Lottery card reader

A lottery card reader has a clip made from two separate pieces that are assembled together and a transparent flap attached to the clip. The clip has a first and a second pair of arms attached to a pivot. The arms in the first pair are separated and the arms in the second pair are resiliently biased towards each other. Moving the first pair of arms together moves the second pair of arms apart. The transparent flap can cover games on a lottery card to which the clip is attached. When a lottery card is inserted between the second pair of arms under the transparent flap it is releaseably gripped by the second pair of arms.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a lottery card reader that can be used to easily check a lottery card to determine if the numbers chosen were winning numbers. In particular, it relates to a lottery card reader that can be moved along a lottery card and can grip it at any position, and that has a transparent flap on which the winning numbers can be marked.

Numerous states in the United States operate lotteries as a way of raising money. Many of these lotteries use a card printed with groups of numbers, each group constituting a separate game of chance. A person may purchase any or all of the games on a card. He plays the games by marking his choice of numbers in each game he bought. A machine then reads the card and returns it to the player.

When the winning numbers are announced, the purchaser must compare the winning numbers to the numbers he chose on his card. If he purchased only one game, the comparison is easily accomplished. But if several games were played, the comparison must be made for each game, and that can be tedious, time-consuming, and prone to error.

Various types of lottery card readers have been invented to help a person determine his winning numbers. Some of these readers must be punched out in the proper position for each winning number, which may lead to errors if the hole is not made in precisely the correct position. Others are suitable for reading the cards of only one type of game, or the cards from only one state, and cannot be used for cards of other states or other types of games.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

I have invented a lottery card reader that is simple, inexpensive, and can be used to accurately read almost any lottery card. Using the lottery card reader of this invention requires only marking the winning numbers on the reader and sliding it across the lottery card to the position of each game.

In a preferred embodiment, a clip is made from two separate pieces that assemble together, which simplifies manufacturing and lowers cost.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 2, lottery card1is printed with five arrays2of 40 numbers each, arranged in 8 rows and 5 columns, each array2being for a separate lottery game. Over lottery card1has been placed lottery card reader3. Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, lottery card reader3has a clip4and a transparent flap5attached to clip4by adhesive6. Flap5can also be attached to clip4by other means, such as rivets or using heat and pressure to bond it to clip4. Transparent flap5is rectangular and large enough to cover any one of the arrays2on lottery card1. Flap5is a single, unfolded sheet, preferable about 3 to about 4 inches long and about 1¾ to about 2 inches wide and can be eraseably written on in ink. Vertical reference line7printed on flap5enables the user to align flap5with any array2on lottery card1.

Clip4has a flexible, resilient bridge8, from which extend rigid four arms9,10,11, and12. Arms9and10make contact when lottery card1is not between them and grip lottery card1when it is between them. Arms11and12do not make contact and are shaped to hold a writing instrument13, such as a pen or marker, that can mark transparent flap5. Bridge8functions as a fulcrum so that squeezing arms11and12together separates arms9and10, releasing lottery card1. Clip4is preferably made of molded or extruded plastic, though it could also be made of metal or other materials. Clip4can also be releaseably attached to lottery card1by other means, such as a screw or easily releaseable adhesive. Clip4may be described as having (1) a first molded piece of plastic having a clasping arm, a gripping arm and a fulcrum therebetween; (2) a second molded piece of plastic having a clasping arm, a gripping arm, a fulcrum therebetween that engages the fulcrum of the first molded piece of plastic, and having a resilient member that extends from the second molded piece of plastic and contacts the first molded piece of plastic; (3) molded plastic means extending from one of the molded pieces of plastic for attaching the first molded piece of plastic to the second molded piece of plastic so that the clasping arm of the first molded piece of plastic opposes the clasping arm of the second molded piece of plastic and the gripping arm of the first molded piece of plastic opposes the gripping arm of the second molded piece of plastic, and the resilient member resiliently forces the clasping arms together and the gripping arms apart.

To use lottery card reader3, writing instrument13is removed and arms11and12are squeezed together, which separates arms9and10. Lottery card reader3is then placed over the top of a lottery card1so that reference line7is aligned with the numbers of at least one game, which can be seen through transparent flap5. The numbers chosen for two or more lottery games played have already been marked on lottery card1. For example, if six numbers out of 40 are picked for each game and 2 games have been purchased, one array of numbers might have numbers 5, 9, 19, 27, 29, and 34 marked and another array of numbers might have numbers 3, 7, 18, 21, 38, and 39 marked. If the winning numbers are 9, 18, 28, 34, 36, and 39, those numbers are circled or otherwise marked on transparent flap5. Arms11and12are squeezed together, separating arms9and10, and lottery card reader3is moved across lottery card1until the numbers marked on transparent flap5coincide with the same symbols on lottery card1. Arms11and12are then released, causing bridge8to move arms9and10together, attaching lottery card reader3to lottery card1. If a number is marked on both lottery card1and on transparent flap5it indicates that a winning number was chosen in that game. For example, numbers 9 and 34 would be marked on both lottery card1and flap5for the first game and numbers 18 and 39 would be marked on both lottery card1and flap5for the second game. Clip4can also be attached to the side of a lottery ticket (similar to a lottery card, but issued by a machine, which chooses the numbers played) so that the player can write the winning numbers on the transparent flap and align them with the numbers on the ticket.

InFIG. 3, an envelope14is of a size suitable for holding at least one lottery card. On the face of envelope14is printed a table15. The first column in table15has a row numbered for 10 lottery cards and the remaining columns indicated the games playable on each lottery card, in this case labeled A to J. The player can then enter the winning numbers that he selected in the proper row and column and thereby keep track of his winnings. Each of the player's lottery cards can be placed in envelope14and lottery card reader3can be clipped to envelope14.

InFIGS. 4,5,6,7,8,9, and10, clip16is made from two pieces, an upper portion17and a lower potion18. Clip16is preferably made entirely of molded plastic, but could also be made of other materials, such as metal. Upper portion17is provided with an indentation19on each side and lower portion18has two extensions20with clasps21at the end. Upper portion17and lower portion18each have arms22and23. When arms22are forced together, arms23are forced apart, the arms pivoting on extensions20. The ends of arms23make contact when lottery card24is not between them and grip lottery card24when it is between them. Lower portion18is provided with a spring25that resiliently biases arms23together. At each end of spring25is a post26(seeFIG. 10) that fits into a well27in upper portion17. A flap28, made of a single, unfolded sheet of transparent material, has a aperture29at each end of greater diameter than posts26. To assemble clip16, posts26are inserted through apertures29of flap28and upper portion17and lower portion18are pushed together, forcing clasps21apart until they snap into indentations19. Flap28is also provided with a vertical reference mark30printed on it, on which numbers can be written. Clip16is used in the same manner as clip4.

The lottery card reader of this invention can be used to read virtually any lottery card, where the lottery card consists of a rectangular sheet on which are marked numbers, letters, or other symbols. Typically, the card is made of stiff or heavy paper, but plastic or other materials could also be used. A typical lottery card is about 8½ to about 9 inches long and about 3 to about 3½ inches wide. Each card typically holds 4 to 10 identical arrays of numbers, with each array being a separate game that must be purchased to play.