Abstract:
A casino chip-sorting device may comprise a transport disc, a drive, an ejector, a cam, and a blade. The drive may be operably coupled to the transport disc, for rotating the transport disc, and the transport disc may have multiple recesses for collecting individual chips. The ejector may be extendable into a recess from beneath the transport disc to move a disc that is in the recess and the cam may be selectively rotatable by the drive to push the ejector into the recess. The blade may have an upper surface positioned to receive a casino chip moved by the ejector. Additionally, a processor associated with the casino chip-sorting device may be programmed to recognize a jam.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/590,340, filed Oct. 30, 2006, pending, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/004,006 filed Dec. 3, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,720, issued Aug. 9, 2011, which is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/AT03/00149 filed May 26, 2003, and published as International Publication Number WO 03/103860A1 on Dec. 18, 2003, which in turn claims priority to Austrian Application No. 359/2002 filed Jun. 5, 2002, now Austrian Patent AT 006 405, the entire disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by this reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a sorting device for gaming chips and counters, in particular, to gaming chips and counters of different colors. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Sorting devices for gaming chips have been known for a long time. GB 2061490 discloses a device that distributes gaming chips that are collected by a transport chain and passed by a feature recognition system, from the chain into appropriate removal units. A disadvantage of this solution is the high space requirement for the chain. A further disadvantage is the high manufacturing costs, because the chain comprises many individual members, each of these members in addition being provided with a spring-loaded pin for distributing gaming chips. 
         [0004]    GB 2254419 describes a device in which the gaming chips are first collected by a transport disc and then transferred to a chain, recognized there, and distributed to a removal unit. This arrangement requires less space than the aforementioned device. Nevertheless, it uses resilient elements to retain individual gaming chips, transferred from the transport disc to the chain, in the chain itself. These resilient elements precisely, however, accept only gaming chips with a largely uniform diameter, because gaming chips with a diameter greater than the nominal diameter can be transferred to the chain only at a high load or not at all; gaming chips with a diameter smaller than the nominal diameter cannot be reliably retained and fall out of the chains on the way to distribution to the removal units. The additional chain leads to additional manufacturing costs. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,294 discloses a chip-sorting device in which the conveyance of the chips is effected by a chain. This transport means is very expensive to maintain, however. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    This invention avoids these disadvantages and proposes a sorting device of the aforementioned type, which has low manufacturing costs with a low space requirement and with which the gaming chips and counters may have highly different dimensions. 
         [0007]    As taught by the invention, these advantages are achieved with a sorting unit of the aforementioned type by means of the characteristic features of some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0008]    The proposed measures make it possible to convey and sort chips and counters of different dimensions by means of a cost-effective and simple transport device. The technically expensive and maintenance-intensive insertion of a chain conveyor is not necessary. The sorting device is robust to gaming chips and counters of different size. By the raising of the gaming chips by the ejector and the simultaneous rotation of the transport disc, the chips are automatically lifted out of the transport disc and organized in a removal unit. 
         [0009]    Thereby, the features of some embodiments of the invention provide the advantage of a very gentle and careful distribution of the chips and counters into the removal units. 
         [0010]    The features of some embodiments of the invention assure that the distribution movement for a single gaming chip or counter is always constant relative to the movement of the transport disc, even when the transport speed changes. 
         [0011]    The organization of the gaming chips and counters, in conjunction with the feature recognition system, can be easily programmed and controlled by means of the features of some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0012]    Several removal units can be filled simultaneously by means of the features of some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0013]    A portion of the sorted gaming chips and counters can be removed from the removal units in a simple manner by means of the features of some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0014]    The features of some embodiments of the invention can adjust the number of gaining chips and counters to be removed from the removal units. 
         [0015]    To accomplish this, a tilting movement of the removal lever is provided according to some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0016]    The removal lever is always proximate to the gaming chips and counters by means of the features of some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0017]    By means of the features of some embodiments of the invention, it can be determined when a removal unit has been totally filled, whereupon gaming chips and counters can no longer be sorted into this removal unit. 
         [0018]    The conveying speed of the gaming chips and counters in the system is adjusted by means of the characteristic features of some embodiments of the invention. 
         [0019]    The characteristic features of some embodiments of the invention describe the preferably employed feature recognition system. 
         [0020]    The base frame can be adjusted in height and adapted to the specific table heights by means of the characteristic features of some embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The invention will now be illustrated in greater detail by the drawing. Here: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic drawing of a sorting unit of the invention without a housing; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  shows a cross-section through a removal unit; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-section through the chip and counter distribution unit along section line A-A of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  shows a possible spatial form of the removal units; and 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  shows an alternative depiction of a hopper disc. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The device consists of an upwardly open collection container  1  for used gaming chips and counters, also called a “hopper,” which is fixed to the sloping base plate  2 . 
         [0028]    The conveying device forms a circular disc  3 , the “hopper disc,” and is mounted drivably on shaft  4 . The shaft  4  is supported by the base plate  2  and is connected to the drive  5 . 
         [0029]    The hopper disc  3  is supported axially by a plurality of rolling elements  6 , which in turn are guided in cage plate  7 . This axial support may be omitted, if the central support of the shaft  4  can absorb the axial forces and the hopper disc  3  is made suitably rigid. 
         [0030]    In use, the gaming chips and counters  27  ( FIG. 2 ) are collected in the hopper  1 , where due to gravity they are taken up in the hopper disc  3  at the lowest point of the hopper  1  by circular recesses  8 , arranged around the perimeter of the hopper disc  3 . The circular recesses  8  (e.g., apertures) have at least the diameter of the largest circular chip or counter that is to be processed. The depth of the circular recesses  8  in the embodiment results from the thickness of the hopper disc  3  and constitutes at least the thickness of the thickest counter. During the use of circular recesses  8  according to  FIG. 1 , the gaming chips and counters  27  slide on the base plate  2  during the rotation of the hopper disc  3 .  FIG. 5  shows an alternative collection of chips and counters in blind holes  9 . These are open toward the side of the hopper  1  and closed toward the side of the base plate  2 . Thereby, the back of the hopper disc  3  must have an annular circumferential groove  10  ( FIG. 5 ), which substantially has the width of the ejector  14  of  FIG. 3 . 
         [0031]    The hopper disc  3  conveys the gaming chips and counters  27 , taken up in any order by the circular recesses  8 , upward at an angle of approximately 135°, whereby they are passed before a color sensor, which differentiates the chips and counters based on their color combination and size. Depending on chip color and pattern, the sensor conveys a signal to the microprocessor control (not shown) of the chip-sorting device. This microprocessor control decides, based on a freely programmable assignment of colors, to which of the removal units  12  each of the conveyed gaming chips and counters  27  is distributed. 
         [0032]    Alternatively, recognition of the gaming chips and counters  27  can occur by means of a spectrometer in a feature recognition system, which for differentiation detects the wavelengths of the color codes undetectable by the human eye. To accomplish this, the gaming chips and counters  27  must be provided with such color codes. 
         [0033]    After recognition, the gaming chips and counters  27  are distributed into the removal units  12 . This area extends at about  90 ° to the hopper disc  3 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows the transfer element  11 , which is designed substantially as an arc-like sector and has a number of apertures  13 , in which the different gaming chips and counters  27 , sorted cleanly per aperture  13 , are distributed from the hopper disc  3  into removal units  12 . Ten apertures  13  are used in the exemplary embodiment. 
         [0035]    The actual distribution of gaming chips and counters is readily evident from  FIG. 3 , which shows a cross-section along the section line A-A of  FIG. 2  through one of the apertures  13  in the transfer element  11 . Each of the apertures  13  is assigned an ejector  14 , which after activation is inserted into the recesses  8  through a slit  38  in the base plate  2  and raises the corresponding gaming chip or counter  27  above the face  3   a  (see also  FIG. 1 ) of hopper disc  3  during the movement of the hopper disc  3 . The ejector  14  is mounted so that it swivels around the shaft  17  and is pushed against the cam  19  via spring  18  causing contact of gaming chip or counter  27  by arm  14   a.  To enable a wear-free rolling of the cam  19  on the ejector  14 , the ejector  14  can be provided expediently with a roller  20 . 
