US587281A - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

ROBERT S. CROOKS AND FRANK B. CROOKS, OF SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIFORNIA..

GAME APPARATUS. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,281, dated July 27, 1897..l Application filed October 22, 1896. Renewed .Tuly 6, 1897. Serial No. 643,614. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT S. CRooKs and FRANK B. Cnooxs, citizens of the United States,residing at San Francisco,in.the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to a certain new and useful device for shuffling and cutting cards or similar articles in games or entertainments; and it consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction, as will be hereinafter fully set forth in the drawings, and

' described and pointed out in` the specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device to be used in connection with card games or entertainments for shuffling, cutting, and exposing a hand of cards in the game being played; the. device being so constructed that with each throw thereof the cards or articles employed in the game are not only shuffled and cut, but a given line or row of cards is exposed to the view of the winner.

In order fully to understand the invention, reference must be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a partof this application, wherein- Figure l is a full front View in elevation of the device, the front plate or cover thereof being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side View in elevation showing the oscillatory shuliflingbox partly broken away and the face-plate of the side standard removed so as to expose the lock mechanism for the shuffling-box. Fig. 3 is a broken perspective view of the side standard, the face-plate being removed and the position which the lock mechanism assumes being shown just prior to the operating-weightescaping from its pathway; and Fig. 4. is a cross-sectional top plan view taken on line az, Fig. 2.

In the drawings the letter A is used t-o indicate the swinging shuffling-box, which box is closed by the cover or top plate A. From the sides of the shuffling-box, which is preferably made of metal, project the trunnions a a', which trunnions fit within openings formed through the inner face-plate of the hollow standards B B. The shuffling-box is thus suspended between the hollow standards. l

The lower portion of the cover or top plate A is cut away, so as to provide a transverse `opening through which the cards exposed may be viewed, said opening being closed or covered by a glass plate B2, which plate is held in place by the frame B3, secured to the cover or top plate by screws ZJ.

To the inner face of the back plate or bottom of the shuffling-box A are secured the ribs or partition-fingers 1 2 3 4, which ribs or partition-lingers may be formed integral with the shuffling-box or may be made separate therefrom. These ribs or partitions divide the lower portion of the shuflling-box into five separate compartments 5 6 7 S 9, which compartments receive and hold the shullled cards. `It will be observed by reference to Fig. l of the drawings that the ribs or lingers do 4not extend the full height of the shufflingbox, but only part way.

The upper end of the ribs or lingers 1 and 3 terminates a short distance below the axial lline of the shuffling box or casing A, while the ribs or fingers 2 and L'extend a given distance above the axial line, or about two-thirds the height of the shuffling box or casing. Consequently the upper portion of the said box or casing serves as an enlarged shufflingcompartment C. The trunnion a projects within the hollow standard B and has secured thereon the mutilated ratchet-wheels C C2. These ratchetwheels are placed one in advance of the other upon the trunnion a, and the teeth thereof are engaged by the teeth b h2 of the pawl D. The

tooth h2 engages the teeth of ratchet-wheel C2 and the tooth b engages the teeth of ratchetwheel C', Figs. 2 and 3. The pawl D is fulcrumed to the back plate of the standard B by means of the pin d, andsaid pawl is provided with a downwardlyextending tailpiece D. From the said pawl laterally projects the arm d', upon which arm is adjustably secured the counterbalance weight d2. This counterbalance-weight is sufficient to throw the tailpiece D to one side of its perpendicular, Fig. 2, which is its normal position. When the tailpiece stands in the position illustrated in IOCI roV

Fig. 2, the tooth b of the pawl D will be thrown upward into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel C. Then in this postion, the ratchetwheel will be locked and it will be impossible toswing the shuiiling box or casing A until the pawl is released from engagement with the ratchet-wheel C. rlhis can be accomplished only by sufficient pressure being brought to bear upon the tailpiece D to overcome that Vof the counterbalance-v weight cl2.

By employing two ratchet wheels with which one of' the teeth of the pawl D at all.

times engages it is obvious that oneof said ratchet-wheels remains locked against movement in one direction while the other is free to turn or rotate. Consequently if the shuffling-box be moved upward it cannot be moved downward until the tooth b2 has moved out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel C2, and after it has been moved downward it cannot be moved upward until the tooth b is moved out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel C.

