Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th May, 1889
I, JOSEPH BOOTH of 300 Radford Road, New Basford, Nottinghamshire, Draughts-
man, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object an apparatus for shuffling cards.
For this purpose the pack is placed vertically in a bottomless receptacle, in which
however it is supported upon two combs which project into the receptacle through slits
one on either side. The cards remain thus supported on the combs until by the move-
ment of a handle the combs are withdrawn.
The combs have comparatively broad teeth and these are hollow or concave on
the face.
The lower edges of the cards when the pack is first put into the receptacle rest in the
concavities of the teeth and as the combs are gradually withdrawn card after card
passes off from each of the teeth into the interval between tooth and tooth and as each
card is so left unsupported it falls by gravity into a collecting space below.
When all the pack has thus passed down the handle is allowed to return and a pusher
then drives the pack up again into the receptacle; and it is taken out when required
for play. The shuffling of the cards in this operation is very complete for as will be
seen the descent of the pack into the receiving space takes place simultaneously in
several streams which meet in the receiving space where the re-arrangement of the
cards takes place in any order in which they may happen to fall.
The mechanism for actuating the combs and the pusher may be varied. I may
employ a lazy tong series of levers to carry the pusher and act upon these levers by
a spring to lift the plunger. The handle when thrust down compresses the spring and
allows the plunger to fall, it also moves a frame on which are inclines which operate to
withdraw the combs. When the combs are withdrawn they are retained by latches.
The handle when it rises allows the plunger also to ascend and to drive the pack up
before it into the receptacle. The plunger also as it comes to its highest position
releases the latches and springs replace the combs beneath the pack.

page_text: I, JOSEPH BOOTH of 800 Radford Road Now Basford, Nottinghamshire Draughts-
man, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what mannor the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention has for its object an apparatus for shutting cards.
For this purpose the pack is placed vertically in a bottomless receptacle, in which
however it is supported upon two combs which project into the receptacle through slits
one on either side. The cards remain thus supported on the combs until by the move-
ment of a handle the combs are withdrawn.
The teeth of the comlis are comparatively broad at the base and these are hollow or
concave on the face.
The lower edges of the cards when the pack is first put into the receptacle rest in the
concivities of the teeth and as the combs are gradually withdrawn card after card
passes off from each of the teeth into the interval between tooth and tooth and as each
card is so loft unsupported it falls by gravity into a collecting space below.
When all the pack has thus passed down the handle is allowed to return and a pusher
then drives the pack up again into the receptacle, and it is taken out when required for
play. The shuffling of the cards in this operation is very complete for as will be seen
the descent of the pack into the receiving space takes place simultaneously in several
streams which meet in the receiving space where the re-arrangement of the cards takes
place in any order in which they may happen to fall.
The mechanism for actuating the combs and the pusher may be variod. I may
employ a lazy tong series of lovers to carry the pusher and act upon these levers by a
spring to lift the plunger. The handle when thrust down compresses the spring and
allows the plunger to fall, it also moves a frame on which are inclines which operate to
withdraw the comhs. When the combs are withdrawn they are retained by latchos.
The handle when it rises allows the plunger also to ascend and to drive the pack up
before it into the receptacle. The plunger also as it comes to its highest position
releases the latches and springs replace the combs beneath the pack.
The drawing annexed shows apparatus constructed in the manner prefer for
enrrying out my invention.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card table with the apparatus secured to its
underside at the centre.
Figures 2 and 3 are elevations of the apparatus with part of the table and the upper
part of the apparatus in section. Figure 4 is a vertical section of the apparatus.
Figure 5 is a plan view of the apparatus with parts removed. Figure 6 is a plan view
full size of the tubular receptacle into which the cards are placed and the fingers
projecting inwards into this tube for the cards to rest on. Figure 7 is a plan view and
Figure 8 a cross section of one of the sets of fingers. Figure 9 is an underside view
and Figure 10 a side elevation of the rings and levers used for giving movement to the
various parts. Figures 11 and 12 show ways which may be adopted for giving a
partial turn to the outer ring.

