AU699478B2

AU699478B2 - A lotto-checker

Info

Publication number: AU699478B2
Application number: AU35315/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Achim Vollmann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-11-26
Filing date: 1997-08-26
Publication date: 1998-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-26
Also published as: AU3531597A; AU679666B3

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: Maria KOVACS Achim VOLLMANN CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

A LOTTO-CHECKER 9 99 9* 99 999* 99 0 The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me.

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r CC C 2 This invention relates to a lotto-checker and particularly relates to a simple inexpensive device that can be used to check the winning numbers on lotto or similar sheets.

Throughout the specification and claims, the term "lotto" is meant to include games which work on a similar principle to lotto games. These games comprise a game sheet having an array of numbered boxes. A specified number of boxes are annotated and when the winning numbers are drawn, the game numbers are compared with the winning numbers to see if the game player has won. These games include Lotto, Powerball, Keno, and the like.

Lotto games consist of a lotto sheet. On the sheet is printed a regular array of numbered boxes (usually about 45 boxes) The sheet usually contains more than one game and lotto can contain up to twelve games on a single sheet. Each game has the same number of numbered boxes.

20 A game player purchases a sheet and fills out up to six or so numbers on each of the twelve games.

From time to time, the winning numbers are announced and the game player compares the winning numbers against the chosen numbers on each of the twelve games.

This type of checking can be cumbersome and slow and prone to error especially with older people having poor eyesight. Also, in syndicate games, there may be ten or more lotto sheets, each sheet having twelve games which requires at least one hundred and twenty games to be accurately and quickly checked.

The present invention is directed to a simple, easy-to-use, and effective lotto-checker which can be used to quickly check each of the twelve games on a lotto sheet and can also be used for similar games such as Powerball, Keno, and the like. The lotto-checker has the advantage that the original lotto sheet is not marked in any way.

3 It is an object of the invention to provide a lotto-checker which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in a lottochecker for checking numbers on a lotto sheet without marking the sheet, the checker comprising a see-through sheet member adapted to overlie numbers which comprise a game on the lotto sheet and on which sheet member the winning numbers can be marked with a wipe-off pen, alignment means to correctly align the sheet member over the required game to be checked on the lotto sheet and at least one zone for writing the winning numbers, the zone being broken into discrete segments with each segment having an outer periphery defining each segment.

The see-through sheet member typically comprises a sheet of plastic, although glass could also be used if desired. The plastic is preferably as clear as possible such that the lot-to sheet can be quickly S, 20 checked even with people having poor eyesight.

The plastic sheet can be marked by an oil pen and particularly by a vipe-off oil pen such that the lotto-checker can be used time and time again.

The lotto-checker is preferably designed such 25 that the sheet member directly contacts the lotto sheet.

This minimises any error which can be caused by the parallax effect.

The lotto-checker has an alignment means to correctly align the sheet member over the required game.

I 30 The alignment means may comprise an edge of the sheet member or a border which can overlie the borders which delineate between adjacent games on the lotto sheet.

It is preferred that the lotto-checker has a surround border frame and be formed from paper or plastic which can provide rigidity to the sheet member thereby allowing the sheet member to be as thin as possible.

The surround border frame preferably has a substantial thickr-ss of about 2mm 10mm (thereby 9 0 9 9 9 0 9 00 9*99 0 9ic 9..

9* 9 .999 9 99 3a providing strength to the lotto-checker), and the surround border frame preferably entirely surrounds the sheet member.

The sheet member may be sized sufficiently to allow more than one game to be checked at the same time.

In this embodiment, the sheet member preferably has a dividing line extending along or across it to assist in correctly aligning the sheet member over the required game.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a lotto-checker according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a copy of a typical Gold Lotto sheet which is included merely as a representation of a typical lotto sheet.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figure 1, there is shown a lotto-checker 10. Lotto- 20 checker 10 comprises a single see-through sheet member which is divided into two zones 11A, 11B by a dividing line 12. Line 12 can be simply drawn or otherwise marked on to the single sheet member to divide it into the separate zones 11A, 11B. It should be appreciated that the embodiment of Figure 1 illustrates a lotto-checker for checking two games.

The sheet member is formed from optically clear plastic sheet and it is preferred that the sheet is as thin as possible. The sheet member is adapted to directly contact a lotto sheet, a representative sheet being illustrated in Figure 2.

The lotto checker has a surround border frame 13 which can be formed from card or plastic. Surround frame 13 has an appreciable thickness of about 5mm to provide sufficient strength for multiple re-use of the lotto-checker. Frame 13 has internal bevelled edges 14 which bevel downwardly to the sheet member 11A, 11B.

This allows the sheet member to be fastened to the bottom of the surround frame to allow the sheet member to directly contact the lotto sheet.

Frame 13 has an upper zone 15 of sufficient size to allow the winning numbers to be pencilled or penned in appropriate boxes 16. Similarly, a lower zone 17 is provided also having boxes 18.

One side of the lotto-checker has a C-shaped clip 19 to allow a wipe-off oil pen to be clipped to the lotto-checker.

In use, winning numbers can be initially pencilled or penned onto boxes 16 or 18. Thereafter, lotto-checker 10 is placed over a lotto sheet (see Figure The lotto-checker has a peripheral edge or edges 21 which align with the borders which delineate between adjacent games on the lotto sheet.

In this manner, the lotto-checker can be quickly aligned with each game. Once the lotto-checker has been aligned, the winning numbers are marked on the clear plastic sheet 11A, 11B by oil pen 20 and the lotto 20 sheet is used as a template. Once the winning numbers *e 0 have been read off boxes 16 (or 18) and applied to the plastic sheet member 11A, 11B the lotto-checker can then be moved over each of the games to see if the game player has won.

25 The lotto-checker can quickly check each of the twelve games on a lotto sheet, or the games on Powerball, Keno, and similar types of lotto sheets. For syndicate games players, each of the lotto sheets can be quickly checked with almost no chance of an error occurring.

30 Thus, the lotto-checker having a see-through .E sheet member which directly contact the lotto sheet, and having a peripheral edge or border which aligns with the border around the game on the lotto sheet, provides a quick and easy method to check lotto sheets.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

1. A lotto-checker for checking numbers on a lotto sheet without marking the sheet, the checker comprising a see-through sheet member adapted to overlie numbers which comprise a game on the lotto sheet and on which sheet member the winning numbers can be marked with a wipe-off pen, alignment means to correctly align the sheet member over the required game to be checked on the lotto sheet and at least one zone for writing the winning numbers, the zone being broken into discrete segments with each segment having an outer periphery defining each segment.

2. The lotto-checker of claim 1 wherein the sheet member directly contacts the lotto sheet and has a peripheral edge or border which aligns with the border around the game on the lotto sheet to correctly align the sheet member over the required game to be checked on the lotto sheet.

3. A lotto-checker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 26th day of August 1997 Maria KOVACS By her Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. o K L I ABSTRACT A lotto-checker for checking numbers on a lotto sheet without marking the sheet, the checker comprising a see-through sheet member adapted to overlie numbers which comprise a game on the lotto sheet and on which sheet member the winning numbers can be marked with a wipe-off pen, and alignment means to correctly align the sheet member over the required game to be checked on the lotto sheet.

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