Through the top of the hollow standard B is formed an opening d3, through which the metal disk c for releasing the pawl is inserted. This metallic disk is sufficient in weight to overbalance the pressure of the counterbalance-weight dz. The disk, when inserted through the opening cl3, falls upon the inclined shelf c', located wit-hin the hollow standard B, by which it is guided into the runway e2, formed bythe shoulder f, cast integral with the back plate of the said standard, and the shoulder f', cast with the faceplate E, Fig. 4. Vhen the face-plate is secured to the hollow standard, the shoul' ders f f form the passage-way e2 for the disk. As the weight of the metal disk bears against the outer face of the tailpiece D the said tail is forced past its perpendicular in an opposite direction and the tooth b is moved out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel C. The ratchet-wheel being thus released the operator, by taking hold of one of the finger-pieces f2, laterally projecting from the box or casing, may readily throw the shuffling box or casing into a position the reverse of that shown in position 2 of the drawings. As the box or casing is swung or tilted over the cards are thrown together and intermixed within the upper portion or chamber C of the shuiiiing box or casing. During the tilting of the shuffling' box or casing the ratchet-wheels @'02 turn with the rotation of the trunnion CL. By the time the shutiling box or casing has been swung or tilted over its full distance the tooth b2 of the pawl will be opposite the deep indentation g cut in the ratchet-wheel C2 (position illustrated in Fig. 3) and move therein by the tailpiece D being thrown farther out of its perpendicular, owing to the pressure of the disk e in t-he passage-way. As the tooth b2 moves into the deep indentation g the tailpiece will move sufficiently far to enable the disk e to move from within the passage-way e2 into the bottom of the hollow standard or receptacle located at the end thereof to receive the same, The moment the disk has moved out of the passage-way the pressure of' the counterbalance*weight throws the tailpiece D into the position illustrated in Fig. 2, so as to move the tooth b of the pawl into engagement withv the teeth of the ratchet-wheel C'. After the tooth b2 has moved out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel C2 the shuffling box or casing is free to be swung downward. As the shuffling box or casing is thus tilted or swung over the cards contained in the chamber C fall by gravity to the lower end of' the box or casing. During their downward movement the cards strike against the upper end of the ribs or 4cutting-fingers l 2 3 4t and are guided into the several compartments 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, being exposed in the compartments through the transparent covering or plate B2.

It will thus be readily understood that the object of the game is to see which of the players can secure the highest hand by a throw or deal of the cards, the one securing the highest hand being the winner in the game.

Inasmuch as each time the shuffling box or casing is thrown upward the cards are thoroughly shuffled or mixed within the upper chamber of the said box or casing and as the box or casing is lowered the cards falling downward are out and directed into separate compartments by means of the ribs or cutting-lingers l 2 3 4, it is obvious that adifferent hand in value will nearly always be exposed to View with each throw or turn of the shuffling box or casing.

As the shuffling box or casing is locked after each throw against upward movement unless a fresh disk be inserted within the slot cl3 to release the lock mechanism it follows that the throw of the shuffling box or casing cannot be changed without deliberately releasing the lock mechanism. To provide against any one of the players securing a second throw of' the shuffling box or casing unbeknown to the balance of the players by slipping a disk within the slot d3, the disks should be under the control of one of the players, designated as the banken Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is 4 l. In a game apparatus, the combination IOO IIO

with the side standards, of the card-shuffling box or casing mounted to swing between the standards, the lock mechanism for controlling the movement of the shuflling-box, and the cutting ribs or fingers secured within the shuffling box or casing.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with the eardshuffling box or casing mounted to swing between side standards, of a series of cutting ribs or fingers located within the shuffling box or casing so as to divide the lower portion thereof into a series of independent compartments and its upper portion into a card-shuiiiing chamber, and of mechanism for controlling the movement of the shufiin g box or casing.

8. In a game apparatus, the combination with the card-shuffling box or casing mounted to swing between side standards, of a series of independent card-compartments formed in the lower portion of the box or casing, a cham'- ber within which the cards are shufiied or intermixed formed in the upper portion of the box or casing, an opening formed in the lower portion of the top plate or cover of the box or casing, a transparent covering for said opening, and suitable mechanism for controlling the swing or movement of the shuftiing box or casing.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination with the shuffling box or casing mounted to swing between side standards, of the trun-` nions upon which the said box or casing turns working within said side standards, the ratchet wheels located within one of said standards and mounted on the trunnion working therein, the fulorumed pawl which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheels, the tailpiece depending from the fulcrumed pawl, the counterbalance-weight for throwing one of the teeth of the pawl into locked engagement with one of the ratchet-wheels, a passage-way formed within the said side standard into and through which a weight or disk travels, which weight or disk during its travel through the said passage-Way, engages the tailpiece of the fulcrumed pawl and throws the same so as to release the pawl from locked engagement with the ratchet-wheels in order that the shuffling box or casing may be free to swing.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of October, 1896.

ROBERT S. CROGKS. FRANK B. CROOKS.

Vitnesses:

N. A. AGKER, M. G. LOEFLER.

Images