Card shuffling device and method

• US 5,692,748 A
• Filed: 09/26/1996
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gaming Partners International USA Inc (Angel Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Paulson Gaming Supplies Incorporated
• Inventors: Sullivant, Ferrell, Frisco, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US08/721,795
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 273/149 R
• US Class Current: 273/149.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 1/12 Card shufflers

Abstract

A device and method are set forth for shuffling a stack of N cards. The stack is positioned at a cutting station where the card stack is cut into unequal portions (N/2)-A and (N/2)+A. The cards from each portion are then deposited in an interleaving fashion. The additional quantity of cards A of one of the portions is transported from proximate the center of the stack N to the top of the shuffled stack. Further cutting and interleaving randomly distributes the cards in the stack.

Claims

1. A device for shuffling a stack of playing cards comprising:

a platform to support a stack of playing cards;

a cutting station;

translatable means at the cutting station for cutting and separating the stack into two unequal portions; and

means for interleaving the cards from the separated portions into a shuffled stack.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the platform is an elevator disposed in a vertical shaft.

3. The device of claim 2 including chambers to either side of the shaft to receive said portions.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said interleaving means includes means for depositing cards from each portion into the shaft.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the interleaving means is adapted for substantially depositing cards in alternating fashion from each said stack portions into the shaft.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the interleaving means is a moveable tractive element disposed to contact the bottom card of each stack portion to move it from the stack portion.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the tractive element is a rotatable wheel.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the tractive element includes a pair of rotatable wheels.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the wheel, relative to its axis, has an eccentric perimeter.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the eccentric perimeter is adapted to engage a card during approximately one-half of the wheel'"'"'s rotation.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the cutting means is a sweep movable to cut and separate a stack into two unequal portions.

12. A device for shuffling cards comprising:

a vertical elevator shaft;

an elevator to support a stack of cards;

first and second chambers disposed to either side of the shaft;

means for moving the elevator to position the stack proximate said chambers;

a sweep translatable between a first and a second position to separate the stack into said chambers in unequal portions; and

means for interleaving cards from each portion into the shaft.

13. The device of claim 12 including a control means for stopping the elevator at a first position and for controlling the sweep to move a stack portion to the first chamber and for moving the elevator to a second position and controlling the sweep to move remaining cards to the second chamber.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the first and second chambers are proximate a top of the shaft and to either side thereof.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein each chamber includes a bottom adapted to support the stack portion deposited thereon.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein each chamber bottom declines from said shaft.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the interleaving means includes means for pulling cards from the bottom of each stack portion and ejecting them into the shaft.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the pulling means includes a moveable traction element.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the traction element is a wheel.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the wheel has a circumference with a coefficient of friction adapted to pull the cards.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the wheel is disposed for eccentric rotation about an axis.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the eccentricity of the wheel is adapted to contact the card for approximately one-half of the wheel'"'"'s rotation.

23. The device of claim 12 further including means for imposing a load on each stack portion.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the load imposing means for each portion includes an arm and means for pivotally mounting the arm, said arm pivoting to maintain contact with the top of the portion.

25. A device for shuffling cards comprising:

a shaft;

an elevator disposed in the shaft;

means for moving the elevator from a lowered position to a first and a second raised position;

first and second chambers disposed proximate the upper terminus of and to either side of the shaft;

translatable means for cutting the stack into unequal first and second portions and for depositing said first portion in said first chamber and the second portion in the second chamber; and

means for depositing cards from said portions in interleaving fashion into said shaft.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the depositing means deposits cards from said portions in interleaving fashion into said shaft onto the elevator.

27. The device of claim 25 including a controller to elevate and lower the elevator.

28. A method for shuffling a stack of cards comprising:

(i) providing a device having a housing including an elevator moveable in a shaft from an initial position to first and second positions and a chamber at either side of the shaft;

(ii) with the elevator at the initial position, placing the stack on the elevator;

(iii) moving the elevator from the initial position to the first position;

(iv) at the first elevator position urging a first portion of the card stack to one side into one chamber;

(v) moving the elevator to the second position;

(vi) at the second elevator position urging a second, remaining portion of the card stack to another side into the other chamber, said first and second portions containing a different number of cards; and

(vii) interleaving the cards of the first and second portions in substantially alternating fashion into a shuffled stack.

29. The method of claim 28 including urging less than one half of the cards of the stack to one chamber and the remainder to the other chamber, the additional cards on the other chamber deposited as a group onto the shuffled stack.

30. The method of claim 28 including lowering the elevator and interleaving the cards into said shuffled stack onto to elevator.

31. The method of claim 28 including repeating the steps of (iii) through (vii) a plurality of times.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the urging steps include translating a sweep from one side of the stack to push the first portion to said one side into one chamber and translating the sweep toward the other side to urge the remainder of the stack to the other side into the other chamber.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the interleaving step includes driving a traction element at the bottom of each stack portion to pull the bottom card and transport it for interleaving.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the driving step includes rotating a wheel.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the rotating step includes rotating an eccentric wheel.