page_text: In these figures A is the top of a card table through the centre of which an oblong
opening is formed into which is fixed the top of a corresponding tubular casing B.
Through two opposite sides of this tube are slots 131 B' through which two sets of
ingers C can be thrust to support cards placed into the top of the tube.
The upper surface of each finger is as shewn made concave so that all cards resting
upon it tend to slide inwards towards its centre so that the cards may the better remain
rosting on the fingers as long as may be during the time that the fingers are being
withdrawn from beneath them. The sets of fingers are carried by levers C' the tail
ends of which are acted on by springs (which tend to thrust the fingers inwards into
the tube. Care pins projecting from the lovers which are pressed outwards away
from the tube as hereinafter described when the fingers are to he withdrawn.
catches jointer to the upper ends of the levers C which when the fingers have been
withdrawn drop behind projections on the exterior of the case B and so keep the
fingers from being pressed inwards by the springs (³.
Care
B³ is a receptacle at the bottom of the tubo B into which the cards drop when the
fingers are withdrawn.
BB are two slots inclined to one another in two opposite sides of the receptacle B³
through which guide plates D can be thrust, between them, they form a sort of funnel
mouth by which the cards as they drop down are directed to the centre of the
receptacle B. Below the bottom of these plates 1) the receptacle is of increased
width so that the cards may fall away freely from the centre some to one side some to
another.
Whenever the shuffled pack of cards is to be lifted up from the receptacle the
plates are drawn back so as to be out of their way as hereinafter explained.
In two opposite sides of the tube B and receptacle B2 are also two slots B₁ through
which a bar E is passed-by this bar any cards dropped into the receptacle B2 can be
pushed upwards from it and carried up in the tube B until they project from the top
of the tube to a sufficient extent, to permit of their being readily lifted out from it.
When the bar is raised to do this the guide plates D are drawn back so as not to
interfere with the raising of the cards.
The bar is raised at the times required by the system of jointed levers F-pins
on the upper levers enter slots in the ends of the bar E. The lowermost levers have
weights on thein to nearly counterbalance the jointed levers and cross bar to soften
their descent they are also connected by rods F to bell crank levers F² by turning
which the rods can be drawn upwards and the bar so moved to the upper end of the
tube B. Each pair of guide platos D is carried by a lever D-the weight of the levers
tends to carry the plates into position to project into the receptacle, B-when the
plates are to be withdrawn the upper ends of the levers are acted on as hereinafter
explained.
G is a ring fixed to the underside of the table concentrically with the tube B-
it carries levers (by which the fingers (can be made to withdraw from the tube
and other levers El by which the lifter bar E can be caused to rise. H is a ring
surrounding the ring and capable of being turned a distance around it-on its
under side it carries pins C which act on the levers when the ring H is turned
and other pins E to act on the levers Fit also carries blocks D formed with inclines
to act on the levers D'. The blocks D³ on which the inclines are formed are not
attached directly to the ring H but are carried by one end of arms D³ which at their
opposite ends are jointed by pins D' to the ring-D are springs by which the free
ends of the arms D³ are pressed outwards away from the centre of the ring.
Various ways may be adopted for giving a partial turn to the ring Hat Figure 11
I have shown it as being turned in one direction by a band attached to it being wound
on to a spindle which can be turned by a hand wheel on its end. For turning the
ring in the opposite direction I employ a spring not shown in the drawing and control
the speed at which the spring can turn the ring either by a friction bruke or rotating
fly or by controlling the admission of air into a chamber in which a vacuum is created
by the action of the spring or in other convenient manner so that the withdrawal of

page_text: the fingers from below any pack of cards that is being shuffled may be effected
slowly and gradually.
At Figure 12 I have shown the ring H with four slotted links EL¹ jointed to it-
into the slots of which pins on four crank lovers H at four opposite sides of the
table as seen at Figure 1 may enter so that a player sitting at any one or other
of the sides of the table may by depressing one of the levers turn the ring. The
levers should be counterbalanced by a spring or weight so that the handle end of
the lever tends to remain in its raised position.
The action of tho apparatus is as follows:-Normally the ring H and the paris
carried by it are in the position shown at Figure 5. When the ring His turno
a distance in the direction of the arrow say by the depression of one of the levers H
the inclines on the blocks * act against the ends of the lovers and cause the guide
plates D to be withdrawn and for a timo holds them back in their withdrawn position-
the pins on the ring H at this time come against the levers E' and cause them
to act upon the crank levers and thereby cause the lifter bar E to ho raised.
When the lifter bar has been raised above the level of the guide plates 1) the
blocks pass beyond the ends of the levers I) and the levers being then free
thoy turn back into their former position so that the guide plates which they carry
again project into the receptacle B'.
During this time the fingers have not been projecting into the tube B but have
been held back by their catches (" but as soon as the lifter bar E has arrived at
the top of its stroke and has carried the cards above the lovel of the fingers it
trips the catches (" and the fingers are then pressed inwards by the action of the
springs (".
The shuffled pack of cards can then be taken away and another pack to he
shuffled pat in its place. So soon as the hand lever which was being held
down is released the ring is by the spring which acts upon it turned back
slowly in the opposite direction to that in which it was proviously turned. When this
takes place the pin E on the ring H is carried away from the lever E' and the lifter
bar E quickly descends-at the same time the pin (" on the ring I comes against the
lover and by turning it causes the fingers to be drawn back slowly from beneath
the cards and the cards drop down succossively from several parts of the pack as
proviously explained into the receptacle B and may remain there ready to be lifted
out whenever required.
An inchne at the back of the block D' also comes against the end of the lover !)
and the block D yields and is pressed inwards by the lever until the block passes the
end of the lever and the parts come into the position shown at Figure 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what
I claim is
-
1. A card shuffling apparatus in which two sets of pointed fingers aro made to
project into the lower part of a case into which the cards to bo shuffled are placed
and which can be withdrawn gradually froin below the cards to allow them to
drop in succession from two or more parts of the pack into a receiver below.
2. The construction of card shuffling apparatus substantially as hereinbefore
described.