1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for dispensing rolled elongate materials, such as tape, tickets on rolls, etc. More specifically, the present invention is a ticket dispenser configured particularly for dispensing tickets from a double or paired ticket roll in which two identically numbered tickets are joined laterally to one another. The dispenser includes a splitter that automatically separates the laterally joined tickets from one another as the tickets are dispensed from the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tickets are commonly provided on rolls and dispensed for lotteries, raffles, door prizes, etc., at various club and other events. Some means for correlating the ticket(s) held by the participant with the winning ticket(s) selected is necessary. This is conventionally accomplished by providing the tickets in laterally doubled rolls wherein the tickets are sequentially numbered along the length of the roll in order to differentiate one ticket from another, but two identically numbered tickets are joined laterally. The participant or recipient receives one of the tickets, with the other identically numbered ticket being placed in a container for a later random drawing.
Such laterally joined, identically numbered tickets provide a sure means of matching the winning participant's ticket with the winning ticket drawn for the event. However, the dispensing of such tickets can be tedious, particularly where a large number of tickets are being dispensed. The person dispensing the tickets must not only separate the sequentially numbered tickets from one another longitudinally, but must also separate the identically numbered tickets laterally from one another. This can be a tedious and time consuming process for the person handling the task, particularly if there are a large number of participants and financial transactions involved in the purchase of the tickets by participants.
Another problem that occurs in the handling of ticket rolls is the unwinding of the roll as it is being handled. This problem does not occur in the dispensing of such rolled materials as adhesive tapes and the like, as the adhesive holds the roll together. Thus, no need has arisen to control the unwinding of a spool or roll of such adhesively backed tape. This lack of control for an unwinding roll seems to have carried over into various dispensers for loosely rolled materials, such as ticket rolls, as well. Yet, a roll of loose tickets that have no adhesion to one another can be difficult to handle, even when secured within a dispensing device of some sort.
Thus, a ticket dispenser solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The ticket dispenser is configured for holding and dispensing a double roll of tickets therefrom, i.e., a ticket roll having two laterally joined and identically numbered tickets at each sequential position along the roll. The device includes a ticket roll holder with a ticket-dispensing portion extending therefrom. The ticket roll holder has an adjustable friction control for preventing accidental unwinding of the ticket roll. The dispensing portion includes a ticket-splitting device, which automatically separates the two laterally joined and identically numbered tickets as they are dispensed from the device. The ticket splitter may include lateral adjustment in order to position the splitter exactly along the longitudinal perforations separating the laterallyjoined tickets. The dispensing end of the device may include an element for tearing off or separating sequentially numbered tickets from one another. The device also preferably includes a device for carrying or supporting the device, e.g., a neck or shoulder strap and/or a belt attachment loop.
These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
The present invention comprises a ticket dispenser adapted particularly for the dispensing of double rolls of sequentially numbered tickets, with laterally joined tickets having identical numbers. Such tickets are nearly universally used in raffles, drawings, etc., and the dispenser greatly facilitates their issuance to participants. The dispenser includes a mechanism for automatically separating laterally joined tickets from one another as they are dispensed, as well as mechanisms for facilitating the separation of sequentially numbered tickets from one another as they are dispensed and for preventing excessive unrolling of the ticket roll contained in the device.
The dispenser 10 includes a splitter device 28 for splitting laterally paired tickets as they are dispensed from the device 10. The splitter 28 is shown in detail in
The splitter 28 provides a solution to the above-noted problem by providing lateral adjustment for the splitter 28. The splitter 28 comprises a key or insert 30 having a distal end 32 with a laterally disposed ticket passage slot 34 formed therein, i.e., the slot 34 is disposed laterally relative to the dispenser extension 12 when the key 30 is installed therein. The slot 34 includes a ticket splitter element 36 (e.g., a thin wire, or blade, etc.), which extends across the span or height of the slot 34. The splitter element 36 also extends across the thin vertical height of the ticket passage 22 when the splitter 28 is installed within the dispenser extension 12.
