1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic device for shuffling and distributing playing cards.
2. Description of the Related Art
While playing card distributing devices have been proposed previously, they generally present a number of difficulties and problems. Typically, the prior card distributing devices are manually operated in that they must be started, operated and stopped by hand. In general, they employ a mode of operation in which a card is selected and pushed away partly from the deck, the card then being engaged and ejected by a separate spring-type of device. Such devices generally are mechanically complicated, are noisy and work relatively slow. In addition, they often do not operate properly when the cards have been used or slightly worn and, frequently, the devices tend to deteriorate rapidly and the condition of the cards, thus exaggerating the inherent difficulties. Most of the existing card distributing devices do not shuffle and the small percentages of those that do, do so by re-dealing the cards multiple times, which is time consuming.
In the inventions by Francoise Pic U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,590, and J. R. Stephenson U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,644, R. Gronnerberg U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,935, and Frank A. Mazar U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,270, the distribution of cards is not reliable because sometimes the ejector device doesn't eject the engaged card and sometimes it pulls out two cards at a time. This is the main reason for not finding these devices on the market. None of the above-mentioned patens work in the same efficient and improved manner as current invention. In the current invention, in one embodiment, the card magazine, which is tilted to a predefined angle, is pivotally rotating, which allows the ejector device to reliably pull a single card every time the ejector engages the cards. The magazine is pushed back to its original position by a spring located behind the card magazine—this makes the current invention much more reliable that any other related invention on the market. In another embodiment, of the present invention, a user holds in one hand and by pressing on on switch the device automatically ejects the topmost card to the location that the user aimed to, which makes this device portable and it doesn't take room from the playing area.
It is among the primary objects of the invention to provide an improved automatic playing card shuffling and ejection device which avoids the foregoing and other difficulties.
Another object of the invention is to provide a clear playing area without removing the system. One of the embodiments is located underneath the playing plate and the other embodiment reuses the existing playing area. Other dealing systems must be removed to provide clean playing area for the players which make it very cumbersome and inefficient to use.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by the way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In one of the embodiments, the device includes a fixed plate, a rotating plate, which is rotatably mounted to the fixed plate, and a playing plate, which is located on top of the system and provides clear playing area. An electrical motor is mounted in the system and is connected to the rotatable plate to rotate the plate when the device is in operation. The rotatable plate carries two card holders which hold a deck of playing cards at a predefined angle to guarantee ejection of single topmost card from each card magazine and to place it on the serving tray, which is responsible for dealing the cards to all the players in a rotation manner. The fixed plate comprises a plurality, as the number of players, of static card ejectors—when the system is rotating the ejector engages and ejects a single topmost card from the card magazine pushing it to a delivery tray which guides the card to the table in front of individual player for each cycle. The ejection mechanism is operated in response to rotation of the system with respect to the platform, and reciprocates a plurality of times for each complete revolution of the table, thus ejecting a card from the top of the deck a number of times during rotation of the device. The cards are ejected to a plurality of locations circumferentially spaced about the device.
The operation of the device is begun by placing light pressure on the switch arm which causes the platform to rotate with respect to the fixed base, releasing the pressure stops the rotation of the platform which stop dealing the cards. An automatic rotation of the platform is achieved by an electrical motor, powered by a battery. Optionally, the switch arm can be pressed down and locked, which will force all the cards to be delivered. The device will automatically stop when the last card will be delivered. One of the advantages of this embodiment is to provide a shuffling device by placing plurality of card holders and delivery trays.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the device is designed so the user can hold it in one hand by pressing on the on switch, the ejectors engage the topmost card of the deck, which ejects it smoothly, but firmly and without damaging the card. This device is portable and doesn't require any preparation to the playing area prior to dealing the cards and it doesn't take room from the playing area. The concept of the device is exactly like a user dealing the card by hand, but its done automatically, and by one hand.
The ejection device is designed to engage the topmost card of the deck smoothly, but firmly and without damaging the card. The ejection devices are adjustable for better card ejection and they are easily removable to fit number of players.
It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved automatic playing card distributing device.
A further object of the invention is to provide a card distributing device which may be used with new or used playing cards and which minimizes the chance of the device becoming jammed.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood more fully from the following further description, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
The present invention is directed to an improved system and method for providing easy to use automatic playing card shuffling and dealing system. The preferred embodiments of the improved system and method are fully and detailed illustrated and described in the following paragraphs.
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In view of the above, it is apparent that the system and method of the preferred embodiments of the present invention enhance substantially reliability, practicality and effectiveness of enabling shuffling and dealing method of playing cards or the like.
While the present invention has been described in connection with the specific embodiments identified herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many alternatives, modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description. Accordingly, the invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations as may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1028286 | Schmidt | Jun 1912 | A |
2036148 | Koenigsberger | Mar 1936 | A |
2044266 | Weber | Jun 1936 | A |
2731271 | Brown | Jan 1956 | A |
2778644 | Stephenson | Jan 1957 | A |
3232622 | Lambert | Feb 1966 | A |
3627331 | Erickson | Dec 1971 | A |
3666270 | Mazur | May 1972 | A |
4309035 | Goldfarb | Jan 1982 | A |
4667959 | Pfeiffer et al. | May 1987 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060157930 A1 | Jul 2006 | US |