A Machine for Shuffling Playing-cards.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left. 24th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Shuffling Playing-cards.
I, EDWARD JAMES EBDEN, of Croft Lodge, Paignton, Devonshire, Member of
the Covenanted Civil Service of India, Bombay Establishment, at present on
furlough, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
==
My invention relates to an improved machine for shuffling playing cards, and
has for its object to provide a machine, the mode of shuffling by which resembles
the method of hand shuttling in which the two portions of a pack are held face to
face, and the cards allowed to drop one or more at a time in such a manner that
they overlap in falling, so that, when picked up and pushed together the carls
which were originally in the one part of the pack will more or less alternate with
those in the other part.
My improved machine comprises a suitable bed or base-plate upon which are
fixed two stand, the upper surface of each of which is curved to the arc of a
circle the centre of which is at the axis of an adjacent roller hereinafter described
and which stands are placed at such a distance apart that the cards when shuffled
will lie between them.
The roller hereinbefore referred to is covered with india-rubber or other suitable
material, and is placed at a distance above the stand which is slightly less than the
length of the cards to be shuffled.
In order to adapt the machine to shuffle cards of slightly varying length the
rollers may be made adjustable relatively to the stands. The said rollers are
driven simultaneously preferably by a band, the two ends of which are wound two
or three times in opposite directions around pulleys secured to the axes of the said
rollers in such a manner that, by depressing the said band between the rollers the
Intter can be caused to turn to a sufficient extent.
Suitable counter-weights are provided for maintaining the band taut.
The pack of cards to be shuffled is divided into two portions, one of which is
placed upon cach of the said stands with its upper end resting against the roller in
connection therewith. If now the band is depressed the slight rotation of the
rollers will cause them to act upon the upper edges of the cards, so that the cards
are made to fall into position between the stands. Means may be provided for
straightening the edges of the pack. The axes of the rollers are placed to one
side of their respective stands, so that the cards will stand before shuffling in a
more or less inclined position, and the uprights carrying the rollers are preferably
curved so as not to interfere with the hands when placing the cards upon the
machine.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Shuffling Playing-cards.
1, EDWARD JAMES EBDEN, of 21, Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol, Member of
the Covenanted Civil Service of in lia, Bombay Establishment, at present on
furlough, 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 relates to an improved machine for shuffling playing cards, and
has for its object to provide a machine, the mode of shuffling by which resembles

page_text: the method of hand shuffling in which the two portions of a pak are held face to
face, and the cards allowed to drop one or more at a time in such a manner that
they os rap in falling that, when picket up and pushed together, the carls
which were originally in the one part of the pack will more or les alternate wich
those in the other part.
My improved machin compri e suitable or bese-plate upon which are
fixed two stends, the upper surface of och of which is cursed to the are of a
circle, the centre of which is at the axis of an adj went roller hereinaftr described,
and which stands are plneed at wel e distince apart that the cards when shuti si
will lie between them.
"
The roller hereinbefore referred to are covered with india-rabber or oth
suitable material, and are placed chat distance above its stand slightly less
than the 1ngth of the crits to be shuthel. The said rollers are driven sinn-
ly prably by a brand, the two ends of which are worl two or thr
times in opp i direction, armi pally sure to the axes of the said rolle
in such a manner that, by depressing the said band between the rollers the latter
can be canel to rotate to client extent. Suitable mean me provided for
maintaining the hand tnt.
'
In order to adapt the machine to see pick of slightly varying leng litl
rollers may be maladjustable rekosively to the stands, or the stands relatively to
the roller pred the fomngement however,
.
To end my invention to be fully anilerstood will describe the same with
reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
-
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in cer'on of my improved card--huffling machine ;
and,
Figure 2 is an end view of the same partly in etion on the line
q is the bed or base-plate of my improved machin, and are the stands upon
which the ranks to be shuttled are pued, the said stands being curved as herein-
before stated. The said stands are alvantageously roughened or erretep to
prevent the cards from slipping when being shuffled, are the india-rubber
covered rollers arranged in conjunction with the stands, respectively, and
against which the cards rest at the upper end, as shewn in Figure 1. The said rollers
are mounted upon the standard d attached to or formed integral with the bed.
and each roller is carried in berrings formed in two dises, attached by
lugs to rods g, g, connected at their upper ends by a cross-bar 4 and sliding in
guides upon the standard d: jis a cross-bar connecting the rods, at their
fower end. The guides i, i are set at such an angle that the adjustment movement
is in the direction of the centre of the are represented by the surface of each
stand.
In order to adjust the rollers to suit the length of cards to be shuffled, I provide
the screws & secured at their lower ends to the bar and sliding through the
cross-bars. Upon each screw & is a nut which is located between a boss m
(on a cross-barn between the guides of each roller) and a holding piece
secured to a bar p connecting the two cross-bars n, n of the two rollers, so that by
rotating either of the said nuts in one or the other direction the roller connected
therewith will be correspondingly raised or lowered.
()
Secured to one end of each roller is a dise q having upon one side a flanger
constituting a kind of pulley: inside this flange is a helical aprings, as indicated
by dotted lines in Figure 1, one end of which spring is secured to the said flange
whilst the other end is attached to the disc e.
t is the cord which is passed around the flanges r, of the two rollers, the two
ends of the said cord being secured to the discs y, as shewn: ", are guides
through which the said cord passes.
The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is as follows, that is to
say, the rollers e, care adjusted in such a manner that the distance between their
lower surfaces and the stands b, is slightly less than the length of the earls to
be shuffled. If now the halves of a pack of cards are placed one upon each of the

page_text: said stands with its upper end resting against the roller in connection therewith,
and the band or cord t is depressed, then the rollers will be caused to slightly
rotate so that the upper ends of the cards will pass beneath the rollers and fall, as
indicated in Figure 1, into the space between the stands b, b'. The springs s, s
inside the flanges r, r serve to again wind the band or cord upon the flanges r
when the finger is removed from the said cord.
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. In a card-shuffling machine, the combination of two stands upon which the
cards are placed and two rollers against which the said cards rest at their upper
ends, the said rollers being capable of receiving a slight rotary motion, substantially
as, and for the purpose, described.
2. In a machine of the kind hereinbefore described having two rollers, means
whereby the said rollers may be rotated simultaneously, substantially as set forth.
3. The manufacture and use of the improved card shuffling machine hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
T
1001
CYCLAVA
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.