Lottery ticket reviewing device

A device in the configuration and appearance of a slot machine enables a lottery player to compare the combination of numbers he has selected and entered in the lottery with the winning series of numbers from a lottery drawing. A window in the front of the fanciful slot machine device displays numbers on dial wheels which are set by the user in accordance with the winning numbers drawn in the lottery. Below the winning lottery number window is a window or series of windows disposed in a horizontal line, for displaying the user's selected combination of numbers from a lottery ticket fed through an infeed slot and into position by means of an advancing wheel or knob manually rotated by the user. All number combinations selected by the user can be compared directly with the winning numbers by advancing the ticket, number series by number series, to make comparisons sequentially to the winning number combination.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to equipment for assisting a lottery player in 
playing a lottery game. 
Many states have lotteries wherein those playing the lottery game select 
arbitrarily a series of numbers, which if successfully selected, will 
match a series of numbers drawn in the lottery game. The lottery player is 
issued a ticket or receipt at the time of his number selection and 
payment, on which the selected numbers are printed. Often a player will 
make a number of entries of number selections, such as four or five at the 
same time, and the four or five number combinations will be printed on the 
same customer ticket in a series of horizontal rows, one above the other. 
A number of state lotteries have a similar format for the random number 
lottery game. In many lotteries, six numbers are randomly selected, and on 
the customer's ticket, each of the customer's entered series of numbers 
are printed on the ticket in a particular order, such as low-to-high 
order. 
When the lottery drawing occurs for the lottery game entered by the 
customer, the winning numbers are published in a similar order to that 
used on the customer ticket receipts, e.g. low-to-high. The customer then 
compares each of his entries of series of selected numbers with the 
published winning series of numbers, to determine if the customer has 
picked the winning combination. 
It is an object of the present invention to assist the lottery customer in 
the comparison of each of his entered series of numbers with the winning 
combination, so that the customer can quickly and easily make a number of 
comparisons, including whether he has correctly picked six out of six 
numbers, five out of six numbers, four out of six numbers, etc. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention accomplishes these objectives with a lottery number 
comparison device in the fanciful shape and appearance of a miniature slot 
machine. 
The slot machine-appearing device has no slot machine function, and does 
not receive a coin, but preferably has the configuration and markings of a 
slot machine and a dummy slot machine handle on one side. A series of 
number wheels, manually manipulatable from the back of the device's 
housing, each bear all numbers available for selection in the lottery 
game. When winning lottery numbers are published or announced, the 
user/lottery customer can rotate the number wheels or dials to show the 
series of winning numbers through a window at the front of the housing. 
The user then inserts his printed lottery ticket in the front of the 
housing through a ticket receiving slot, and each series of numbers 
constituting an entry can be viewed in succession through a window or 
windows adjacent to the winning number window. The numbers are advanced to 
the viewing windows by manual rotation of a knob or feed wheel on the side 
of the housing, and this advancing wheel can be configurationally 
integrated with the dummy slot machine handle. 
The user advances his lottery ticket through the device to the point that 
the first lottery entry constituting a series of, for example, six numbers 
in a horizontal array are exposed through the windows. Each number is 
directly below and juxtaposed with one of the numbers of the winning 
lottery number series, each series of numbers being arranged in a 
prescribed order, e.g. low-to-high. This gives the user an instant 
comparison of his series of numbers with the winning series of numbers, 
and he can immediately identify whether one, two, three, four, five or six 
of the numbers match with the winning numbers. 
Once the comparison is made with one lottery entry, the user advances his 
ticket to the position where the next entry constituting the next series 
of horizontally arrayed numbers are aligned in the windows and juxtaposed 
with the winning series of numbers. The comparison is made, and this 
process is repeated for all entries printed on the customer's ticket. 
