Abstract:
A ticket counter and cutter includes cutting blades, being complementary and in mesh engagement, during operation; at least one bar code reader; and a belt assembly, for receiving a bar coded ticket and advancing the ticket to the bar code reader and then to the cutter.

Description:
[0001]     The applicants claim the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 60/520,317, filed Nov. 17, 2003, which is relied upon and expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     This invention relates to a device for counting and shredding tickets. A popular class of amusement games found in family amusement centers and other arcade establishments are redemption games that provide tickets to players that may be redeemed for merchandise. Most redemption games require the exercise of skill. If a player skillfully plays a game, he or she is rewarded with a number of tickets that will reflect or correspond to the score achieved. In some circumstances additional tickets are provided as a bonus to the player. The player then proceeds to a redemption area and can redeem his or her tickets for merchandise of corresponding value. In most circumstances the tickets that are provided to the player are made of paper or light grade cardboard. The tickets may be made of other materials such as synthetic resin or cellulose.  
         [0003]     In most circumstances the redemption transaction requires an employee of the arcade establishment to manually receive and count the tickets. Further, upon the redemption of the tickets, it is desirable to destroy the tickets so that they cannot later be redeemed. In most circumstances the cash value of a ticket is about one cent. Because the cash value of the tickets is usually very small, the process of counting and destroying the tickets, both time consuming and labor intensive, is disproportionate to the value. In view of the labor involved in the redemption transaction, it is desirable to have systems in place to automate the redemption transaction. There are existing automated ticket counting machines that are commercially available. However, there is room for improvement to the existing technologies.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention is directed to an improved ticket counter and ticket cutting device. The device has a self sharpening roller cutter and the motor that engages and drives the tickets through the cutting surfaces is a stepper motor. As tickets pass through the passage to the cutter they are scanned by a barcode readers that scans both sides of the tickets. The device further includes an optical sensor. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the cutting elements of the invention.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a second perspective view of the cutting elements of the invention viewed from the rear.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of one of the cutting elements that shows the torsion spring that provides a bias on the other cutting element.  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the cutting elements in combination with the ticket reader and driving elements.  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the cutting elements in combination with the ticket reader and driving elements of the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6 . is a top perspective view of the device with the top portion of the ticket reader assembly removed.  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is a side perspective view depicting the hardware that attaches the top assembly to the bottom assembly.  
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective top view of the top assembly.  
         [0014]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the drive belt assembly that is positioned in the bottom part of the device.  
         [0015]      FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view of the drive belt assembly. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     A ticket counter and cutter device, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, may be viewed as comprising a housing and at least three other components, including: (1) Cutter Assembly, (2) Transport Belt Assembly, (3) Top Assembly.  
         [0017]     The ticket counter and cutter assembly can be easily and quickly disassembled without dismounting to expose a jammed ticket or foreign debris which may be causing a problem in the unit. These embodiments of the invention will be illustrated with the following description of the drawings.  FIGS. 1-6  relate to the cutter assembly;  FIGS. 7-8  relate to the Top Assembly; and  FIGS. 9-10  relate to the transport belt assembly.  
         [0000]     Self Sharpening Roller Cutter  
         [0018]     As can be seen from the appended drawings, a cutter of the invention comprises at least two cutting rollers that work together to cut the tickets as a scissor. The words, cutter, cutter roller, and cutting blades are used interchangeably herein. Each cutter roller is fluted (one left hand and one right hand). The cutting face of the cutters is normal to the concentric axis of the cutter. Since the cutters are always touching face to face and a spring is maintaining face pressure, wear does not affect cutting performance. The cutters are self-sharpening.  
         [0019]     The driving cutter has a gear fixed (pressed on) to it. The driven cutter is provided with a gear slip fit onto one end shaft so that it can rotate freely. The gear is provided with a torsion spring, which attaches to that gear to actuate the driven cutter A timing belt pulley is attached to one end of the driving cutter, which is driven by a stepper motor. As the driving cutter turns, it drives the driven cutter by pushing its cutting face against the cutting face of the driven cutter. The driven gear maintains constant cutter face pressure against the driving gear determined by the torsion spring and torsion spring adjustment. One end of the torsion spring is attached to the gear on the driven cutter while the other end is attached to the driven cutter. Torsional tension can be adjusted by rotating the gear before engaging with the gear on the driving cutter.  
