US2581247A

US2581247A - Automatic playing card dealing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2581247A
Application number: US121694A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leroy F Florant
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-10-17
Filing date: 1949-10-17
Publication date: 1952-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 1969-01-01

Description

Jan. 1,1952 L. F. FLORANT 2,581,247

AUTOMATIC PLAYING CARD DEALING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17, 1949 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet l .ZflFloranZ S INVENTOR N ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1952 F. FLORANT AUTOMATIC PLAYING CARD DEALING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1'7, 1949 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1952 L, F, FLORA 2,581,247

AUTOMATIC PLAYING CARD DEALING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17, 1945 l g j,

4 Shee t-s-Sheet 3 A W A 29 9 40 35 "x 9 6/ -39 /Z /7 3 F: If z 26 (J 3 f: 3.1";- 2'3 2 4 I A a" I INVENTOR} 1 I ATTORNEYS Jan. 1, 1952 L. F. FLORANT AUTOMATIC PLAYING CARD DEALING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 17, 194

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES ram OFFICE AUTOMATIC PLAYING CARD 'DEALIN G APPARATUS Leroy F. Florant, Columbus, Ohio A plication October 1'], 1949; Serial'No; 121,694

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an apparatus designed for use in dealing playing cards, the primary object of the inventionbeing to provide an appar'a'tus including means for separatingthe cards into playing hands, depositing the cards in separate and distinct piles within a drawer, from which the separate hands may be removed for playing.

An important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which will be automatic in its operation, in that a spring motor will be wound for operating the mechanism of the apparatus, when the pack of cards is positioned in the drawer of the apparatus, and the drawer insertedin the cabinet or case of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drawer with pivoted partitioning members so of thetrays, in wh ich the cards are dealt by the arranged and disposed that the partitioning members will be consecutively elevated to allow the cards to be deposited therebetween in groups of playing cards. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view which Will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a horizontal sectional view through the case or cabinet of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the case or cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the springactuated gear, in side elevation.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view shown on lines of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 5- 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7- of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the ratchet control means for the main gear of the apparatus.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the cam which elevates the separating trays in which the cards are deposited.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a clip used in gripping the score pad and holding the pad on the cabinet or case.

Fig. 1-1 is a perspective view of the indicator indicating the deal. 1

Fig. 12 is a perspective view illustrating one machine.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the drawer in which the trays are supported.

Fig. 14 is a view illustrating thebracket'mounted=in the bottompf the case or cabinet-on Wh-ich the drawer slides.

Fig. 15' is a view illustrating the plateand curved lip of the plate over which cards pass into the trays.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view ofthe feed plate on which cards are positioned in a pack for deal- 111%.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the drawer in which the pack of cards is positioned.

Referring to the drawings-in detail, the device comprises a casing indicated generally by the reference character 5, which casing is formed with an opening in one end; in which the drawer ii is moved, the drawer 6' supporting the fol-lower i, which moves vertically therein, the follower 'i' resting on the upper endof the spring 8' which has its lower end resting on the bottom of the drawer, the action of the spring being to normally urge the follower 7 upwardly within the drawer.

Mounted within the casing with its ends operating in bearings formed in the bars 9 and It, are idle shafts II on which the rolls IZ'are secured, which rolls operate within the open upper side of the drawer 5 and provide stops, limiting the upward movement of'the cards [3 forming the pack of cards to be' dealt by the apparatus. As shown by Fig. 2 of the drawings, the cards of. the stack being dealt, rest directly on the follower 7, and since the follower is urged upwardly by the spring 8 it will be obvious that the uppermost cardof the'pack is urged against the rolls 1! 2 limiting upward movement of the pack of cards;

At the inner end of the drawer is the plate It that has its upper edge 15 turned outwardly and downwardly, providing a surface over which the cards which are moved from the drawer 6 pass to the auxiliary tray supporting drawer It.

This tray supporting drawer it moves into an opening of the casing disposed at the opposite end of the casing and slides on the bracket l'l secured within the bottom of the casing, the extension !8 of the bracket l'l' providing a rest for the. drawer.

