An Arrangement for Mixing Playing Cards
Year: 1898

page_text: An Arrangement for Mixing Playing Cards.
OSCAR POPPE, Organ Builder, 8, Erskine Street, Hulme, Manchester. I do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Figure 2 and 3 represent an "arrangement for mixing playing cards, seen from
the two points, while Fig. 1 shows the ground-plan of it. E marks the case of
metal, which is composed of several pieces and divided into two chambers. In
chamber f, there is a small bellow g, in chamber h, the place for mixing playing
cards, while direct above those chambers the little chest i is for throwing the
unmixed cards into. Before throwing the unmixed playing cards into chest i, the
slider k which is furnished with a knob, and at which the pointed plate / is
fastened, must be pushed in and fastened. The fastening takes place after push-
ing in the slider k as far as the notch, which hooks in upwards.
After doing this put the unmixed cards into the chest i, so that the cards will
rest upright on the plate l, which plate will form, a bottom between h & i, and
which moves slowly backwards as soon as the slider kis hooked out. The plate
being pointed will only let the playing cards follow through in an irregular suc-
cession i.e. mixed. The return motion of the pointed plate 1, will be effected by
driving the air bellow g, which is expressed by the arm n, while pushing in the
slider up through a spiral spring.
The measure of this motion will be fixed by a small opening, through which the
bellow gets the wind & without it the bellow would not move.
But to help the compressing and driving to go quick, there has an exhaust pallet
been made.
In Figure 1 and 2 the plate is shown pushed in by dotted lines.
CLAIM FOR A PATENT.
An, arrangement for mixing playing cards," characterized by a pointed plate,
over which the playing cards are to be conveyed or which will be guided under
the playing cards, so that the latter will fall through in an irregular succession,
i.e. mixed.

page_text: formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My said invention relates to an arrangement for mixing playing cards.
In a box or other casing I place small bellows having one part secured to the
box and forming a partition therein. Connected to the swinging part of the
bellows is a comb and distributing plate on which the pack of unmixed cards rests
when the bellows are closed. The bellows are kept closed until the unmixed cards
are placed in the chest provided for them at the upper part of the box and when
the bellows are released they gradually open and withdrawing the comb cause the
cards to fall in an irregular succession into the lower part of the box so as to be
mixed or shuffled ready for use.
In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood I will describe
the same with reference to the accompanying drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with
my said invention showing the bellows closed and the unmixed cards dotted in
position.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. I with the upper card chest removed.
Fig. 3 is plan showing the position of the comb & distributing plate when the
bellows are open.
Fig. 4 is a section through y-y of Fig. 1 showing the pack of mixed cards in
dotted lines.
In these figures a is the box or casing and 6 the upper card chest. Inside the
box or casing a I place small bellows having one part c secured to the box or
casing and forming a partition therein while the other part e¹ is caused to open
as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and to close when desired. Connected to the
swinging part c¹ of the bellows is a comb and distributing plate d on which the
pack of unmixed cards e rests when the bellows are closed as shown at Fig. 1.
Secured to the swinging part c¹ of the bellows is a slider f which is caused to
engage in a catch g¹ in the slotted plate 9 when the bellows are closed previous to
inserting the unmixed cards e in the chest b. When the unmixed cards have been
placed in the card chest b the slider f is disengaged and the bellows automatically
open under the action of the spring h. The bellows are provided with an air
pallet for the egress of air when closing but not perfectly air tight it allows air
to be slowly sucked in as the bellows open. This slow ingress of air prevents the
sudden expansion of the spring so that the bellows take some little time to open. When
the bellows commence to open the cards resting on the distributing plate d are slightly
separated until the distributing plate d is drawn from underneath when the cards
fall in irregular succession through or over the prongs of the comb c² as their
support is gradually withdrawn into the shoot or receptacle m at the lower part
of the box as shown at Fig. 4 and are thus mixed or shuffled.
The front of the casing a¹ (Fig. 4) is cut away to enable the easy withdrawal of
the mixed or shuffled cards e from the shoot or receptacle m.
When the bellows are open to their full extent they and the comb c occupy the
position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in plan in Fig. 3 thus
leaving a free passage from the chest b to the shoot or receptacle m.
Although the apparatus is shown in the drawing constructed of wood I may in
some cases construct it of metal as will be well understood.
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. A card mixing apparatus substantially as herein before set forth and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The use combination and arrangement with suitable receptacles in a card
mixing apparatus of a transversely movable pointed plate or comb for producing

page_text: the descent in irregular succession of a pack of cards resting edgewise thereon
substantially as set forth and shown.
3. The combination of bellows a sliding distributing plate and comb a card
chest and a shoot or receiver for the mixed cards the whole forming a card mixing
apparatus substantially as set forth and shown.
E. T. WHITELOW, A.M., Inst. C.E.,
70, Deansgate, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.