Device and method for forming and delivering hands from randomly arranged decks of playing cards
First Claim
1. An apparatus for handling cards comprising:
- a card loading area for receiving a group of cards to be arranged into randomized hands;
a shuffling chamber having a plurality of card-receiving compartments, wherein each compartment is able to receive more than one card within an opening of the card-receiving compartment, a card moving system comprising two sequential single card moving components positioned for moving at least one card at a time from the card loading area into a card-receiving compartment, the two sequential card single card moving components comprising a first single card moving component that moves at least a single card from the card loading area towards a second card moving component and the second card moving component receiving the individual card from the first card moving component, and a microprocessor for controlling card movement;
wherein the first single card moving component reduces moving forces against the single card when the second card moving component applies moving forces against the single card.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for moving playing cards from a first group of cards into plural hands of cards, wherein each of the hands contains a random arrangement of cards. The apparatus comprises a card receiver for receiving the first group of cards, a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, the stack generally vertically movable, an elevator for moving the stack, a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack, and a microprocessor that controls the card-moving mechanism and the elevator so that an individual card is moved into an identified compartment. The number of compartments receiving cards and the number of cards moved to each compartment may be selected. An apparatus for feeding cards, comprising a surface for supporting a stack of cards, a feed roller with a frictional outer surface, a drive mechanism for causing rotation of the feed roller, a pair of speed-up rollers to advance the cards out of the feed roller, and a clutch mechanism for disengaging the feed roller from the drive mechanism as the card comes into contact with the speed up rollers.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An apparatus for handling cards comprising:
a card loading area for receiving a group of cards to be arranged into randomized hands;
a shuffling chamber having a plurality of card-receiving compartments, wherein each compartment is able to receive more than one card within an opening of the card-receiving compartment, a card moving system comprising two sequential single card moving components positioned for moving at least one card at a time from the card loading area into a card-receiving compartment, the two sequential card single card moving components comprising a first single card moving component that moves at least a single card from the card loading area towards a second card moving component and the second card moving component receiving the individual card from the first card moving component, and a microprocessor for controlling card movement;
wherein the first single card moving component reduces moving forces against the single card when the second card moving component applies moving forces against the single card.- View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- 2. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the card moving mechanism moves only one card at a time into a card-receiving compartment.
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20. A method for delivering hands of randomly mixed cards comprising:
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providing at least one deck of playing cards;
forming individual hands of randomly mixed playing cards within an apparatus;
delivering individual hands from the apparatus, one-at-a-time, with all cards in the hand delivered at the same time. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A mechanism for feeding cards individually into a card shuffling or hand forming apparatus, comprising:
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a surface for supporting a stack of cards;
a feed roller with a frictional outer surface, mounted to a rotational shaft and positioned to feed cards individually from the stack into a pair of speed up rollers;
a drive mechanism that rotates the feed roller;
a clutch mounted to the shaft for disengaging the feed roller from the drive mechanism as an individual card contacts a pair of speed up rollers; and
a pair of speed up rollers for advancing cards into the card shuffling or hand arranging apparatus as the cards are fed, wherein the feed roller is disengageable from the drive mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of feeding cards into a card shuffling and/or card sorting apparatus comprising:
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providing a feed roller mounted for rotation about a shaft, a drive mechanism for rotating the shaft and clutch capable of disengaging the roller from the drive mechanism when a speed of the card accelerates and exceeds a speed of movement caused by the feed roller; and
a pair of speed-up rollers;
feeding a card from a stack with the feed roller until a leading edge of the card contacts the speed-up rollers; and
when the speed of the card accelerates and exceeds the speed at which the card is fed by the feed roller, the clutch disengages from the drive roller. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification