Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Aug., 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct., 1897
I, EDUARD KEMPER, Captain retired, Schillerstrasse 7, Charlottenburg in
Germany, 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:-
My invention consists in a device, by means of which a pack of cards can be
shuffled easily and with very little effort.
The apparatus, as to its essential parts consists of a boxlike frame bearing the
cards between a roller and a sliding-plate pressed against the cards by means of a
spring, and of a drum open above and below, divided into sectoral fields, round
the axis of which the aforesaid frame revolves, while the said roller rotates and
makes one card after another drop into the divisions of the drum, after which
the drum itself is rotated over an opening of the bottom of the case, through which
the cards drop out.
In order to effect a thorough shuffling of the cards, the rotation of the aforesaid
roller is regulated so, that it always passes several divisions of the drum before
dropping in a card.
The box-shaped frame is then revolved several times round the axle of the
drum, before the whole pack passes into the drum.
The accompanying drawing shows a manner in which the apparatus for shuffling
cards may be constructed.
In this drawing Fig. I shows the top view; Fig. II a section through the drum
and case and a side-view of the stand and bottom of the case as well as of the box-
shaped frame; Fig. III an elevation, at the same time showing the longitudinal
section of the frame and partly that of the case and of the drum.
The Figures IV and V represent on a larger scale sections through the box-
shaped frame and the roller in two directions perpendicular to each other, and
the Figures VI, VI and VII represent the constructions of a catch fixed to the
box-shaped frame so, that it can swing to one side, but is prevented from doing so
in the opposite direction.
M, designates the stand of the apparatus, N, the bottom of its case, O, the
envelope of the cylinder attached to the stand, G, an axle fixed on the stand, T, a
drum surrounding the axle, G, with a shell, H, and divided by radial partition-
walls into several-say 16-divisions, C, the box-shaped frame embracing a
prolongation of the axle, G, by a shell, J. W, designates the roller situated
within the frame in the direction of a radius drawn from the axle, G, A, a pack
of cards, S, a sliding plate pressed against the pack of cards by means of a half-
elliptic spring, F, so that the pack of cards is between the plate, S, and the
roller, W, S', designates a sliding plate forming the bottom of the frame, C, and
being adjusted by means of screws, U, so as to leave so much room beside the
roller as to allow only a single card to be moved down vertically by the roller into
one of the divisions of the drum.
A conical cog-wheel, Z, which engages another one, Z', firmly fixed to the
L-11 TI in fastound to the art of the malla W

page_text: L, is a handle, by means of which the frame, C, is moved round the axle, G;
during this time the roller, W, in consequence of the rotation of the cog-wheel, Z,
in engaging the cog-wheel, Z, is rotated round its axle so as to shove down the
card touching it and to bring it into one of the divisions of the drum, T.
It is advisable to give this drum additional radial partitions shorter than the
other ones in order to make a further separation of the cards falling into the
divisions
From a pin of the frame, C, a finger, Q, hangs down into the interior of the
cylindrical case, O. This finger, as it can be seen from the Figures VI, VI^
and VII, is movable in the direction of the arrow II, whereas it is prevented
from doing so in the opposite direction by a pin, Q.
It must, morcover, be said, that the arrangement is such as to allow the finger, Q,
during the circular motion of the box-shaped frame, C, in the direction of the
arrow I in Fig. I to glide along the pin, Q1, fastened to the drum, T, that, how-
ever, in the case of the opposite motion of the box-shaped frame, C, it carries
with it the pin, Q', and, with the latter, the drum, T, itself.
At, E, the bottom, N, of the case of the apparatus has an opening and, below the
latter, a slide into which the cards, having dropped into the drum, T, fall down
when the latter is rotated over this opening. This rotation takes place by revolving
the frame, C, in the direction opposite to that of the arrow in the Fig. I.
The ratio between the rotative velocities in the transmission of motion between
the two conical toothed wheels, Z, and, 71, may be fixed so, that the roller, W,
carries down a card into every third division of the drum, so that, in order to
shuffle a pack of 32 cards, the roller must be revolved nearly 6 times round the
axle of the drum during this act about 2 cards drop into each division of the
drum.
This ratio, however, may be any other one; nor is it absolutely necessary that
the transmission of motion to the axle of the roller should be effected by toothed
wheels; further, instead of two transmission wheels more than two, being either
cog-wheels or friction-wheels, may be employed.
In conclusion it must be remarked that, the divisions of the drum need not
absolutely have the form of sectors, though the idea of employing this form is
suggested to the mind before all others. Nor need the partitions, D, be absolutely
connected by an encircling cylinder so as to form a drum; what is requisite, is
merely that the totality of these partitions, D, can be successively led past the
opening, E.
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:
An apparatus for shuffling a pack of cards characterized (a) by a roller (W)
which can move over revoluble receiving-spaces without top and bottom (say
sectoral divisions of a drum without bottom and top), which roller, at the same
time, rotates on its own axle,. and against which the pack of cards is pressed by a
spring, while the same pack is supported by a plate (S) adjusted so as to allow
only a single card at a time to glide down into one of the receiving-spaces, and
(b) by a case with an opening (E) in its bottom over which the bottomless
receiving-spaces can be revolved so as to allow the cards which they contain to
drop.
EDUARD KEMPER.
By his Agent,
F. N. Naase.