Ticket dispensing modules and method

• US 6,886,728 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Corporation (GTECH SpA)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian J., Petch, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dexter, Clark F.
• Application Number:
  US09/570,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20020166882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 225/2, 225/4, 225/5, 225/103, 225/104, 225/105, 225/32, 225/100, 225/93, 225/94, 225/95, 225/96, 225/96.5, 225/97, 832/72, 833/03, 833/31, 833/40, 833/41, 833/42, 836/36, 836/50, 839/48, 463/17
• US Class Current: 225/103
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/065 Tickets or accessories for use therewith A63F3/0625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 3/002 Precutting and tensioning or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/10 from or with devices for breaking partially-cut or perforated webs, e.g. bursters
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 290/06 Polymers provided for in subclass C08G
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 163/10 Epoxy resins modified by unsaturated compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 4/06 Organic non-macromolecular compounds having at least one polymerisable carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bond in combination with a macromolecular compound other than an unsaturated polymer of groups C09D159/00 - C09D187/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/031 Organic compounds not covered by group G03F7/029
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/35 Work-parting pullers [bursters]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/371 Movable breaking tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/386 Clamping supports

Abstract

The dispenser dispenses tickets such as instant-winner lottery tickets from a strip in which the individual tickets are delineated by perforation lines. The dispenser includes a separator to tear the tickets apart before issuing them from the machine. The mechanism is simplified by using a separator member and transport drive structures which span a plurality of different channels or bins of a multi-channel dispenser. This provides a very compact, simple, secure and low-cost mechanism which is used both in stand-alone ticket vending machines, and in counter-top attended dispensers.

Claims

1. A ticket dispenser for dispensing tickets from strips in which said tickets are delineated from one another by lines of weakness, said dispenser comprising:

a housing having a bottom, a first and a second side wall spaced from one another and a cover extending between the side walls,

a plurality of ticket storage areas in said housing,

a plurality of ticket transport devices,

a separator device adjacent said transport devices and receiving a strip of said tickets transported from one of said ticket storage areas to said separator device by one of said transport devices;

said separator device including a dull elongated member spanning the paths taken by each of said strips received by said separator device, the dull elongated member for separating the tickets along one of the lines of weakness; and

a drive device operatively coupled to said elongated member for actuating said elongated member to separate one ticket from another in at least one of said strips.

2. A dispenser as in claim 1 in which said cover comprises a top wall generally parallel to said bottom and a rear wall generally perpendicular to said bottom, wherein said cover is transparent and said top wall is positioned to overlie said ticket storage areas when said dispenser is positioned with said bottom resting on a horizontal surface so that said ticket strips are visible through said rear wall.

3. A dispenser as in claim 2 including a guide means in said housing for guiding said strips of tickets past said rear wall when said strips move during dispensing.

4. A dispenser as in claim 1 in which said housing is rectangular in cross-section, and said cover comprises a top wall generally parallel to said bottom and a rear wall generally perpendicular to said bottom, wherein the spacing between said top wall and said bottom is much smaller than the spacing between said side walls, and in which said ticket storage areas are elongated, side-by-side rectangular spaces for receiving one of the said ticket strips folded over upon itself.

5. A dispenser as in claim 1 in which said cover comprises a top wall generally parallel to said bottom and a rear wall generally perpendicular to said bottom, wherein at least said rear wall is transparent, said rear wall spanning said ticket storage areas so as to make said ticket strips in said ticket storage areas visible through said rear wall.

6. A dispenser as in claim 5, said housing further comprising a plurality of outlet openings, one for each of the ticket storage areas in said housing, and said outlet openings being opposite said rear wall.

7. A dispenser as in claim 6 in which said ticket transport devices and said separator device are located adjacent said outlet openings for moving tickets separated from said strips out of said housing through said outlet openings in a direction generally parallel to said top wall.

8. A dispenser as in claim 1 in which said cover is connected to said bottom by at least one hinge so that said cover can be moved to permit access into the interior of said housing.

9. A ticket dispenser for dispensing tickets from strips in which said tickets are delineated from one another by lines of weakness, said dispenser comprising:

a housing having a bottom, a first and a second side wall spaced from one another and a cover extending between the side walls,

a plurality of ticket storage areas in said housing,

a plurality of ticket transport devices,

a separator device receiving a strip of said tickets transported from one of said ticket storage areas to said separator device by one of said transport devices;

said separator device including a dull elongated member spanning the paths taken by each of said strips received by said separator device, the dull elongated member for separating the tickets along one of the lines of weakness; and

a drive device operatively coupled to said elongated member for actuating said elongated member to separate one ticket from another in at least one of said strips.