The ticket dispenser extension 12 includes a lateral ticket splitter key passage 38 near the dispensing end 26 thereof. The ticket splitter insert 30 provides a slight interference fit within the splitter passage 38, with the two sides of the insert 30 to each side of the slot 34 compressing toward one another slightly as they are inserted into the splitter key passage 38 of the extension 12. The resilience of the insert 30 against the opposite sides of the passage 38 provides a secure installation for the splitter key 30 therein, while still allowing the splitter device 28 to be easily installed within and removed from the splitter key passage 38 as desired.
As the splitter key device 28 is installed laterally within the extension passage 38 with only the pressure of the two sides of the key insert 30 bearing against the opposite floor and ceiling of the passage 38, the ticket splitter device 28 is easily adjusted within the passage 38 to position the ticket splitter element 36 precisely within the width of the ticket dispensing passage 22 of the extension 12. A ticket splitter alignment port 40 is provided through the upper portion 14 of the dispenser extension 12 to allow the user of the ticket dispenser 10 to align the splitter element 36 precisely with the longitudinal perforation line conventionally provided between laterally adjacent tickets T of a double ticket roll R. Thus, as the tickets T are dispensed from the dispensing end 26 of the device 10, as shown in
A ticket roll axle 50 extends across the distal ends 44a and 44b of the two arms 42a and 42b through the axle passages 46a and 46b. The axle 50 has a fixed end 50a secured in one of the axle passages, e.g., the first passage 46a, with an opposite adjustable end 50b disposed within the opposite passage, e.g., second passage 46b. The fixed end 50a of the axle 50 includes means to prevent the axle from rotating within the passages 46a and 46b, e.g., the axle may comprise a conventional carriage bolt or shoulder bolt with the shoulders of the fixed end 50a residing within a correspondingly shaped axle passage 46a. The opposite adjustment end 50b of the axle 50 includes an adjustment clamp thereon, e.g., a wing nut 52 threaded onto the threaded adjustment end 50b of the axle 50. The wing nut 52 may be selectively tightened to urge the distal ends 44a, 44b of the two ticket roll holder arms 42a, 42b toward one another, thereby causing the ends 44a, 44b to frictionally engage the ticket roll R and/or hub 54 installed within the ticket roll center on the axle 50 to act as a brake to prevent the undesired unwinding of the ticket roll R.
The ticket-dispensing end 26 of the ticket dispenser extension 12 preferably provides for conveniently separating sequential tickets from one another.
A ticket retention passage 58 is provided through the upper portion 14 of the dispenser extension 12, as shown in the embodiment of
The ticket tear-off bar 62 includes a lateral ticket passage slot 64 formed therethrough, with a ticket tear-off blade 66 formed along at least one edge thereof (e.g., the lower edge, as shown in
The ticket dispenser in its various embodiments is used essentially as described further above, with a roll of tickets R being installed between the two ticket holder arms 42a and 42b, and the ticket roll axle 50 installed through the distal end passages 46a, 46b of the two arms and through the ticket roll hub 54. The unbroken string of tickets T is then inserted into the ticket entry end 24 of the extension 12, and passed through the ticket passage 22 to exit the opposite ticket-dispensing end 26 of the device. The wing nut 52 may then be tightened slightly to apply slight braking pressure to the two arm distal ends 44a, 44b against the ticket roll R and/or hub 54 to prevent the ticket roll R from unwinding while still allowing the ticket string T to be advanced by pulling on the dispensing end of the ticket string.
Even greater convenience may be enjoyed by providing for supporting the ticket dispenser 10 upon the user's person. A support eye 70 or the like may be provided in the top of the device, with a swivel hook 72 or the like removably attached thereto. An elongate shoulder strap 74 (shown partially in
In conclusion, the ticket dispenser in its various embodiments greatly facilitates the dispensing of rolled tickets, particularly rolls of laterally joined doubled tickets as commonly provided at raffles and similar functions. The ticket splitter element, with its automated separation of the laterally joined tickets as they are dispensed from the device, eliminates one of the tedious tasks associated with the dispensing of such tickets. The ticket dispenser thus saves considerable time for the person dispensing tickets, particularly when a large number of tickets are being handled. This allows the person dispensing the tickets more time to handle other chores, such as financial transactions associated with the tickets, and generally streamlines the entire ticket dispensing operation. Accordingly, the ticket dispenser will be much appreciated by those involved in clubs, associations, and other organizations that have need to handle and dispense tickets for raffles, lotteries, door prizes, and similar activities.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.