In a preferred embodiment, the ticket insert slot is near the bottom of the 
fanciful slot machine housing, with the housing being only slightly wider 
than the width of a lottery ticket. The ticket number viewing window(s) is 
above the insert slot, and the ticket is advanced by means of a soft, 
high-friction roller attached to the manual advancing wheel on the side of 
the housing. As the ticket advances, its leading end is fed out an exit 
slot in the back of the housing. The manually manipulatable number wheels 
or dials preferably comprise number wheels lying generally in parallel 
vertical planes and rotatable on a common horizontal axis, with edges of 
the wheels extending through the back side of the housing for rotation by 
the user. 
Also in a preferred embodiment, there may be included a bonus wheel at the 
top of the housing, also visible through a viewing window. This number 
wheel may be in a generally vertical plane perpendicular to those of the 
series of parallel winning wheels, and on an axis which is generally 
horizontal and oriented front-to-back in the housing. The exposed portion 
of the number wheel for manipulation by the user may be at the top of the 
housing, but surrounded by housing structure simulating a coin slot at the 
top of the device. 
The device of the invention makes lottery number comparisons simple and 
efficient, while also having a novelty slot machine appearance in keeping 
with the gaming nature of the lottery, making winning ticket determination 
more enjoyable and fun for the lottery player. Other objects, advantages 
and features of the invention will be apparent from the following 
description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the 
accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a lottery ticket comparison device 10, in the 
fanciful configuration and appearance of a small slot machine. The device 
10 has a housing 12 which is slightly wider than the width of a lottery 
ticket 14 which it receives, as shown in FIG. 2. 
The lottery ticket comparison device 10 includes a slot machine type arm 16 
connected to the housing, which may be used to advance the lottery ticket 
14 through the device, but which preferably is a dummy arm. The dummy arm 
is fixed on the side of the housing 12 to add to the slot machine 
appearance, with the ticket advancing instead accomplished by a manual 
advancing wheel or knob 18 located at the apparent pivot point of the slot 
machine lever arm 16. 
Also included on the device's housing 12 is a window 20 or series of 
windows through which are visible small portions of a series of number 
wheels or dials 22. Each wheel or dial exposes a number through the window 
20, as individually selected and manually input by the user by 
manipulation at the back of the device. FIG. 4 shows the number wheels 22 
(which may be six, if the lottery game for which the device is used 
involves the selection of six numbers), exposed and partially extending 
out the rear of the housing for manipulation by the user. Ordinarily a 
larger number of numbers will be present on each wheel than what is 
indicated in the drawings. Fewer are shown for simplicity. 
The housing 12 also has an additional window 24 or series of windows 24 
positioned below or otherwise in adjacent juxtaposed relation to each of 
the numbers displayed on the series of number wheels 22. Through the 
window 24, as shown in the drawings, are displayed the series of numbers 
selected by the lottery player/user in entering the lottery game. The 
customer-selected numbers are lined up with and are directly comparable 
against the numbers on the set wheels 22, which are set by the customer in 
accordance with the published winning series of numbers from the lottery 
drawing in question. 
As further explained below, the customer-selected lottery entry numbers are 
advanced into registry with the window 24 when the number comparison is to 
be made. Many lottery customers will make a number of entries at one time, 
for example four or five or six entries, and these are normally printed as 
a series of horizontal entries progressing down the length of the 
receipt/lottery ticket 14. Thus, the ticket 14 might bear a 
matrix-appearing set of numbers printed fairly closely together, with 
horizontal rows of numbers, the number of numbers in each row 
corresponding to the number of numbers to be drawn in the lottery game. 
The number of rows corresponds to the number of entries made by the 
customer on this ticket or receipt 14. Without the comparison device of 
the invention, it can be difficult to make the needed comparison from such 
a density of numbers. 
An optional feature which may be included on the lottery ticket comparison 
device 14 is a bonus number wheel 30. This may be rotatably mounted at the 
top of the housing 12 as shown, for setting of a number by the customer, 
visible through a bonus number display window 32. The number set here 
corresponds to a bonus number selected and published for the particular 
lottery game. In some lotteries such a bonus number, if it corresponds to 
one of the customer's entered numbers, can lead to a prize. 