At the forward end of the drawer l6, are vertical bearing plates [9 formed with spaced bearing openings in which the pintles 2d of the trays 25 are located, so that the trays 2| may swing upwardly in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described. These trays 2| are formed with upstanding flanges 22 disposed under the longitudinal side edges thereof, which flanges provide means for confining cards positionedcn end of each the power gear 43 at the trays, to the trays, preventing lateral or twisting movement of the cards on the trays.

Each tray is formed with a slot 23 extending inwardly from the outer or free end thereof, the

tray adjacent to the slot being formed with flanges 24 extending upwardly therefrom, providing a stop at the free end of each tray. The slots 23 of the trays permit the upstanding end 23 of the drawer IE to move into contact with the cards in the trays, removing the cards from the casing.

Extending laterally from the inner end of each tray, is a pin 25, and these trays when positioned within the tray-supporting drawer l6, rest one upon another in such a way that the pins 25 will be disposed in vertical spaced relation with respect to each other.

Within the casing 5, is the bearing plate formed with bearings in which the various shafts on which the operating gearing of the device operates are journaled, shafts being also mounted in bearings formed in the bearing plate 9 se cured to the vertical partition 28 spaced from one side wall of the casing 5.

At one side of the bearing plate 10 and secured to the inner surface of one side wall of the casing, is the bearing plate 29 formed with bearings to receive the shafts on which gearing at one side of the casing is mounted. The shaft 30 supports a large gear 3! and a small gear 32, the gear 32 meshing with the large gear 33 mounted on the shaft 34 to rotate therewith. The gear 35 is secured to one end of the shaft 36 that extends across the casing, the shaft supporting the card dealing disc 31 which is mounted intermediate the ends of the shaft 36 directly over the forward ends of the cards being dealt. This disc is formed with a cut-out portion 38. The disc may rotate and remove cards from the pack of cards being dealt, the cut-out portion 38 of the disc 31 allowing the disc 31 to rotate free of the cards, during each cycle of operation of the disc, for purposes to be hereinafter more fully described.

On the inner end of the shaft 30, is secured the cam member 39 which has cams 4|], 4| and 42 of various lengths, so that the cam 4!, during rotation of the cam member 39, will engage the pin 25 of the uppermost tray, elevating the tray above the adjacent lower tray, to permit cards to be thrown into the tray directly thereunder by the card dealing disc 31. It follows that as the cam member. 39 continues to rotate, the cam 42 will engage the pin 25 of the adjacent lower tray 2|, elevating this tray to permit cards to be deposited on the adjacent lower tray. Upon further rotation of the cam member the cam will move under the pin 25 of the tray directly above the lowermost tray of the drawer, permitting cards to be dealt into the lowermost tray.

The power gear of the gearing, is indicated by the reference character 43, and is loosely mounted on the shaft 44, the shaft 44 being provided with the ratchet wheel 45, which is secured to the inner end of the shaft, the ratchet wheel 45 being disposed directly under the rack 45 which is secured to one side of the drawer 6, so that as the drawer ii is moved into the casing, the teeth of theratchet bar 46 will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel rotating the ratchet wheel 45 and shaft 44. The reference character 41 indicates a spring which has one of its ends secured to the shaft 44, while the opposite end of the spring is secured to the outer surface of 48, with the result that as or operator may the shaft 44 is rotated by the movement of the drawer 6 to its position within the casing, the coiled spring 41 will be placed under tension. Secured to the outer surface of the power gear 43, and extending beyond the periphery thereof, is the stop pin 49, which moves over the lower end of the pivoted plate 50, which is normally disposed in the path of travel of the pin 49, so that reverse movement of the gear due to the unwinding of the spring will be prevented until the drawer has been moved to the limit of its movement within the casing.

An extension 5| is formed on the upper end of the pivoted plate 50 and lies in the path of travel of the shoulder 52 formed on the outer end of the rack bar 46, with the result that when the drawer moves inwardly to its limit, the shoulder engaging the extension 5| will tilt the plate 59 from the dotted line position as shown by Fig. '7 of the drawings, to the full line position, releasing the gear 43 to the action of the spring 41, to operate the gearing of the apparatus.

