Method and apparatus for automatically cutting and shuffling playing cards

• US 20020070499A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SHFL Entertainment Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kukuczka, Nick W., Grauzer, Attila, Scheper, Paul K., Stasson, James B., Breeding, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,568,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/149R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082

Abstract

The present invention provides a machine for shuffling multiple decks of playing cards including a first vertically extending magazine for holding a stack of unshuffled playing cards, and second and third vertically extending magazines each for holding a stack of cards, the second and third magazines being horizontally spaced from and adjacent to the first magazine. A first card mover is at the top of the first magazine for moving cards from the top of the stack of cards in the first magazine to the second and third magazines to cut the stack of unshuffled playing cards into two unshuffled stacks. Second and third card movers are at the top of the second and third magazines, respectively, for randomly moving cards from the top of the stack of cards in the second and third magazines, respectively, back to the first magazine, thereby interleaving the cards to form a vertically registered stack of shuffled cards in the first magazine.

Claims

1. An apparatus for shuffling playing cards which comprises:

a. a first vertically extending magazine for holding a vertically registered stack of unshuffled playing cards,

b. second and third vertically extending magazines for holding a vertically registered stack of cards, each horizontally spaced from and adjoining the first magazine,

c. first card-engaging means disposed at the top of the first magazine for individually moving cards from the top of the stack of cards in the first magazine horizontally to the second and third magazine to thereby cut the stack of unshuffled playing cards into two stacks, and

d. second and third card-engaging means disposed at the top of the second and third magazines, respectively, for simultaneously and randomly moving individual cards from the top of the stack of cards in the second and third magazines, respectively, to the first magazine, to thereby interleave the cards to form a vertically registered stack of shuffled cards in the first magazine.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, and a plurality of card deflectors disposed at the top of said magazines for deflecting individual cards as said cards move from magazine to magazine.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, said second and third magazine being defined and separated from said first magazine by a pair of generally parallel vertically extending plates each having a top generally disposed at the top of the magazines and carrying deflecting card guides for raising and separating cards as said cards move from magazine to magazine.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, and a plurality of photosensors for monitoring the movement of the cards.

5. A method for shuffling playing cards which comprises:

a. forming a first vertically registered stack of unshuffled card,

b. horizontally moving cards individually from the top of the first stack of unshuffled cards to form a second and third vertically registered stack of cards, each stack spaced horizontally from the first stack and from each other, to thereby cut the stack of unshuffled cards, and

c. simultaneously and randomly moving individual cards from the top of the second and third stacks into a common zone, thereby randomly interleaving the cards of the second and third stacks to form a vertically registered stack of shuffled cards in the common zone.