Abstract:
A device for dropping tokens into a drop box. The device may be used on a gaming table over a drop box. The device has a base, which is mounted on a surface, and a door, which is movably connected to the base. The door swings open to allow tokens, coins, chips, etc., to drop through the base into a drop box below. The door also allows the tokens, coins, chips, etc, to rest so that they may seen before being dropped into the drop box. This device is particularly useful on poker tables, where the casino takes a cut of the winnings.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED FILINGS 
     This application claims priority of provisional patent application No. 60/061,584 filed with the U.S. Patent Office on Oct. 10, 1997. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Devices for dropping tokens into a drop box on a casino gaming table are inadequate. The devices are awkward, crude, and the devices rapidly and inevitably wear out. 
     What is needed is a long-lasting device which provides a simple manner of dropping tokens into a drop box. 
     What is needed is an elegant device that conveniently holds tokens before it drops them into a drop box. 
     What is needed is a simple device for dropping tokens into a drop box that is easily and inexpensively manufactured. 
     What is needed is a simple device for dropping tokens into a drop box that is easily and inexpensively installed. 
     What is needed is a long-lasting device for dropping tokens into a drop box that is easily and inexpensively maintained. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is a device for dropping tokens into a drop box. Specifically, the present invention is a token drop for use over a drop box on a casino gaming table. The two primary components of this invention are a base, which is mounted to the gaming table, above the drop box, and a door, which is movably connected to the base. The tokens are placed on the door when closed and the door is moved or swung open to allow the tokens to drop into a drop box below. This token drop is particularly useful on poker tables, where the casino takes a percentage or cut of the winnings. The device provides a resting place for the tokens while they are being loaded on the closed door and allows the operator to easily drop the tokens into the drop box, all in clear view of surveillance cameras. The token drops can also be electronically monitored. 
     It is an object of this invention to create a long-lasting device which provides a simple manner of dropping tokens into a drop box. 
     It is an object of this invention to create an elegant device that conveniently holds tokens before it drops them into a drop box. 
     It is an object of this invention to create a simple device for dropping tokens into a drop box that is easily and inexpensively manufactured. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a simple device for dropping tokens into a drop box that is easily and inexpensively installed. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a long-lasting device for dropping tokens into a drop box that is easily and inexpensively maintained. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of the token drop with the door partially open. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main components of a preferred embodiment of the token drop. 
     FIG. 3 a  is a top view showing a preferred embodiment of a base of the token drop. 
     FIG. 3 b  is a bottom view showing a preferred embodiment of a base of the token drop. 
     FIG. 4 a  is a top view showing in greater detail a preferred embodiment of a base of the token drop. 
     FIG. 4 b  is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of a base of the token drop with the door closed. 
     FIG. 5 a  is a top view showing a preferred embodiment of the door of the token drop. 
     FIG. 5 b  is a side view showing a preferred embodiment of the door of the token drop. 
     FIG. 5 c  is a bottom view showing a preferred embodiment of the door of the token drop. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of the base with pin holes. 
     FIG. 7 a  is a top view showing an alternative embodiment of the door with a cutaway view of a pair of springloaded pins. 
     FIG. 7 b  is a side view showing an alternative embodiment of the door with a cylindrical hole. 
     FIG. 7 c  is a bottom view showing an alternative embodiment of the door with a cutaway view of a pair of spring-loaded pins. 
     FIG. 7 d  is a top view showing a sleeve around a pair of spring-loaded pins. 
     FIG. 8 a  is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of the base with vertical slots. 
     FIG. 8 b  is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of the door with cylindrical protrusions. 
     FIG. 9 a  is a side view showing an alternative embodiment of a token drop with stops on the base. 
     FIGS. 9 b  and  9   c  are a side view showing an alternative embodiment of a token drop with stops on the door. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment of a token drop with a weighted keel. 
     FIG. 11 a  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a token drop with a square base and a circular opening. 
     FIG. 11 b  is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of a token drop with a spring 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The invention relates to an apparatus and method for depositing tokens in a receptacle. More particularly, it relates to a token drop for use over a drop box on a gaming table that is not only simple to use, but is also reliable, durable, and easy to manufacture. Generally, the token drop is comprised of two main parts, a base, which is mounted on a gaming table above a drop box and a door, which is connected to the base and has a closed and an at least one open position providing access to the drop box. 
