Ticket dispensing apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for dispensing tickets from respective strips of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from a respective strip of tickets along a separation line, the apparatus comprising:
- rotatable infeed idler rollers;
infeed drive rollers rotatably mounted adjacent respective infeed idler rollers;
infeed drive motors, each of the infeed drive motors being connected to a different one of the infeed drive rollers and operable to rotate the one of the infeed drive rollers;
a separator shaft having helical blades mounted thereon and being rotatably supported adjacent the infeed drive rollers;
a separator motor mechanically connected to the separator shaft and operable to rotate the helical blades;
exit idler rollers rotatably mounted adjacent the separator shaft;
exit drive rollers rotatably mounted adjacent respective exit idler rollers; and
an exit drive motor connected to the exit drive rollers and operable to rotate the exit drive rollers.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for dispensing tickets from strips of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from a respective strip of tickets along a separation line. The apparatus has infeed drive rollers rotatably mounted adjacent respective infeed idler rollers, and infeed drive motors are connected to respective infeed drive rollers. A separator shaft having helical blades mounted thereon is rotatably supported adjacent the infeed drive rollers, and a separator motor is connected to the separator shaft for rotating the helical blades. Exit drive rollers are rotatably mounted adjacent respective exit idler rollers; and an exit drive motor connected to the exit drive rollers and operable to rotate the exit drive rollers.
102 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for dispensing tickets from respective strips of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from a respective strip of tickets along a separation line, the apparatus comprising:
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rotatable infeed idler rollers;
infeed drive rollers rotatably mounted adjacent respective infeed idler rollers;
infeed drive motors, each of the infeed drive motors being connected to a different one of the infeed drive rollers and operable to rotate the one of the infeed drive rollers;
a separator shaft having helical blades mounted thereon and being rotatably supported adjacent the infeed drive rollers;
a separator motor mechanically connected to the separator shaft and operable to rotate the helical blades;
exit idler rollers rotatably mounted adjacent the separator shaft;
exit drive rollers rotatably mounted adjacent respective exit idler rollers; and
an exit drive motor connected to the exit drive rollers and operable to rotate the exit drive rollers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8)
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5. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the exit drive roller does not contact the exit idler roller.
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9. An apparatus for dispensing a ticket from a strip of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from the strip of tickets along a separation line, the apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable infeed idler roller;
an infeed drive roller rotatably mounted adjacent the infeed idler roller;
an infeed drive motor;
a drive coupling mechanically connecting the infeed drive motor to the infeed drive roller, the drive coupling providing a mechanical advantage to the infeed drive motor such that the infeed drive motor turns through numerous revolutions in order to turn the infeed drive roller through a single revolution;
a low resolution encoder mechanically connected to the infeed drive motor and providing a first number of feedback pulses during a single revolution of the infeed drive motor, the low resolution encoder providing a second number of feedback pulses with respect to each revolution of the infeed drive roller equal to the product of the mechanical advantage of the drive coupling times the first number of feedback pulses;
a separator rotatably mounted adjacent the infeed drive roller;
a separator motor mechanically connected to the separator and operable to rotate the separator;
an exit idler roller rotatably mounted adjacent the separator;
an exit drive roller rotatably mounted adjacent the exit idler roller; and
an exit drive motor connected to the exit drive roller and operable to rotate the exit drive roller. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for dispensing a ticket from a strip of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from the strip of tickets along a separation line, the apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable infeed idler roller;
an infeed drive roller rotatably mounted adjacent the infeed idler roller;
an infeed drive motor connected the infeed drive roller and operable to rotate the infeed drive roller;
a separator rotatably mounted adjacent the infeed drive roller;
a separator motor mechanically connected to the separator and operable to rotate the separator;
a exit idler roller rotatably mounted adjacent the separator;
an exit drive roller rotatably mounted adjacent the exit idler roller;
an exit drive motor connected to the exit drive roller and operable to rotate the exit drive roller;
a sensor mounted adjacent the exit drive roller, the sensor providing a feedback signal in response to detecting the ticket; and
a control electrically connected to the infeed drive motor and the sensor for controlling the operation of the infeed drive motor in response to the feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method of controlling a feed of a strip of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from a respective strip of tickets along a separation line, the method comprising:
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feeding the strip of tickets in a forward direction with an infeed drive roller, past a separator;
detecting a leading edge of the strip of tickets being fed to a first location forward of the separator and adjacent the exit drive roller;
stopping the feeding of the strip of tickets in the forward direction in response to detecting the leading edge of the first ticket being fed to the first location;
feeding the strip of tickets in a reverse direction through a displacement placing the leading edge of the first ticket at a perforation location forward of a fixed blade of the separator. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25)
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23. A method of separating a ticket from a strip of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from the strip of tickets along a separation line, the method comprising:
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feeding the strip of tickets in a forward direction between an infeed drive roller and an infeed idler roller and past a fixed blade of a separator;
stopping the feeding of the strip of tickets to locate the separation line in the strip of tickets forward of the fixed blade; and
rotating a helical blade to separate the strip of tickets along the separation line forward of the fixed blade.
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26. An apparatus for dispensing tickets from a strip of tickets, wherein each ticket is separable from the strip of tickets along a separation line, the apparatus comprising:
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a rotatable infeed idler roller;
an infeed drive roller rotatably mounted adjacent the infeed idler roller;
an infeed drive motor connected to the infeed drive roller and operable to rotate the infeed drive roller;
a separator shaft having a helical blade mounted thereon and being rotatably supported adjacent the infeed drive roller;
a separator motor mechanically connected to the separator shaft and operable to rotate the helical blade;
an exit idler roller rotatably mounted adjacent the separator shaft;
an exit drive roller rotatably mounted adjacent the exit idler roller, the infeed idler roller, the infeed drive roller, the exit idler roller and the exit drive roller having a common length with the helical blade; and
an exit drive motor connected to the exit drive roller and operable to rotate the exit drive roller.
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Specification