Pre-shuffler for a playing card shuffling machine
First Claim
1. A device for shuffling cards comprising:
- a pre-shuffler; and
a main shuffler, the pre-shuffler comprising;
a plurality of compartments for holding groups of playing cards to be shuffled; and
an output portion of the pre-shuffler, the output portion delivering one group of cards at a time to an input portion of the main shuffler, the pre-shuffler delivering groups of cards to on input portion of the main shuffler in a different order than an order inputted into the pre-shuffler, each group of cards being input separately as an entire group, so the main shuffler rearranges the order of cards input into the main shuffler and outputting cards in a substantially random order.
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0 Petitions
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.
117 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A device for shuffling cards comprising:
- a pre-shuffler; and
a main shuffler, the pre-shuffler comprising;
a plurality of compartments for holding groups of playing cards to be shuffled; and
an output portion of the pre-shuffler, the output portion delivering one group of cards at a time to an input portion of the main shuffler, the pre-shuffler delivering groups of cards to on input portion of the main shuffler in a different order than an order inputted into the pre-shuffler, each group of cards being input separately as an entire group, so the main shuffler rearranges the order of cards input into the main shuffler and outputting cards in a substantially random order. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- a pre-shuffler; and
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16. A device for shuffling cards comprising:
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a pre-shuffler and a main shuffler, the pre-shuffler comprising; a plurality of compartments for holding groups of playing cards to be shuffled; an output portion of the pre-shuffler, the output portion delivering one group of multiple playing cards at a single time, without shuffling cards in the one group, to an input portion of the main shuffler, the main shuffler being capable of rearranging the order of the groups of multiple cards input into the main shuffler and for outputting cards in a substantially random order. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A device for shuffling cards comprising:
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a platform of compartments; and a main shuffler, the platform of compartments comprising;
a plurality of compartments for holding groups of playing cards in each compartment of the platform to be shuffled; and
an output portion of the platform of compartments, the output portion delivering one group of cards at a time to an input portion of the main shuffler, the main shuffler for rearranging the order of cards input into the main shuffler from the platform of compartments and for outputting cards in a substantially random order, and the output portion selecting single groups of cards within a single compartment to be randomly delivered to the input portion of the main shuffler. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification