CA2129702C - Lottery number picker - Google Patents

Abstract

A number picker for randomly picking lottery numbers comprising: a base having a pair of cavities, an open ended trip in each cavity for capturing thin cylindrical disks; a plurality of thin cylindrical disks inside of each cavity for capturing some of the disks; and a pair of transparent covers for viewing the disks inside the cavities. Each trap has an outer wall and an inner wall spaced apart from the outer wall and an end portion of its inner wall is hook-shaped and extends outwardly toward its outer wall to resist disks from leaving the trap. The outer walls of the traps are joined to the cavities' outer walls by ramps. When the lottery number picker is rotated, disks pile up at the entrances to the traps, move up the ramps and fill the traps.

Description

212~7~
LOTTERY ~YMBER PI~KER

~I~LD OF THE INVEN~ION
This inven~ion relates to devices ~or randomly generating ~umbers and more particularly to a rando~ num~er gener~tor whi~h is ~dapta~le to the large variations in government lotteries.

BA~XGROUND OF T~ ~v~ ON
~ overnment lotteries are one of ~he world's ma~or businesses~
Billions of ~oll~rs in revenues are generated by lotteries in the states and U.~ pro~eç~or~te~
~ uring 1~91, the states collec~ed over 21 billion dollars in revenue f~o~ sta~e lot~erios. This equalled the ~ombined income of ~merica~ fi~e ~os~ pro~itable çorpora~ions. ~te lo~teries have gained such popul~r a~ceptance tha~ it i~ ~elieved that the federal government may soon adopt a national lottery as a means for trimming its large budget de~icits.
Large p~i~es, some of which exçeed one million do~lars, attract large nu~bers of players. Lot~ery pri~e~ provide ~ means for ordinary citizens to a~quire fo~tunes which prior to lotteries we~e inac¢essible.
To date, over thirty ~tates, two u~S. prote~torates and some fore~n countries operate lotteries. Lotteries exis~ in over thirty states, the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands, u.s. virgin Islands, ~anada, Sweden, ~rance, Austr~ , Aus~ria, $witzerland ~nd C~n~da . The di~tribution of U. S . lotteries ls shown ~n ~ig .
36 .

~ large variation exist~ in the lott~ries of state~ and fo~eign col~ntries. By way of ex~mple, some weekly ~otteries require a selec~ion o~ five num~ers wher*as o~her week~y lot~eries require a æelection of six ~ber~ . Moreover, there is ~ large variation in ~he size of the ~e~s ~rom which nu~bers are selected rangin~ $rom twenty-~ive to fifty-four nu~eræ in weekly lo~teries.
Further, d~i~y lo~eries require selecting three or four nu~ber5 from the set of numbers r~ngi ng from 1 to 1000.
Although selec~ing lo~ery numbers iæ a simple ~ask, many pla~e~s prefer number ~ener~ting device~, particu~arly when placing bet~ on many num~ers.
One aspect of the current practice is that lottery numbe~
pickers are no~ adap~able to t~e large variations i~ daily and week~y lotteries. Ano~her ~spec~ of the current practi~e i5 ~h~
lottery number pickers are not ~v~ilable which can pick ~o~h da~ly and weekly lottery numbers. Another aæpect of ~he ~urrent practice iæ th~t lottery number pickers are complex and expensive to manu~acture.

SIJ~ARY OF THE IN~IENTION
The present invention satisf ies ~he need for an improved lot~e~y number pic:ker by providing an economica~, easy to use ~evi~e for rando~ly generating lo~tery nun~e~. One fea~ure of th~
present invention is that the lottery number pi¢ker ~n se~ect both daily and week~y lottery numbers. Another fea~u~e of the invention is tha~ ~he number picker ¢an be e~ily modif ied to ac~ommodate differen~ lotte~ies.
The lottery number picker, in accord~nce with the present invention, broadly in¢ludes a co~pa~t housing h~ving an opaque ~enter portion and at least one tran~paren~ see-through ou~er portion. In the housing there is at leas~ one cavity, a plùrality of num~ered disks ~ored in ~aid ~avity and a~ leas~ one open ended tr~p f o~ ~apturing some o~ the disks.
The trap is adjacen~ to the outer wall of the ~ylindrical ~avity and is con~gured to cap~ure a set of ~he numbere~ dis~
during a rotation of ~he housing and to imp~de the flow of captu~ed di~s out of ~he ~rap.
Lotter~ numbers axe generated ~y shaking the lot~ery number selector to randomi2e ~he dlsk~- and a~terwards rota~i~g the num~e~
pic~er ~o fill the trap with ~e of the numbe~ed disks.
Tn a ~irSt em~odiment of the invention, the housing has a pa$~
of ~ylindr~cal cavities in an opaque ~a~e for storing thin ~y~indrical numbered ~isks, ~ plurality of numbe~ed disks in each of the cavities for ~ele~ting daily ~nd/or weekly lottery n~mbers and a p~ir o~ tran~parent see-thro~h ~overs for viewing the disks in each of ~he cavities.
In another e~odiment of the invention, numbered disks are provided in only one of the ~ ies and an opaque label is applied to one o~ the transparent ~oVers to cover the cavity not having disks.
Further ~nefits, features and embodi~en~s of the invention will ~e apparen~ from the ensuing de~rip~io~ and accompanying 21 297~2 drawings which de~cribe the invention in detail. A p~eferred em~odi~ent is disclosed in acc~dance with the ~est mo~e whi~h is conte~plated for pra¢ticing th~ invention and the ~pe~ific features in which ex~lusive p~operty righ~s are clai~ed are set forth i~
each of the numbered claim~ which are appended to th~ detailed de~crip~ion.

BRI~F ~ESC~IPrION OF THE ~RAWINGS
Fig. 1 i& a fron~ view o~ ~ lottery nu~ber picker a~cor~ing to the presen~ invention.
Fig. 2 is a righ~ side view o~ the lottery number ~ic~er.
Fig. 3 is a rear view o$ the ~ottery numbe~ picker.
~ ig. 4 is an enla~ged ~ross-~ectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 i~ an enlarged cros~section~l view of an al~ernate e~bodiment taken in a si~ilar ~anner a~ Fig. 4.
Fig. ~ is an enlarged ~oss-sectional view of another alternate embodiment taken in a similar m~nne~ as ~ig. 4.
Fi~, 7 is ~n enl~rged crosg-~e~ional view of another al~ernate embodi~ent ~aken in a similar ~nner a~ Fig. 4.
Fig. 8 is a front view of the lottery number picker in a 45 deg~ee clockwi~e rota~ed po~ition.
Pig, 9 i~ a ~ront view of the lottery number picker in a 135 degree clo¢kwise rotated position.
~ ig. 10 is a ~ront view o~ the lottery number picker in ~ ~2 degree cloc~wise rotated position.

212g70~

Fig. 11 is a fron~ view of the lotte~y number p~¢ker in a 350 degr~e clockwiss rot~ted positlon.
Fig. 12 i~ an enl~rged p~r~ial front view of the lottexy number pi~ker.
Fig. 13 i~ an enlarged parti~l front view of an ~lternate .
embodiment.
Fi~, 14 is a rear ~i~w of the lot~ery num~e~ picker in ~ 35 deqree counter~lockwise ~otated position.
Fig, 15 is a r~ar view of ~he lot~ery number picker in a 13 degree clo~kwise rota~ed position.
Fig. 1~ is a rea~ view of the lotte~y nu~ber pi~ker in ~ 2~5 degree clockwi~e rotated posi~ion.
Fig. 17 i~ a re~r view of ~he lot~ery nu~ber picker ln a 350 degree clockwi~e rotated position.
Fig. 18 i~ a front view of an alternate em~odiment.
Fig. 19 is a ~l~ht ~ide vle~ of ~he alternate embodimen~ of ~ig. 18.
Fig. 20 is ~ rear view o~ the alternate embodiment ~f Fig. 1~.
Fig. ~1 ls a rotated ~ront view of ~he alte~nate e~bodiment of Fig. 18~
Fig. 22 is a cross-~e~tional view ~aken on the line 22-22 in Fig. 18.
Fig. 23 is ~ rotated rear view of the alternate em~odiment o$
~ig. 18.
Fig. 24 is a front view o~ ~noth~r alternate e~bodimen~.
F i g . 2 5 is a right side ~iew of the al~ernate embodimen~ of - 212~702 Fig. 24.
Fi~. 26 ~ A rear view of the altern~e embod~ment of Fig. 24~
Fig. 27 is ~ rota~ed front view of the alternate embo~i~ent of ~ig. ~4.
Fig. 28 is a c~os~-sectional vi~w taken on the line ~ 8 in Fig. 24.
Fig. 29 ls a r~tated rear ~iew of the alternate embodiment of ~ig. 24.
~ ig. 30 is a front view of ~n alternate embodiment having circular o~ter shape.
Fig. 31 is a front view of an ~lternate embodi~ent having a square o~ter shape~
Fig. 32 is a fron~ vi~w of an alte~nate e~bodimen~ having a pentagon outer shape.
F~g. 33 is a front ~iew of an alternate embodiment having hexagon outer shape.
~ ig. 34 is ~ front ~iew of an a~te~na~e embodiment h~ving a decagon ou~e~ shape.
Fig. 35 i~ a front view of an al~ernate e~bodiment h~ving a diamond oute~ sh~pe.
~ ig. 3~ ig ~ çhart showing the lotteri~s in ~arious st~tes and possession~ of the United S~ate~.

DET~LED D~CRIPrION OF THE P~FER~ E~O~IMENT
~ e erring now to the drawings where~n like numerals ~e~ignate like and correspondin~ parts ~h~oughou~ the several views, a - 212970,~
lottery nu~ber pickex i5 shown in Figs~ 1-17, in~lusive, in a~cordance wlth the present invention. The lottery numb~r piqker is designate~ b~ the numeral 10 and broadly includes 2n ~pa~ue b~se 11, a pair of identical ~e-t~ough t~anspa~ent covers 1~ a~tached ~o the base 11, and a plurality o~ t~in cylindrical disks 1~ stored in the base 11.
Al~houg~ ~he lot~ery n~ber picker ~0 has an oçtAgo~al oYerall shape, i~ is not my intentlon to li~it my invention to an octagonal sh~pe, since ~s exe~plified by Fi~s. 30 ~hrough 35, a ~ariety oE
optional sh~pes can be ~pplied to my invention, including circ~lar 14, square lS, pent~gon 1~, hexagon 17, decagon 1~ and diamond 1 shapes.
In opposite portions of ~he base 11 are cylindrical cavi~ies 20, 21 and the thin ~ylindxieal disks 13 in each of the cavities 20, ~1. In each cavity 20, ~1 ~here is an open ended trap 2~r ~3 for c~pturing the disks 13, With re~erence to ~igs. 8 through 11, for purpose~ of describin~ my ~nvention, a trap 22 is shown for cap~uring six di~kæ 13 from a set of fifty disks 13 bearing number~
f~om 1 ~hrough 50, it baing apparent that ~he leng~h of the ~rap 22 can be varied ~o sele~t lesser or ~eate~ n~bers of disks 13.
The open ended tr~p 22 which i~ ~n integ~al portion of the base 11 is adj~cent ~o the çavity's cy~indrical wall 24 and i~
comp~ised of an arcua~e outer wall 2S, spa¢ed a sho~t distan~e inwardly from ~he ca~ity'æ ~all ~4, and an arçuate inner w~ll 26 spaced inwa~dly fxom the trap's outer wall 25. On~ featu~e of my $n~ention is that the disk~ 13 can easily en~er the tr~p 22 but are ~ -7-, ~1297~2 i~peded from flowing ou~ o~ t~e trap 2~. A~ will be ~nders~ood, this ~eature ~e~ults from ~ ramp 27 whi~h join~ ~he trap's outer wall 25 ~ith t~ cavl~y wall 24 and a hooked-end portion 2~ of the trap'~ inne~ wall Z6.
Referring to Fig. 12, ~t the open end of the trap 2~, the trap's outer wall 25 extends a short distan~e beyond the t~ap's inner wall 26 and is joined t~ the cavity's ual~ 24 ~y the ramp 27.
The end of the ~rap's inner w~ll 26 forms the hook-shaped end port~on ~8 and ex~ends ~ short distance tow~rds the t~ap's outer ~ll 25.
The effect of this constru~tion is bes~ unders~ood by referen~e to:Figs. ~ ~hrough ll. To selec~ a lottery number, the picker 10 is ~irst rotated in a ve~tical plane ab~ut 45 de~rees to empty the trap 22 of disks 13~ The picke~ lO is then agit~ted to randomize the position~ o~ ~he disks 13 and then rota~ed in a vertical plane ~ a greater am~un~ to cap~ure six disks 13 in the tr~p 22.
During a filling of the tr~p 22, di~ks 13 accumulate ~t the entrance 2~ of ~he trap Z2, impeding a flow of disks 13 out of the trap 22. However, the disks 13 a~ the ent~an~e ~9 to ~he trap ~2 are p~shed up the ramp ~7 by the inerti~ forces of the other di~ks 13. The movemen~ o~ ~he disks 13 up ~he ramp z7 raise~ the overlying disks ~3 whic~ ~lose o~ the ~rap 2~l there~y ~llowing disks 13 on the ramp 27 to en~er the trap 22.
Afte~ the trap ZZ has been filled, other disks 13 are prevented from mo~ing ~p ~he ra~p 27. Further rotation of ~he .

pi~ker 10 cau~es the other disks 1~ at th~ entran~e 2g to fall ~way ~rom the trap 22. At t~e near horizon~al po~ition shown in Fig.
11~ the diskæ 13 inside ~f the trap 2~ are agains~ th~ inner wall, whereby tbe hooked-end portion 28 of the inner wall 26 serves to ~etain the disks 13 in ~he trap 22.
random sele~tion o~ a ~our-digi~ num~er 65~3 i~ depic~ed ~n Fig~. ~4 through 17, The picker 10 is ~hown first ro~ated counter~lockwise as depi~ted in ~ig. 14, to empty dis~s #2, #1, #5 from the por~ion 30 of the trap 23 used for seleçting three-digi~
num~e~s. Next, ~he picke~ 10 is rotated in a clockwise position ~s ~hown in Figs. lS through 17 to capture disks #~, ~5, #6, #3 in the o~her portion 31 of the tr~p 23. During ~he clo~kwise ro~ation, disks 13 axe raptured in ~he same manner previously ~e~cribed for cap~urin~ six of the di~ks 13 in the ~rap ~ of the other cavity 20.
In Fig~ 6, an em~odi~ent 3~ ic cho~n w~rein the base 11 a~.~
covers l2 are used for ei~her d~ly or wee~ly lottery pickers~ In thiæ embod~ent 32, one ~a~ity 33 is loaded ~ith dis~s 13 and ~he empty ~avity 34 is ~overe~ ~y a l~el 35 whi~h is atta~h~d to the ~over lZ. In Fig. 1~ an em~odiment 3~ is shown wherein con~ave depressions 37 are provided in ~he inner wall 3~ of ~ trap 3~ for ~urthe~ resisting the ~low of disk~ 13 out of ~he trap 3~ In Fig.
5 an embodiment 3g i~ shown wherein the trap~ ~1 are form~d as integral portions of upper 42 and lower 43 cover~ In Fig. 7 an em~od~ment 44 i~ ~hown h~ving a ~in~le cavi~y for pi¢king either daily or weekly lottery numbers.

