Improvements in Devices for Shuffling or Mixing Playing Cards, which Devices also Form Receptacles for the Cards and may be used as Markers for the Game.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Shuffling or Mixing Playing Cards,
which Devices also Form Receptacles for the Cards and may be
used as Markers for the Game.
I, ALEXANDER WELLS, of Brayesworth, Eye, in the County of Suffolk,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, to be as follows:-
One modification of the invention which is preferred as the simplest and most
readily manufactured, consists of an oblong box or receptacle, say about eight inches
long, four inches wide and two inches deep.
It is made with a hinged lid by preference, but the lid may be dispensed with,
and this lid may be partly formed of glass, in order that the cards may be seen
through it.
At the bottom of the inside of the box, and in the middle of its length, a division
is fixed extending across the box, this division is about one inch high in the middle
and slopes downwards from it, towards both ends of the box, thus forming a double
reversed incline, in which and in the bottom of the box there are recesses or
cavities to facilitate the removal of the cards from the box by hand.
The pack of cards to be shuffled or mixed, is placed at one end of the box, and
the box is tilted up at that end and the cards rapidly slide along one incline and
over the other to the other end of the box and this may be repeated by tilting the
box from one end to the other as often as desired, the result being that the cards
take up an entirely different position each time the box or receptacle is tilted.
Any known arrangements for marking the games may be applied to or be
formed upon the exterior of the box or receptacle.
Another modification consists in making the double incline division loose in a
direction up and down in the box, and forming holes in the bottom for the fingers
to pass through for the purpose of lifting the incline division piece, and thus
regulating the fall of the cards when the box is tilted. Or in place of movable
inclines small weighted levers are or may be used connected with the inclines for
lifting the cards over the fixed division piece across the box or receptacle.
Another modification consists in making the incline on one side or end only of
the box or receptacle and hinging it loosely by pivots to the sides of the box, so
that when the box is tilted the cards will pass from one end over the incline and
fall at the other end of the box, and when it is tilted the reverse way, they will
pass under the hinged or loose flap incline (which lifts to allow them to do so) to
the other end of the box, and so on as often as desired.
Another modification consists in making the box or receptacle with a series of
inclines extending from each side or end. The cards are placed on the top incline,
and the receptacle is then tilted up at that end, and they slide from the first incline
and fall upon the second incline and then from it to the third, and so on until they
arrive at a recess at the bottom of the box or receptacle, or they may be allowed
to fall upon a table, where the game is being played if desired.
Another modification consists of a deep box or receptacle, or it is made to stand
on short feet and a false or loose bottom is used in the receptacle, having any of
the above described arrangements applied to it, this loose bottom being tilted or
moved up and down at each end as desired, by hand, small levers, or by mechanism
operated by rotary motion in order to cause the cards to slide rapidly from one end
to the other, the receptacle itself remaining stationary.
Dated this Twenty-seventh day of February 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Infprovements in Devices for Shuffling or Mixing Playing Cards,
which Devices also Form Receptacles for the Cards and may be
used as Markers for the Game.
I, ALEXANDER WELLS, of Brayesworth, Eye, in the County of Suffolk,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
One modification of the invention which is preferred as the simplest and most
readily manufactured, consists of an oblong box or receptacle say about eight inches
long, four inches wide and two inches deep.
It is made with a hinged lid by preference, but the lid may be dispensed with,
and this lid may be partly formed of glass in order that the cards may be seen
through it.
At the bottom of the inside of the box, and in the middle of its length a division
is fixed extending across the box, this division is about one inch high in the middle
and slopes downwards from it towards both ends of the box, thus forming a double
reversed incline, in which and in the bottom of the box there are or may be recesses
or cavities to facilitate the removal of the cards from the box by hand.
The pack of cards to be shuffled or mixed is placed at one end of the box, and
the box is then tilted up at that end, and the cards rapidly slide along one incline
and over the other to the other end of the box, and this may be repeated by tilting
the box from one end to the other as often as desired, the result being that the
cards take up an entirely different position each time the box or receptacle is tilted.
Any known arrangements for marking the games may be applied to or be formed
upon the exterior of the box or receptacle, and when desired there may be a box or
receptacle fitted into the box to hold counters or other articles, which box or
receptacle may be removed when the device is used for shuffling or mixing the
cards.
Another modification consists in making the double incline division loose in a
direction up and down in the box, and forming holes in the bottom, for the fingers
to pass through for the purpose of lifting the incline division piece, and thus
regulating the fall of the cards when the box is tilted. Or in place of movable
inclines small weighted levers are or may be used connected with the inclines for
lifting the cards over the fixed division piece across the box or receptacle.
Another modification consists in making the incline on one side or end only of the
box or receptacle, and hinging it loosely by pivots to the sides of the box-so that
when the box is tilted the cards will pass from one end over the incline and fall at
the other end of the box and when it is tilted the reverse way they will pass under
the hinged or loose flap incline (which lifts to allow them to do so) to the other
end of the box, and so on as often as desired.
Another modification cousists in making the box or receptacle with a series of
inclines extending from each side or end. The cards are placed on the top incline
and the receptacle is then tilted up at that end and the cards slide from the first
incline and fall upon the second incline and then from it to the third, and so on,
until they arrive at a recess or drawer at the bottom of the box or receptacle, or
they may be allowed to fall upon a table, where the game is being played if
desired.
Another modification consists of a deep box or receptacle, or it is made to stand
on short feet and a false or loose bottom is used in the receptacle having any of the
above described arrangements applied to it, this loose bottom being tilted or moved
up and down at each end as desired, by hand, small levers, or by mechanism
operated by rotary motion in order to cause the cards to slide rapidly from one
end to the other, the receptacle itself remaining stationary.

page_text: Fig. 1, 1s a perspective view of the box or device with the hinged lid open,
showing the cards at one end inside the receptacle.
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the exterior of the box or device shown tilted at
an angle to cause the cards at the higher end to pass to the lower end of the
receptacle.
Fig. 3, is a perspective view of a loose tray or box, to hold counters and
other articles, which loose tray or box is of such size as to be placed and
enclosed within the receptacle or device.
The above figures illustrate one modification of the invention.
Fig. 4, is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5, a plan view of another modification.
Fig. 6, is a longitudinal section and Fig. 7, a plan view of another modification.
Fig. 8, is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 9, a plan view of another modification.
Fig. 10, is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 11, a plan view of another
modification.
The receptacle or device (a) shown by Figs. 1 and 2, may be made of any suit-
able material and with or without a hinged lid a', its width may be a little more
than the long-way or of the width or narrow-way of the cards.
b, is the double or reversed incline at the middle of the bottom of the box.
Part of the lid is or may be formed of glass at a², so that the cards may be seen
when in the receptacle and the two ends of the lid at a³, is or may be arranged for
markers for the game.
The cards to be shuffled or mixed are placed at one end of the box a, the lid a',
is shut and the box is then tilted into a position as shown in Fig. 2, so that
the cards will slide from the higher end of it over the incline, to the lower end
of the receptacle a, which may then be reversed, and the cards will then pass back
to the other end again, and this may be repeated as often as desired.
c, is the loose tray or box which fits inside the box or receptacle a, and can be
shut in when the lid a', is closed.
The modification illustrated by Figs. 4 and 5, is the same as to the receptacle a,
as that shown by Figs. 1 and 2, or 1, 2 and 3, excepting as to the arrangement of
the inclines.
In this case, the inclines b, are separate and loose, that is, they have pivots at b³,
jointed to the side of the box a.
There is a hole a*, through the bottom of the box opposite about the middle of
each hinged incline or director b, through which the finger can be passed to lift the
inclines or directors b, at one end.
The cards to be mixed or shuffled are placed upon one hinged incline or
director b, and then it is lifted by the finger and the box a, is tilted up at that
end so that the cards slide over the top of the middle partition d, in the box a,
and they fall in the other division of the box from which they can be discharged
in like manner back to the other division of the box and so on as often as desired.
6, Fig. 4, represent weights which may be used to lift the boards b, (but a
spring may be used in each case), and dispense with the holes a', and use of the
finger. But when weights or springs are used the pivots are in the middle of
the boards or inclines b, which are hinged above the bottom of the box, and the
weight or spring is attached to the ends of levers from the pivots on the exterior
of the box.
Figs. 6 and 7, illustrate another modification which is a box a, with one incline b,
only having pivots at b, which enter holes in the side of the box a.
If the cards are placed in one division they pass from it over the incline when
the box is tilted at that end to the other end or division, but when the other end
of the box is tilted up the cards pass back to the other end of it under the pivotted
incline 6', which lifts to allow them to pass under.
Figs. 8 and 9, illustrate another modification. This is a box a, with any desired
number of inclines at each end of the box, two are shown in this example, and a
partition piece d, at the middle, across the bottom of the box.
The cards to be mixed are placed on the incline b, and the box is tilted up at

page_text: that end, and the cards pass to the incline 6, at the other end of the box and by
tilting up that end of the box they pass to the incline 63, at the other end and in
like manner from the incline, to the incline ', and are finally discharged into
the receptacle a', which may be a drawer, to draw out sideways, or there may be a
door or hole at the side to take out the cards.
By preference one side of the box is made of glass so that the cards may be
seen as they pass, and in order to see that no cards are left on the inclines.
Figs. 10 and 11, illustrate another modification.
In this there is a deep box with a false bottom e, suspended on pivots e', on the
sides of the box.
This false bottom e, has the double incline b, as in Fig. 1, and there are knobs e³,
on the pivots of the false bottom on the exterior of the box by which the false
bottom may be oscillated to cause the cards placed at one end to pass over the
inclines b, to the other end and so on backward and forward as often as desired.
Instead of a double incline in the modification shown by Figs. 10 and 11, there
may be a single pivotted incline as in Figs. 6 and 7, the incline being hinged to an
axis passing across the box a, (to which the false bottom is attached) to the outer
ends of which the knobs e³, are attached.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
1. The combination of a receptacle for the cards with an incline or inclines in it
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
drawings.
2. The combinations and arrangements of devices, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated by reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3,
Figs. 4 and 5, Figs. 6 and 7, Figs. 8 and 9, and Figs. 10 and 11, of the drawings.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of November 1892.
PETER J. LIVSEY,
Agent.