Abstract:
A device for dispensing pull tab tickets, lottery tickets and other articles and the articles to be dispensed thereby are set forth. The device includes one or more carousels removably retaining magazines containing tickets to be dispensed. The carousels are indexed to position a magazine for dispensing the article. After the patron has paid for the ticket, a dispensing mechanism pulls the article from the magazine and dispenses it. Each article has at its margin a slot which cooperates with a rod in the magazine to hold the articles in the magazine. When dispensed, the article is pulled from the rod.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices for dispensing pull tab gaming tickets and other tickets or articles adapted to be retained and dispensed by such devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Pull tab tickets according to the prior art are used for gaming and entertainment. In the usual fashion, a merchant buys an inventory of tickets and retains them in a jar or other container. Patrons buy the tickets and open them to reveal the outcome for the ticket. The outcome may be a combination of symbols, e.g. cherries, 7&#39;s or “bar” symbols of the type found in slot machines. The outcome may also be a number or series of numbers. For the game to which the tickets pertain there is a pay schedule for the outcomes, i.e. two cherries win five dollars, or winning numbers are posted. If the outcome of the ticket matches a winning outcome, the establishment pays the player the indicated amount. If the outcome is a losing outcome, the ticket is a loser and the purchaser receives no prize. The schedule of prizes or awards is designed, for the number of tickets printed and sold for the game, to provide the establishment with a profit. 
     The individual tickets are fashioned from paper and are rectangular. A portion of the ticket is printed with the outcome (or number). To conceal the outcome portion of the ticket, that portion is folded over on itself to form a folded bundle. The bundle is then secured by a burstable band. When the ticket is purchased, the band is bursted and the bundle unfolded to reveal the outcome. The portion of the ticket extending from the bundle, may be printed with serial numbers or other material to identify the ticket and the game. 
     As can be appreciated, it is important to conceal the outcome prior to the purchase of the ticket. 
     Some types of tickets may arrange several tickets together, fold-bundle them and, with a single band, secure the bundle. When the band is bursted, the tickets are unfolded to reveal multiple outcomes. “Tickets” will hereinafter be used to refer to either single or multiple outcome tickets. 
     Aside for the issue of security, it can further be appreciated that retaining the tickets in a jar or container can subject them to theft. Stolen tickets represent a loss or revenues for the game to the establishment. There is a need for a device which can prevent theft. 
     A further consideration is that in some jurisdictions where pull tab tickets are legal require the establishment to offer tickets for two different games. These games may, for example, offer different prizes. Thus the need for security is heightened by the need to secure two sets of tickets prior to sale. 
     There is also a need for a device which can automatically accept payment for a ticket and dispense a ticket without the intervention of establishment employees. Again, when tickets are sold but the payment is not remitted to the establishment, i.e. the establishment employee pockets the money, the establishment loses profit related to the game. Further, employees attend to their normal duties without having to sell tickets and collect the money therefor. 
     A need exist for a device which can automatically dispense pull tab tickets, which can dispense several different types of such articles such as different game pull tab tickets, different debit cards, lottery tickets or a combination thereof, which provides for security and a pull tab ticket adapted to be so dispensed. There is also a need for a device which can keep a running tally of money received, tickets sold and the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention a device for dispensing a pull tab ticket which provides for security for the unsold tickets and which automatically accepts payment for and dispenses the tickets. Also set forth is a device which can dispense tickets for different games and which can generate and store data concerning the sales of tickets. 
     Toward this end, the device includes a closed housing having a discharge opening. A magazine is disposed in the housing, the magazine having a ticket mounting rod. Each ticket has a body with a fold-bundled portion containing the printed outcome. At a margin of the body is a deformable slot extending to a bore which is adapted to deform to remove the ticket from the rod. Accordingly the tickets are stacked along and retained by the rod with the rod passing through the bores thereof. A dispenser is disposed in the housing and, when actuated, engages a ticket to pull it from the rod, the slot deforming to pull the ticket from the rod. Preferably the dispenser includes a finger which engages the fold-bundle to urge it from the rod and carry the ticket to the discharge for dispensing thereof. Means are included for accepting payment such a bill validator, coin acceptor credit or debit card acceptor or the like. Upon receipt of payment the dispenser is actuated to dispense a ticket. 
     The device may mount a plurality of magazines on a rotatable carousel to offer different tickets or to provide for a greater inventory of tickets for sale. Means are provided for indexing the carousel to position a magazine containing tickets at the dispenser for dispensing thereof. Multiple carousels may be provided. 
     Instead of providing carousels, the tickets may be contained in one or more magazines. The magazines would be arranged in a row. In this instance the dispenser would be linearly indexed to the magazines or alternatively the magazines would be indexed to the dispenser to dispense tickets from the magazines. Further each magazine could have associated therewith a dedicated dispenser. As hereinafter described, the term carousel shall be interpreted to mean either a round carousel or a linear carousel. 
     Additionally the dispenser and carousels may be under control of a processor which receives signals from the payment acceptance means and which controls the actuation of the dispenser and indexing of the carousel(s). Further, sensors may be provided to sense whether the magazine at the dispenser is empty. The processor may further include a data structure to store data indicating the payments received and the tickets dispensed which data may be downloaded and for tracking and accounting purposes. 
     Also set forth according to the present invention is a ticket for the dispenser includes the deformable slot and bore to releasably retain the tickets on the rod in the magazine. 
     The magazine for the rod may be generally closed. Full magazines may be exchanged for empty magazines to change or refill the supply of game tickets. 
     While the present invention is directed to pull tab tickets it is also adapted to dispense other articles such as debit cards, lottery tickets and the like. 
     Accordingly, the device and ticket according to the present invention provides an integrated system for offering and dispensing pull tab tickets and other articles. The device provides security by housing the tickets as well as providing the system for dispensing the thickets. The tickets or other articles, in turn, are adapted to be releasably retained in a stacked relationship for dispensing thereof. Multiple games may be provided by use of one or more carousels. Games may be introduced quickly and easily by providing new magazines of tickets. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better appreciated with reference to the specification, claims and drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top, front perspective view of a device according the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partially broken, front view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a partially broken, side view of the device of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4A is a side section view of a portion of the mechanism for dispensing tickets; 
     FIG. 4B is a front section view of the dispensing mechanism of FIG. 4A; 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of a carousel for the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6A is a top view of a bundle of pull tab tickets adapted to be dispensed by the device according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 6B is a side section view of the bundle of FIG. 6A; 
     FIG. 6C illustrates the opening of the ticket bundle of FIG. 6A to reveal an outcome; and 
     FIG. 7 is a logic diagram of the operation of the device according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Turning to FIGS. 1-3, a device  10  according to the present invention is shown for dispensing pull tab tickets and other articles. The device  10  includes a housing  12  having a base  14  which contains a controller processor (not shown) to control the operation of the device. The housing  12  contains and displays one or more carousel mechanisms  16  each, in turn, mounting articles such as pull tab tickets  18  in a manner described below. As shown in the drawings, the device  10  illustrated has a pair of carousel mechanisms  16  which may be separated by a partition  20  which, in combination with the base  14  may support transparent enclosures  22  for the carousel mechanisms  16 . The enclosures  22  may be removable or otherwise able to be opened to gain access to the carousel mechanisms  16 . Locks are provided on the enclosures to prevent unauthorized opening of the enclosures  22 . 
     The base  14  is generally flat defining a case for the controlling processor and carousel mechanism drive means as hereinafter described. Disposed on the base  14  are a pair of selector buttons  24   a,b  by which a patron controls the carousel mechanisms  16  for selection of a ticket  18  to purchase. At the front of a base  14  are one or more trays  26  each disposed about a discharge opening  28  through which a purchased ticket  18  is dispensed by the device  10  for acceptance by the patron. 
     With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3, each carousel mechanism  16  includes a rotatable carousel  30  adapted to rotate about an axis A. Each carousel  30  is supported by a support frame  32  having an upper member  34  to support and journal the top of the carousel  30  and a lower support plate  36  to likewise journal and support the bottom of the carousel  30 . A shaft  38  mounts the carousel  30  for rotation between the upper member  34  and support plate  36 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the shaft  38  is, in turn, coupled to the shaft of a stepper motor  40  adapted to, under control of the control processor, index the carousel  30  to position the desired ticket  18  for dispensing. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and  5 , at the upper and lower ends of each carousel  30  are upper and lower supports,  42   a,b  each presenting eight projecting support wings  44  adapted to releasably mount a ticket magazine  46 . As shown in the drawings, each carousel  30  has eight magazines  46 . Thus it can be appreciated that under the control of the stepper motor  40  each carousel  30  may be indexed to position the magazines  46  at a position for dispensing of a ticket from the magazine  46  as hereinafter described. 
     With reference to FIGS. 6A-C, an example of a ticket  18  adapted to be dispensed by the device  10  is shown. While the ticket  18  is shown in FIGS. 6A-C comprises a bundle of four tickets each adapted to produce an outcome, it is to be understood that a single outcome ticket, bundles of 3-5 tickets or other ticket bundles or other articles such as credit cards, lottery tickets or the like could likewise be dispensed by the device  10 . 
     The ticket  18  is printed in a known fashion including a control number portion  48  imprinted with a control number  50  which is used by the manufacturer of the ticket to verify the authenticity of the ticket  18 . Also on the control number portion  48 , while not shown on the drawings, may be printing or illustrations to describe and identify the game to which the tickets  18  apply. Each of the tickets  18  also includes an outcome portion  52  printed with the outcome of the ticket  18  pertaining to the game. As shown in the drawings, the outcome may be in the fashion of a slot machine with “7&#39;s,” numbers, symbols or other indicia to define either a winning or losing outcome for each ticket  18 . 
     To conceal the outcome of the tickets  18  prior to purchase, the outcome portion  52  is folded over upon itself to define a bundle  54  which is retained and made secure by a burstable paper band  56 . 
     Each ticket  18  also includes at an end margin thereof, such as at the control number portion  48 , a deformable slot  58  which terminates at a hole  60 . As will hereinafter be described, the slot  58  is deformable to permit the tickets  18  to be releasably retained in the carousel magazine  46 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-4B, each magazine  46  may be embodied as an elongated enclosure supported at its ends by the upper member  34  and support plate  36 . Each magazine  46  also provides support for a rod  62  extending the length of the length of the magazine  46  and having a diameter to be closely received through the holes  60  of the tickets  18  whereby a stack of tickets  18  may be releasably mounted along each rod  62 . As will hereinafter be described, when a ticket  18  is to dispensed, it is pulled from its supporting rod  62  deforming the slot  58  to pass the ticket  18  from the rod  62 . Prior to dispensing, the tickets  18  are retained within the magazine  46  in a stacked relationship by the rod  62  passing through their holes  60 . Each magazine  46  has sidewalls  64   a,b  and a rear wall  66  to confine and support the tickets in the aforesaid stacked relationship. 
     The tickets  18  are initially disposed in the magazine  46  along the rod  62  and retained in temporary and secure packaging. When the tickets  18  are to be loaded into a magazine  46 , the enclosure  22  is opened and the ticket-depleted magazine  46  is removed therefrom. The magazine  46  is releasably retained to the carousel  30  by retainers  63  (FIG. 3) disposed at the upper and lower supports  42   a,b.  The replacement magazine  46  containing the stack of tickets  18  is removed from its packaging and the magazine  46  is positioned to be captured by the retainers  63 . When the magazine  46  with the tickets  18  is positioned the enclosure  22  is closed and locked. 
     Each of the carousels  30  may mount tickets  18  for various games. For example, up to eight different games may be provided on each carousel  30 ; however, to maintain a large inventory of tickets  18  to be dispensed, only one game may be offered by each carousel  30  thereby allocating eight magazines  46  of tickets  18  for each game for each carousel  30 . Furthermore, the transparent enclosures  22  enable the patron to view the inventory of tickets  18  available for purchase and to assure, as described below, that the desired ticket  18  for the desired game is available. 
     As stated above, the shaft  38  for each carousel  30  is coupled to a stepper motor  40  adapted to rotate each carousel  30 , for example, in a clockwise rotation as indicated by the arrows in FIG.  1 . The stepper motor  40  is controlled by the controller processor disposed in the base  14  to index the carousels  30  for dispensing of the patrons&#39; ticket  18 . 
     To dispense the tickets  18  from the magazines  46 , each carousel  30  has associated therewith a dispensing mechanism  68  as shown in FIGS.  4 A,B. The dispensing mechanism  68  is disposed below each carousel  30  and has associated therewith a chute  70  through which a dispensed ticket  18  travels to the appropriate discharge opening  28 . A support bracket  72  supports a motor  74  having a shaft  76  mounting a dispensing arm  78 . The arm  78  has at each end a finger  80  adapted to engage the bundle  54  of a ticket  18  to be dispensed and pull the ticket  18  from the rod  62 . As shown in FIG. 4A, the removed ticket  18  is transported approximately 180 degrees from the magazine  46  whereat it falls from the finger  80  into the chute  70  and from the discharge opening  28 . With reference to FIG. 6B, the finger  80  engages the ticket  18  at edge  82  of the bundle  54  to provide for pulling of ticket  18  from the rod  62 . When the ticket  18  is engaged by the finger  80 , the force of the rotation of the motor  74  urges the slot  58  of the ticket  18  to deform to pull the ticket  18  from the rod  62  removing the ticket from the magazine  46 . As shown in FIG. 4B, the arm  78  and finger  80  may have a lateral dimension such that the finger  80  has a wide surface to engage the edge  82  to transmit the force of the motor  74  thereto. Sensors  84 , which may be optical or magnetic, sense the position of the arm  78  to provide feedback for control of the motor  74  and the position of the arm  78 . Further, optical or other sensors  105  may be disposed in the chute  70  or proximate the bottom of the magazine  46  to provide a signal that the magazine  46  at the dispensing mechanism  68  is empty. If the sensors  105  sense that a magazine  46  is empty of tickets  18 , the signal to the processor from the sensors  105  removes this magazine  46  from the inventory of magazine available to dispense tickets  18  and to index to, for example, an adjacent magazine  46 . 
