Improvements in Apparatus for Shuffling or Mixing Playing Cards.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shuffling or Mixing Playing Cards.:
I, MARK SMITH of Mayfield Road Whalley Range Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Manager of Printing Works, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to apparatus for shuffling and mixing playing cards.
An apparatus constructed according to these improvements consists of preferably
two sets of endless bands or of two rollers above each of which about one half of
the pack of cards is placed. The endless bands or the rollers should be constructed
of or coated with indiarubber felt or some other suitable material which will lay
hold of the cards and cause them to move therewith and they may be rotated by
means of suitable gearing so that each rotates or moves at an equal speed or there-
abouts, and they are also preferably arranged so as to deliver the cards in a single
heap. For this purpose the sets of endless bands or the rollers may respectively
be arranged in the same plane or at angles to each other and deliver the cards
between them; or they may be superimposed and deliver the cards in front of the
apparatus.
If it be desired that each of the endless bands or rollers should deliver only a
single card at a time, a slide or gauge may be arranged so as to adjust the
opening through which the cards issue, and in this case the cards are preferably
pressed downwards by a spring or weight upon the moving surface. If a weight
be used, this may be hinged at the back so that its front end only rests upon the
card; whilst at its back end it is always high enough to permit the cards to be
inserted easily under it.
Instead of two sets of endless bands or two rollers 1 may employ three or more
in a similar manner, but usually two will be found sufficient. It will be under-
stood that when three or more sets of endless bands or rollers are used, the
cards or other articles to be shuffled or mixed are divided about equally between
them.
In operation the lowest card or lowest cards of each part of the pack is or are
pushed forward out of the apparatus by the action of the moving endless band or
roller, and cards from each of the parts of the pack are thus successively added to
the pile so that the pack becomes thoroughly shuffled.
Dated this 21st day of July A.D. 1891.
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shuffling or Mixing Playing Cards.
I, MARK SMITH, of Mayfield Road, Whalley Range, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Printer's 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for shuffling and mixing playing cards.
An apparatus constructed according to these improvements consists of two or
more sets of endless bands, or of two or more sets of rollers. Over each set of
endless bands, or over each roller, as the case may be, about one half or other
portion of the pack of cards is placed. Thus if there are two rollers or two
sets of endless bands, about one half of the pack is placed above each roller or set
r...631

page_text: of bands, or if there are three rollers or sets of bands, about one third of the
pack is placed over each, and so for other number of rollers or sets of bands.
The endless bands or the rollers should be covered or constructed with india-
rubber felt or similar surfaces which will rub upon the cards with elastic friction
and thus cause the lower card which is temporarily in contact with the band or
roller to be moved forward, with the motion of the endless bands or rollers, and
thus be drawn out from the divisions of the pack. As soon as the lowest card
has been drawn out of the parcel of cards, the next above it drops into contact with
the roller or endless band and is in turn withdrawn thereby and so on until all the
cards have been withdrawn.
The rollers or endless bands are relatively arranged in such a manner that the
cards as they are withdrawn successively from the parcels, fall preferably one over
the other in a heap in front of or between the rollers or endless bands.
To prevent the delivery of more than one card at a time, a gauge plate may be
arranged above the exit at such a distance as will permit the passage of the card,
and this plate is adjustable to provide for various thicknesses of cards.
A weight or presser may be employed above each roller or set of endless
bands for the purpose of pressing the cards into closer contact with the bands or
roller.
The necessary motion is imparted to the rollers or endless bands by means
of cords and pulleys, by friction wheels, or by toothed gearing as may be
preferred.
I will more particularly describe my said invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings in the various figures of which similar parts are indicated
by similar letters of reference.
The drawings illustrate two modifications in the construction of the apparatus,
but it will be evident that various other modifications may be made.
Figure 1 represents a plan;
Figure 2 a front elevation; and
Figure 3 an end elevation of one form of the apparatus as constructed according
to these improvements.
Figure 4 is an end elevation shewing an application of friction gearing for
operating the apparatus.
In the apparatus as represented in these figures there are two sets of endless
bands A A arranged upon the rollers B B. These sets of endless bands are
arranged vertically one above the other, and they may consist of three or four
elastic indiarubber bands. The upper surfaces of each of the sets of bands forms
an endless table which is caused to move by means of the hand-wheel C gearing
with the pinions DD, fixed, one upon one of the rollers of the upper set, and one
upon one of the rollers of the lower set of endless bands. In all cases the means
for driving the endless bands is so arranged that the upper surfaces of the two
sets. of bauds, on which the cards are placed, move in the same direction. Above
each set of rollers there is arranged on one side of the apparatus only, a gauge
plate which is capable of being adjusted vertically by means of the adjusting
screws E E to suit cards of various thickness, and also if desired, so as to permit
only one, or two or more cards to issue at the same time. As the cards are
rarely absolutely flat, it will be found desirable to form the lower edges of the
gauge plates to a curve as indicated in Figure 2.
In using the apparatus, the cards are divided as nearly as possible into two equal
portions GH, of which one, G, is placed on the upper set of endless bands, and
the other, H, on the lower set. The handwheel is then turned, and the cards issue
one by one simultaneously from beneath each of the gauge plates as indicated at I I
Figures 3 and 4. The cards fall thus alternately one from the upper portion G,
and one from the lower portion H, in a heap in front of the apparatus, and the
collected pack will consist alternately of cards from the upper and from the lower
halves of the pack as it previously existed. The cards will consequently be
completely shuttled, but if desired to obtain greater security, the cards may be