The power gear 43 meshes with the gear 53, that in turn is secured to the shaft 34, rotating the shaft 34. It will, of course, be understood that the gearing is so constructed that the speed of rotation of the shaft 36 and card dealing disc 3'1, will be greatly reduced, to properly accomplish the purpose of the invention.

At the upper end of the side members of the drawer 5, are laterally extended fingers 54, which fingers provide stops for preventing removal of the drawer. Secured to the bottom of the casing and risingtherefrom, is the spring pawl 55, which engages the teeth of the ratchet wheel to prevent counter-rotation of the ratchet wheel after it has been rotated by the movement of the drawer, to wind or tension the spring.

The reference character 56 indicates a bracket in which the shaft 51 operates, the shaft 51 carrying the indicator 58 at its upper end, while at the lower end of the shaft 58 is the star gear 59, which gear 59 is engaged by the pin 49 with each complete rotation of the gear 43, causing the indicator to move, indicating the number of times the power gear is rotated to deal packs of cards. In this way the attendant determine the number of times the complete pack of cards has been dealt. At one end of the casing, is the spring pressed clamp 69, under which a score pad may be clamped on the top of the casing.

The top of the casing is provided with a recess 6!, which is of a size to contain packs of cards to be used in the machine.

In use, the drawer 6 is withdrawn from the casing a distance to permit a pack of cards such as indicated at 13, to be positioned therein. The drawer 6 is now forced inwardly, with the result that the rack bar 46 moves over the ratchet wheel 45 which rotates the shaft 44, winding the spring 4'3 to tension the spring sufficiently to rotate the power gear one complete revolution.

As the drawer is moved to the limit of its inward movement, the pivoted plate 59 is engaged by the shoulder 52 at the forward end of the rack bar 46,'moving the pivoted plate 50 out of contact with the stop pin 49, releasing the power gear 43, to the action of the spring which rotates the gear in a clockwise direction. As the power gear rotates, movement is transmitted to the card dealing disc 31, which moves the uppermost card of the pack laterally onto the uppermost tray 2|. The cam 42 will now engage the pin 25, extending the uppermost tray elevating the tray to a position so that the card dealing disc 31 in picking up the adjacent lower card of the pack will move the card under the uppermost tray and deposit the card on the second tray of the drawer 16.

It will, of course, be understood that the cams of the cam member are so arranged with respect to each other that when a card is dealt to a tray, the tray is elevated by a cam, for a period of time to permit a card to be dealt to the tray directly thereunder, which operation is repeated until all of the cards have been dealt. It might further be stated that the spring 41 is so arranged that the power gear will be rotated continuously until the entire number of cards of the pack are dealt, or transferred from the drawer 6 to the drawer l6. As the cards are dealt from the drawer B, it is obvious that the follower 7 will act to urge the cards upwardly for contact by the card dealing disc 31.

In view of the foregoing detailed disclosure, it is believed that a further detailed description as to the operation of the card dealing apparatus is unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

A playing card dealing apparatus comprising a casing, a drawer movable into the casing at one end of the casing in which a pack of cards is held, a dealing disc operating above the cards in contact with the uppermost card of the pack, means for operating the disc, dealing the cards from the pack, a drawer operating in the opposite end of the casing, disposed adjacent to one end of the first mentioned drawer, a plurality cf superimposed pivoted trays mounted in the second mentioned drawer, a tray elevating means comprising a pin extending laterally from one end of each tray, a rotating member having cams of various lengths, rotating adja-- cent to the trays, said cams engaging said pins elevating the trays successively separating the trays for predetermined periods of time for the reception of cards dealt from the pack by said dealing disc, dividing the cards into playing groups.

LEROY F. FLORANT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,824,542 I-Iangerud Sept. 22, 1931 1,867,690 Wendorf July 19, 1932 1,955,926 Matthaey Apr. 24, 1934 2,001,220 Smith May 14, 1935 2,099,187 Atti Nov. 16, 1937 2,159,958 Sachs May 23, 1939