Pre-shuffler for a playing card shuffling machine
First Claim
1. A method for shuffling playing cards comprising:
- providing a preshuffler;
providing a main shuffler;
providing a program stored in memory of a processor;
loading a plural groups of cards into the preshuffler;
according to the program, delivering one group of cards at a time that are to be shuffled out of the plural groups of cards that are to be shuffled to an input portion of the main shuffler;
according to the program and after the group of cards that are to be shuffled is delivered to the input portion of the main shuffler, forwarding cards in the input portion to a randomizing portion of the main shuffler; and
removing cards forwarded to the randomizing portion of the main shuffler in a substantially random order and placing randomized cards into an output portion of the main shuffler.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention comprises a pre-shuffler that receives a quantity of cards to be shuffled, such as nine decks of cards. One embodiment of the pre-shuffler includes a horizontal moveable box having, for example, nine compartments with vertical walls for separating the cards to be shuffled into groups. Cards are placed into all or some of the compartments in the box, and a shuffling sequence is then commenced. A motor moves the box containing the cards so that the cards in the first compartment are deposited into an input tray of the main card shuffler. The main shuffler then forwards the cards in the input tray one by one, via rollers, to selected card receptacles in the main shuffler. The process is then continued for each group of cards in the pre-shuffler until all cards are in the main shuffler. The main shuffler then shuffles the cards in a normal fashion. The cards output from the main shuffler are in a more random order than had the cards not been pre-shuffled by the pre-shuffler.
122 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for shuffling playing cards comprising:
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providing a preshuffler; providing a main shuffler; providing a program stored in memory of a processor; loading a plural groups of cards into the preshuffler; according to the program, delivering one group of cards at a time that are to be shuffled out of the plural groups of cards that are to be shuffled to an input portion of the main shuffler; according to the program and after the group of cards that are to be shuffled is delivered to the input portion of the main shuffler, forwarding cards in the input portion to a randomizing portion of the main shuffler; and removing cards forwarded to the randomizing portion of the main shuffler in a substantially random order and placing randomized cards into an output portion of the main shuffler. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of preshuffling playing cards prior to shuffling comprising:
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providing a card shuffling device; providing a preshuffler; retaining multiple groups in a storage component of the preshuffler, the preshuffler providing separate ones of the multiple groups of playing cards to be shuffled upon separate insertion of ones of the groups of cards into an infeed tray of the card shuffling device; providing the card shuffling device with an infeed tray; selecting a group of retained cards in the storage component to deliver to the infeed tray; automatically delivering the selected group as a set to the infeed tray of a card shuffling device, and shuffling the cards delivered to the infeed tray of the card shuffling device; wherein the selection and automatic delivery of cards is under the programmed control of a processor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification