Chip-dispensing device

• US 3,998,238 A
• Filed: 08/11/1975
• Issued: 12/21/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rodney L. Griffin
• Original Assignee: Rodney L. Griffin
• Inventors: Nigro, George A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/603,277
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 133/5 R, 133/5 A, 133/6, 221/297, 221/279, 221/310, 206/.8, 206/.82, 206/.83, 206/.84, 206/445
• US Class Current: 221/279
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 1/08 hand actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/002 Coin holding devices

Abstract

A portable storing and dispensing device for chips, coins, or other disk-like members and embodying an elongated rigid chip-containing magazine which is adapted to store active and reserve chips in stacked relationship and has an open lower end through which the chips are successively dispensed. A flexible expansible gate mechanism restrains the active chips within the magazine and a plunger which is completely encased within the magazine is effective upon depression thereof to effect unit-chip displacement past said gate mechanism at a selected location on a playing board or the like. In a modified form of the device, the magazine contains only active chips and the plunger is telescopically received within the magazine so that its upper portion projects above the upper rim of the magazine for direct manipulation by the user of the device.

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PERTINENT PRIOR ART (United States Patents) Hunter 2,431,121 November 18, 1947 133-5 OTHER ART OF INTEREST (United States Patents) McDonald et al 2,520,321 August 29, 1950 133-5 Miotke 3,186,593 June 1, 1965 221-297 Andamasaris 3,586,210 June 22, 1972 221-290 Rocheleau 3,765,429 October 16, 1973 133-5A ______________________________________

Claims

1. As a new article of manufacture, a device for dispensing chips or the like one at a time and comprising an elongated, cylindrical, normally upstanding, one-piece, tubular casing formed of rigid material and having an upper open circular rim for insertion and reception of chips and a lower circular rim defining a dispensing opening, said casing being adapted to be positioned vertically on a game board or the like with its lower circular rim in direct engagement with the upper surface of said game board, defining a chip-receiving magazine for maintaining received chips in the form of a stack, and being provided in the lower region thereof with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, vertically extending and elongated notches the lower ends of which open onto and interrupt the continuity of said lower rim of the casing, a plurality of separate, flat, vertically elongated, spring fingers corresponding in number to and partially overlying the notches, having their upper end regions only fixedly secured to the outer surface of the casing at locations directly above said notches such that the remaining portions thereof are free to flex outwards and inwards in an arc, and having the lower end regions thereof bent inwards only so that they project inwardly and downwardly at an angle of approximately 45°

, extend through the lower portions of the notches and into the space within the lower circular rim of the casing, and serve to retain the stack of chips in supported relationship and also to engage with a camming action the lowermost chip in the stack, the upper end regions of the spring fingers being positioned at all times directly outwards of the outer periphery of the casing, the lower end edges of the inwardly bent lower end regions of said spring fingers being straight, having the length thereof the same as the width of the spring fingers, and terminating above said lower circular rim of the casing a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a chip, a plunger normally positioned within and slidable vertically in the casing, said plunger being removable through the upper circular rim of the casing in order to permit a stack of chips to be inserted into the magazine, said plunger when normally positioned in the casing having its lower end in engagement with the uppermost chip in the stack, and when forced downwards applying downward pressure to the stack in order to force the lowermost chip into camming engagement with the inwardly bent lower end regions of the spring fingers and thus causing the central and lower end regions of said fingers to flex outwards and allow passage of said lowermost chip only downwardly and onto said game board, and means connected to the plunger and disposed for the most part exteriorly of the casing for use in manually forcing the plunger downwards for chip-dispensing purposes.

2. A chip-dispensing device as set forth in claim 1 and wherein the casing is provided with an elongated vertical slot in the wall thereof above the level of the upper ends of the notches, the slot opening upwardly onto the open rim of the casing, the plunger being wholly disposed within the casing and having on its upper end a vertical post, and the means for use in manually forcing the plunger downwards for chip-dispensing purposes comprising a horizontal manipulating lever which has a portion encircling the post and a radial portion which projects radially outwardly of the plunger and through the vertical slot.

3. A chip-dispensing device as set forth in claim 11 and wherein a removable closure cap is disposed on the upper end of said casing and, in combination with the plunger, establishes an upper magazine section for the storage of reserve chips above the plunger.