline in Figure 5) are to be grasped and lifted, the solenoid 73 is energized and retracted against the spring 75 by means of a · · · · ·

<img file="HUT77494A_D0002.tif" />

-974 actuator. This displaces the slides 63 and 64 relative to one another, thereby engaging the gripping arms 67 and 71 and the associated gripping members 69 and 72. The latter thus seize and grab the cards on the 26 card packs. The slides 63 and 64 which slide along the transverse arm 62 during this movement ensure that the same and opposite gripping force is applied to the card boards. Namely, when one of the grips 69 or 72 first contacts one side of the cards and the associated slider 63 or 64 stops, the other grips 69 or 72 move inward to grip the opposite side of the cards. When power is applied to the solenoid 73, the spring 75 dislocates the slots 63 and 64 and removes the grips 69 and 72 from opposite sides of the card boards. The engagement of the slides 63 and 64 with their respective stops 65, 66 ensures that each of the slots 69 and grips are moved away from the opposing sides of the cards. For example, when the carriage 63 first touches the stop 66, the spring 75 shifts the solenoid housing and its associated gripper arm 71 and grip member 72 from the card bases. The gripping elements 69 and 72 preferably comprise gripping pads 77 made of rubber or the like, which are particularly good for gripping card boards. Alternatively, instead of gripping members 69 and 72, gripping arms 67 and 71 may be provided with dashed inwardly tapered fingers 78 which engage the card base 26 of the card package 26 when in active condition and are thus capable of separating the card package 26.

The shafts of the roller units of the device are respectively bearing in opposite side walls 11. The axes of the roller units 20, 21 and the rollers 44, 45, 46 and 49 extend over one of the sidewalls 11 and are provided with 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, respectively. Belt pulleys 84 are mounted around which an endless drive belt 85 is guided, as shown in FIG. The drive belt 85 is driven by a pulley 86 mounted on the shaft of a drive motor 87. The required deflection track and tension of the drive belt 85 are 88 and 88, respectively. The drive belt 85 is preferably a toothed belt having a notch or groove corresponding to a tooth or grooves on the pulleys. When the drive motor 87 is actuated, the drive is driven by the drive belt 85

-10 opposite 20 and 21 roller units so they rotate against each other. The drive also reaches opposite rollers 44 and 45, which also rotate against each other. The drive belt 85 also drives the rollers 46, 49 of the roller units 41 and 42.

The roller assemblies 15 and 18 are driven by another motor 90 mounted on one of the sidewalls 11. The shaft of the motor 90 passes through the side wall 11 and extends into the interior of the device 10. The shaft of the roller assembly 15 and 18 and the shaft of the motor 90 are also belted with pulleys around which an endless drive belt 91 is guided such that the roller assemblies 15 and 18 are identical, as shown in FIG. rotate in the opposite direction.

An additional motor 92 serves similarly to drive the roller units 29 and 30. For this purpose, the pulleys mounted on the shaft of the roller assembly 29 and 30 and the shaft of the motor 92 are surrounded by an endless drive belt 93. When the motor 92 is actuated, the roller units 29 and 30 rotate in the same clockwise direction as shown in FIG. The motors 91 and 92 may, of course, be coupled to their respective roller units by means of gears or any other drive mechanism. An additional motor 94 is associated with the pulley 58. In this way, the drive belt 59 moves the card holding mechanism 56 along the conductor 61 and thus the card pack 26.

A programmable control unit 95 serves to control the operation of the device 10 according to the current conditions detected in the device 10. To detect the presence of card bases, in addition to the sensor 53 at the output station 43, an additional sensor 96 is provided at the loading station 12 and a sensor 97 is located at the roller units 20 and 21. An additional sensor 98 is mounted adjacent the roller units 29 and 30 to detect card boards exiting the mixing chamber 25.

During operation of the device 10, a card pack 14 or individual card boards are inserted into the loading station 12 and placed on the base plate 13 and the roller assembly 15. A mix of cards 26 can also be placed in the mixing chamber 25. After activating the start switch, the sensor 53 detects that no cards are present at the issuing station 43. The control unit 95 then actuates the device 10, starting the motor 92 and the · · · · · * ·

<img file="HUT77494A_D0003.tif" />

-11 87 drive motor. If there is a card pack 26 in the mixing chamber 25, the roller units 29, 30 move the bottom cardboard 33 out of the card packet 26 and the roller units 40, 41, and 42

Third 5A is transmitted to the issuing station 43 on a dotted path. The sensor 98 detects that a card has exited the mixing chamber 25, and the control unit 95 stops the motor 93 with a certain delay so that only one card sheet 33 can reach the dispensing station 43 at a time. Meanwhile, the sensor 53 reports to the control unit 95 that a card board 33 has arrived at the dispensing unit 43 and stops the drive motor 87 as well.

When insertion of a card board or card deck 14 into the insertion unit 12, the sensor 96 reports the presence of cards to the control unit 95 which turns on the motor 90 and the device 10 via the roller units 15 and 18 to the bottom card board 17 of the card stack. to the mixing chamber. Based on the sensor 96 signal, the control unit 95 also actuates the main drive motor 87 which drives the roller units 20 and 21. These grab the card from the loading station 12 by the roller units 15 and 18. When the sensor 97 detects that a card board passes between the roller units 20 and 21, it stops the motor 90 from further entering the device 10 from the loading station 12. Sensing that cards are present at the loading station 12, the sensor 96 also actuates the motor 94 which drives the pulley 58. As a result, the drive belt 59 drops the carriage 60 along the card pack 26 to a position, shown in Figure 7, in which the engine 94 stops. In this designated region, the solenoid 73 is actuated and moves the gripping arms 67 and 71 inwardly toward opposite sides of the card pack. The gripping elements 69 and 72 grab the card bases, and the motor 94 is then reactivated and the carriage 60 is lifted upward, as shown in FIG. 2A, a packet portion 99 of the card pack 26 is provided from the pack portion 100 remaining in place of the card pack 26 over the crosshole 34. The cardboard 17 from the loading station 12 is then fed by the roller units 20 and 21 through the slot 34 between the packet portion 99 of the packet 26 and the packet 100 remaining in place of the packet 26, as shown in FIG.

-12láthatró. The card base 17 thus falls on the pack portion 100. The sensor 97 reports to the control unit 96 that a cardboard 17 has arrived in the mixing chamber 25. The control unit 96 begins to operate the motor 94 in a reverse direction with some delay, thereby releasing the packet portion 99 to the stationary portion 100 of the card packet 26, as shown in FIG.

Once the package portion 99 has been lowered, the power to the solenoid 73 can be disconnected and the spring 74 pushes out the gripping arms 67 and 71. They would then release the packet portion 99 which would fall on the inserted cardboard 17 and the packet portion 100 below. The card holding mechanism 56 then returns to the position shown in FIG. As long as the device is turned on and cards are in the loading station 12, the above operations are repeated each time players remove cards from the issuing station 43. However, each time the motor 94 is actuated, the carriage 60 and the gripping arms 67 and 71 stop in different designated regions along the card pack 26 such that card boards 17 from the loading station 12 are inserted into the card pack 26 at different locations.

When the device 10 according to the invention is e.g. for example, at a casino card table used to match twenty, the dealer simply takes out a sufficient number of cards from the 43 publishing units and hands them to each player. When you remove the card card from the dispensing station 43, the device 10 automatically activates and transfers an additional card card from the bottom of the card pack 26 to the dispenser unit 43. At the end of the round, the dealer collects the used cards and places them in the 12 loading stations. This causes the cards to be shuffled in such a way that the device delivers the cards individually from the loading station to the card pack 26 at different locations as determined by the designated stopping area of ​​the card holding mechanism 56.