     FIG. 1 shows a method for dropping one or more tokens  28  into a drop box  22  on a gaming table (not shown), using a token drop door  34 . The method involves placing one or more tokens  28  on the token drop door  34 , and pivoting the door  34  to expose an opening  38 , whereby the tokens  28  pass through the opening  38  and drop into the drop box  22  below. The door  34  can be moved by the operator  25  either applying a direct force on the door  34  or by a applying a direct force to the tokens  28  on the door  34 , as shown in FIG.  1 . The door  34  has a closed position and can be moved into an open position by the operator  25 . The door can be configured so that once open, it pivots or returns to the closed position. In some embodiments, the door  34  uses the force of gravity to return to its closed position automatically. 
     FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the token drop  20 . FIG. 2 is comprised of two primary elements: a base  30  and a door  34 . The base  30  is immovably mounted over the drop box  20  on a gaming table, and has an opening  38  (covered by the door  34 ). Preferably, the base  30  is mounted to the gaming table using screws or bolts (not shown). The base  30  is preferably made of brass. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the preferred embodiment of the base  30  in greater detail, while FIGS. 6,  9   a,    10 , and  11   a  show alternative embodiments of the base  30 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment, the door  34  is movably connected to the base  30  and is positioned over the opening  38  of the base  30 . The door  34  has a closed position and an at least one open position. In the closed position, the door  34  covers the opening  38 . The door  34  is directly moved by the operator  25  (not shown), either through direct force on the door  34  or by a direct force on the tokens  28  on the door  34 . The door  34 , like the base  30 , is preferably made of brass. The door  34  has a lid  54  and other parts. FIG. 5 shows the preferred embodiment of the door  34  in greater detail and with slight variations, while FIGS. 7,  9   b,    10 , and  11   b  show alternative embodiments of the door  34 . 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the door  34  will usually be made of the same material as the base  30  to simplify manufacturing and reduce the time and cost of manufacturing. Although brass is preferred, both the base  30  and the door  34  can be made from a variety of materials including any type of metal, plastic or wood or any combination thereof. The method of manufacturing the token drop  20  involves the steps of making the base  30 , with an opening  38 , and making the door  34 , which covers the opening  38  in the base. These steps are preferably achieved by creating a mold for the base  30  and the door  34 , and pouring the chosen material into the mold. Alternatively, the base  30  and the door  34  could be machined from pieces of the chosen material. The base and the door are then assembled or connected. 
     FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b  show the preferred embodiment of the base  30  in greater detail. Although the base  30  appears as a rectangle or square in this and the other embodiments depicted, this portrayal is simply illustrative. Other shapes for the base, such as an oval, will function as well. The base  30  can also be made in various sizes. In a preferred embodiment the base  30  has a length of approximately 82 mm, a width of approximately 94 mm, and a height of approximately 10 mm. This size will accommodate a token usually about 1-2 inches in diameter. The diameter or width of the opening should be slightly larger than a token. The base is preferably of sufficient thickness to be sturdy and durable. 
     FIG. 3 a  shows a base  30  with more than just an opening  38 ; it also has a depressed area  42 , four counter-bored holes  46 , and four sloping edges  50 . As seen in FIG. 3 a,  the depressed area  42  is centered about a central axis of the base  30  (central axis shown in dotted lines), and is of rectangular shape. It is within the depressed area  42  that the door  34  will be situated or rest when in the closed position. 
     The opening  38 , as shown in FIG. 3 a,  is situated within the depressed area  42 . The opening  38  is shaped like an elliptic arch, the intrados (or top) of the arch approximating an ellipse and the “bottom” of the arch being a straight line, as shown in FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b.  The opening  38  provides access to the drop box. 
     The four counter-bored holes  46 , as shown in FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b,  are located in four comers of the base  30 . The holes  46  extend completely through the base  30 . Four screws (or bolts) are placed through the holes  46  and tightened into corresponding holes in the gaming table (not shown) to fix the token drop  20  to the table. 
     The four sloping edges  50 , as shown in FIG. 3 a,  slope upward and inward at approximately forty-five degrees. The sloping edges  50  allow the operator easier access to slide the chips on the door by providing a smooth, continuous approach to the door  34 , where the tokens  28  are placed. The bottom of the depressed area  42  cuts through two of the sloping edges  50 , as shown in FIG. 3 a.    
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  show the preferred embodiment of the token drop  20  in even greater detail. In these figures, the depressed area  42  of the base  30  is further divided into a front section  420  and a rear section  424 . The rear section  424  is of greater depth than the front section  420 . The opening  38  is situated so that a greater portion of it lies within the front section  420  of the depressed area  42  than the rear section  424  of the depressed area  42 . This better accommodates a swinging door  34  configuration. 
     FIG. 4 b  is a side view of the base  30 , and shows the relation between the front section  420 , the rear section  424 , and the opening  38 . As shown in FIG. 4 b,  the rear section  424  of the depressed area  42  is approximately twice as deep as the front section  420 . This best accommodates the preferred embodiment of the door  34 , which is described below with FIGS. 5 a,    5   b  and  5   c.    
     FIGS. 5 a,    5   b,  and  5   c  show the preferred embodiment of the door  34  in greater detail. The door  34  is shown with a lid  54 , a weighted portion  58 , and a connecting means  56 . As best shown in FIGS. 5 a  and  5   c,  the lid  54  is an elliptic shape with a squared off end  540 . The boundary between the lid  54  and the weighted portion  58  is illustrated by the dotted line representing the squared off end of  540  of the weighted portion  58 . The lid  54  covers the elliptic arch shaped opening  38  when the door  34  is in the closed position. The top of lid  54  also provides a resting place for the tokens  28  until they are dropped into the drop box  22 . When the lid  54  is pushed downward through the opening  38 , the door  34  is in the open position, as shown in FIG.  1 . 
     The weighted portion  58  is rectangularly shaped. The weighted portion  58  is connected to the lid  54  at its squared off end  540 . The weighted portion generally rests within the rear section  424  of the depressed area  42  of the base  30  when the door  34  is in the closed portion. When the door  34  is moved to an open position, the weighted portion  58  rises above the base  30 , as illustrated in FIG.  1 . When the door  34  is made of one material, the weighted portion  58  is preferably about three times as thick as the lid  54 , as shown in FIG. 5 b.  This allows the top of weighted portion  58  to sit or rest flush with the top of the base  30  when the door  34  is in the closed position. This provides the operator with easier access to the lid  54  as it forms a continuous and smooth surface from the base  30 , across the weighted portion  58  and to the lid  54 . 
     In order for the door  34  to return to the closed position, a force equal to or greater than the force applied to open the door  34  must be provided, by a weight, a spring, or other means. The weight of the weighted portion  58 , is determined by its thickness and material (preferably brass), and gravity can provide sufficient force to cause the door  34  to return to its closed position. Preferably the weight portion is about three times heavier than the lid  54 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5 b,  the top of the weighted portion  58  is usually higher than the top of the lid  54 . Where the weighted portion  58  meets the lid  54 , the weighted portion  58  has a rounded area  580  of reduced thickness as best seen in FIG. 5 a.  The rounded area  580  is not considered part of the lid  54 ; it is considered part of the weighted portion  58  because it is on the same side of the connecting means  56  as the weighted portion  58 . The thickness of the rounded area  580  is the same as the lid  54 . Therefore, the connection between the lid  54  and the weighted portion  58  is smooth. Where the rounded area  580  of reduced thickness meets the remainder of the weighted portion  58 , there is an edge or token catch  55  that prevents the tokens from moving when stacked upon the lid  54 . The token edge or token catch is preferably the height of one to three tokens. 
     The weighted portion  58  also has a sloped area  584  at the end opposite the lid  54 , as is shown in FIG. 5 a.  The sloped area  584  provides smoother hand access to the lid  54  where the tokens are stacked. When the door  34  is in its closed position, this sloped area  584  is flush with the sloped edge of the base. This further enhances the continuous surface formed between the base and the weighted portion and its benefits, as discussed above. 
     The connecting means  56  is attached to the bottom of the lid  54 , where the lid  54  connects with the weighted portion  58 , as is shown in FIGS. 5 b  and  5   c.  The connecting means  56  connects the lid  54  and/or weighted portion  58  to the base  30 . The connecting means  56  can take a variety of forms, such as a hinge, rod and socket, ball and socket, or various spring configurations. In general, the connecting means  56  allows the door  34  to move or swing from one position to another, such as from the open position to the closed. Some examples of various connecting means  56  are described in the below embodiments. 
     FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment wherein the base  30  has at least two pinholes  62 . The pinholes  62  are located in opposing vertical walls of the depressed area  42 , generally at the horizontal center of the depressed area  42 . These pinholes  62  are each capable of holding one pin, rod, or ball, so as to connect the door  34  to the base  30 . 
     FIGS. 7 a,    7   b,    7   c  and  7   d  show an alternative embodiment of the door  34  that can be used in conjunction with the base  30  in FIG. 6 or other types of bases. The connecting means  56  is shown as a pair of spring loaded pins  66  one or more springs  68 , and a cylindrical hole  70 . The spring-loaded pins  66  are situated in the cylindrical hole  70 , which runs through the width of the lid  54  along the center axis of the door  34  where the lid  54  and the weighted portion  58  meet. One of the spring loaded pins  66  is at one end of the cylindrical hole  70 , and the other spring loaded pin  66  is at the other end of the cylindrical hole  70 . The door  34  is rotatably connected to the base by squeezing these protruding ends  660  of the pins  66  towards the door  34 , lowering the door  34  into the base, and releasing the protruding ends  660  of the pins  66  into the pinholes of the base. When the pins  66  are squeezed the spring  66  is compressed. In this embodiment, there is one spring  68  for both pins  66 . In another alternative embodiment, there could be two springs  68 , one for each of the pins  66 . 