         [0036]    By means of the continuous movement of the hopper disc  3 , the gaming chip or counter  27  ( FIG. 2 ) is pushed over the blade  16 , where if finally rests. If another counter  21  is located on the blade  16 , it is unavoidably raised by means of the lifting motion of the gaming chip or counter  27 , so that gaming chip or counter  27  comes to lie finally under counter  21 . This process is repeated as long as gaming chips or counters  27  of the same type are being conveyed, so that the removal units  12  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) fill with counters. 
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows the removal units  12  directly adjacent to the transfer element  11 , the removal units  12  that run next to one another expediently from the arc-like arrangement in the area of the transfer element  11  to a straight or nearly straight arrangement facilitate the easy removal from all sides of gaming chips or counters  27  ( FIG. 2 ) deposited herein. 
         [0038]      FIG. 1  shows the drive of the cam  19 . On the side facing away from hopper  1  of the hopper disc  3 , there is an annular ring gear  22  that drives a pinion  23  associated with a cam  19 . The microprocessor control of the chip-sorting device actuates a magnetic coupling  24 , associated with the cam  19 , and thereby creates a connection between the pinion  23  and the cam  19  for a cam rotation. This assures that the ejector  14  always performs the same movement relative to the hopper disc  3 , independently of the conveying speed of hopper disc  3 . 
         [0039]    If a jam were to occur during the transfer of the gaming chips and counters  27  into the removal units  12 , a short return motion of the hopper disc  3  is provided. To recognize a jam, the current of the drive  5  can be monitored, or the movement of the hopper disc  3  can be queried directly via a suitable sensor. 
         [0040]    To increase the conveying performance and simultaneous reduction of wear on all moving parts of the machine, adjustment of the conveying speed of the chip-sorting device to the quantity of counters to be sorted in each case is recommended. The speed can be set depending on whether and how many free recesses  8 , i.e., not filled with gaming chips or counters  27 , in the hopper disc  3  can be detected by a counter recognition system. 
         [0041]    The removal units  12  for sorted gaming chips and counters  27  can be seen in  FIG. 2  and consist substantially of upwardly open chip transporters, each respectively provided with a central groove  25 . For the expedient removal of gaming chips and counters  27  from the removal units  12 , a special device is provided, a “cutter”  26 , which glides downward in one of the grooves  25  by means of gravity and thus constantly abuts the reserve gaming chips and counters  27  in the removal units  12 . The cutter has an L-shaped lever  28 , the thin arm  28   a  of which lies underneath the gaming chips and counters  27 . At the same time, a stop  29  always abuts the gaming chips and counters  27  and in turn is supported by lever  28  via an adjusting screw  30 . The lever  28  and stop  29  are connected in a swiveling manner by means of the shaft  31  with the body  32  gliding within the groove  25 . Through pressure applied in the direction of arrow A, a predetermined quantity, preferably  20  pieces, of gaming chips or counters  27  can be raised by the lower arm  28   a  of the L-shaped lever  28  and are thus freely removable from the total quantity of gaming chips or counters  27 . 
         [0042]    The quantity of gaming chips and counters  27  that can be lifted by the cutter  26  can be finely adjusted or matched to the precise thickness of the gaming chips and counters  27  via the adjusting screw  30 . 
         [0043]    The use of a pressure spring  33  assures that the thin leg of the L-shaped lever  28  always remains underneath the gaming chips or counters  27 , but this is not absolutely required. 
         [0044]    In order to prevent the distribution of more gaming chips or counters  27  into one of the removal units  12  than can be accommodated by its stack length, every removal unit  12  is provided with a sensor  35 . As soon as the cutter  26  reaches its endpoint, the sensor  35  sends a signal to the microprocessor control, which then no longer ejects gaming chips and counters  27  into the particular channel. The sensor  35  can, for example, be either an optical or magnetic sensor. To that end, a permanent magnet  34  must be provided in the bottom of the cutter  26 . 
         [0045]    The chip-sorting device can be designed to be adjustable with simple means to different table or operator heights. As is evident from  FIG. 1 , the casters  37  are attached to the base frame  36  to be adjustable in height.