         [0020]     Now referring to  FIG. 1 , opposite complementary cutting blades  101  and  103  are shown. One of the cutting blades  101  and  103  is the driving cutter, while the other is the driven cutter; here cutting blade  103  is designated as the driving cutter  103   a , and thus cutting blade  101  is the driven cutter. Each cutter comprises a cutting roller that is fluted; however, one of the cutting blades comprises a left hand and one comprises a right hand flute. In  FIG. 1 , elements  105  and  107  are torsion spring ends. Element  109  is a pin attached to the driven cutter  101 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 2 , a second perspective view of the cutting elements of the invention from the rear, shows elements  101  and  103  and gear  109 , which is the driving cutter gear  111 ; the driving cutter gear  111  is driven by a stepper motor (not depicted.) Driving cutter gear  111  engages with the driven cutter gear  113  [by mesh design].  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a depiction of the cutter assembly with the driven cutter removed. It shows the torsion spring  115  and torsion ends  105  and  107 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  depicts a ticket reader and cutter assembly [top angle view], in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, in which element  117  is a ticket, and element  119  is a gas (air) jet.  FIG. 5  presents a bottom perspective view (of the apparatus of  FIG. 4 ) and of the cutting elements in combination with the ticket reader and driving elements. Element  121  is a front capture bar for holding the belt transport assembly; it is shown in a released position. Element  123  is an idler gear. The transport belt assembly drive gear  125  is a gear driven by the cutter gear through the idler gear. Element  127  is the ticket sensing opto receiver. Numeral  129  refers to capture bar springs. The transport belt assembly is designated by  131 . The barcode reading PCB is element  133 ; and the rear capture bar is  134 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  reveals an embodiment including ticket transport belts  143 , ticket guide rails  141 , and lower roller gear  139  [hidden] drives an upper roller which is located on top assembly; timing belt  135  (which drives lower roller), and lower roller  137 . Tickets are pinched between upper and lower rollers when inserted, then advance over ticket transport belts  143  and between ticket guide rails  141  before entering the cutter assembly.  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a side perspective view depicting the hardware that attaches the top assembly to the bottom assembly includes the slots  145 , and  145   a , captive thumb screws  147  and  147   a . In this view the cutter assembly is rotated back so that the top assembly can be slid back and lifted out.  
         [0000]     Barcode Using Stepper (or Servo) Motor  
         [0026]     A barcode reading circuit board is located on the top side and on the bottom side of an assembly so that tickets with barcode on only one side can be read without requiring the user to insert the tickets with a certain side up. The sensor is a standard circuit that uses a reflective opto sensor to read the lines of a barcode. Traditionally, barcodes are decoded by measuring the width of the pulses in time. This can be difficult in some applications, as it requires that the speed is somewhat constant during a read and often requires a minimum scan speed. The mechanism is driven by a stepper (or servo) motor. In accordance with the invention, the width of a barcode line can be measured independently of speed using steps of the motor. This allows for a very accurate measurement at any speed and allows the operator to vary the speed dramatically in the middle of a barcode scan without any sacrifice in accuracy. Using the stepper (or servo) motor also allows us to know the exact position of the ticket at all times.  
         [0000]     Self-Cleaning Air Bursts  
         [0027]     Paper dust present in a paper cutting environment contaminates the optics which can degrade performance or shut down operation of a ticket counter and cutter. Existing ticket cutters require manual cleaning of optics in order to maintain counting and barcode reading. The cutter of the invention uses air bursts at predetermined times to clean the optics automatically. There are air jets positioned at every opto sensor used on this unit. After reading a predetermined number of tickets, an air burst can be released to clean the optics of the dust build up. A small air pump can be used to fill a small tank with compressed air. Using an electric air valve, a quick air burst is released to the jets directed at the opto sensors.  
         [0028]      FIG. 8  is a perspective top view of the top assembly, showing the barcode reading PCB (upper)  149 , the air jet  151 , the upper roller  153  and the ticket sensing OPTO transmitter PCB  155 , and upper roller gear  157 , which is driven by the lower roller gear.  
         [0029]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the drive belt assembly which includes barcode reading PCB (lower)  159 ; transport belt assembly drive gear and slots  161 ,  161   a  into which the capture bar fits and holds this assembly in place.  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view of the drive belt assembly, which is provided with slots  161 ,  161   a ,  161   b ,  161   c ; and in this view includes the bar code reading PCB (lower); the entire transport belt assembly is mounted with four slots.  
         [0000]     Easy Disassembly  
         [0031]     As can be seen from  FIG. 7 , the top assembly can be removed, exposing the entire path of the ticket. This is done by: 
        1. Loosening two captive thumb screws and rotating the cutter assembly back     2. Pulling the top assembly toward the cutter assembly     3. Lifting the top assembly off 
 
 The drive gear for the top rollers disengages upon disassembly and re-engages upon reassembly without notice to the operator. The cutter gear remains engaged as the pivot point is concentric with the gear. 
       
 
         [0035]     The transport belt assembly can be removed by: 
        1. Pushing the front capture bar forward against the spring force.     2. Rotating the transport belt assembly on the rear capture bar down and out. 
 
 The drive gear for the belt assembly disengages upon disassembly and re-engages upon re-assembly without notice to the operator. 
       
 
         [0038]     In summary, features and advantages of the ticket counter and cutter of the invention include: 
        1. Self sharpening roller cutter(s)     2. Stepper (or servo) motor driven     3. Barcode reading both sides of ticket using stepper motor steps to measure each bar width instead of the traditional time method     4. Self cleaning opto sensors-uses air burst after predetermined number of ticket counts to clean each opto from dust resulting from paper cutting     5. Easy disassembly in case of ticket jam        
 
         [0044]     The invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, for the purposes of clarity. Applicants intend the terms of the embodiments to embrace all equivalents and obvious modifications thereof and to be limited only by a broad interpretation of the appended claims.