     FIG. 7 d  shows the pins  66  with a sleeve  664  placed around them. The sleeve  664  would protect the base  30  and the door  34  from being worn down by the metal of the pins  66 . The sleeve  664  is preferably fabricated with a metal softer than the metal of the base  30  and the door  34 . The door  34  will pivot on the sleeve  664  or the sleeve  664  will rotate in the pinholes  62  of the base  30 , e.g., the sleeve  664  may be stationery or moving. Since the sleeve  664  is a softer material it will wear rather than the pinhole  62 . 
     FIGS. 8 a  and  8   b  show another embodiment of the token drop  20 . In this embodiment, the base  30  has a pair of slots  74  and the connecting means  56  is a pair of cylindrical protrusions  78 . The door  34  is connected to the base  30  with the cylindrical protrusions  78  by lowering the cylindrical protrusions  78  into the slots  74 . The cylindrical protrusions  78  are situated in the slots  74 , and the door  34  is thereby rotatably connected to the base  30 . In an alternative of this embodiment, the slots could be covered over with a metal cover or bridge, further securing the door  34  in the base  30 . 
     There are numerous ways to connect the door to the base. In another variation, the connecting means  56  is not part of the door  34 , but rather, are part of the base  30 . An example of this would be where the base  30  had spring-loaded pins  66  in the vertical walls of its depressed area  42 . The door  34  in this example would have pinholes  62  on opposite sides, and the protruding ends  660  of the pins  66  of the base  30  would be released in to the pinholes  62  of the door  34 . 
     FIGS. 9 a  and  9   b  show another embodiment of the token drop  20 . This embodiment has the additional element of either a stop  82  (shown in FIG. 9 a ) on the base  30  or a stop  82 ′ on the door  34  (shown in FIG. 9 b ). The purpose of the stops  82  is to prevent the door  34  from over-rotating into the opening  38 . If this were to happen, the door  34  may stick in its open position. Any of a number of methods to stop the door may be used. For example, a stop  82 ″ (not shown) can be built onto the connecting means  56 . 
     FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the token drop  20 . Here, the base  30 ′ is a squarely shaped and has a circular opening  38 ′. The door  34 ′ has a lid  54 ′ and a weighted keel  90 . The lid  54 ′ is circular and is situated within the circular opening  38 ′ of the base  30 ′. The weighted keel  90  is connected the bottom of the lid  54 ′, and has a rear portion  900  and a front portion  901 . The rear portion  900  is thicker, and thereby, heavier than the front portion  901 . The weighted keel  90  thereby causes the door  34 ′ to use the force of gravity to return to its closed position from its open position. The weighted keel may have a narrow cross-section or it may be shaped like the back half of a bathtub or ship. 
     FIGS. 11 a  and  11   b  show another embodiment of the token drop  20 . Here the base  30 ′ also is squarely shaped and has a circular opening  38 ′. The door  34 ″ has a lid element  54 ′ and a spring  94  element. The lid  54 ′ is circular and is situated within the circular opening  38 ′ of the base  30 ′. The lid  54 ′ has a cylindrical hole  70  through it with a pin  66  positioned within the cylindrical hole  70  and connecting the lid to the base  30 ′. The spring  94  is connected to the pin  66  and the base  30  (see FIG. 11 b ) whereby it allows the operator  25  to directly move the door to the open position and forces the door  34 ″ to return to its closed position otherwise. 
     In another embodiment, not shown in any figure, the connecting means  56  is similar to a hinge, such as a hinge used for the door to a house. The hinge would include a rod and two supports. One support connected to the base, and the other connected to the lid. The rod would run through the center of the supports. When the door moved, one support would rotate around the rod while the other remained stationary. 
     Not shown in any figure is an embodiment of the token drop including an electronic monitoring advice. This device would monitor the presence of tokens on the token drop, when the token drop was used, how many tokens dropped, and the like. One example of this embodiment would be if there were an electrical contact on the base  30  and an electrical contact on the door  34 . These contacts would form an electrical connection when they met, thereby completing a circuit and sending a signal to a monitoring means. These contacts would meet whenever the door  34  was opened or closed. 
     The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.