. g_ - 2129~02 Refe~ring now to Figs. 18 through 2~, a ~ircular embodiment 4s is shown having a base 4~ with t~iangular shaped cavities 47, 48 and ~t~a~ght inner and outer trap wall~ f~r storing pluralities of ~hin cylindri~al dis~s 13. rhe end portions of the inn~r walls'of ~he traps hook outwardly towards ~e outer walls an~ ramps are p~o~ided in ~he same manner as the previously described e~bodiments. A ~ingle trap 49 ig provided for capt~ring six of the disks 13 stored in ths ~avity 47 and a ~ual trap 50 in the o~her ca~i~y 48 is pro~ided for capturing three or ~our of the disks 13 stored in the ~avity 48.
In ~ig. 21 the pi~ker 45 is shown ~fter a clockwise ro~tion ~ith six of tne disks 13 capture~ in the single trap 49 and in Fig.
23 the pi~ker 45 is shown afte~ a clockwise rotation with fo~r disks 13 captured in the dual trap 50.
In Figs. 24 through ~9 is ~hown an embodiment 51 which is simil~r to the embodime~ 45 of Figs. 18 throu~h ~3 excep~ tha~ the inner walls 52, 53, 54 of the t~ps converge towards the outer walls S5, S6, ~7 ~or resisting ~ flow of disks 13 out of the traps 58, 53~
In Fig, 27 ~he picker 51 i~ sho~n af~er a clockwise rotation with six of the disk-~ 13 captured in the sin~le trap ~8 and in Fig.
29 t~e pi~ker 45 iæ shown after a clockwi~e ro~a~ion with ~our di~ks 13 captu~ed in the dual tr~p 5~.
Fro~ ~he fore~oing i~ ~ill be appreci~ted tha~ my inven~ion p~o~ides ~enefi~s heretofore unavailabl~ in a lottery number piaker.

Although bu~ severA~ e~bodiment~ have been illustrated ~nd described, it~wi~l be understood tha~ other embodimen~ n be de~ived by changes in sh~pe a~d materials ~ well as numbers and su~stitutions of parts without departing from the ~piri~ thereof.

Claims (22)

1. A number picker for randomly picking lottery numbers comprising: a base, said base having at least one cavity, said cavity having a cylindrical outer wall and a single annular trap adjacent to said outer wall for capturing thin cylindrical disks stored in said cavity, said trap having an outer wall spaced inwardly a short distance from said cavity's outer wall, an inner wall spaced inwardly from said trap's outer wall, said inner wall having a hook-end portion for resisting a flow of captured disks out of said trap, and a ramp at said trap's open end, said ramp joining said trap's outer wall to said cavity's outer wall; a plurality of thin cylindrical disks stored in said cavity, each of said disks having a number on a circular face of said disk; and a transparent cover attached to said base for viewing said disks in said cavity.

2. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap's outer wall is longer than said trap's inner wall, said outer wall having an end portion extending a short distance beyond an end portion of said trap's inner wall at an entrance to said trap.

3. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said case is opaque.

4. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap for capturing disks is an arcuate trap in an outer portion of housing, said trap having an outer wall and an inner wall, said inner wall having a plurality of concave depressions facing said outer wall for resisting a flow of disks out of said trap.

5. The number picker recited in claim 1 further comprising a second trap for capturing a second set of numbered disks.

6. The number picker recited in claim 1 further comprising a second cavity, a transparent cover for viewing a plurality of disks in said second cavity; a trap in said cavity for capturing a second set of numbered disks; and a plurality of thin cylindrical disks inside of said second cavity, each of said disks having a number on a circular face of each of said disks.

7. The number picker recited in claim 1 further comprising a number on an opposite circular face of each of said disks.

8. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap for capturing disks is a means for capturing three of said disks.

9. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap for capturing disks is a trap for capturing four of said disks.

10. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap for capturing disks is a trap for capturing five of said disks.

11. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap capturing disks is a trap for capturing six of said disks.

12. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap for capturing disks is a trap for capturing three or four of said disks.

13. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said trap for capturing disks is a trap for capturing three, four or six of said disks.

14. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein a portion of said base having said cavity is an opaque portion.

15. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a circular shaped outer portion.

16. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a square shaped outer portion.

17. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a pentagon shaped outer portion.

18. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a hexagon shaped outer portion.

19. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has an octagon shaped outer portion.

20. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a decagon shaped outer portion.

21. The number picker recited in claim 1 wherein said base has a diamond shaped outer portion.

22. A number picker for selecting lottery numbers comprising:
a base, said base having a trip for capturing lottery numbered disks stored in said base, said trap having an outer wall and an inner wall spaced inwardly apart from said outer wall, said inner wall having a hook-shaped end portion at an entrance of said trap extending a short distance outwardly toward said trap's outer wall for impeding thin cylindrical disks in said trap from flowing out of said trap; a ramp at said entrance of said trap for admitting said disks into said trap; and a plurality of thin cylindrical disks stored in said base.