     With reference to FIG.  7  and FIG. 1, the operation of the device  10  will now be described. 
     At step  86  the controller processor for the device  10  is initiated by providing power thereto. At step  88  the processor determines whether or not a patron is attempting to select a carousel for dispensing of a ticket  18  by operating one of the selector buttons  24   a,b  or whether the device  10  should be placed in a standby mode. In a standby mode, as indicated by step  90 , the processor may control the device  10  to drive a display  92  on the base  14  to display graphic or printed information such as to advertise the various games which are being offered by the device  10 , provide instructions as to how to purchase a ticket  18  or provide other information, advertising or instruction. The display  92  may be a plasma display, video screen or the like. With reference to FIG. 1 associated with the display  92  there may be included a key board  94  having various control keys to provide input into the device controller/processor to identify the magazine  46  at which certain game tickets  18  are being dispensed, to control the display  92  to provide other advertising and to retrieve data which may be stored in the processor&#39;s memory as hereinafter described. The control panel  94  is covered by a locking door  96  to prevent unauthorized access thereto. 
     If a patron desires to purchase a ticket  18 , they press the selector buttons  24   a,b  to select the carousel  30  containing tickets for the desired game (or the desired articles). As illustrated in FIG. 7, under the control of the selector buttons  24   a,b  (branch A or B in FIG.  7 ), the processor/controller controls at  98  the stepper motor  40  to drive and randomly index the selected carousel  30  to position the magazine  46  containing the desired ticket  18  at the dispensing mechanism  68 . As shown in FIG. 7, the motor control  98  controls the stepper motor  40  to rotate and drive the shaft  38  for the selected carousel  30 . If there is a problem in driving a stepper motor  60 , an error message at  100  is generated. The indexing of the stepper motor  40  is controlled to randomly select a magazine  46  from the selected carousel  30 . If a carousel  30  has been determined to be empty a memory  102  of the processor which identifies the position of each magazine  46  and the game to which the magazine&#39;s tickets  18  pertain may store the position of the empty magazine(s) and index to magazines  46  containing tickets. Alternatively, a magazine  46  may be randomly selected and if it is determined to be empty, the carousel  30  would be instructed to index to an adjacent magazine  46  until one with tickets available is located at the dispensing mechanism  68 . A sensor  104  senses the position of the drive of the carousels  30  to provide a feedback for positioning for the carousels  30  in the desired manner. As the carousels  30  are indexed, the processor may drive the display  92  to display information pertaining to the corresponding game including identifying the game, pay schedules, ticket prices and the like. When the carousel  30  has positioned the magazine  46  containing the tickets  18  for the desired game, as confirmed by viewing the ticket stack of the magazine  46  through the enclosure  22  and any message which may be displayed at the display  92 , the patron inserts payment for the desired ticket  18 . At step  120  the patron inserts consideration for the ticket  18  to be purchase as by inserting coins in a coin acceptor  106  or a cash validator  108 . The coin acceptor  106  has a slot  110  through which coins are inserted and a suitable coin tester (not shown) to test the authenticity of the coin. A return slot (not shown) is provided to return unaccepted coins. The cash validator  108  is of known construction. The coin acceptor  106  and cash validator  108  provide signals at  114  to the controller processor indicating that consideration has been accepted. If the coin or cash is not accepted at  115  a signal is sent to the display  92  to inform the patron that the consideration has not been accepted. After the patron has inserted the consideration to purchase the ticket  18 , the acceptance of the consideration may be stored at  112  in the processor&#39;s memory to provide a tally of the amount of money received by the device  10 , time of receipt, the game to which the ticket pertains or the like. If the consideration is accepted, the motor  74  for the dispensing mechanism  68  is actuated by the processor at  101  to rotate through a cycle such that the arm  78  rotates approximately 180 degrees for removing the desired ticket  18  from the magazine  46  and depositing it into the chute  70 . Sensors  84  provide feedback signals to confirm the operation of the arm  78  and motor  74  and if the motor  74  fails to rotate or a problem is detected, an error message at  116  is generated at the display  92 . The dispensed ticket  18  drops through the chute  70  and from the discharge opening  28  as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     Should the operator of the device  10  desire to confirm the performance of the device  10  through the control panel  94 , they may access the processor&#39;s memory to display at the display  92  the desired information or download into a portable memory the data concerning the acceptance of payment and the dispensing of tickets  18  such as the number of tickets  18  sold for a game or the like. 
     While I have shown and described certain embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that it is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the appended claims.