page_text: again divided and passed through the apparatus as frequently as the players.
choose.
Instead of two tiers only of endless bands, there may be three or four, in which.
case the pack of cards will be about equally divided between the tiers when
shuffling. Also, instead of having three or four elastic bands as described, there
may be one broad band only, or two, or more than four, and they may be constructed.
of other suitable material than indiarubber, such as felt.
A method of operating the apparatus by frictional gearing is illustrated by
Figure 4. In the represented arrangement the hand wheel C gears frictionally by
its periphery with the peripheries of the friction pinions C' C' mounted on the end
of the rollers B B.
The apparatus illustrated by Figures 5 and 6 in plan and side elevation.
respectively, is of substantially the same construction as that illustrated by Figures 1
to 4 inclusive, but the endless bands instead of being arranged one above the other,
are arranged opposite to each other, and the rollers are driven in such directions
that the cards are delivered in a heap in the space between the two halves of the
apparatus.
In either form of the apparatus a flat bar such as that indicated at K may be
inserted below the upper surfaces of the endless bands to prevent sagging and thus
to keep the bands in constant contact with the lowest of the cards thereon. In
this form of the apparatus the endless bands are represented as being driven by
the belts or cords LL, but other means may if desired, be adopted for driving.
In another modification of the apparatus, there may be two tiers of endless
bands in each half of the apparatus of the type represented by Figures 5 and 6,.
which would be equivalent to arranging two of the apparatus represented by
Figures 1 to 4 face to face.
Instead of the endless bands shewn in the various figures hereinbefore referred
to, a roller having its surface preferably covered with indiarubber, may be substi-
tuted for each set of endless bands. One such modification is represented by
Figure 7, and it will be unnecessary to describe in what manner the rollers may be
substituted for the endless bands in other modifications.
In the arrangement represented in vertical section by Figure 7, frictional gearing
is employed for driving the endless tables, in substitution for the bands illustrated
by Figure 6. The hand wheel C gears frictionally by its periphery with a small
friction wheel M mounted on one of the rollers B and with an intermediate friction
wheel D' which gears frictionally with the small friction wheel M' mounted on the
end of the second roller B. In this case, there being no travelling band, the cards
are supported on tables N.
Either modification of the apparatus may be employed as hereinbefore described,
that is to say the cards may be taken by the endless bands or by the rollers from
the underside of each division of the pack, or it may be employed by taking the
cards successively from the upper part of each division of the pack. When this.
is desired, the cards instead of being placed above the endless bands or rollers, are
placed below them and kept in contact therewith by means of springs or by counter-
weighted rising and falling tables. The adjustable gauge also, is arranged with the
curved side upwards, or at the point of issue of the cards. I prefer however to
employ the apparatus as described with reference to the drawings.
It is desirable in some cases to slightly shake the cards during the operation of
mechanical shuffling as hereinbefore described. For this purpose I may form
slight flats, bars, or projections, upon the rollers or endless bands, in such a
manner that each time one of these flats bars or projections comes into contact
with the cards, they are slightly shaken or vibrated in a vertical direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. An apparatus for mechanically shuffling and mixing playing cards, constructed.

page_text: arranged and operated substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated.
by the accompanying drawings.
2. In an apparatus for shuffling and mixing playing cards two or more endless
bands or rollers, driven at approximately equal speeds, constructed and arranged
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
1000
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.