As illustrated in the drawings, the top portion of the bonus number wheel 
30 (for manipulation by the user) may be surrounded by a housing portion 
34 appearing as a coin slot, so that the top of the number wheel 30 may 
appear as a coin in the coin slot. 
The sectional view of FIG. 3 shows the customer's lottery ticket or receipt 
14 being advanced through the device. The ticket is inserted into the 
device through an infeed slot 36 at the front of the housing 12, 
preferably near the bottom of the housing as shown, and is then advanced 
into and through the device using the ticket advancing wheel or knob 18 at 
the side of the housing. This is accomplished by a feed roller 38, 
preferably in direct drive relation with the manual advancing knob 18. The 
roller 38 may comprise, for example, a high-friction cylindrical foam 
roller, so that the ticket can be advanced through the device (with little 
resistance encountered inside the device) without the need for a 
complementary pinch roller coacting with the roller 38. 
A guide plate 39 preferably extends from a back panel 41 of the housing to 
a position close to the roller 38, to assure the proper path of travel for 
the lottery ticket 14, even if it has a tendency to curl. 
As FIG. 3 shows, the lottery ticket 14 is advanced and guided through the 
housing such that it passes directly adjacent to the window 24 for 
displaying the customer-selected lottery entry numbers. 
A first series or entry of customer-selected numbers is displayed through 
the window 24 and directly compared with the published winning series of 
numbers exposed on the number wheels 22 directly above (or otherwise 
adjacent to) the customer's entered numbers. It can quickly and easily be 
determined by the user whether one, two, three or more of his selected 
numbers correspond to the published winning numbers. The ticket advancing 
knob 18 is then be rotated to expose the next series or entry of numbers 
on the customer's ticket through the display windows 24, so that the 
comparison can be made again. 
This comparison is made for each of the customer's series of entered 
numbers, and as the ticket 14 is advanced, its leading end is fed out an 
exit slot 40 at the back side of housing 12, as shown. When the 
comparisons have been completed, the remainder of the ticket 14 may be fed 
out the exit slot 40 using the ticket advancing knob 18, or the lottery 
ticket 14 may simply be pulled out the exit slot. 
In case of trouble in feeding the ticket through the device, the back panel 
41 of the housing can be removed via retaining screws 43. If the ticket 
feeds below the guide plate 39, only the bottom retaining screws 43 need 
be removed, and a lower portion 45 of the back panel can then be pivoted 
up via a plastic hinge 46 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. 
As the drawings illustrate, the settable winning number wheels 22 have 
number indicia on their outer peripheral edges 22a, with these numbers 
corresponding to the range of numbers selectable for lottery entries. The 
number wheels 22 may be mounted on a common shaft 42 extending through the 
width of the housing 12, with the wheels 22 having some frictional element 
at their connection to the shaft 42. This may comprise rubbery sleeves 44 
between adjacent number wheels, slightly compressed axially upon assembly 
and non-rotatable on the shaft 42, providing a desired degree of friction 
to hold each of the number wheels in position once set. 
It should be understood that although the device of the invention is shown 
in a preferred, very simple embodiment, additional features may be 
incorporated. For example, as mentioned above, the "slot machine" arm 16 
may be pivotally mounted on the housing and either geared to or directly 
driving the frictional lottery ticket advancing roller 38, so that the 
customer/user actually pulls this handle until the lottery ticket is 
correctly positioned for viewing of the customer-selected entry numbers 
through the window 24. For this purpose, the handle or arm 16 would be 
capable of driving the roller 38 in the forward direction only, such as 
with a ratchet arrangement. 
The above described preferred embodiments illustrate the principles of the 
invention, but are not intended to be limiting of its scope. Various other 
embodiments and changes to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to 
those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope 
of the following claims.