The designated regions in which the carriage stops and the gripping arms 67 and 71 engage to grab and lift the cards forming part of the packet 99 of the card pack 26 may be preset or random. Adjusted position sequences can be set by a member 101 having a row of apertures 102 in a vertical direction. One a · · · · · ·

The light sensor 103 moving with the -1360 car detects when the car 60 is in line with a corresponding opening in the row of apertures 102 and stops the motor 94. Then, the gripping arms 67 and 71 move and raise the upper packing portion 99 of the card pack 26 so that the card base 17 can be loaded onto the top of the left pack portion 100 of the card pack 26. The device 10 can also be operated by always placing the card base 17 on top of the card package 26. In this case, of course, it is not necessary to lift the card package 26 or a portion thereof. If the carriage 60 is to stop in a random position on the card deck 26, the random positions are designated by a so-called random generator of the control unit 95.

Thus, in the intended use of the device according to the invention, it automatically shuffles the cards into the card pack 26 in randomly selected or program-selected ranges, and then delivers the card base at the bottom of the card pack 26 to the dispensing station 43.

The apparatus described above is primarily used for handling and shuffling playing cards in the usual way. However, the device can also be used to shuffle or randomly select other flat shapes. The drawings further illustrate the card package in a vertical position, but in other embodiments may be horizontal or stocked in any other position, such as an oblique position. From the respective card packs, the card bases can be transmitted by means other than rollers, such as push rods. Any suitable drive mechanism, such as a stepper motor or other precisely controlled motor, may be used to move the pulleys 58 with appropriate electronics and / or programmable controls.

The carriage 60 may be moved by other actuating mechanisms such as pneumatic rollers or mechanical actuators, and the gripping arms 67 and 71 may also be actuated by any other suitable mechanism.

The baffles 24 may be replaced by alternative card feeding means such as a downwardly protruding tongue of resilient material, such as a rubber, which is centered on the back of the insertion station 12 on the card base. The loading station 12 has a base plate 13

Alternatively, it may be disposed so that the output card board 17 contacts the upper surface of the lower roller pair 23 below the contact line between the roller units 20 and 21. Then, upon actuation of the roller assembly 15, the bottom cardboard 17 moves and engages in a tab 38 which forces the cardboard to move vertically upward.

As the lowest cardboard 17 moves, it reaches the lower roller of the pair of rollers 23. This raises the leading edge of the cardboard 17 and is gripped by the pairs of rollers 22 and 23. During this movement, the tongue 38 also rises, and after the card board 17 has passed, it folds back into its original position.

The gripping arms 67 and 71 may be mounted on the carriage 60 such that they are rotated inwardly and outwardly relative to one another by a control of an actuator comprising a solenoid 73. When the magnet coil 73 is actuated, the gripping arms 67 and 71 move to opposite sides of the card pack 26 and catch or divide the card pack.

The walls 27 and 28 defining the mixing chamber 25 are exemplified in the figures. In the embodiment, they are vertical and parallel. However, the backsheet 28 may occupy a slightly inclined position relative to the vertical and may deviate from the wall 27 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. The wall 28 is preferably two degrees from the vertical. With such a skew, the cross-section of the mixing chamber 25 decreases slightly downwards. The advantage of this design is that the cardboards, when they arrive from the loading station 12, do not crease in the mixing chamber 25 between the side walls 27 and 28. The wire 61 of the gripping arms 67 mounted on the wall 28 also forms a slight angle with the vertical.

The card pack 26 thus also occupies a slightly inclined position relative to the horizontal and is held by the bracket 35 mounted on the wall 28. The gripping arms 67 thus move substantially parallel to the card package 26.

The above is an example! A device according to the invention is described for use in card games where the player only has to draw one card at a time from the 43 issuing stations. However, the device 10 can mix and manage one or more card packs. To this end, the control of the device 10 may be modified such that the device 10 is an integer

-15 pack a card and ship it to 43 publishing stations. To do this, the sensor 53 must be disengaged so that the roller units 40, 41, 42 and the feed roller units 29 and 30 operate continuously so that the card pads in the mixing chamber 25 continuously arrive at the dispensing station 43 or a corresponding receiving chamber. the complete shuffled card package will not arrive.

The device according to the invention is well suited for playing cards and for shuffling them while playing cards. However, the apparatus is equally well suited for mixing and handling similarly thin flat layouts, and therefore, the notation of the card sheet in the specification and claims includes not only playing cards but also other similar thin layouts.